The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1881-07-22

I
will not speak Of IL to me. May 1 a.
your opinion (now you have read h
letter. on another matter in which NJ
own conduct Ia concerned? In form,
days"
She paused, poor soul, in evident 90,
fusion and distress.
"Why speak Of those daysi" I va,
tured 10 say.
II must speak of them. In forme
days think you were told that m
fathers will provided for my mother an,
for me. You know that we have euouel
to live onY
had heard Of it at tho time Of on
Detrothal, when the marriage settlemen
was In preparation. The mother ant
daughter had each a little income Of ,
few hundreds year. The exact amoun
had escaped my memory.
After answering her to this effect.
wsiteN to hear more.
She suddenly became silent. the mos,
painful embarrassment showed itself in
her lace and manner. "Never mind the
rest she said, mastering her confusion
af'er an interval. "I have had some
hard trials to bear; I forget thines"-
she made an effort to finish the sentence
ana gave it up. and called to the dog tc
come to her. The tears were in he,
eyes and that was the way she took to
hide them from me.
In general I am not quick at reading
the minds Of others, but I thoupbt I
understood Stella. Now that we arc
face to face the impulse to trust me had
for the moment got the better of be,
caution and her pride; she was self.
ashamed oft, half-inclined to follow it
hesitated no longer. The time TO,
which l had waited. the time to prove
without any indelicacy on my side tina,
1 had never been unworthy Of her, had
surely come at Last.
do you remember my reply to you,
letter about Father Benwell ?" I asked
"Yes, every word of it,"
Il promised, il you ever had need n,
me 70 prove that had never been nm. |
worthy Of your confidence. In you,
present situation I con honorably keen |
my promise. Shall I wait till Won ar. |
faimer, or shall go on at oncsr"
"At oncer'
when your mother and your friends
'ook you from me-" I resumed, cit you
had shown any hesitation-"
She shuddered. The image Of nv
Unhappy wife, vindiotively confronting
b on the church steps, seemed 70 b.
ecalled to her memory.
"Dont 60 back 10 i'll" she cried
7QaEBaHgd shse se1sfiafaa 1Ssfifihsacass e In which
'ad kept the papers sent to me by the
ector Of Belhaven, and placed them
a the table by which she was sitting.
he more plainly and briefly I spoke
ow the better I thought it might be
,r both Of US. Ii
""Since We parted at Brussels" I said,
my wife has died. Here is q copy oil
he medical certificate Of her DEATH"
Stella refused to look at it.
II don't understand such things"
he answered, family. "What is this ?"
She took up my wife's death-bed
onfession.
Read it," I said. ID
She looked frightened. II
"What will it tell me?'' she asked :.
1T will tell you. Stella, that false | /
ppearsnces once led you into wrongine +
q innocent man."
Having said this, walked away to
indow behind her, ct the further end
the room, 30 that abe might not o.
's while she read.
After . time-how much longer II
'emed to be than it really was IL
Gard her move. As turned from the !.
indow abe ran to me, and fell on her :
nses at my feet. I tried to raise t
sr; I entreated her to believe that she ,
as forgiven. She seized my hands,
I'd held them over her face-they were
ct with her tears.
II am ashamed to look at you," she
i'd. "Oh. Bernard, what wretch ]
ave beeni" |,
] never was 30 distressed in my life. 1
don't know what I should have said,
hat should have done, IL my dear
ID dog had not helped me out Of it.
10, too, ran up to me with the loving
,alousy Of his race. and tried to lick
~ hands still fast in Stella's hold. His 4
avs were On her shoulder; he at
smpted to push himself between us. ]
mink I successfully assumed q tran,
utility which I was far from really
seling.
"Come. come I" I said. "you mustn't
,ake Traveller jealous" |,
She let me raise her. All, il she
ould have kissed me-but that was not
o be done; she kissed the dogs head,
nd then she spoke to me. I shall moi
ct down what she said in these pages
While I live there is no fear Of my for
,etting those words. |,
He'd her back 10 her chair. The let
er addressed TO me by the rector oi
selhaven still lay on the table unread.
I was Of some importance to Stella's
enlightenment as containing
violence that the confession was genu
ne But ! -hes6tated for her sake b
peak Of u just yet.
"Now you know that you have