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VOLUME V.
ALBANY, OREGON JULY 23, 1873.
NO. 47;
BASK TO nr. JIIVTAKEX.
"Will yon let me havelt, Johnf
, "No, Georgie, I can't."
John Randall uttered his refusal
of his wi'i-'s request very decidedly,
as if he felt that the request was
unreasonable; and yet there was an
undercurrent of grieved inqiatieiice
in his voice, and a look of perplex
ity and sel ''-dissatisfaction in his
eyes. He wanted to see his wi'c
rise from the hrehktast-table, and
thereby signify her acquiescence in
his decision, lief -re he went tiff for
his morning walk to the mill.
Georgie, however, did not rise.
I ler looks ri id not express acquies
cence. She was a very pretty
woman very pretty; tall, slight,
very (air, with large, clear, steady
?yes, and profuse brown I air He
sides her beauty, she lad an air of
delicate, graceful composure rather
peculiar, and a voice that suggested
alto flute notes. For all this she
was simply the wife of a master
machinist in the great lialiburtoii
Print Works of Millville. and mis
tress of one of the small, white fat',
tory tenements, whose olig, orderly
rows constituted Millville proper,
Hut Georgie did not belong to
the factory element, although she
had married into it. She had been
brought up by a relative, upon
whom she had been left dependent,
and whom sheealled Aunt Appleton
Aunt Appleton lived at the other
nd of Appleton the west end
among the Haliburtoiis, the l'illo
ways, and the Verses.
Perhaps, under the circumstances,
ieorgie might have looked a little
higher than John Uandall. Hut
then John was as good as gold
strong, steady, manly, true.
Aunt Appleton had the sense to
rejoice at the perception of her
pretty protege, and the generosity
to give her a lilieial outfit her
furniture, a complete wardrobe, a
nice wedding,
It had been very agreeab'e to
Georgie to have these tilings. She
was fastidious to the core she en
joyed advantages of his position
her good clothes, ln-r prestige among
the wives of the other officials ill
the print works. She was fastidi
ous perhaps a itllotou lastidious
for her place.
John Randall had reached his
lat button a somewli&t shiny but
ton on a somewhat shabby coat.
He had neither time nor pretext for
lingering. .t this last moment his
wile raised her eyes, clearly, un
flinchingly, to his face.
"Why not?" she asked, in her
OWIl t-weet voice
It is never plcasint for a man
to b(j called tn an account
to an account about money (and
of eiu)e it was money Georgie
wanted) by a woman, and that
woman his wi'c. John's fiiee flush.
'd a little; a hot retort pricked the
very tip of his tongue, but he did
not utter it. I le vasa very patient
man, naturally; and then he had
that deep, pure love for hw pretty
wife which overreaches all slight
shocks.
"1 have exceeded my salary
every month since we were married,
Georg?e," he said. "The first of
January will he here in a tew weeks,
and 1 shall not be able to meet ah
the bills that are due. I don't feel
that we ought to trifle away a pen
ny of money, I don't believe you
do, either."
"I shall say no more about it,"
she returned. "I ought to wear a
new pair of gloves to call on Paul's
bride, but if you can't give them to
rue I must do without them."
John Randall's brain was fine
enough to understand that this was
not the jjequieseiice he wanted, He
would like to indulge her, but there
was the fact that if he begun it, he
should ue always behind baud, al
ways poor.
This was his fact. Georgie had
hers, also that she was always to
lie denied and disappointed. She
didn't mind so much wearing the
old gloves, on this occasion; that
which was wedging itself painfully
into her convictions, was that she
would have to give up a 1 the little
luxuries and elegancies that she so
craved; that her future was to lie a
plain inatter-o '.fact routine, deprived
of those gratifications in whose ab
sence she felt a sort of moral starva
tion. "It don't seem as if vou ought to
j be disappointed, Georgie, said the
husband, finally, "ion know just
what my salary is, and know just
how far it will go. We used to
talk about saving somethi' g every
year, so that i might better myself
one of these days. I don t like to
deny you."
"Never mind," she said rising.
She was one of those women
who say too little rather than too
much
John went off to his work.
Bridget, the girl-ofal -work, came
in to clear the table. Georgie
dusted the parlor, and made the
pudding, ted the canary, and then
p aced the sewing machine in the
window, facing the dull, leaden
light of the November day, and sat
down to stitch wrist-bands. She
had been married more than a year,
and was making her first shirt for
John. She was very thoughtful
a dogged pain on her face all the
while.
"Perhaps I shall stay to Aunt
Appleton's to tea," she said to her
husband at the dinner-table. "If
I do you will come for me, won't
you?"
He reflected a moment.
"I told you last night, Georgie,
that I should have to be from home
an hour or two thisevening There
is to be a meeting of the officials of
the m i 1 1 at ha I '-past sevet i. I shou Id
lie too tired to dress and go up to
your aunt's afterwards."
"I had forgotten," she said qui
etly; so quietly that he thought she
did not care.
When he was gone she went to
her bedroom to arrange her toilet
fin-the call. She put on. the best
she had, of course. She had a gen
ins tor dress; and, despite the mend
ed gloves, she looked as stylish as
she did pretty.
Just as sheapproached her aunt's
gateohl .Mrs. Haliburtou, in her
velvets and stee'esl of steel-colored
silks, was being handed from her
carriage by her son. The Halibur
tous were the owners of the mill in
which John Randall was employed.
Stephen, the only son, had just re
turned from a five years' residence
abroad. These two facts caused
Georgie to scrutinize the mother
and son somewhat closely; and,
doing so, Stephen 1 laliburtou raised
his hat to her.
"A pretty face," lie remarked,
carelessly, to his mother. "I sup
pose it is some one J have known
or should kn.iw."
Old .Mrs. Haliburtou, with her
keen eyes and beak nose g anced
sharply back toward Georgie,
whom she had not ( revived, and
nodded.
"It is that young person whom
Jane Appleton brought up. She
is married now to one of our men,
I believe."
Georgia found Paul Appleton
&nd his bride holding a sort of for
mal reception. The rooms where
her own wedding had been solem
nized a year before were quite
filled with uuests. A verv damtv
o - j j
and graceful bride was the new j
Mrs Paul, in her lavender train j
and point-lace shawl. Georgie
tried not to feel the least tinge ofi
envy as she looked at her. j
Aunt Appleton had always a ,
sense of gratitude towards her pro. J
tege tor having forborne to fascinate
either of her own manageable boys,
and this gratitude crop)ed out in
active kindness under the exulta
tion she felt over Paul's match.
Georgie moved easily about the
well-furnished rooms; somehow she
seemed just fitted fijr such surround
ings. The subdued, well-bred
manners, tlie faint perfumes, the re
fined faces, and the rich dresses,
were like a stimulant to her. She
needed such quickening to lie fully
herself. Her composed, delicate
beauty uufbded to perfection in
this atmosphere.
She had been talk-iMg to one and
another, taking iu slinks and trim-
mi gs with her quick artist's eye,
and in a pause was jut reflecting
on the hang of the new curtains,
when a voice said iar her:
"I seem not to be able to reca'I
you at all, Mrs. Randall. Yet I
must have known you before I
went way. My mother has just
told me your name, and 1 have
come to recaim acquaintance if you
will permit me,"
"I remember you ucr'ectlv, Mr
Haliburtou," George returned qui
etly. "I was hardly grown up when
yon left us, five years ago."
"Five years? An, true enough!
Won't you take this chair? What
a lovely lily! Why, it is not real ?"
No; these wax flowers are vcy
like nature, thoughalmost a pla
giarism; do- "l you think so, Mr.
lialiburtoii?"
"Why, yes. It must be quite
difficult to make them. I dare say
they bring a good price."
Under her serene smile a thought
came into Georgie Randall's mind.
She began to examine the gentle
man before her with interest.
Stephen Haliburtou was a gen
tleman by habit aid a roan of the
world by force of1 tittum-taiices.
Hut nature intended him tor a dili
gent, painstaking, persevering man
of business.
If he was not a great or a verv
good man, it was because he had
so much tune, so much money, so
much flattery. He was spoiled by
his opportunities, yet he needed on
ly the right influence to elevate him
beyond himself, lie was thirty
years old now he was jiast the
age when a man disdains to be ed
by a woman. Hut Stephen Ha i
blirton had never disdained it. He
had always lieen led by the keen
eyed, beak-imsed woman in steel
silk, who as Georgie talked with
the heir, sat holding her wine-cup
up to Hie firelight not iar off
The heir seemed to like Mrs.
Randalls' talk; perhaps because
there was so little of it. In return
he was rather unreserved gossip
ing abuut his plans and his pros
pects, lie said that he was
glad to get home. He meant to
settle down at Mil.ville now; look
after his factories and his operatives,
and introduce, some improvements,
lie wanted a better class of work
mire tasteful designs: he hadn't
seen a pretty print from the factory. ;
Didn't Mrs. Randall agree with
him ?"
Yes ; she agreed with him. It
was a strange basis tor parlor gs
s p oils, chemicals, designs lor cal
icoes. He was surprised to find
IhiW much she knew about it ; and
she she was a little surprised her
self The most delicate pink began
to flush her cheeks, the irises of her
eyes grew into great black flakes
full of luster. All at once, at last,
she turned a casual glance without
the window.
"Why," she said, with a slight
start, "it is almost dark Aud i
believe it is raining. - I must gu at
once.
She stepped towards the window,
Great plashing drops were falling
upon the flagstones, The dull No-
vember daylight was almost gone,
Mr. lialiburtoii rose also,
"Did you walk. ?" lie inquired-
Let us take you home. My mother
will Ih? going soon."
The little stir attracted Mrs. Ap
pleton, who most of the guests
having gone was devoting herself
.Mrs. lialiburtoii.
"Stay to tea, (Jeorgie," she sug
gested. "John knows you are
here dot's he not?"
"Yes ; but it is raining, I think
I had better not stop "
"I have I ecu asking Mrs. Ran
dall to take a seat with us, mother,"
interHised Stephen Haliburtou.
"Ah, yes !" said the lady, with
contracted nostrils and prolonged
lip again. "I shall be happy."
And then the keen eye overlook
ed Georgie, as if to ask it there
were any just cause why the Hali
burtou carriage, the Haibiirtoii
hor es, and it might be the Hali
burtou heir, should travel the
length of Millville to take home
this young person who had mar
ried one of the Haliburtou em
ployes
(Jeorgie stood unmoved, a little
concerned as to whether her last
dress and bonnet should walk or
ride, not at ah concerned as to her
own disposal.
The factory bell had done ring
ing, and John Randall was in
ight of home just ar. the carriage
of his employer stopped at the
door, and his wife stepd from it.
He did not, ho vever, overhear he:'
say to Stephen Haliburtou, "If yon
will call to-morrow afternoon, I
will show you what 1 mean."'
"Hail you a pleasant afternoon?"
her husband asked, by-and-by, as
they sat at the tea-table.
"Very pleasant," she said,
thoughtfu ly.
"It was very polite in Mrs Hali
burtou to bring you home."
"Yes, I should have spoiled my
dress."
It was always with a little effort
that John Uandall could get his
wile to talk, and she seemed pecul
iarly silent to-night, and absent as
we. I as silent.
Her eyes were brighter, too, than
common her tiice a little flushed.
He was too generous, too unselfish
a man to begrudge her even a hap
piness in which he had no part ;
but something iu her abstraction
filled him with uneasiness, 'I he
uneasiness was not decreased when,
reaching home a little before the
usual hour he following afternoon,
he met Stepnen Haliburtou just
leaving the house, nor when he
found Georgie with the same
brightened eyes and heightened
color as the night belbre.
That was the beginning of John
Randall's trouble.
It was not so much common jeal
ousy a man's iusth ct of revolt at
another nun's admiration of his
handsome wile as it was a fear
a desjwrate, death-like tear that
Georgie needed something he could
not give to make her happy. He
could never give her luxuries, lie
could never say such things as he
fancied Stephen llaihurton must
lieabelosay to women. Hut he
loved her so! O, heavens! he lov
ed her so! How could he endure
that anything should como between
them ?
"1 won't wrong her and tease her
with suspicious,' he said to himself,
iu the depth of the night. "I'll
just tight my way the best I can
against it I'll keep on steady.
Perhaps she'll see it right by-aud-by"
Poor fellow ! he did not realize
how his own determination imp ied
the dreary thought that her heart
was turned from him. He raised
himself on his arms to look at her
as she slept ; and all through what
followed he retained the pure, calm
face, as it pressed the pillow,
whitened by the moonlight that
glinted the frost on the window
panes ami flooded the room..
She s emed colder to him after
this, and he 'kept si lent.
He knew that she met Halibur
ton at her aunt s ; he knew that
she went to the seaside the ensuing
Summer, for a week's visit to Mrs.
Paul Appleton there he was also.
He knew that she seemed to be liv
ing a lite apart from him ; and
once that was when the iron en
tered his soul, when he went to her
utile desk, a present he had made
her during the'r engagement for a
sheet of note paper, and found it
locked, and asked her carelessly
enough for the key, she Hushed and.
said she would get the paper lor
him.
Hut he kept true to the promise
he made himself. He kept on
"fighting his way against it as best
he could,' liming, with a sick
heart, that "she might see it right
by-and-by.''
The months wore away. The
second year of their marriage was
nearly completed. ,lohn had been
i very careful as careful as Georgie
! herself that there should be no.
' outward and visible sin of misun.
deistaiiding or coldness between
them. No suspicion had come to
any mat the second year of their
married lite had been less happy
than the first. Nor had he ever,
omitted to give her any little indul
gence within his power. He had
prepared a surprise tor her on the
coming anniversary of their wed
ding during the year.
l he anniversary fell upon Sun
day ; and so their little commemor
ation of the day must come the
preceding evening. No allusion
had been made to any celebration
by either of them ; but John felt
sure, some way, that she could not
let the lime pass without some sign.
For his own part, he had halt 're-,
solve to attempt some explanation
of their estrangement. Anything,
he thought, would be better than
this chilling reserve. With his
mind divided between the anticipa
tion of relief and jealous dread,
he went to the counting house that
Saturday night to receive his mon-.
ey. The cashier looked up with a
certain embarrassment at his aj)
proach. "Ah, Mr. Randall the accumu
lation you have left in my hands?
To be sure! And, by the way, Mr.
Haliburtou spoke to me that there
were to be some changes made, and
and but there he is himself, sir."
John Panda 1 turned, with a
feeling akin to desperation, to meet
his employer, it had gone through,
hiin like a thunderbolt, as the cash
ier spoke, '.hat he was to be dis
placed. Stephen Haliburtou sim
ply said as John faced him: "I'll
not detain you now, Mr. Randall.
I shall call this evening to let you
know of the changes 1 feel obliged
to make."
And the owner bowed and left
him.
With the money in his nerveless,
hands, John Uandall walked home
ward like a man dazed. Tie was
to lose his place. For what reason.
he could not conjecture; Hut to,
Ids' it, was to lose reputatioh, cour
age everything. Re had never
imagined such a possibility as that.
The money that he carried he
should not dare to make a present
of it to Georgie now. He might
have to wait tor other employment.
It might lie needed for their bare
every-day need, before he got work
again. A chill like death struck to
his sou).
Georgie, evidently, had not over
looked the recurrence of their wed
ding day. The cosy rooms of the
cottage all wore a little-air of fes
tivity. Some slender vases held
the gleanings of the flower-beds;
chrysanthemums blood-red, white
and purples-verbenas, and scarlet
ger.uiura&
She came to the door that night