Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1873-10-30
WHOLE NO. 1881

lOHSlUS W tllc WcillHicl VldSScS' Liz
face which was not disfgured, was
handsome, in spite of the traces of
passion and dissipation He was quite
dead they had given up attempting
to restore him, and were searching the
body for Identification. One of them,
as l approached, had just opened a
pocket-book filled with papers and
marked inside with a name. / read
the name over his shoulder it was
James Hunt'ey
Strange chapter In the strange ro-
nance, interviewer with my life i
This mans death, SO sudden, so little
to be looked for, had come to cut the
knot of all the doubts, the difficulties,
the despair which else might have
enveloped the whole future of two
lives 1t seemed to me, that if ever
l saw the finger of Destiny in any hu
man event, | saw it there.
waited only long enough to make
sure that there was no mistake, and
then hurried back to Miss Knowles
to Miss Knowles ?-that is, to Mrs.
Huntley. Yes, for the first time, l
realized that it was a husJands dread
full death that was fastening to com
municate to his newly made widow,
and shrunk from my task.
| knocked gently at her door. She
opened it, and, seeing me, looked at
me for the first moment in silent sur
prise then, putting the natural in
depreciation of her own absorbing
thought on my return, so much before
the time set, she cried out-T am too
late, then, after all ? He is here al
ready ?"
"You have nothing more to fear
from him." l said, gravely, trying to
break the shock to her by degrees
But she did not understand.
"Nothing to fear, do you mean,
from--trom my husband ?" she said,
slowly, with perplexed look in my
face.
"You have nothing more to fear
from the man who was your husband" "
| repeated distinctly. This time she
caught my meaning. She grew white,
and her lips trembled so that she
could scarcely articulate the words,
"Tell me-"
gave her the bretest and most
softened outline possible of what had
happened. She stood like a stone,
only her face showing that she heard.
| never saw in any human counte.
nance such an expression as that in
hers while she listened-pity, relief,
awe, all struggling together. Then
she moved her lips, but heard moth
ing; suddenly she dropped to the
floor and buried her face in the sofa
cushions, while a voice | should not
have known for hers said: ''Go-
leave me alone !"
had no words for such emotions
as hers in that moment; | could only
obey her in silence.
AS walked away, my mind going
over all that had occurred, | could not
help recalling the old saying, that
man proposes and God dispoSes. This
scheme of Websters, laid with such
malice and traachery-we had reason
afterward to think that he had had
access to her writing-desk, and so dis
covered her secret-this plot, l say,
on which he had counted to crush her
utterly, had been the instrument, in
the hands of a mysterious Providence,
of working her deliverance working
i. after a terrible manner, it is true,
but not the less freeing her future
from its life long shadow.
pass by all the history Of those
sad days, days Of sadness if not of
mourning-the months of seclusion
and waiting-to a time when | could
claim her for my own before the eyes
OF the world, and cali my neighbor,
my friend, by the dearest name of
wife.
"Eleanor.' l said to her on our wed
ding-day, asking the inevitable ques-
ton which suppose every lover since
Adams time has asked, "tell me, when
did Won beuin TO care for me?'
"George," she answered, looking at
me with the sunshiny smile in which
there was never any ice now, "do you
remember my saying, the day we met,
that | was a believer in physiognomy?
| think the mischief was done when
you looked at me with your gener
Gus, tonest eyes, and offered me that
rash pledge Of friendship; but | did
not know it them" she added more
gravely, ''or should have run away
from you"
And you dare to tell me so? l
said, assuming jesting tone, for |
didn't want those old troubles to cloud
her face. Don I you know lnat Is
high treason now? From this time
forth you are to consider yourself as
having no past, nothing but present.
The tyrant has spoken !! Do you
mean to obey?"
81 obey, George" she said, her love
ly dark eyes looking earnestly into
mine "and l thank Heaven for giving
me a present that makes obedience
easy"
took the soft, white hand that was
so near mine, and-but go back to
your own honeymoon for the rest for,
to use myiwife's quotation. 81 never
kiss and tell. "-Erom the ALD1NE for
November.