The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1869-10-08
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| No sooner did the loud slamming of
the front door assure those he had left
that the master of the house was in the
sEnSsk Ihan Calvin Roberta tnriied to
Constance and said:
SIT is very evident. Mrs. Vane, that
you are not in your husbands conf
dence."
"Perhaps not. should have remem-
bered the presence of q third party, and
left the question unasked," she answered,
moro in response to her own thoughts
than as direct reply to direct ques-
ton.
pardon me if reasoned from analo-
gy. AS loving a wife as you nre, would
scarcely have pronounced the eulogy on
money, which, but now, fell from your
lips, had she known of her husbands
pecuniary embarrassments."
"Embarrassments" she repeated, as
if she doubted she heard aright. "Dick
surely would not hold me in ignorance of
such vital interests"
''Shall enlighten you, Constance?"
1t was the first time he had ever called
her SO, since that memorable night; but
she did not notice it, nor yet that she
had no right to hear, from another, what
her husband had chosen to conceal. She
only knew that Dick was in trouble, bear
ing it all for her sake, and that she had
added to his anguish by thoughtless
speech.
"iShall tell you all, Constance?" he
repeated.
eyes, yes," she said, "all."
"Your husband is ruined man. OF
all he possesses, there is scarcely dollar
he can call his own"
"Oh! why has he kept this from me?
Why left me to pleasures he could not
share?"
"Why? Because 80 choose it. Be-
cause I wished to be the bearer of the
tidings."
"You?" she said, half bewildered,
passing her hand over her flushed fore
dreaming.
"Yes, I. It is not long story. Will
you listen patiently while I tell it? T
need not remind you that was once mad
enough to fall in love with your pretty
face, and fool enough to believe that you
would return that love. 1t is not plea
SAINT to recall the way in which my pro-
testations were received, but it is neces-
sary. You chose to slight and sneer at
me, and have chosen to be revenged.
You now possess the Alpha and the One
60 of the whole secret. If your husband
is ruined, you know to whom you owe it.
TO accomplish this, it was necessary to
become his friend and adviser I curbed
my impaticnce and played the repentant
TO you. / succeeded only partially in
this; that saw; but I had q powerful
ally In the victim himself, whose eyes,
poor fool. had never been opened, for T
Judge Alright when suppose that that
little episode in the woods, Mt the Oaks,
was kept from him. You played admi-
rably into my hands. fair Constancel''
"Go on" she said, calmly, as he stop
ped to note the effect his words produced.
"Well, there isn't much more to tell.
l led him into the widest speoulations
by appearing to lead the way, until to-
day he has received his coup de qroce.
The strangest part of the whole affair to
him is, that, although he knows he is
ruined, his creditor does not appear. He
has gone out tonight to discover the
mysterious parsonage if he can. 1 wish
him JOY of the search, with the clue he
holds. But you, with your usual pene-
tration. can, no doubt, unravel the mys-
terry over which he, in his idiotic conf
dence, will scarcely stumble. Can YOU
guess who holds these precious bits of
paper?"
"The most honorable Calvin Roberts, {"
she said, as calmly as if her heart was
not bursting with Indignation.
"What little sorceress! Don't waste
time so unprofitably by using ironical
expressions. They are lost on me, as
sure you. Perhaps you can read the mo-
tive which prompted the plan?"
''You have told me-revcnge
Fright and wrong both. The loss of
money is one of the links in the chain.
Can you supply the missing link?''
She remained silent.
"Then perforce I must tell you. You
can then appreciate the pleasure this
evenings conversation has impaired to
me, for his ruin is to compel his wife to
reward my love, in exchange for his
worthless paper" he Kissed in her ear.
"Fiend! traitor!" she exclaimed, jump
ing from her chair, and towering above
him in all the majesty of her outraged
womanhood. $50, proclaim your own
infamy to the world, but dare utter such
words again IN my presence. and these