The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-09-28

Know better when the doctor comes.
You were right not to tell Polly. But
she must come to you, joe"
Phil would have gone at once for
Polly, but something in Joe's face held
him back.
"IIold on bit, Phil. 1 didn't send
for you and drive Polly away to tell
you something that you'll both know
soon enough. There's burden on my
conscience, Phil it's been lying there
like plumnet of lead all these years.
Listen to me, and don't interrupt me
if you can help it. Give me some of
that stuff from the bottle, and when L
/ grow weaker give me more"
Phil lifted Joe's head and put the
glass to his lips then he sat down
upon the edge of the cot, leaving his
arm between Joe's neck and pillow.
Joe could feel Phil's pulse now, and the
loyal heart of his friend beating close
to his own.
Its twenty-five years, Phil" said
Joe, "since that night we drove down
to the shore here and had that talk
together. You remember it, PHILIP"
I" Yes, Joe"
"Ah you've remembered it too
well, Phil I've tried hard enough,
God knows, to make you forget. The
sun was sinking over yonder in the
west, and sky and sea were all aflame.
Some lleecy clouds dropped low over
the old shed where we had ordered
some clans. l remember when | saw
Polly that night. The dress she wore
was like stab to me; it was of some
soft floating material that reminded
me of the woolly clouds over the old
shed. You didn't eat the clans, Phil.
You dallied with the shells, and turned
them over with the queer old fork they
had given you. And all at once you
put them aside, and lighted a cigar,
and turned your face to the sea, and
began to talk of a woman YOU secretly
loved. Now give me some wine,
Phil"
Phil put the glass again to Joe's
lips. "Don't talk any more, Joe" he
said. "Let me go for Polly"
mot yet" said Joe. "You were a
handsome fellow, Phil, twenty-five
years ago. AS you went on to talk Of
the woman you secretly loved, some
sort of light shone upon your face
from the splendor in the west that
made it like that of an archangel. 1t
seemed to me that no woman could
withstand you. My heart grew like a
lump of ice. My first thought was to
walk out into the water and strange
myself my next was resolve to be-
tray you. | must have been tempted
by the devil, for, as God is my Judge
in this awful moment of my life,
never dreamed before that night that
you and | were in love with the one
woman. 1 got upon my feet and
shouted, 'She is mine" glazing upon
you with logged, resolute stare.
Have you, then, asked her to marry
you:' you said, and your face still
looked like an archangers, while mine
must have been inflamed with the pas
sions that beset a man beyond his
strength. AS l repeated, 'She is my
promised wife, the words seemed to
leap from a throat of fire; it was the
| ever uttered, for had not yet asked
her-I had not yet asked her; but
when 1 did ask her, upon that very
night, the next lie slipped easily from
my perjured throat, though it was a
w rse one by far. For l told Polly,
PHIL tod her before | asked her ia
marry me-that you hal confessed to
me your love for her friend. the poor
little girl that afterward became our
bridemaid. Whether it was my guilty
conscience, that makes hell enough foI
any man, | fan led saw something in
Polly's eyes that told me, had it not
been for my treachery, your chance
, would have been better than nine
Now take your arm away from my
, neck, Phil, and curse me if you will
my story is done"
The pulse at Joe's ear leaped and
tugged as if it would burst an artery
) but Phil's voice had the old tender
ring
; You might have spared yourself al
) this he said. 81 think Polly ha,
: proved who it was that she loved
All, after that night, Phil, yes
Polly is not the kind Of woman to make
: the misery Of men. But I cheated
J you of your chance-I cheated you OF
your chance"
Z" BE 1t so, joe l forgive you, and
) love YOU all the same. Now throw of
the burden, and live for Polly's sak'
and mine"
| "Too late, too late" faltered tn,
Z failing lips. They refused to touch tn,
glass. The limp body fell back almos
2 lifeless in Pills arms. Then 10,
r aroused himself once more, and called
t for Polly in a harsh, strained voice
r that reached her despite the roar o
e the sea. She flew to his side, but wa'
only in time to catch few indistinct
5 dsjointed sentences. With last eff
5 fort the dying man lifted the hands o
his wife and his friend, joined then
!. together, clasped his own about them
and so the three remained till the sou
s of Joe Barrett fled.
: "And if there could be such thin!
o as witchcraft," said Miss Mortimer tt
i some friends. the other day, g Joe Bar