St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1874-08-07
Miss Jenkins was pouring her tale of

/ OILY tne list car til:lU 1tlt 1ntO Ulle river
the others rolled down the embauk
ment. But ah, my dear, all our towns
people were in that car-poor old Mr.
Allen, and Mr.. and Mrs. MetcalI, and
young Colonel Morton. Gracious good
ness what is the matter with Marian ?
For Marian, with IL low cry, as ot
! physical pain, had sank upon the floor
her face hidden i'll her 4.lasped hands
resting upon the sofa. She had moi
tainted, but crouched thus, perfectly
still, resisting all attempts to raise her
or administer rcstOratives. until Miss
jenkins was at least gotten rid of /: and
then lifting her white face she said
''Oh, mother, is lido YOU think it eau
be true p
81 hope not. my dear. Such things
don't generally turn out as badly as
they arg at first reported. There ha,
been an accident. it is true, but ",
don't know positively who were. tn,
sufferers. Lie still. Marian, and try tC
compose yourself. We shall pr"babil,
lear better news presently.'
So the girl lay quite stillson the sofa
while the mother and sister closed the
window blinds to shut out the hot glar,
of the summer day, and moved will
silent steps about the house, not to dis
turh her. And as she lay, striving not
to think, nor to fccl-ncver in her lif,
had thought and feeling seemed st
kccnly, 50 painfully acute within her
All the past two Years in which she had
known John Morton. all the mcmoIic,
and incidents connected with him, cam,
back with Il pang such as she had never
before experienced. She thought of hi,
goudncSs-of his noble, manly, gcner-
ouS nature above all, of his true
and. unwavering devotion to herself
and how she repaid it 10y affected i'll
difference. and sometimes Intentional
slight AZ only this morning and last
night at that miserable party. All. the
pain that all this brought her, and how
often she groamcd inWardly. "Oh, il
i.'' is only spared what will not do Ia
make atoncmcnt
And then the anguish of feeling and
of the terrible. suspense would grow toe
great to he borne and she would riSc
from the sofa. and walk up and down,
with cla>pcd hands. until her brain
seemed /" real and her limbs =" fail
her: and again she would tlnoW her
N''I NV N''l'l ~ii ~ llS ~ >iIIl pllt
light. sound consciousness itself. 50 that
she might find ;t momrut'S T,St from ht.i
terrible misery.
Presently there w.r" voices in th,
hall. and Marian. listening with Scn>c>
umuatuIally calm. heard broken phrases.
NO doubt that poor Morton was in
~" rear -'ar Nh. appleton left him
there just a> 'h"y approached Miltol
station ,-N"trim% since been seen OF
him Preparing 10 raise the ear when
Faulkeucr left His brother gone .lown
forcthe body -
b Mrs Nspye. came in Il few moments
after, pale, with trace, of tcll> uu her
checks, and j 46iatler, piiNin.. mothr1ll
ffOOEi a%fMai'isff; aiThe'' Cill turned her
white face. IN iiersshptsseT, ,jaS she said in
Il low voiceftkate was, sott ttbc,>pwn-
ale is dead, methers | hc3rd it all e
And with gentle, ,consoling Jor,ls, and
invardly rejoicing flat MaIiSm appear
ed to bear it :" calmly. the Mother sat
beside her. bathing the white, ese.ids,
and never dreaming that hes sesnling
despair. t,n
Dead: lost to hear,f6Saiee ssg9F.niD Bead i
and Il great achingat4tfdM fhein nheart
and in her lite,s which oen1d neYerI hey
~ again be tiled, ~ pni.
he hot sqmmefs day We're away a
cool breeze stois through 'thr windows.
assieN witb ,sae .bi@ath of hrliotrnpc~ L
sc5ns MEiohb sliuan never forgot ami
still % soft twilight shadows gathered la
the silent room. Now and then the
fotheT and sister stole softly to her
side, and spoke low and tCndcrly; but
MHs'ian only shook her head. and beg
gcd to he left alone and they complied.
knowing that ii would he best.
:" she lay. still as though life itself
had left her body: thinking thinking
until the stunned mind seemed Ia
revive. and consciousness returned. with
all lis un>pcakahlc anguish.
III could only die and 90 to him -
she rIurmurcd. "Or il hr could come
to me for Il moment. only one moment.
that I might ask his forgiveness and
tell him how love him -
Then she though; of what she had 81
often heard the spirits of the departed
rcvI>lting th"Sr they have loved nn
earth. Marian had always shrank with
Il sort nt ShlNcrlnE dread from the idea
hut now it brought to her Il strange
, thrill of joy.
.Oh. John, if Won could only com,
10 me-onlv he near me. though
might not see you. only rive me a to-
ken of Your presence
4 soft rustlc-an almost impercepti-
bic breath of the hcIiotropc-ladcn air
and Marian opened her ewes and razcd
around with an eager. startled look.
Could she he mistaken. or wos il in.
deed Shad"wy form that she saw
standing III the open doorway-vague