of the returning family. There was no
time to lose, there was no shelter on the porch, in a minute more they
would be in sight. He must go ahead now, for retreat was cut off. He
lifted the window and climbed into the room, lowering the sash gently
behind him. As no one ever came into this room but Jonas, he felt safe
enough. Jonas would plan a meeting after midnight in Cynthy Ann's room,
and in Cynthy Ann's presence.

In groping for a chair, August drew aside the curtain of the
gable-window, hoping to get some light. Had Jonas taken to cultivating
flowers in pots? Here was a "monthly" rose on the window-seat! Surely
this was the room. He had occupied it during his stay in the house. But
he did not know that Mrs. Anderson had changed the arrangement between
his leaving and the coming of Jonas. He noticed that the curtains were
not the same. He trembled from head to foot. He felt for the bureau, and
recognized by various little articles, a pincushion, a tuck-comb, and
the sun-bonnet hanging against the window-frame, that he was in Julia's
room. His first emotion was not alarm. It was awe, as pure and solemn as
the high-priest may have felt in the holy place. Everything pertaining
to Julia had a curious sacredness, and this room was a temple into which
it was sacrilege to intrude. But a more practical question took his
attention soon. The family had come in below, except Jonas and Cynthy
Ann--who had walked slowly, planning a meeting for August--and Mr.
Samuel Anderson, who stood at the front-gate with a neighbor. August
could hear his shrill voice discussing the seventh trumpet and the
thousand three hundred and thirty and five days. It would not do to be
discovered where he was. Beside the fright he would give to Julia, he
shuddered at the thought of compromising her in such a way. To go back
was to insure his exposure, for Samuel Anderson had not yet half-settled
the question of the trumpets. Indeed it seemed to August that the world
might come to an end before that conversation would. He heard Humphreys
enter his room. He was now persuaded that the room formerly occupied by
Julia must be Jonas's, and he determined to get to it if he could. He
felt like a villain already. He would have cheerfully gone to
State's-prison in preference to compromising Julia. At any rate, he
started out of Julia's room toward the one that was occupied by Jonas.
It was the only road open, and but for an unexpected encounter he would
have re