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Article CATHERINE CARMICHAEL; on, THREE YEARS RUNNING. ← Page 9 of 15 →
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Catherine Carmichael; On, Three Years Running.
own room ; but she had felt that it would be better that John should not be in the house when it Was spoken . Peter stayed at her bidding , looking eagerly into her face , as she stood at . the back door watching till the young man had started on his hdrse . Then she turned round to her husband . "He must go away from this , " she said , pointing over her shoulder to the retreating figure of the horseman . " Why is he to go ? What has he been ancl done ? " This last question he asked ,
lowering his voice to a whisper , as though thinking that she had detected his cousin in some delinquency . There was a savage purpose in her heart to make the revelation as bitter to him as it might be . He must know her own purity , but he must know also her thorough contempt for himself . There was no further punishment that he could inflict upon her , save that of thinking her to be false . Though he were to starve herbeat hermurder
, , her , she would care for that not at all . He had carried her away helpless to his foul home , and all that was left her was to preserve herself strong against disgrace . " He is a man , a young man , ancl 1 am a woman . You had better let him go . " Then he stood for a while with his mouth open , holding her by the arm , not looking at her , but with his eyes fixed on the spot whence his cousin was disappearing . After
a moment or two , his lips came together and produced a long low -whistle . He still clutched her , and still looked out upon the far-retreating figure ; but he was for a while as though he had been stricken dumb . "You had better let him go , " she repeated . Then he whispered some word into her ear . She threw up the arm that he was holding so violently that he was forced to start back from her , and to feel how much stronger she was than he , should she choose to put out her strength . "I tell you all , " ¦ , she said ,
" that you have to know . Little as you deserve , you have fallen into honest hands , Let him go . " " And he hasn't said a word ? " , .... . "I have told you ad that you are to hear . " " I would kill him . " " If you are beast enough to accuse him , he will kill you;—or . I will do it , if you
ever tell him what I have said to you . Bid him go ; and let that be all . " , Then she turned away from him , ancl passing . through the house , crossed the verandah , and went out upon the open space on the other side . Ho lingered about the plaee for half an hour , but did not follow her . Then he mounted his old horse , and , rode away across the prairie after his sheep . " Have you told him ? " she said , that night when they were alone . . ¦ , " Told him what ?"
" That he must go . " He shook his head , not angrily , but in despair .. Since that morning he had learned to be afraid other . "If you do not , " she said very slowly , looking him full in the face— " if you do not—I will . He shall be told to-night , before he goes to his bed . " " Am I to say that he—that he ? " As he endeavoured to ask the . question , he was white with despair . " You are to say nothing to him but that he must quit Warriwa at onceIf you
. will say that , he will understand you . " . ; ,., What took place between the two men on the next day she did not know .. It may be doubted whether she would ever know it . Peter said not a word further to her on the matter . But ou the morning of the second clay there was the buggy , ready , and Peter with it , prepared to drive his cousin away . It was apparent to her . : tliat her husband had not dared to say an evil word of her , nor did she believe that he suspected But
her . She felt that , poor a creature as he was , she had driven him to respect her ... the thing was settled as she would have it , and the young man was to go . During those last twu days there was not a word spoken between her ancl John , unless when she handed him his food . When he was away across tho land she took care that not a stitch should be wanting to his garments . She washed his things and , laid them smooth for him in his box , —oh , with such loving hands 1 As she kneeled down to her work , she looked round to the door of the room to , see . that . it was closed ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Catherine Carmichael; On, Three Years Running.
own room ; but she had felt that it would be better that John should not be in the house when it Was spoken . Peter stayed at her bidding , looking eagerly into her face , as she stood at . the back door watching till the young man had started on his hdrse . Then she turned round to her husband . "He must go away from this , " she said , pointing over her shoulder to the retreating figure of the horseman . " Why is he to go ? What has he been ancl done ? " This last question he asked ,
lowering his voice to a whisper , as though thinking that she had detected his cousin in some delinquency . There was a savage purpose in her heart to make the revelation as bitter to him as it might be . He must know her own purity , but he must know also her thorough contempt for himself . There was no further punishment that he could inflict upon her , save that of thinking her to be false . Though he were to starve herbeat hermurder
, , her , she would care for that not at all . He had carried her away helpless to his foul home , and all that was left her was to preserve herself strong against disgrace . " He is a man , a young man , ancl 1 am a woman . You had better let him go . " Then he stood for a while with his mouth open , holding her by the arm , not looking at her , but with his eyes fixed on the spot whence his cousin was disappearing . After
a moment or two , his lips came together and produced a long low -whistle . He still clutched her , and still looked out upon the far-retreating figure ; but he was for a while as though he had been stricken dumb . "You had better let him go , " she repeated . Then he whispered some word into her ear . She threw up the arm that he was holding so violently that he was forced to start back from her , and to feel how much stronger she was than he , should she choose to put out her strength . "I tell you all , " ¦ , she said ,
" that you have to know . Little as you deserve , you have fallen into honest hands , Let him go . " " And he hasn't said a word ? " , .... . "I have told you ad that you are to hear . " " I would kill him . " " If you are beast enough to accuse him , he will kill you;—or . I will do it , if you
ever tell him what I have said to you . Bid him go ; and let that be all . " , Then she turned away from him , ancl passing . through the house , crossed the verandah , and went out upon the open space on the other side . Ho lingered about the plaee for half an hour , but did not follow her . Then he mounted his old horse , and , rode away across the prairie after his sheep . " Have you told him ? " she said , that night when they were alone . . ¦ , " Told him what ?"
" That he must go . " He shook his head , not angrily , but in despair .. Since that morning he had learned to be afraid other . "If you do not , " she said very slowly , looking him full in the face— " if you do not—I will . He shall be told to-night , before he goes to his bed . " " Am I to say that he—that he ? " As he endeavoured to ask the . question , he was white with despair . " You are to say nothing to him but that he must quit Warriwa at onceIf you
. will say that , he will understand you . " . ; ,., What took place between the two men on the next day she did not know .. It may be doubted whether she would ever know it . Peter said not a word further to her on the matter . But ou the morning of the second clay there was the buggy , ready , and Peter with it , prepared to drive his cousin away . It was apparent to her . : tliat her husband had not dared to say an evil word of her , nor did she believe that he suspected But
her . She felt that , poor a creature as he was , she had driven him to respect her ... the thing was settled as she would have it , and the young man was to go . During those last twu days there was not a word spoken between her ancl John , unless when she handed him his food . When he was away across tho land she took care that not a stitch should be wanting to his garments . She washed his things and , laid them smooth for him in his box , —oh , with such loving hands 1 As she kneeled down to her work , she looked round to the door of the room to , see . that . it was closed ,