Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1873-12-23
grace and geniality.

1 In the END they were married, anC
the man, otherwise SO cold and impas
sive, seemed 10 change in the society
of his beautiful young wife.
he loved her with the quiet, deer
intensity that belongs only to such ma
| ture a. his, and he lavished on her al
that his wealth could procure or his
love could invent.
Edith retured his strong devotion
| but coldly, or rather, she received it:
evidence but passively. But he would
| have contented himself even with thai
scant recompeLse and lived on uncOm.
/ plainingly, but for a chage which came
| upon LIS young wife about year aftel
the marriage.
Her manner towards hin: up to this
time could best be described as a sori
| of passive endurance. She obeyed him
and yielded to him; not subm sslvely
that word would not convey the
right meaning-but as if she were toe
proud or contentious to oppose herself
| TO him in anything.
Suddenly she changed. Mr.. Port
man noticed with wonder that heI
mood Would alter in the most inconsis
tent way. AT times Edith would be si-
lent, and even sulIen =; then she would
pass at once without any intermedi-
| ate stage, INTO forced liveliness and
gayety yet more bewildering to him
and at rare intervals she would be ten
der, almost loving in her bearing, and
John Portman often thought in after
time, with bitter regret, that if he bad
anticipated the wistful pleading look
III her beautiful eyes, and encouraged
1, I hat In
have been spared them both
That thought like many another,
came td him too late. EHith's conf
denca remai.Ied unspOken, and the ca
| tastropile was drawing nearer, one day
by accident, Mr.. Portman discovered
that there existed a correspondence be-
tween his wife and her old lover Hen
ry Lorraine He did not know than il
had originated with her cousin, and
existed solely on his side; Mr.. Port
man did not stay 10 inquire. Almost
mad with jealousy. but even then pre-
serving his cold, calm exterior, he
sought his wife
She came to him dressed for some
occasionj a dinner party or ball-he
had forgotten What. But through all
these after years he remembered her as
she looked tlIeil-so radiantly beauti-
ful that it maddened him to think OF
her treachery. He made his accusa-
ton in such harsh, cruel words that
her proud spirit reUelled at once indig-
nantIy, and she would condescend to
no rcfutation or explanation she only
laughed bitterly in his face. and with
such an expression of scorn in her bril-
liant ewes. that the gaze seemed to
search his very soul. He repeated tile
accusation in sach words that indigna-
ton got the better of contempt, and
she told him that he lied
tie lost command of himself then,
and struck her with his open hand up
on her bosom. Edith did not finch oI
utter sound, but stood looking fixed
| ly at him for moment, Ier lovely
| face palid and rigid as marble, the
mark of his hand on her bosom
changed to IL deep angry red. Ther
she turned from him and was gone
lie diu not follow her, or stop her
| his own rash act had almost terrified
| him; and he would have given world:
! 10 have recalled it. His anger thu:
! turned back in its course, made hin
| reflect, too, whether he had not beer
too haSty in his ac .usaIion. The evl-
dence he held-an Intercepted Iette
| from Henry Luraine-did not cTlmI
nate Edith. 1t WAS only passionate
declaration of his unalterabie love TO
| his cousin and all entreaty for All i'll
terview; nothing TO show that she nat
| forgotten her duty so far as to havt
written TO him-nothing to show iha
she was guilty beyond the fact tina
she had Withheld from her husband
the knowledge that her cousin hat
dared 10 write TO her in such maGner
| Mr.. Portman gave himself half al
hour to reflect and decide upon SOM
course of action, and then went softl.
10 his V ife dressing room.
Th6re was no reply to his summon
at the ioor-uo sound Of any one stir
riug within: H. entered; she was no
there, nor IN her bed room. He ram
the bell for his wife's maid She toll
him that her mistress had dressed ant
gone out nearly half IN hour before
and she did no; sEoW where her mis-
trcss had gone.
John Portman dismissed the girl
and set himself to thinking. Their
was a strange, Leavy foreboding OF evI
at his heart that would not let hin
rest or hope He waited until the feel
ing or suspense became too great {
bear. He wrote a note, and making
out list OF places which he though
Edith might nave gone, despatched
messenger with instructions to go t
each of the houses named in the list
until he found his mistress, then t
wait and a,tGud her back
The line vert slowly and wearil.
wo-tiree-lour, and neittre
his messenger nor Edith came. Hi
suspense, his growing dread of evil
yrew so insupportable that he Was neI
vousIy and hastily putting on his oveI
coat and hat-why he hardly knew
when the messenger returned-alone.
He had been To all the houses on tn
list he told Mr. Purtman that III
mistress was a none OF them. Sh
had been expected ut two Of the places
nt one To a dinner, ut the other To
ball. The lady who was to have bee
Edith's chaperOHe was at the dinne
marty. told him that she had receive
from Mr.. POrtman early in the eve
ninu n note saving she was lndlspOse
ond could not come. This was. i
brief the result of the messengers In
quiries.
John Portman took no sleep tina
night: during that long, long drear.
vigil his heavy fOot-step woke Tn
dull echoes IN his chamber. IN
morning came at last, and found mn
haoUard, pIllid, but still watchful. -
He had gone dowr to the DRAWN
room when the first faint light OF daw
appeared. and, throwing open the shd'
lers. stood at The window, very spec
ire in tlfe cold gray of The morning.
Ii was late IA the autumn, an
through the dim mist MI. Portma
watched rhe few figures that hurrle
rapidly by N t ieir way to their earl
= occupations. n p0licehdh sauilttie 'il'.
slowly along. b ,ating his hands aga ns
ms chest to warm his benumbed mn
gers; aud the thought came into Nj
Portnan's Il al, whether, If any thin
happened ia h s house that w"uid