The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1873-09-11

lnusL De that OF the one was aOOu
to join, L applied myself with fresi
energy to the task, and had just ae
! compiished it when a Numbering
double knock upon the door itself, ant
close against my head nearly threw
me off my balance with alarm
Who could il be? Not Alfred surely
ff-Eith a noise that reverberateS
through the little tenement In my
surprise and confusion / suddenly
threw open the unfastened door, anC
saw before me the figure of him whom
hal imagined to be thousands 0
miles away-Of my husband, LOturenc'
EfscdrdsI
The shock was so great and unex
peeted that staggered backward anC
leaned against the wall. The candle
which | had brought down with m.
was still tiaring in its candlestick upon
the hall table, and its feeble, uncer.
tain light threw sickly glare upon
my husbands face, as doubtless it did
on mine. He, fully astoniSEed q;
myself TO have tho hall door opened
to him at IL O'clock at night by hi.
wife, clad in walking attire, regarded
me for few seconds in total silence
/ was the first to recover myself.
Good heavens, Laurence! / eX-
claimed, chow you frightened me!
I never dreamed of seeing yOul Why
did you not apprise me OF your in
tended return ?'
SssBecause ]. had . fancy for taking
you by SURPRISE" he replied, grayelyi
"and seem to have succeeded perfect.
ly. Where were you going?"
"GOing!" 1 faltered. "Going
Where should l be going at this time
of night?"
"No, to be sure. You have just come
in, of course. Well, get out of this
draught, Marion, while / settle my
business with the eabman."
He re-opened the door as he spoke,
and preceived that q cab with his
portmanLeau stood outside. and
guessed that he must have been look
ing for the number of the house for
some minutes before he startled me
with his knock.
Iobeyed him and walked mechan-
icalIy into the sittIng-room, where the
servants, reused by this time, had ap-
peared with lights. My head was so
confused that I could hardly think,
but above the knowledge that all my
plans had been upset by my husbands
re-appearance, and the fear as to how
much he might or might not guess
concerning them, rose the idea of a
great deliverance. / felt as though ]
had been standing on the brink of a
precipice, aEd some one had suddenly
drawn me backward; as if 1 had been
/ hn,,f 0rriniAn apA hn on1al ~
God had stood in the path with a
flaming sword and forced me to turn
another way. In another minute
Laurence joined me. I had hastily
removed my bonnet and shawl and
thOrwn them in corner. He came
up to my side, and tenderly embraced
me.
"Is my wife glad to have me home
again?" he said kindly; 'Or is she sor-
ry?p
4" Glad,p replied in low voice,
and did not lie. 1 was glad that he
had come to save me. Now that the
least check had been given to my inn
pulse, felt how unworthy it had been
of ne, and how had magnified its
attractions, l did not feel any the
better for this conviction; on the con-
trary, knew that it withdrew the on
ly excuse could have claimed for my
intended treachery, and, as it struck
me, my head sank lower and lower,
until felt abased to the very earth.
My husband did not appear to notice
my sense of humiliation; he cOnver-
sed cheerfully with me, during the
meal which 1 caused to be prepared
for him, on the reason of his sudden
return to England; told me that he
had often delayed it until the business
should be better able to spare him, but
finding that each year Increased in
stead of Ofdiminishing its demands, had
determined to put it off no longer.
He questioned me on my own plans
and trusted that his advent would
make no difference to them, while
sat t-~before him like a culprit, each
kind word ne uttered sinking like q
knife into my heart All if he only
knew, If he only could have read my
thoughts, how would he have felt to-
ward me? When had somewhat
accustomed myself to his presence ]
took courage to raise my conscience
stricken head and examine his appear
ance. do not suppose he was much
altered from what he had been when
we parted, but thought of him so lit
| tie that ne looked almost like stran-
ger to me. L saw before me a tall,
dark man, rendered still darker from
being exceedingly sunburnt, whose
blue eyes aontrasted strangely with
his black hair and beard. was fair
and small, myself. He struck me as
being very manly and good-looking,
and ] wondered that had never per-
ceived it before. AS he caught me in
the midst of my scrutiny he smiled,
but sadly.
al suppose you have nearly forgot
ten what / am like, Marion? Well,
YOU have had time enough to do so.
| [ do not see much alteration in you,
my dear; you seem quite unchanged
to me. L hope your heart is as much
so as your face?n
1 felt myself blush as he addressed
me, hut gave him no other answer.
"Come, is the house locked up
again ?'' he said in another minute.
If so think we had better go to bed
for if you are not very tired am"
This was the moment which 1 had
been dreading ever since his arrival,
when he must see my corded boxes
and require some explanation of their
being there. With all my wickedness
/ had not been in the habiG of telling
falsehoods, and the idea was dreadful
to me; yet was desperate, and ]
knew that 1 must lie or be discovered
Holloa!U he exclaimed, as his
eyes fell upon them. " What are
these? Your boxes, Marion? Were
YOU going away anywhere?"
"Yes," I replied, I hardly knew
how; "I was going away for little
while, but it is of no Consequence
"Dover, said my husband, reading
the address. You wanted a breath
of sea air, did you? Well, I don't
wonder at it this sitting weather
We can go together, my dear, can we
not? 1t will do US both good"
"Oh no! pray do not think Of it
L would rather stay here now that yor
are eome-I have no wish for
change" fell rapidly from nay mouth
as dreaded his insisting upon put
ting his proposal into execution.
could not have gone there with him
/ would have died sooner. / shoulC
have feared that the very stones
would have cried out and revealeS
nv base intentions to him those in
tentions from which / had already
commenced to shrink with horror.
''It shall be Just as you please, Ma
rion," was his quiet answer. "My
only object in coming home Is to Civ
you pleasure"
1t will be readily conjectured that
did not sleep much that night. Wha
my lover would think of my defec
ton, and how should eomInunicati
my further wishes to him-what 10,
husband would say if he ever guesse'
the truth, or part of the truth, AM
how could live so as to best concea
il from him, troubled me too much t
permit me to sleep. How / longel
, that night to die before the morning
What debased and guilty creature
seemed to myself How Incapable o
making the happiness Of either of tn
men with whom / had to do AN
yet had time to wonder at the fac
that my intrigue with Alfred Knowle
appeared already to have become
thing of the past; that whatever be
come of me, that would never happel
now; that the mereiful hindranee
had received had been sufficient t
open my eyes, and TO cause me to Sc
myself and my design in their tfu