The Republican journal., 1873-11-13

| knocked gently at the door. She open
ed 1t, and, seeing me, looked at me to'
the first moment i'll silent surprise then
putting the natural Interpretation of he
own absorbing thought on my return, sC
much before the time set she cried out =
= am too late, then. after MI He i
here already ?"
= You have nothing more to fear from
him." | said gravely, irving to break the
shock to her by degrees But she did not
understand
Nothing to fear, do you mean from
from my husband? She said, slowly, witt
a perplcxed look in my face
| You have nothing more to fear from
the man who was your husband; | re-
peated distinctly. This time she caught
my meaning. She grew white. and hcl
lips trembled 50 that she could scarcely
articulate the words, Tell me"
gave her the briefest and most soften
ed outline possible Of what had happened.
She stood like stone. only her face show
ing that she heard | never saw in any
human countenance such IN expression as
that IN hers while she listened pity re-
lief. awe, all struggling together Then
she moved her lips, but heard nothing
suddenly she dropped to the floor and
buried her face in the soi;l-cushions, while
voice should not have known for hers
said: $50 leave me alone -
| had no words for such emotion 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 pro
poses and God disposes This scheme of
Webster's laid with such malice and
treachery-wc had reason altcrWard to
think that he had access to her Writing-
desk, and so discovered her secrct-this
plot, | say. on which he had counted to
crush her utterly, had been the instrument,
in the hand of Il mysterious Providence.
of working her deliverancc; working it
after a terrible manner, it is true. but not
the less freeing her future from its lifelong
shadow,
pass by all the history ofthosc sad days,
days of sadness if not mourning-thc
months of seclusion and waitine-to i
time when | could claim her as my OWL
before the eyes Of the world and call my
neighbor, my friend, hy the dearest namr
of wife
Eleanor, ! ;;;i;i tj her ;;ii o;;i wedding
day, asking the inevitable question which
suppose every lover since Adams time
has asked, ''tell me, when did You begin 70
care for me p
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 BE-
lever in physinogomy | think the mis-
chief was done when you looked at me
with your generous, honest eyes. and
offered me that rash pledge Of friendship;
but did not know it then, She added more
grayely, ''or should have run away from
youn
"And you dare to tell me 50 ?" said,
assuming a testing tone, for | didn't want
those old troubles to cloud her face. Don't
You know that is high treason now? From
this time forth you are to consider your
self as having no past, nothing but a pres
cnt, The tyrant has spoken DO YOU
mean to obcy?"
Il obey, George She said, her lovely
dark eyes looking earnestly into mine;
''and thank Heaven for giving me pres
ent that makes obedience easy"
| took the soft white hand that WAS 80
near mine, and-but 90 back to your own
for the rest; for. to use my
wite's quotation, II never kiss and tell
[ From the AlIinc for November.