St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1886-05-27

VI,
out of her crochetiDg with murder
Gus rapidity.
"Rumor has told me as much," re-
peated Mr.. Coleman, as impressively
as if he had been addressing jury.
"And you let people talk about me,
John, and listen to what they say !"
al might have known that girl who
would not respect my dignity could
not value my esteem. Tyrant or not,
Rufelle, at least | have no desire to
rivet CALLING letters. Henceforth you
are free to smile upon Mr.. Lynde or
any other gentleman"
Had he omitted the last sentence,
affectionate, kindly little Rue could
even then have 'made up" with John,
but this was too much for her temper.
Snatching the golden circlet from her
engagement finger, she hastily flung it
at her lever, with cheeks afiame.
"Take back your ring" cried she ;
"the girl who wears it should be a
saint or a simpletOn, and l am neither.
Goodbye john"
Auburn head erect, chin in air, she
swept out of the room with all the
stateliness possible to slight girl of
five feet two. She felt hers to be a
righteous Indignation. John had no
reasOn-nO earthly reason-tO treat her
so. She would not persOnate patient
Griselda for the amusement of the
whole village.
"John wants to bend the whole
world to his WILL" unused she, angrily,
peeping through her chamber blind as
he stalked away chewing his black
mustache; she wants to bend the
whole world to his will, and | won't
be bent. Our engagement is broken,
and am glad of it,"
For full fifteen minutes she was un-
equivoeally glad.
John Coleman thought that he, too,
was glad. Walking fiercely on, he
squared his broad shoulders, and told
himself that the engagement had been
mistake-an error of Judgment. A
grave, self-made man of thirty should
have been wiser than to trust his hap
piness to a gay, capriciOus maiden.
Why had he been so dotingly fond of
the child, SO hoodwinked by her CO.
quetries Blind, driveling idiot that
he was, the sooner he was buried again
in the law the better. The mans soul
was not within him.
Shocked at his partners ill looks,
Mr.. Riggs in greeting him asked if he
had had a chill.
eyes, something of that nature" was
the grim reply. Chow about the suit
of Ingalls, versus Wade? L find flaw
in the Indictment"
Mr.. Coleman was in the mood for
finding flaws his habitual self-cOntrOl
had deserted him. Once he nearly an
initiated Mr.. Riggs for casually men
tiOning Mr.. Lynde and his reported en-
gagement.
"OhO | recOllect now Coleman has
a lien on the young woman himself.
Queer 1 should have forgotten" unused
the discomftted advocate, dipping his
pen into the ink.
That night Mr.. Coleman had chill
no metaphorical heart ague, but a
genuine physical, bOneshaking rigOr
that demanded blankets and hot brick
and heroic dose of quinine.
Giles caught malaria from some of
those Western bog hOles," said the
doctor aside to the landlord. "Unless
we can break it up, he's in for fever.
See that he has good nurse. I'll be
around in the morning"
The landlord himself sat up with
the patient, and busy night he had
till day-break, when Mr.. Coleman sank
into a browse. The weary watcher
improved this opportunity to steal
his place by the bedside. After an
freshed, the ringing in his ears great
er, but the thrObbing of his temples
less, the pain in his limbs no longer
q hS olut alv nbaar.a hla
"Heigho! that you, Harry 2" he
said, catching sight of the boy MUNICH
ing an apple for entertainment.
"Where were you when 1 came home
last night? didn't see YOU"
cat St. Marks sir ; blowing the or
gan. Mr.. Lynde has hired me for the
quarter"
"Oh, he has, has he ?"
Mr.. Coleman turned over in bed, and
scowled ut the smoky lamp chimney.
Soon he Topped back again.
'DO you like this Lynde fellow,
Harry 2"
Tip top; everyone does"
Mr.. Coleman groaned.
sis the pain coming on again, sir ?
Can do anything for you?"
Nothing, thank you, my boy Pm
pretty essentially done for. I'd like to
hear you talk, though. Tell me what
happened since I've been away. What's
this Lynde been up to ?"
ooh, he's been flying around, you'd
better believe"
''Been doing stiff business, [ sup
pose, driving out with the ladies 2"
"He's been driving out with Miss
Haywood some. L haven't seen him
with anybody else"
The invalid suppressed another
groan.
They've been looking at dishes and
curtains and things"
Mr.. Coleman rose savagely upon his
elbow. This was ten thousand times
worse than he had ever dreamed.
1.-The story I've heard, then, is true,
Harry. Mr.. Lynde is going to be mar
ried."
"Why, how do you know, Mr.. Cole
MANI He said it was secret. He let
me go all over his house yesterday
he's hired Lunt's cottage, corner Vine
street-and things shine, l tell you.
You just ought to see these carpets.
Miss Haywood helped him pick 'em
out. The other woman don't suspect
a thing"
''What other woman 2"
"Why, the woman Mr.. Lynde is 60
ing to marry. She lives down in
Maine. She thinks after the wedding
on Christmas she's coming with Mr..
Lynde to his boarding house; but in
stead of that, sir, he's going to fetch
her right home to his bully cottage.
I'll bet she'll be surprised"
Mr.. Coleman dropped back upon the
pillow with an expression Raphael
might have despaired of reproducing.
He lay there a few minutes rejecting,
then sat holt Ii mi nht his towel Lanir t