King Midas

uld'st

ssly

essly w

ng, yet utterly helpless before it. The world was taking a very serious aspect indeed to the bright and laughing girl, who had thought of it as the home of birds and flowers; yet she knew not what to

her gaze of pleading misery upon her, she came forward and sat do

d Helen; "what am I to

rts, with some sternness, "and she's been telling you a

embling response,

other. "When you saw Arthur that day in the woods

Aun

to him? Did you say anythi

" said Helen, eagerly, clutching

this fashion, why in the world should you punish yourself in this horrible way? What is the matter with you, Helen? Are you

red the girl, "he is

less school-teacher, and the Lord only knows what besides! I only wish I'd been there to talk to him, for I don't think

Aunt Polly," sa

o preposterous as this behavior," vowed Mrs. Roberts; "and then to

protested Helen, "there is s

for a moment, began again. "I've been meaning to say something to you, and it might just as well be said now. For all this matter is coming to a climax, Helen; it can't go on this way very much longer, for

ur fault, and you know it; but all the other trouble is your fault, and there's nobody else to blame. For the question is just as simple as the day, Helen, and you must see it and deci

Fairview and all its luxuries, and the admiration and power that must be hers when she was mistress of it; and she mentioned every other source of pleasure that she k

belong to a different station in life than those people! You know you have a right to some of the beautiful things in the world, and you know that after this vision of everything perfect that you have seen, you can never possibly be happy in your ignorant girlish way again. You have promised Mr. Harrison to marry him, a

p," protested the girl, mo

y got to marry him! There is no other possibility to think of, and all of your weakness is that you don't per

lp it, Auntie,

s that this is all an imaginary terror that you are conjuring up for yourself, to ruin your health and happiness. When

nt Polly-it's having to think

e everyone about me wretched, I'd settle the matter right now and forever; I'd marry him within a week, Helen!" And the resolute little woman clenched her hand

he's madly in love with you, and you treat him as coldly as if he were a stranger. I can see that, for I watch you, and I can see how it offends him. You have promised to be his

her the story of her reception of Mr. Harrison's one kiss, and Helen was made to seem quite ridiculous and even rude in her own eyes; her aunt lecture

he makes no more advances, and you might go on forever in that way." Helen promised that the next time

riumph that is to be yours, so that it takes hold of you and becomes all your life to you; and all the time you know that to possess it there is one thing which you have got to do. And in

," said Hel

almost give you up in despair. You will not see that this weakness

," exclaimed Helen

them but would laugh at your behavior; you just give Mr. Harrison up, and see how long it would be before somebody else would take him! Oh, child, how I wish I could give you a little of my energy; you would go to the life that is before you in a very different way, I promise you! For really the only way t

e girl, anxious as she was for her old strength and happiness, the words were

" she said,

f what is to be yours; and that ought surely to have been enough time for you to make up your mind; and

rl; "I don't mean to do this way a

resolution and keeping it, and not letting go of it, no matter what happens? From what I've seen of you, Helen, I know that if you do not summon all your energies together, and fling aside every purpose but this, and act upon it now, while you feel it so keenl

hat she had only to spur Helen on and keep her in her present glow to clinch the matter; for the girl was very much excited indeed, and showed both by what she said and by the change in her behavior that she was determined to have an end to her own wretchedness and to conquer her shrinking from her future husband at any cost. During all the time that she was dressing, her aunt was stirring her resolution with the same appeal, so that Helen felt that she had never seen her course so c

said aloud, by way of changing the subject; "besides Mr.

er?" echo

of Mr. Howard I spoke of a third pers

id the girl;

other. "He got his leave as he expected, but of cours

y that Mr. Howard was better. "Auntie," she cried, "h

e could leave his room to-day, but it will be after

ng; the mention of the invalid's name had insta

enough," answered Mrs. Roberts; and then reading Helen's thought, and seeing a

ly another stimulant to her energies, so that she was at her cleverest during the meal that followed. She accepted the invitation of Mr. Harrison to go with him to Fairview during the afternoon

some business. But as it proved, this was only another circumstance to urge her on in carrying out her defiant resolution, for Mr. Harrison added that he would not have to leave until the evening, and her aunt gazed

off with a laughing assurance that everything would be all right, and then ran out into the hallway;

her aunt, as Helen put

ed the girl, shu

her aunt's laughing protests, and could not be induced to leave the room until the two had passed on; then she ran down, and leavin

nion was as much lost as ever in admiration and delight. Helen told him countless stories, and made countless half-comprehended witticisms, and darted a great many mischievous glances which were comprehended much better; when they had

est hours in discussing the details of the wonderful music room, a thing which seemed to her more full of delightful possibilities than any other in all her radiant future; it was a sort of a child's dream to her, with a fairy godmother to make it real, and her imagination ran riot in a vision of banks of flowers, and of paintings of all things that embody the joys of music, the "shapes that haunt thought's wildernesses." At night the whole was to be illuminated in such a way as to give these verisimilitude, and in the daytime it would be no less beautiful, because it was to be almost all glass upon two sides. Helen was rejoiced that the architect realized the importance of the fac

ad once or twice wandered uneasily about the room, and when finally the man rose to leave, she asked him with a sudden desperate resolution to look over the rest of the rooms and see what he thought of her suggestions. The latter expressed himself as pleased to

her despair that there was no more to say, and that the man must go. In a few minutes mo

embling. Twice she made a faint attempt to speak, and then she turned and began pacing up and down the room in agitation. Mr. Harrison was wat

tly about her knees, looked up at him and said, in a faint voice, "I had something to say

ar?" asked Mr.

er, and her voice sank still lower as

s more, after which he came slowly ac

omething to say to you als

ly, but she gazed into his eyes, and smiled, and answered him "Very wel

d that you promised to be my wife? You were very cold to me then. I have been waiting patiently for y

ened him. The moment was one of fearful suffering for Helen, tho there was no sign of it, except that she was trembling like a leaf, and that her lips were wh

that you wis

the other said-"to love me ju

the reply, in a sc

nd bent forward eagerly. "Then I may kiss

f feeling so sudden and so overwhelming that it was an agony to her, and she almost screamed aloud. She was choking and shuddering, and her cheeks were on fire, while in the meantime Mr. Harrison, almost beside himself with passion, pressed her tighter to him and poured out his prote

ngry, Helen de

he girl

t to his will. And Mr. Harrison, supposing that her emotions were very different from what they were, rested her head upon his shoulder, smoothing back

wn heart, and so as he looked into her eyes, she gazed up at him and forced another ghastly smile to her lips: they looked so very beautiful that Mr. Harrison kis

train to catch. Mr. Harrison demurred, but the girl would hear no more, and she took him by the hand and led him to the door, still laughing, and very much flushed and excited, so that he thought she w

shadows just then, and life wore its most fearful and menacing look to her; she had plunged so far in her contest that it was now a battle for life and death, and with no quarter. She had made the choice of "Der Atlas," of endless joy or endless sorrow, and in her struggle to keep the joy she was becoming mor

that on a l

in fear

nce turned r

no more

knows a fri

e behind

rison thought that he had never seen her so brilliant, and so daring, and so inspired; nor did he have the least idea how fearfully overwrought she was, until suddenly

d in surprise.

imed Helen.

" said Mr. Harrison, reining up his horse

itation than ever. "But I can't,-

eave the other's face at that explanat

shuddering; "it i

he gazed about him to find a place to turn the carriage. "We'll have to go on a way," he said. "T

ch if they tried to turn. "What do you wish me to do?" Mr. Harrison asked with a smile. "The more we go on the longer it

th a ghastly smile. "Pray go

ith every turn of the wheels that brought her nearer to that dreaded place, and she became more and more silent, and more conscious of the fearful fact that her wret

Miss Davis," said her companion, sm

ad had a fearfully conscious feeling, what he would think, could he know what she had just been doing. Thus it was that as the houses of Hilltown drew near, remorse and shame and terror were rising, and her frantic protests against them were weakening, until suddenly ever

se where Arthur lodges. The carriage swept by and she saw no one, but she saw that the curtain of Arthur's room was drawn, and she shuddered at the thought, "Suppose he should be dying!" Yet it was a great load off

it was a slender figure, clad in black, hatless and with disordered hair and clothing. In a moment more, as Helen clutched the rail beside her and stared wildly, the carriage ha

leave her as if paralyzed. She made no sound, nor any movement, and so her companion did not even know that anything had

d his arm so tightly that he winced, powerful man that he was