Smyrna times., 1873-08-20


the time have named"
Gldncing back as she skinned M the stair
case she saw him enter a doorway which did
not communicate with his own apartments.
Those rooms were vacant through the
week, she thought. 81 wonder who has
taken them-one of his friends, perhaps" "
She had quite forgotten the occurrence when
she presently climbed the narrow pathway
which led up to the cliff, and stood with Vava-
sour, watching the light as it faded on the sur
face OF the sea-
He was manifestly uneasy, and broke his
subject with the abrupt haste of one who
breads to pass an unavoidable ordeal.
''Never mind the scene out there, Zoe. Who
do you suppose is coming tonight"
"How should know" she asked, laugh
ingly. You forget that our paths were the
paths of strangers until we met here. You
must enllghten me.
Il am expecting friends, and with them my
wife. | hope you two will take to each other. "
lie would have gone on uttering common
places, but Zoe lifted her face, gray as ashes,
70 search his own with an agonized glance
Her half hope that it might be only a cruel
jest he was uttering was blotted out by the
cOwardly defiance she read there.
! Your wife Heaven help me! p she mur.
INJURED, huskily, and sank down at his feet iu d
stricken heap.
He thought she had tainted but she shrank
away from him when he would have raised
her in his arms.
''Go away Leave me here alone |" she i'm
plored.
Vavasour shuddered as he glanced towards
the precipice, a hundred feet down, with the
sea rolling at its base.
"Will you go2" she demanded, angrily
81 am afraid you will do something rash.
1 Al II
love you SO Forgive me, darling my pun
ishment is greater than can bearl"
lie covered his eyes whith his hands, and
grOaned aloud. He was weak, vscillating, and
in that moment really believed that life with
out her would be nothing more than q bleak
waste of years.
The awakened bitterness was succeeded By
an impulse, mad As it was sinful. He stopped
over her, with impassiOned entreaty in hi
tones, and that handsome, false face, whose
beauty had gone so far to win her, lighted with
pleading glow.
'Zoe, darling, come TO me Life is nothinl
without you1fate would be cruel to part US
Forget what have told let US defy all tht
world, aud live only for each other +"
Slowly she rose up, with crimson fame
leaping back into the palid cheeks and lips
and the wide black eyes strained with unutter
able longing
You love me like that?'' she asked, thos
wiStiul eyes fixed upon him with a reproacl
he could not iathOm.
Better than life itself, Zoe"
He stopped as if to caresS her; and, with
quick motion, she put him between herself an
that precipltouS descent, with the sea at it
; base.
Her two hauds isn upon his arm, light an,
fair as snOwAakes, and her face was upturne,
with such look as better man might hav
! inspired.
Il love you," she said, with a solemn eal
nestuess that made him shrink and shiver wit
{ chill dread You were cruel, but love you
never could live the life you purpose, and
never can face the sneers and jeers OF th0s
who know how lightly you had wen me. Fat
would be cruel indeed to part as now. Comel
Her soft white arms twined about his neck
and her gaze riveted his with fascination h
could not brook, even while he started wit
/ horror at the meaning he read in the wide-di!
e tended eyes.
= The two figures wavered upon the edge
the cliff. He threw up his arms, wildly Ell
: deavored to shake her off, and then both wei
$ over the giddy height.
d The sea washed up its victims, their ha
e spangled with the gttering ocean sand al
i twined with clinging seaweed, her hands st
h clasping his neck as when they had fallen fro
the cliff
s And her face was ineffably calm; but b
e was stamped with the horror and dread of
e unsOught death.