The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-08-30 00:00:00

isailancono gutelligena.

ROMA FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

THE ALBERT MEMORIAL.—The " Citizen " states
that twelve years' exposure to the influence of the
English climate has affected the decorative work of
the Albert Memorial. The Queen, in a recent private
visit of inspection, urged that its progress should at
once be arrested. Several modes of cleansing have been
tested. Ong has proved successful, and is now in pro-
gress. The mosaic wcrk. surmounting the pediment
has suffered slightly, hut its immediate restoration
does not appear to be imperative.

THE CREW OF THE I5ERO.—Tne ultimatum to tee
Rajah of Tenom, requiring him to deliver up the crew
of the Niseroz will expire on the 29th inst. A letter
has been received by Mr. Kydd, second engineer of the
Niger°, who was released with Captain Wilson.from the
chief engineer in captivity. He says: "We are at
present living on a small island, 10 miles from Tenom,
and are well supplied with provisions. We receive
various versions from the Rajah why we are not
released, but put no confidence in what he says. He 13
a great scoundrel."
-HE LATE Sin GEORGE BOWTER.—A tablet memorial
. of the late Sir George Bowyer has been unveiled in
the Church of St. John of Jerusalem, Great Ormond.
street, London, of which and the adjoining Hospital of
St. John and St. Elizabeth he was the founder and
munificer.t. patron and benefactor. Near the me-
morial in the white marble pavement in front of the
high altar there is a slab bearing a Latin inscription
of which the following is a translation: "Here is
buried the heart of George Bowyer, Knight of St.
John of Jerusalem, and founder of this temple."
SINGULAR DEATH.—On Saturday Mr. William Carter,
coroner for East Surrey, held an inquiry at St. Thomas'q
Hospital relative to the death of Alice Amelia Baker,
aged seven; the child of a bricklayer, residing at 136,
Beresford-street,Walworth. The peculiarity of. the
. case was that a year and eight months since the child
swallowed a halfpenny, and was treated at the hospital
and discharged. Last tlune' however, she was re-
. admitted;ond expired on Tuesday, a post-mortem
examination showing that the halfpenny was actually
then in her throat. A verdict of "Accidental death"
was returned.
AT A LONDON THEATRE: —The burlesque
"Little Lohengrin " was to have been performed at the
'-.llolhorn Theatre on Saturday evening, but when the
time for raising the curtain arrived the manager, Mr.
Rex Pierson, advanced to the footlights and informed
the audience that owing to the defection of the
members of the company it maid be impossible for him
to .play the burlesqvc that-evening; and he was there-
fore reluctantly conifelled to say that no porforman,ce
would take place, but that the money taken at the
doors would be returned. Hereupon the audience made
a rush to get their money -back, which in several in
• stances they failed to do, perhaps owing to the excite-
ment which prevailed, for Mr. Pierson states that some
£2 more than the amount taken at the doors was re-
• turned. Something like a riot ensued, seats being ton
up and other acts of destruction committed. The police
were sent for, and it was not until a strong detachment
arrived from Hunter-street station that order was re-
stored.

I Alr

eAI URDAY, AUG. 30, 1884

THE SLTFPRESSION or Tnamrs.---The Local Govern.'
meat Board are, it is stated, collecting returns front
the boards of guardians throughout the country with
the view to ascertaining the working of the Act of Par-
li-ament which came into operation last year for the
suppression of habitual tramps, by causing them to be
detained when presenting themselves at the same work-
house twice in succession. The adoption of this Act by
the guardians has been optional up to the present; but
it is intended to make it compulsory as soon as the
workhouses can provide the extra accommodation
which will he rendered necessary when the new Art is
en forced.
rIARVEST PROSPEC7S IN I.TALY.—TIIO Naples corre.
spondent of the "Daily News " writes: "The harvest
prospects are scanty in Upper and Middle Italy, because
of various maladies which are perhaps due to the rainy
spring, and which rendered the sulphorising of the
vines inefficacious. In South Italy the grape harvest
has recovered from the past excessive heat, and will
yield a satisfactory return. The late rains have been
profitable to the fields, and especially to the maize, of
which a copious harvest is expected in North Italy.
The olives are generally in good condition. Hailstones
have done some damage in the provinces of Genoa,
Cuneo, Bergame, Undine, and Modena."
AVERAGE PRICES OF BRITISH CORN.—The following
are the average prices of British corn for last week, as
reCeived from the inspectors and officers of Excise:
Wheat, 365. 4d.; barley, 28s. 3d.; oats, 20s. 9d. pa
Imperial qr. Corresponding week last year: Wheat,
438. Bd.; barley, 295. 4d; oats, 220. 11d.
FRIGHTFEL OUTRAGE. Two ironworkers, John
Laller and Peter Ball, were on Monday remanded at
Wednesbury for committing a shocking outrage on
John 111'Evoy. On Saturday night a disturbance took
place in the Irish part of the town. The prisoners
attacked the prosecutor, pouring a kettle of boiling
water on to his face and into his ears. For several
hours ISPEvoy was in great agony, and was nearly mad.
A REMARKABLE SUNRISE.—Monday morning wit-
nessed the recurrence of one of those remarkable solar
phenomena which attracted so much attention in the
earlier part of the year. Long before daybreak the
eastern sky was ablaze with a rich fire-like light which
extended from the horizon upwards for about 10deg.
Slight rain was falling at the time, and as clouds covered
almost every portion of the sky, many persons thought
at four o'clock that there was a great fire in the East-
end of Loridon. Towards half-past four, as the daylight
increased, the brilliant aurora disappeared.
BURSTING OF A CANAL.—On Monday morning the
new bottom made for the Forth and Clyde Canal at
Annieisland, near Glasgow, in consequence of the new
tunnel made underneath, burst and flooded the district.
A portion of the canal 150 yards in length was emptied,
and the railway work considerably damaged. •
FATAL YACHTING ACCIDENT.—A yacht, in which five
young gentlemen were sailing on Monday on the Dee,
near Parkgate, was capsized. Two of the party, viz.,
Parry, of Chester, and Walsh, of Liverpool, were picked
up in an exhausted state, after swimming more than a
mite. The other three were never seen again. Their
names are Arthur Gammon, Parkgate ; William Green,
Chester; and Walsh, of Liverpool, a brother of the
one saved. The sad occurrence was witnessed from the
shore.

FATAL ACCIDENT AT EARL'S-COURT.--While a pas-
senger was waiting at Earl's-court Railway Staticn for
the last Putney train on Saturday night with some
friends he left the platform, passed the porters' room for
some purpose, and instead of coming on to the platform
again he appears to have walked on to the line. The
Putney train came in at the time, knocking him down
and cutting both legs off. He was taken to St. George's
Hospital, where he died on Sunday morning about four
o'clock from exhaustion. His name was Deadman, and
he was about 22 years of age. The accident was
witnessed by his brother and other friends.
OUR MERCHANT Nevy.—The merchant navy of the
United Kingdom was in 1850 composed of vessels the
tonnage of which was 3,504,944, and only 167,000 tons
of that was "steam tonnage." Last year we had a
merchant navy includilg 7,196,401 tons, of which
3,725,229 tons was that of steamships. For years we
have been building from 200,000 tons of vessels up to
900,000 tons annually, and increasingly they have been
of iron, until wood as a material for vessels is almost
extinct. But we have not added to the number of
the sailors in the same ratio in the same time, for a
reason that will be shortly stated. In all, in 1851 there
were 141,937 seamen employed (captains or masters
being excluded), and out of that number only 5793 were
foreigners. In the last year, 1883, 200,727 seamen were
serving, and the number of foreigners was 28,313.
COMMUTATION OF A DEATH SENTENCE.--The sentence
of death passed on Patrick Finnegan at Sligo Assizes
has been commuted by the Lord Lieutenant to penal
servitude for life. Finnegan was convicted of oomph.
city in the mifrder of .Peter Doherty at Craughwell, for
which Constable Muldoonev was also convicted and ,
reprieved.
ACCIDENT TO UHILDREN.,:—As a brake containing 30
children from the Welsh Baptist Sunday School, Mid-
dlesborough, was returning from an excursion in
Cleveland, the hind wheel sudden'y broke into pieces
as the brake was descending Easby Bank, and seven
children were violently thrown out and seriously
injured. One little girl had one of her hands ampu-
tated. •

FATAL COLLIERY ACCIDEICT.—WiIIiam Preston, a.
collier employed at Chanters Pit, Hindsford, near
Bolton, was killed on Saturday while following his
employment. He was working between two heaps of .
coal when a mass of top coal fell upon and buried him,.
He leaves a widow and large family.
FALL FROM A Roor.—Late on Saturday night a con-
stable of the K Division was called to the house No.
9, Jupp's--road, 1:111e-end, where he was informed that a
woman had been seen to fall from a roof. On going
into the yard of the premises in question, the officer
found a woman lying upon the stones in a state of un-
consciousness. She was removed to the London
Hospital, where it was found that she had suffered
some terrible injuries to her head, back, and limbs,
besides being seriously hurt internally. She still -
remains insensible; and no hopes are entertained of her
recovery. Alter e lakd been g the hospital some time,
she was ideed as Ellen' Peck, aged 32, a married f
woman, residing at 46, Wentworth-road, Mile-end. • --
Mrs. Peck formerly resided at 9, Jupp's-road, but how
she came to be on the roof of the house or in the place
at all at tie time in question is a mystery.
ESCAPE FROM A LUNATIC ASYLUM.—A pauper lunatic .
narcied Martha Howard, a somewhat elderly woman,
escaped from Fisherton-house Asylum, Salisbury, at .
four o'clock on Saturday morning. She was overtaken
at Fovant, having gone about nine miles. She offered
no violent resistance, but at the police-sergeant's house •
she lanced that she was mistress of it, and seemed dis-
posed to drive out the sergeant's wife.
THE LICHFIELD YEOMANRY DISTURBANCES. The
decision of the Commander-in-Chief and the Secretary
of State for Wars in reference to the recent yeomanry
disturbances at Lichfield, was made known on Satur-
day. Lieut. Sir Charles Michael Wolseley and Lieuts.
Lyons and Parker-Jervis are severely reprimanded,
and the reprimand is to be circulated through the
regiment before the next training.
DEATH OF THE PAINTER DE NITTIS.—M. Nittig
;-:
who might be deacribed, seeing his youth, as a painter
of promise, had he not already achieved a great reputa-
tion in London and Paris, died almost suddenly atParis
-on Sunday night, of a chest disease at 39. He delighted -
in representations of fashionable life, whether at the
-7eot-end of London or in the Champs Elysees and Bois --
de Boulogne. • He so took the public taste that he was
overwhelmed by orders, and hard work is believed to
have hastened his death. M. De Nittis was born at
Barletta, near Naples, but came very young to France,
aind was essentially a Parisian.
FIRE AT Worrcourico.—The residence of Mr. Robert
Horton, Milebank, Whitchurch, Salop, was on Saturday
the scene of a most destructive fire. Nine large corn
and hay stacks were almost totally destroyed, a few
tons of hay and oats that were saved being valueless •
except as litter. A new Scotch cart was burnt to a
cinder, and another partially burnt; also a portion of a
building nearest to the stockyard, and several fowls.
The Whitchurch volunteer and parish engines worked
incessantly from seven p.m. on Saturday until after ten
on Sunday morning,when the fire was got under. Two
• pools were emptied, and another nearly so. Two of the
pools were 500 yards distant. Milebank stands high, "
and the fire could be seen over a good part of Cheshire,
Shropshire, awl Flintshire. Mr. Horton is only *.
partially insured, and will be a heavy loser. The fire
was caused by his two children, aged 6 and 7, Playing
with matches

[ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.]
AMBITION'S LADDER
Bv the Author of " Atherstont Grange," "4 Life lot
• „lAA a Love," &.

;IHAPTER XL
A FALSE STEP. .
Oh, bitterness of things too sweet I
Oh, broken singing of the dove .f
Loves's wings are over feet,
And like the panther's feet
The feet of Love
UNFOF.TUN'ATELY for their prospects of reconciliation
-and a better understanding in the future, not a word
_passed between Geoffrey Mainwaring and his wife
•during their homeward drive from the opera.
Never having too great a command of language to
express his feelings, he remained silent, expecting
• Gertrude to speak first, and even if she made no
axcuse, account for the degree of intimacy which it
was plainly to. be seen existed between her and Mrs.
Vernon.
But his expectations were nut to be fulfilled, for
Gertrude was mute as himself upon the subject.
ft was a story old as time itself, a lifetime of
misery that might have been all peace and content
but for the want of a few kindly-spoken sentences,
-and the opportunity for these once past was never to
be recalled.
be.
Gertrude, having no clue to his motives, was
not unnaturally hurt and annoyed at her hilsband's
bearishness, as she considered it, and having had no
thought of wrong-doing in visiting the theatre, nor
being in the least aware of the light esteem in which
Mrs. Vernon was held, she resented the interference
with her freedom of action in making her leave so
-abruptly as an insult all the more unpardonable that
it was offered herbefore ether people. Consequently,
when after a night's brooding over her wrongs she
was addressed by Mr. Mainwaring in cold, passion-
less terms, and required to drop all further ac-
quaintance with Mrs. Vernon, she was in no fit
frame of mriad ether to accept such an order without
demur or even to enquire whether there was any
• reasonable cause for her compliance.
On the contrary, unused to be controlled, wayward
and undisciplined in temper, she boldly declared her
-intention to follow her own inclination in such
matters as concerned the choosing of her friends.
"I am not your slay's," she said, hotly; "and. I
will not submit to be treated as one. If you object
to much t.O:niy seeking pleasant society when it is
offered me, i,ou should at least try to make home
less like a tonal). What change is there here for me
in the dull sameness of fly days? You Care for
nothing but your books, and lectures, while I—l ant
not ashamed to confess it—like company and ex-
citement. It is a pity that our tastes should differ
.so, a greater pity still that we did not discokr it in
time. You might have found some one more suited
"to you in ears and. disposition than I am."
A moment before, and Geoffrey Mainwaring, a
little conseious that he might not be altogether
blameless, had been upon the point of assuming a
.more conciliatory tone of speaking to his young
untutored Wife words of tenderness and assurance,
and declaring that for the future he would strive to
infuse some additional briglitnesi into her life;
.but the conclusion of her speech five back the
-kindly sentences that trembled on his lips, recalling
to him as they did the one Morbid thought that
more than all forbade any hops of a perfect under-
standing between them—the disparity of their
years. .
"It is, perhaps, as you say, a pity," he replied,
mournfully, though Gertrude's temper at the
moment would not allow her to recognise the ring
of sadnes§ain his tones, \tvhich sounded to her formal
and unfeeling. "But as it is hardly to be remedied
. now, we mist make the best of our own mistake,
.and if it is impossible to be all to each other that we
should, at least stri.-:e to live in outward harmony."
" Which means, I suppose, that lam not to dis-
pute your will, however tyrannical it may be, but
submit to any regulations you may choose to con-
sider best i" returned Gertrude, angrily. "Thank
you, but Ido not feel inclined for peace on such
terms. They are t o one-sided. for me."
"1 am sorry that you think so, Gertrude," Mr.
Mainwaring answered sternly. "Perhaps a little
consideration will aid you to a fairer view of my
meaning. In the meantime, however, I must insist
?von one thing."
"Yes ?" and en° made .him a demure curtsey.
"Pray let Me know what you insist' upon, but do
not reek= on implicit obedience unless it suits my
views."
Her mocking tone and words of defiance roused
all that there was of evil in Geoffrey Mainwaring's
breast, and his reply was sharp and peremptory.
"In this case you must obey me, madam," he
said, his face pale with suppressed passion; "I ab-
solute') forbid your seeing or speaking to that
woman or any of her associates again."
"That woman 1 Whom ?" asked Gertrude, with
an affectation of innocent surprise that exasperated
her husband still more.

"I mean Mrs. Vernon, of course," he said
savagely, and then curbing the passion, of which he
felt not a little ashamed, and trying to speak more
"Understand me, Gertrude, this is no mere
whim-on my part, but meant in perfect seriousness,
and for very good and sufficient reasons. You are
a little vexed now, and perhaps I am out of temper
myself, so we will not discuss the matter any further
at present; but another, day, when we are both calm,
I wilt give you such reasons as even you will be
ford to admit are valid for the order I have been
compelled to lay upon you."
With which he left her—unfortunate again in his
selection of words. A request that he would not
see Mrs. Vernon again, until at least he had fur-
nished her with the reasons against it he had alluded
to, Gertrude might have granted—and her promise
once given however unwillingly, would have been
loyally kept. But an order couched in such per-
emptory terms, without the slightest cause, she was
determined not to yield to.
Aiscl Clara Vernon, who came in shortly after-
wards, gay, fascinating, and dressed to perfection,
as she always was, spared no arguments, no specious
tirades against man's tyranny to strengthen this
determination. •
• "Forbade your visiting, me, did he, my dear!"
she
oxclaimed•with light laugh. "The wretch! But
they are all the,same. What have I done to offend
him wonder ?' Chap 11
"r can't imagine,' simply replied Gertrude. "He
said something about telling me another day; but
that was only by way of some sort of excuse for his
unreasonableness, I suppose."
"Neither more nor less, darling," said the gush-
ing lady, who, however, in spite of her affected
carelessness,. was bitterly wroth against Geoffrey
Mainwaring, and resolved to be revenged upon him
by sonid means.,
- And what means so sure as those which lay ready
te her hand? A few words between husband and
w ife meant nothing in themselves, but when fol-
lowed by an open act of defiance might create a
breach' that never could be healed, and with de-
libera.e malignancy, with a cold-blooded desire to
revenge a slight which cared not how dispropor-
tionate the punishment and the offence, Mrs. Vernon
set about her task.
And, unhappily for the lucleess woman whom
she tempted to her ruin, it was only too easy a
one.
Not 'altogether without difficulty, indeed, for her
object was to persuade Mrs. Mainwaring to be pre-
sent at her ball that night, and at first Gertrude
refused.
"But you promised me, dear, a month ago," urged
the temptress, with a reproachful look. "Are you
afraid, after all ?'
" Afraid ! No," replied Gertrude, her lip curling
as if in scorn at the thought. "But the thing is
si:nply impossible now."
Why
"Because I cannot walk to your house; and
Geoffrey would not let me have the carriage if he
knew where I was going."
• "Why -should he know? Besides, you could
•order a fly fronfthe hotel."
"And steal out of my own house like a
thief! No, Clara, whatever I do must be done
openly. I must submit in some things, from force
of circumstances. We women may talk as we will,
and defy our husbands in words; but, after all,
ishen it comes to deeds they are too strong for us."
k Bitterly as she spoke and felt, Gertrude was not
without so much common sense as to recognise the
futility of such a struggle as she disclaimed; and
Mrs. Vernon began to think she must fail this time
at least, when fate helped her in a way she little
anticipated Geoffrey Mainwaring unconsciously
being himself the instrument.
Going out immediately after his stormy conver-
sation with Gertrude to attend a meeting of the
Social Science Congress, at which he had consented
to deliver an address, he there met an old acquain-
tancZ who was only in town for the day, and
was by him persuaded to remain and dine with
him.
Perhaps • it was as good a thing as could have
happened, he thought. Left to herself, Gertrude
would have time to cool, and to-morrow, when both
were in a more reasonable frame of mind, he wOuld
speak with her again.
A telegram, curt and unsatisfactory as all such
i4up plans for.
him,
thQ
.
messages are when. they relate to all but purely
business matters, 1014 herototfo
s his,.
evening, and that.slo
with hialriend nntil midnight: 6.
he should tin - At'
r.e..m
which hour he-wassto see hintoff bytht; mail train
for Liverpool, and; consequently, ceuld not hcma to.
arrive at home himself till nearly talfspast one-.
" Capital ! delicious !" eestaticallytexelaimed*H:
Vernon clapping her hands
placed wher.... heard
contents of the paper in
_Gert.rode s hands
just as it began to seem as though her arguments
m _
must fail. . " Now you have no excuse to put e 61?
with. YQI.I will Come; will you pot ?," -
Gertrude hesitated. The temptation was. sere-,'
but the very absence of astacles made her pause
before giving way to it. r heart was not as yet
entirely closed against her husband, and the thought
of deceiving, him was terrible to her.
"You need not Nertiain late, you know," CPII-
- Mrs. Vehlon;tsesing her incertitude. "You
can haveam3r,carriags4 tome back in; and if you
leave abouthalf-tpagettfelVe you syg., Jatale_
and comfortably settled for night
It is needless. however, to repeat all the aralitnitatil

used by the crafty, unscrupulous woman of the
world to effect her object, nor Gertrude Mainwarinois
faintly-urged objections. Sufficient to say that Mrs.
Ye non triumphed at last, and departed exultant at
the success of her persuasions, which Gertrude, half-
repenting the promise that had been wrung from
her, and with a strong forehodino• that her escapade
would not pass undiscovered, made such slight pre-
ations as were necessary for the evening's
amusement, which--though Mrs. Vernon dignified
it with the name of a bali—was to be more of a
social gathering and a carpet dance, such as often
affords more real en;oymPnt than more formal and
ambitious entertainments.
To Gertrude MainwariAg, however, the whale
affair turned out distasteful. Partly, indeed, that she
had brought with her no real capacity for enjoy-
ment, her conscience revoltingagainst its clandestine
nature; but more in that the free-and-easy manners
of the male guests—sometimes approaching actual
insolence, she thought —and the bold freedom of the
women disgusted her, and she was glad when twelve
o'clock came to bid her hostess adieu, and make her
escape from the scene.
Not unaccompanied, for Louis Southwell, who had
hung about all the night in a way that had snore
than once made her feel vaguely uncomfortable, con-
ducted her to Mrs. Vernon's carriage, which,
according to that lady's promise, was in readiness to
convey her home; and to Gertrude's surprise,
instead of bidding her good night, stepped into the
vehicle and sat down beside her, the coachman, who
had already received his orders, driving off at so
rapid a pace as soon conveyed them some distance
upon their road: _ _ _
.

-And then, to her amazement, horror, and indig-
nation, Gertrude heard poured into her shocked ears
words of wild passion such as outraged her modesty,
and rendered her at first speechless and incapable of
motion almost.

At length, however, her indignation found voice,
and the weak, passion-blinded, but not absolutely
vicious youth—for he was, indeed, but little more
either in experience or years—shrank away, humbled
and abashed, from the stinging rebuke conveyed in
the few but unmistakable words in which his
proffered love was contemptuously rejected.
No thought unworthy of the woman he had in-
sulted crossed Louis Southwell's mind, no idea such

as would have inevitably occurred 'to ai;r-acii-s-e-ei
libertine that her wrath was assumed merely to
strengthen his passion by resistance, and when next
he spoke it was in tones so contrite, so full of real
pain and remorse for the wrong he had contemplated,
that Gertrude could not doubt their genuineness.
"I feel that such an offence as mine is almost
unpardonable," he said humbly. "Without excuse,
indeed, except that is in itself :nearly as great an
offence."

"Excuse !" repeated Gertrude. "What excuse
can you have for offering me such an insult F"
"Only this, that I was mad, besotted enough to
imagine that—that you—forgive me for saying it—
that you would not regard it in that light. Ah
he added, as Gertrude started wrathfully, " I was
afraid I should only still further offend you; but
that was why I spoke. I was deceived—"
"By whom ?.
"By my own mad folly and presumption, I admit?'
he answered, too chivalrous to cast blame upon the
woman whose artful hints and lying encouragement
had helped to feed his passion. " I know now how
utterly I mistook you, and can only throw myself
upon your mercy for forgiveness. Say that is
granted ?"
"Upon one condition only," Gertrude coldly
replied.
"You have a right to impose any you please,"
said Louis. " I can only promise to obey."
‘.‘ Then take your pardon, Mr. Southwell,"
answered Gertrude, a little softened by his ready
acquiescence; " and try in future to believe that a
woman may show you courtesy without dreaming
that you could place such a construction on it as
now."
"And we may yet be friends?"
"No," she replied, coldly, an instinctive feeling
warning her against such a compact. "I told you
I had one condition to make, and it is that from this
time forth, if we meet at all, it must be only as the.
most ordinary acquaintances."
" But--"

"I will listen to no arguments, Mr. Southwell,"
said Gertrude, breaking in upon his half-uttered ex-
postulation with a sternness of tone that told him
her iesclution was not to be gainsayed. "We arc
not friends of so old a standing as to make the matter
remarkable, and I repeat, from henceforth you must
regard me ;nerdy as an acquaintance. Any attempt
on your part to alter this I could only meet in one
way, by acquainting my husband, and securing his
protection from what I should then look upon as
unmanly persecution."
"You need fear none from me," said the young
man. "I give the promise you require."
A few moments more and they parted, Gertrude
alighting at the gateway of her own house, and
Louis Southwell, having seen her so far, which was
all she would allow, re-entering the eqrriage to re-
turn to Mrs. Vernon's, as he had promised.
He did not hear as he drove of the hoarse cry of
rage which followed him, nor see, as Gertrude did,
the dark, antsLy scowl upon the face of Geoffrey
Mainwaring, who, walking home from the suburban
station near which he lived, arrived just in time to
witness the parting of a man and woman close to his
gate, and discover in the latter his wife.

CHAPTER XII.
SUNDERED.
IS it worth a tear, is it worth an hour,
To think of things that are well outworn P
Of fruitless husk and fugitive flower,
The dream foregone and the deed forborne .
FOR a moment Gertrude stood dumb and motion-
less, terror-stricken at the sight of her husband, for
sre had counted with absolute certainty upon his
being at least an hour later. In that moment
consciousness of her error was the uppermost thought
in her mind, and she bitterly regretted the folly of
which she had been guilty. One kind word then, a
sentence of grieved remonstrance, and she would
have been ready to throw herself upon her husband's
breast, forgetful of their past differences, and there
sob out her penitence and beg for his forgiveness.
But Georey Mainwaring was too excited, too
enra, el by what he had seen, to be sparing of his
wrath, and all the worser part of Gertrude's nature
was roused to stubborn resistance as she listened to
the angry, bitter words of insult and reproach he
poured upon her—words which once uttered could
never he recalled, but sank deep into her heart and
brain, making her resolve that she would rather die
than answer them.
"I will not tell you," she replied, in tones full of
fierce passion as those in - which her husband
demanded to know where she had been and who
was the man she had returned home with at such
an hour. "Had you asked me in, a different
fashion I .might have satisfied you. but now I will
not."
"Dare not, you mean," Geoffrey savagely
returned, his face white with rages "But I will
find out fcx myself. As for you, go to your room
now. I will consider to-morrow what is to be
I done."

- And he threw open the door for her, for they
had entered the house together directly after their
untoward meeting, and Gertrude moved towards
it.

And now once more the future of these two,
whether for weal or woe, hung trembling in the
balance, for as she neared him Gertrude saw upon
her husband's face signs of such terrible anguish as
rearoused her old feelings towards him, made her
forget his harshness and long to comfort him.
She had been to blame, she told herself remorse-
fully. The incident of that night had rendered
this even more painfully clear, for surely Louis
Southwell would never have dared address her in
such language as he had, but that her conduct had
emboldened him to such audacity. She would con-
fess herself in the wrong, after all; one must be the
first to yield, and when Geoffrey knew that she was
innocent of aught save wilfulness, which she would
promise for the future to curb, he must forgive her,
surely.
Eut Geoffrey Mainwarine•° was in no reasonable
moo _I. Unsuspicious and trusting generally, he
jumped to the opposite extreme now, and could
believe nothing but the very worst of his wife.
Her very ignorance of the true extent of his sus-
picions helped them on, indeed, and though she
strove to speak he would not hear a word.
"I refuse to listen to you, madam," he said, with
a grim determination. "Whatever explanation
you have to give me you had better reserve for the
lawyers."
"The lawyers 1" she repeated, incredulously.
"Yes. You need not feign surprise. After all,
it is only what I might have expected," he added,
with passionate bitterness. "You have never loved
"Geoffrey 1" she pleaded, stung by his words but
moved to tenderer feeling, also, by their despairing
ring. "Do not say that. You do not believe it.
Listen to me, for our child's sake."
"For his sake I decline. False in soul and body,
I renounce you. Henceforth, whether the law rids
me of you or not, you are no wife of mine."
"That is enough, sir," said Gertrude, drawing
herself proudly up. "You need not fear any claim
from me, even if the law you threaten me with gives
you no aid. For a few hours longer I must accept
the shelter of your roof; to-morrow both I and my
child, will leave it for ever." .
;Affd she as passing by him, proudly erect, her
,eYes blaiing, her body quivering with indignation,
when an answer came from his lips that stayed her
stet*.
‘YAFt to where you go or what you do, I care
nothing.," said her husband. "I will not turn you
out of my house to starve, but you are strangely
niistaken if you imagine that I shall allow Leonard
to-go with you."
"What do you mean ?"
•-" Only this.
keep him" As his father I have the right to
"And have I, his mother, no such right F' •
'You have forfeited it. The boy is mine."
46 Geerey, you cannot mean what you say P Even
if you have, the power you claim you will not
exercise it. You cannot be so cruel. I have been
wrong, very wrong, I confess, but I have done
into
de_nExasiz9h_Zini.sbruntaiLynn. threaten:.
merciful—do not deprive me of
my child. I have done nothing to eserve it, I
wan r i"

Awl the poor giri—for she was late more even
yet—crouched at her husband's feet and sought to
clasp his hands in hers with wild despair. Her eyes
were opened now, and she saw only too plainly
which way his suspicions tended—saw, too with
mingled shame and grief how grievously she had
erred, and rendered such suspicions not only possible,
but difficult to remove by mere words, however
strongly she might asseverate her innocence.
And it was even as she feared.

Prayers, tears, and protestations were alike in
vain. The man to whom they were addressed was
inexorable. He believed beyond the shadow of a
doubt that his young wife, if not actually abandoned
in deed, was untrue to him in thought as she had
been deceitful in her actions; while Gertrude,
finding herself so entirely disbelieved, ceased to im-
plore credence from one whom she could only
regard as sternly harsh in his judgment of her, and
left his presence with but one thought in her mind—
how best to baulk him of the revenge he had
threatened.

So these two parted, to meet no more ox. this side
of eternity, for when the next morning came Mrs.
Mainwaring was nowhere to be found.
She had tied during the night, taking with her
the little Leonard rather than allow him to be stolen
from her as his father had threatened, and left no
clue behind her by which her movements could be
traced, and although instant and untiring search
was set afoot by Geoffrey Mainwaring, it was to no
• e:Tect ; from that hour he never saw either his wife
or child again.
The blow was a severe one, and for awhile he
blamed himself as having been unnecessarily harsh,
till part of his enquiries resulted in the discovery of
where Gertrude had been that fateful night, and
who had accompanied her home. When he also
found that Louis Southwell was gone from England
without leaving any address by which to be found,
all uncertainty as to where his wife had sought re-
fuge was at an end. Mrs. Vernon, who might have
disabused him on that point if she had chosen, took
no pains to do so, but rather fostered the impression
out of malice which she felt no touch of remorse in
gratifying even by so base a method, and, convinced
of Certrude's worthlessness, Mr. Mainwaring ceased
in his efforts to discover her.

Not directly, indeed, for had she not stolen his
child away? If he could but recover him it mattered
not what became of the mother, and for a time the
unhappy man spared no pains nor expense in prose-
cuting his search.
Still without effect, however, and gradually the
hope that had at first sustained him and nerved him
to unceasing efforts died away, leaving him morose
and soured, hateful of the world and all in it. Never
of a very robust constitution, his health failed rapidly
under the depressing circumstances that had
rendered him a lonely, miserable man, and the end
soon came.

Not unexpectedly, indeed, but suddenly.
He had shut himself up in his study, as was his
usual custom at night, and there next mominv he
was Lund—dead.

(To be continued.)