The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1881-11-24

pause, ana laughed. Oh, don t, Eli
len, don't!" I cried. I could not bea
the laugh; the smile was bad enough
why not?" she said, with littl
defiance; would you have me cry?
expected it long Of coming. That is,
she cried suddenly after pause, "tha
is if this is really what it means.
took it for granted at first; but l can
not be certain. [ cannot be certain
Read it, you who know him, and tel
me, tell me! Oh, [ can bear it quit,
well. [ should be rather glad if thi
is what it means"
She thrust letter into my hand
and, going away with rapid step t(
the window, stood there with her bacl
to me, looking out. | saw her stand
ing against the light, playing restless
ly with the tassel Of the blind. In hel
desire to seem composed, or else in the
mere excitement which boiled in he1
veins, she began to hum a tune.
don't think she knew herself what il
was.
The letter which she professed to
have taken so easily was worn with
much reading, and it had been carried
about, folded and refolded hundred
times. There was no sign of indiffer-
ence in all that-and this is what it
said:-
Il got your last letter, dear Ellen,
on Tuesday. | think you must have
written in low spirits. Perhaps you
had a feeling. such as we used to talk
about, of what WIS happening here.
AS for me, nobody could be in lower
spirits than this leaves me. l have
lost heart altogether. Everything has
gone wrong; the business is at an end
| shut up the office to-day If it is in
any way my fault, God forgive ME!
But the conflict in my heart has been
so great that | sometimes fear it must
be my fault | had been low enough
before, thinking and thinking how
the end was to come between you and
me. Everything has gone wrong in
side and out. I had such confidence,
and now it is all going. What I had
most faith in has deceived me.
thought I never was the man to
change or to fail, and that | could
have trusted myself in any circum-
stances; but it does not seem so. And
why should I keep you hanging on
when all's wrong with me? I always
thought I could redeem it; but it
hasn't proved so. You must just give
me up, Ellen, as a bad job. Some
times l have thought you wished it.
Where | am to drift to, l can't tell;
but there's no prospect of drifting
back, or, what I hoped for, sailing
back in prosperity to you. You have
seen it coming, can see by your let
ters, and I think, perhaps, though it
seems strange to say so, that you won't
mind. l shall not stay here; but |
have not made up my mind where to
go. Forget poor fellow that was
never worthy to be yours.-JoHN
RIDGwAY."
My hands dropped with the letter
in them. The rustic it made was the
only sign she could have had that I
had read it, or else instinct or inward
vision. That instant she turned upon
me from the window with a cry of
wild suspense: "Well?"
II am confounded. I don't know
what to think. Ellen, it looks more
like guilt to the office than falsehood |
to you"
"Guilt-to the Officer Her face
blazed up at once in scorching color.
She looked at me in fierce resentment |
and excitement, stamping her foot.
'Guilt-to the office! How dare you?
How dare you?" she cried like fury
She clenched her hands at me, and
looked as if she could have torn me in
pieces. Whatever he has done," she
cried, she has done nothing he had
not right to do. Do you know who
you are speaking of? John! You
might as well tell me | had broken
into your house at night and robbed
you. He have anything to blame
himself for with the office?-never!
nor with any one What he has done
IS what he'had a right to dol am the
first to say so. He has been wearied
out. You said it once yourself, long,
ong before my eyes were opened; and
1T last he has done it-and he had a
good rightr She stood for one mo-
nent before me in the fervor Of this
iery address; then, suddenly, she sank
md dropped on her knees by my side.
You think it means that? You see
t?-don't you see it? He has grown
weary, AS was so natural. He thought
1e could trust himself; but it proved
lifferent; and then he thought he
could redeem it. What can that mean
,ut one thing?-he has got some one
Use to care for him. There is moth
ng wrong in that. 1t is not | that
will ever blame him. The only thing
vas that horrible doubt came over
ne this morning-if it should not
mean what I thought it did! That is
oily, I know; but you, who know
lin, put away all that nonsense about
wrong to the office, which is out of
he question, and you will see it can
lot be anything but one thing"
ut is not that" I said.
She clasped her hands, kneeling by
ny side. "You always took his part, :"
he said in low voice. "You will
lot see it." Why did she tremble so?
Did she want to believe it, or not to
believe it? [ could not understand
Ellen. Just then, from the room be-
ow, there came voice singing 1t
vas Chatty's voice, the child whom
she had taught, who had been the wit
ness of their wooing. She knew moth
ng about all this; she did not even
know that Ellen was in the house.
What so natural as that she should
sing the song her mistress had taught
her2 It was that which Ellen her
self had been humming as she stood
at the window.
Listen" [ said. "You are answer