Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1873-11-20
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IfRHtsS's itvrd on unespspfsshincly. bu
f"Sachange q hi6L -czass npnu lis youn,
wife stssss . year alter the marriage.
Her nisBner towards him up to thi
pfinc could tea &c DESCRIBED ss . asos, O
, Srs.stse cpslh.shee. she obeyed his,. an,
;iesded 20 him not .suhmissiveiy-tha
word would NOT convey its ows- meanin,
but If che were toa pyoud or cor,
t'mr'uoos ie'opposs Lsrsslfto him in any.
thing.
4 Suddenly she changed. Mr PornaI
noticed with wonder that her mood woult
i sl.cr in the most inconsistent way. Al
times Edith would be- silent. and even sal.
len; then she would pass at once. without
any intermediate change. into q forced
liveliness and gaiety yet more bewilderfnf
} 10 him; aud at rare intervals she would be
tender. almost loving in her bearing. and
John Poriman often thought in after time,
with bitter regret that il he had antcipa.
ted the wis,ful. pleading look in her beau
ful eyes. aud encouraged her confidence,
what misery might have been spared them
both
Tha, thnughi like another. came to him
to late. Edhb's confidence remained un.
spoken. aud the catastrophe was drawin .
nearer. One day. BY accident. Mr PORT
man discovered that there existed a cor
rc-pondrnce between his wife and her old
lover. Hrtry Lorraine. II. did not know
that il bad originated th her cousin. and
existed s"lely on his side; Mr. Portman
did not stay to inquire. Almost mad
with JEALOUSY. but even then preserving
bis co.d, calm exterior, he sought bis
wife
She came 10 him dressed for some oc-
rasion: diuncr party or ball-he had
forgotten what But through all these sf.
ter wears he remembered her as she looked
then--so radiantly beautiful that it mad :
densd him to think OF her treachcry. lie
made his accusation iu such harsh. crncl
.worts That her proud spiri, rebelled at
once inaighan,ly. aud she would condc-
sc"nd TO no rcfu,a,inn or explanation, she
only laughed bitterly in his face. and with
such an expression Of scorn in her bril-
liant eyes. that the gaze seemed TO search
h's very soul He repeated the accusation
IN such words tha, Indignation got the bet =
ter If contempt. and she told him that he
lied
He lost command Of himself then. and
struck her with hts open hand upon her
bsso,n.t ,Eair, did not finci or d,ter a
-nu',,f. 'hurstood l6okinv' 6xAily N 'fm
for moment. her lovely face pnllid aud
rigjl As p.aI he, the mark of his hand an
her bosom, changed 10 deep angry red
Ttcu she turrtryi frvm u,r,i wrs ,s-...-z-
He lid not follow her, or stop her: his
own rash act had almost terrified him, and
he would have given worlds to have re-
called it Iii, anger thus turned back in
iis course made him reflect. too. whether
hc had not hecn TOO hasty in his accusa-
ti"n. Tie evidence he hcld-an inter-
crp,cd letter FROM Henry Lorrainc--dii
NOT crimina,r + .ith. |, was only pas
si"na,e declaration Of his unaltcrntle love
for his cou,in, and an cutrea'y for an in-
tcrvi-w; nothing to show that she had for
gotten her duty So far ns TO have written
to lin--noihiug TO show tha, she was
guilty beyond the fac. thar she had with
/ held from her husband the knowledge that
her cousin had dared to write to her in
| such a manner. Mr. Portman gave him
! scif half an hour 20 reflect anddecide upon
some course Of aelicn. and then went soft
" to bis wife's jressing-room. ,,,,..
There was no reply TO. his summons at
the dccr--no sound Of any one stirring
within. -. lie entered; she was no, there.
nor in the bedroom. He rang the bell
FOR his wife's maid She told him ,ha,
her mistress had dressed and gone ou,
riesrly halfsn -hr ur hefrss she did no,
know where her mistress had ycne.
| John Port,nan dismissed the girl. and
e, bimself to thinking. There, vas q
Sranec. heavy fwstsih Z of. >eva, ss his
heart that would no, let him res, or hope
He waited a",il the feeling of suspense
became too great to bear. He wrote q
mote. and making out list Of places to
which he though, Filth might have gone.
depssrhed ayinesssneer With issrpcti"ns
to 90 10 each cf The houses named in the
lisf. until he found his mistress. then to
wal, aud attend her back.
The tin,e vent slowly and wearily by
Ope-iwo-thr-e--f,,u and neither his
messenger nor Edith came. His suspense.
bis growing dread of evil. grew so insup-
portable that he was nerveusly aud has
,ily putting on his ever-coat and hat
why he hardly knew when the messen-
ger retarned--aiose. t..t..s e.
He bad been 10 nj. the houses on the
slist. he ,sld Mr. Portusan; that his mis-
tress Was at meme Of them .Sheh had been
expected at ,wo If the placrs: Al one tc
dinher, a, the other 10 hall The lady
who was 10 have teen Edi,h's charerons
was at the dinner.party. told him that she
had received from Mrs. Por,man. early
IN the evening, a note saying she was in.
disposed aud could not come This was
ia brief. the tesuls u the ssesssnsrr:s. in.
qairies. u EA-.I Ff
John portman took no sheep tha, nigh,
during The long dreary vigil his heav,
foo's,ep woke the duh echoes Of his cham
ber The morning came ut last. ans
:, found him asggard. psllid On, still xa,ch
tul He had gone dawn to the dr. sisy
room when the krst faint light Of dsw
appeared. aud. throwing open the sha,
! tiers. ssocd ., ihe sinas~.s@ vexyrs sskUr,
in the cold gray Of the uscruiug Tvs
II was late 10 the autumn. and shroaei
= the dim mis-, Mr. Pc,,maa watched II,
!. .viswr6.ares thai harried ,rapialy Nv. o,
their way TO their early ceeavaiiouk. 4