n, and excited her
fear. Springing up, she exclaimed, "Mother, mother, how is Mr. Wilmot? Is
he dead?"

"No," answered her mother, "he is not dead, but is dying."

Then she repeated to Julia his request, and added, "You had better go
immediately, if you wish to see him alive, for he cannot live until
morning. Fanny will call Ike to go with you."

Fanny arose to do her mother's bidding, but Julia stopped her by saying,
"You needn't trouble yourself to call him, Fanny."

"Why not?" said Fanny, looking wonderingly in Julia's face.

"Because I am not going," said Julia coolly.

"Not going!" exclaimed Fanny.

"Not going!" echoed Mrs. Middleton. "Why do you say so? You are going, you
must go!"

"There is no must about it," answered Julia; "I do not choose to go, and I
shall not go!"

"Are you in earnest, Julia?" asked Mrs. Middleton.

"As much in earnest as I ever was in my life," replied Julia.

"Well, then," returned the mother in a decided tone, "you shall go; I
command you to go, and I must be obeyed!"

"I'd like to see your commands enforced, Madam," said Julia, her beautiful
face dark with rage. "Yes, I'd like to see anybody make me go if I did not
wish to. Mr. Wilmot is nothing to me, and I would hardly go to save his
life."

"Oh, Julia, Julia!" said Mrs. Middleton bitterly, "has it come to this? I
can see it all now!"

"What all can you see so distinctly?" asked Julia scornfully.

"I can understand what part you have had in causing Mr. Wilmot's death,"
answered Mrs. Middleton.

Julia turned ashy pale, and her mother continued--"Often in his ravings he
spoke of a letter, a cruel letter he called it, and I heard it hinted that
it was the receipt of that letter which brought on a relapse. Now you will
tell me whether you wrote that letter, and if so, what were its contents?"

"I wonder how I'm expected to know what letter you mean," said Julia.
"However, I did write to him and ask to be released from my engagement,
and I had my reasons for so doing."

Mrs. Middleton sighed and said, "It is as I feared; on you, Julia, rests
in a measure the cause of his death."

"Better call me a murderer at once. But I'll not stay for more abuse,"
said Julia, as she left the room.

When she was gone Mrs. Middleton buried her face in her hands, and sent
forth sob after sob from her crushed heart--crushed by the sinfulness and
mocking disobedience of her first born. While she was still weeping, Fanny
stole softly