Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-09-07

for ever. On the contrary, Frank EXPRESSED
himself resigned 10 the inevitable; and Alne
never once raising her eyes, looked neither To
her husband nor her brOlher-n-law, and spea-
king as If in adream, seemed scarcely to know
what she said, when she merely repeated aft
er Frank, "lt 1t must be, John, ii must" But
John Graves, who knew every turn of her
| face, had his own uneasy doubts, and fell
there was more behind than came to The
front.
II wish she had looked at him or me. that
she had either cried or demonstrated, " he said
to himself unUasily; aud yet he could moi lrll
what il was he feared For when the omni-
bus went back to llcaton, Frank went back
with 1t and ON his way to the inn, where
John took the prccauiOn to see him safe. he
swOrc solemn oath that he would never
trouble his brother more, nor rcappuar in
England now that he was set alloat in the
world again, his forgery bought up, his dubs
paid, and II certain stun OF money in his poe
ket whcrewth 10 begin life anew in the New
World. $50 John Graves went about his days
business with a lighter heart or rather IA
heart that strove to be light, when the omni-
bus had fairly started, carrying his brother
Frank, with all his mistakes and perpleXitics,
away from Mentham, and from Alne.
The day wore ON, and rs evening ap-
preached, Aline became more and more ner-
vous. She had been occupied in her room
all the day, and the servants had scarcely seen
her. Luncheon and dinner. both had been
sent away untouched; and the little house
hold gossipcd, as households will. whether
big or little. For, indeed, it had been an
eventiu day for the quiet order OF tairview,
and the mystery that surrounded Mrs Frank
had never seemed so mysterious as now, when
it had crossed the threshold of her home in
bodily shape.
The day darkened into the evening, and
the evening dcepunod into night Aline sat
by the drawing-roOm which opened ON to the
lawn, looking into the darkness, and listen
ing. The servants were in bed, and the last
few lights across the water had long been ex-
tinguished. Suddenly she heard step ON
the grayel-a light, swift, yet cautious step,
and mans figure crossed the dark lawn. Ii
came nearer, and Franks tender voice wills
pered her name. In an instant she was in
his arms.
''Oh, love. love! what is ii making me
dog she said, half in ecstasy, half in des-
pair, as her head sank on his shoulder, and
ner hot tears rained fast.
''Repenting already, my Aline?'
''No, no, Frank Repent of being with
you Z" and her arms tighlened round his neck.
"Only sorry for John-that am deceiving
him after all his goodness to me. "
I'VE will forget the past, DEAR said Frank,
hastily. III you are decelving your cousin,
is it not to proiectand be with your husbandY"
"Ah, | cannot live without you, Frank "
she murmurcd, passiOnalely; " Tor 1 love
you"
You shall not regret it, Aline," Frank
said, with husky voice " In a country
where you are not known, and under another
name, ! shall have a fresh start and this time
you shall not he ashamed Of me- | am not
Dad all through, Aline.
II know that, darling, have always said
so"
God bless you, wife! and you have said
true, he answered, kissing her. "Ony trust |
in Inc this once again. Love me, and do not |
leave me, and ali will be well "
81 do love you, and will trust you and |
never leave you, size said solcmniy.
And with tins She came out into the dark |
ness; and the two, hand-in-hand together, |
passed through the gale and took tie road |
that led through Mrntham and away to the |
west John Graves stirring reslessly in his |
troubled sleep as the sound Of carriage. dri- |
wing ut hot speed, dashed over the village |
stones.
The next morning all Mcntham was asir
with the news that Mrs. Frank of Fairyiew |
was missing. No one knew where she had |
gone or what she had done; whether she had
run off with IL lover or run away from her
some said she had probably
drowned herself in the river in despair at her
sins, whatever they might be. All that was
sure, however, was just this-she had gone.
and no one knew more. She was held to have
committed some grievOus crime and the on
ly man who could have cleared her name
kept silent, and told no one how that she had
cloped with her own husband, Il swindlcr,
iorger, whose public prosecution and dis
grace, he, John Graves, his brother, had
bought off with all his savings. If he had
but known, however, that he was going to
make this return, he would have given him
over to the consequences Of his crime. AS il
them go. She was weak and he
was wicked though it broke his heart tolosc
her, and lose her thus-let them 90. In the
future years, when she had learnt for tue sec
Ond time the miserable mistake she had made,
she would come to him again, and he-hu
would love her and shelter and project her as
before. So he turned TO his lie work again,
harder, sadder, more relicent than ever; but
always looking out towards the west for the
return of the woman he loved, whose happi-
ness he believed his brother had DESTROYED,
and whose happiness he, John Graves, would
rive his life to build up again.
But they never met Years after, a staid
and naturalized citizen Of Boston, who, some
lid say, was a reformed rake with history
1t his back that would not bear repeating,
and matron still beautiful and loving, read
in an English newspaper, the death of one
John Graves at Mentham; and in the same
paper they read lawyers advertisement for
''Aline, wife of Frank Graves, who if living
would inherit her cousins property. If she
was dead it was to go TO a charity.
My enemy to the last Poor old jack"
said Frank, as he put down the paper with
sigh; and Aline, laying her hand on his,
Ooked into his eyes tenderly, her own filled
with tears, and said;
81 did right, Frank saved one life, and
saddened another and deceived my true friend.
But saved the one which was most precious,
md kept faith with the dearest love-"
OWED An nED CENT