St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-09-12

| iOfOu liCi tuItO III i5 a tlldJCH IL
marriage for money! Oh, Mag, how
can you be so unreasonable W
''But she loves you," said the woman's
voice, now close at Caroline's ear, un-
der the roof of the porch.
Eyes, she loves me there's the rub.
That rather hurts fellow he doesn't
want to be hard on girl who loves
him, and has loved him all her life.
But then, you see, can not return her
affection-the kind of affection she
wants. And she's a spirited creature,
Mag; ought to marry her as / feel
nOw2 If it hadn't been for you, you
witch, l might have come to care for
her in time. But, Mag, Pm changed
man, now; l know what love is; l
dread my marriage day like funeral"
A pause-a little rustling pause.
Then a whisper unheard a louder
whisper distinct "Oh, Mag, my darling,
my darling, say yes"
81 cannot Charlie, with that woman's
image before me. 1t would haunt us
till our dying"
Caroline heard no more. When next
sound reached her, it was the sound
of the wOrk-a-day world. A market
wagon had broken near the lane and
| eHO 'OiNS VI bHC uIINtI WIS WIettk-
ing upon his horses the anger reused
by the disaster. The moon had set it
was nearly day.
There is nothing so desolate as the
breaking of daylight upon n new and
overwhelming grief. Night has a wing
of its own to fold about the sorrowful
but the fearful eyes, the crushed spirit,
shrink from the brazen gaze, the un-
daunted front of day.
| Caroline before noon sent letter to
Charlie Evans that made him free
man:
Something tells me that can not
possibly be your wife. | am sorry that
circumstances have so shaped them
selves, but | am compelled to withdraw
my promise. Do not see me. l shall
refuse an interview. When a year has
passed, and we meet again-if we meet
again-let us meet as friends.
| CAROLINE.
| Charlie Evans used his freedom. He
obtained, by not strictly honorable
means, a sufficient sum of money to
venture fortune seeking in California.
He was married to Mag Merritt on his
way to the West and his friends, in
dignant at the runaway match, bitterly
blamed Caroline.
Caroline bitterly blamed herself, but
never for any act toward Charlie Evans.
:Her thoughts flew to her faithful lover
whom she had mercilessly trified with,
and dismissed at last cruelty. She felt
now what pangs she had inflicted upon
the earnest hearted Joe. She, who was
SO quickly alive to all animal wants,
who really suffered pathetically
with the pains and aches, the tolls and
hungers, of dumb creatures, had never
given one sigh of compassion to the
pangs equally dumb, but infinitely
keener-the aches, the hungers, the
overburdened sighs, of that silent an
gel, the human soul. She had no pa
tience with the shrinking victims of the
''slings and arrows of outrageous for
tune" She had laughed to scorn ''the
pangs of unTequited love-" Now she
would give years of her life to call back
the past, and be kinder girl to her
faithful friend. Since their parting she
after affa ff' her dncIes I death df fire tfHfem joe and
tidngs altogether ceased. Now she
wrote Belle, who lived abroad, to send
her some word of cher old friend"
Belle wrote saying she was ashamed
to confess how ignorant she was, but
the last she heard Joe was making a
Juror with his wonderful paintings 1;
he had settled himself in Rome, and
she believed he had married the daugh-
ter of an American consul to one of the
Mediterranean ports.
Misfortune followed Caroline. By a
series of culpable mismanagements by
people in trust, Caroline's inheritance
was lost. Before she had enjoyed fol
, three years the possession of her be-
loved Deersfield, that noble place was
offered at public sale. Since the day Of
her great sorrow Caroline had met nc
trial like this. Indeed, her heart had
flown to all that was dear in her cOun.
try home as refuge from its bitter lone.
illness. Now this refuge was gone.
5 The day of the sale, afteI having or
dered the preparation of the house anC
grounds with care of every detail, Caro-
line mounted her favorite riding horse
| and rode far off into the wood paths
g She returned after sunset, in the twi
l light dusk.
= She knew as she entered the hous
] that all was over; she felt that th
home was no longer hers. She felt
e brave and spirited as she was, that tn
: world to- her, save that it held he
e mother, was place only of drearies
e exile.
y She was met in the hall by one of he
d faithful servants, who seemed to hav
e been weeping. "Miss Caroline" he fal
: tered, "the gentleman who has bOugh
Il the house is in the parlor, and wishe
It to see you"
o Caroline had been marble pale whe
e this message reached her, but now th
t, hot blood flashed to her cheeks. Sh
checked a violent exclamation. He
e heart arose indignant against this las
is demand upon her endurance. She COL
lie quered herself, and said, 81 will sc
r him."
ID But the gentleman whom she foun
1T in the parlOr was not the dreaded straI
e, ger who held her treasure, not the ne
er master of the house whose inimical fOrl
#, her fancy had already conjured. Nc
it was an old friend, an artist returne
or from abroad, bringing his laurels wit
ld him-an artist who had come to te
to Caroline that all his fame had been We
f. by his devotion to her image a frier
ed come to tell Caroline that time had n
ne changed and never would change I'll
er constancy of his heart.
r 1t was only Joe.
n On the very next day to the day
or her despair, hope dawned upon Car
Sc line. The world became sometiii
r. more than place of dIeary exile.
ke ''And you really bought Deerstieid
Eyes but on-only with y0urz-yo o
ill money-the payment for your naas
ng Caroline with the birds Caroline vi
of the bloodhound Caroline standing
re the field, with the wild colts clreeri