St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1904-02-17
'TWIXT LOVE
AND DEATH
By Martha.
McCulloch- Wiliiamc
Copyright. 1905, bp T. C. Mcclure

Ii Mile mad not worn her blue gown
the story might have been different.
Whether it was the color or the fluff
of it or the way it chung to and nodded
her slim suppleness, nobody could say,
but the fact was patent, somehow it
transformed her from a very pretty
girl into an elfland queen. Millie was,
you see, Spanish blond, with velvet
dark eyes and hair of the palest gold.
Small wonder in the blue gown she
swept John Eustace off his feet and
made him forget some things he ought
to have remembered.
His betrothed, Alice Ellison, for ex-
ample. Alice was as good as her plen-
tiful gold but stubby, dull colored and
on the surface dull witted. She was,
above all things, dutiful. Duty was
indeed the early root of her love for
| John. If she had not happened to be
born, the Ellison fortune would have
gone to Johns father, Ellison Eustace.
Her father had married in a fit Of
| pique when he was on the edge of sew
enty. He lived to see his daughter
| nine years old and to impress upon her
that she must marry her second cousin
| and so keep the money in the Ellison
| blood
John, five years older than Alice had
| accepted his fate philosOphically. I'm
| til chance flung Mile across his path
| he had never repined An only child
| and motherless, he had grown up his.
| fathers intimate comrade. Thus wO-
| men, especially young women, had new
| er worn for him the roseate glamour of
| unschooled youth. Still his father had
| by no means tried to put an old head
| upon young shoulders nor to breed in
shis son contempt for womankind. 1t
was only that love and women were
pushed to the background, reckoned
mere episodes beside the rush and
scurry of truly manly pursuits. Mar
| riage was honorable in all men-mar-
riage with Alice would be thrice hon
orable, safe and profitable. Thus when
| she came to eighteen John had GER
| tain satisfaction in putting the ring
| upon her finger and even chafed lit
| tie over the fact that by her fathers
| express desire she was to stay single
until she was ne and twenty.
| He honestly believed himself in love
and truly felt for her a tender fondness
| that had begun when, sturdy little
lad, he had guided her tottering baby
steps. He meant always to guide,
| guard and cherish her as became a gen
tleman, even though in his swelling
visions of the future she was no more
| than dumb, submissive shade. If
| she would never be a brilliant figure,
| still less would she be one of whom a
| husband must needs be ashamed. In
| deed he was altogether a little more
| than content with the ordering Of
| things until six months before his we'd
ding day he came under Miles spell.
| He saw Ter first upon a spring morn
ing full of hot, shining and 1anguid ruff
| fling airs. Dew still sparkled on the
grass, and overhead in the green gold
| of new LEAKAGE robins fiuted delicately
! the joy of life and love. To his en-
chanted eyes Mile embodied the shin
ing, the bird song, the softness of the
south wind, the warmth of the sun.
What they said is immaterial. For
two hours they walked together over
the ragged lawn turf or stood in rapt
contemplation of newly open roses.
And then in safe seclusion of green
est shade he drew her within his arms
and kissed her, not lightly, but as one
who takes what is supremely his own.
Then followed a heavenly fortnight.
Eustace masterfully pushed out of his
mind all thought that might mar this
new bliss. He rarely spoke his love
and after that first kiss was sparing
of demonstration. There was no need
of it when each understood so perfect
l ly what was in the others heart. Yet
at the end of every days comradery
Eustace had a sense of something i'm
pending ever drawing nearer. He re-
fused to let himself look further than
| the next days end, but somehow, some
| where. he knew he would be called to
pay bitter scot.
i His chiefest care was for Mile. No
harm must touch her, however it Jared
with him. She was so young, so in
nocently gay, so innocently foolish, he
was doubly bound to protect her, even
against himself. 1t was heaven to see
her bloom and sparkle at his approach.
| She left herself so artlessly undefended
now and again there came lump in
his throat A man who could speak,
who could even think, lightly of her
would deserve death twice over.
So the idyl drifted through hours,
| SulllL anu L CI maps IL SOLIC
ill star in it's course that brought home
Joe Cantreil Miles brother, who
lived out in the big world and knew
its ways. He came unannounced just
as dusk fell down, making his way
through the devious side path all tan
| gled with sweet shrubs. When Mile
met him a little later, her eyes were
starlike, her cheeks of damask bloom;
but sight of her could not win him
from icy anger. He never explained
anything. you will be ready to go
back with me two days hence he said,
frowning heavily. Mile got very
white, but went silently toward the
stair foot AS she was mounting it
her brother said, with a taunting laugh,
''Next time you choose to kiss and fon-