The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1873-07-26

longing that he crushed out again with
the cruel blindness of will! that would
not be convinced
The blow Tell upon Zoe with only the
faintest premonition to herald it.
She danced in through the side entrance
OF the hotel one evening, with her short
black ourls all in a tumble from the race
she had been taking along the shore, She
came upon V"vasour suddenly, to his i'll
| concealed discontinue He held Il flower
pot containing royal purple fuchsia in
full bloom. Zoe stopped short, and put
out her two hands confidently.
80 :" For me ~ she asked, | know it must
be, for you heard me call it my favor;te"
And have been ungallant enough to
forget the fact. Pardon me, that | must
refuse this one; it is otherwise promised
"OhW she eald. laughing 10 hide her
confusion. How fortunate that | didn't
squandor my gratitude Auntie shall
order me one like it, If ] don't overrate my
persuasive powers, Pray, pass on, Mr..
Nayasourn
First let ne remind you of promise
to walk to the .op of the cliff with me-
| How soon Can you go"
| 1NoH3 - voo diC NV IlitiSii, Eut
replied, with shake of her rumpIed
t1onnces. In ten minutes, if yeu prefer
smooth curls and fresh costume Iherel
I'll not put your choice to the test, but you
| may wait for me III the time named"
CHANGING back as she SKINNED up the
staircase, she saw him enter u door
way which did not communicate with his
| own apartments.
"Those rooms were vacant through the
week" she thought wonder who has
taken them One ofhis friends perhaps"
She had quite forgotten the occurrence
when she presently climbed the narrow
pathway which led up the cliff, and stood
with Vavasour, watching the light as it
faded on the surface of the sea-
| He was manifestlv 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, TO- night?o
How should | know ?" she asked
laughingly. "You forget that our paths
were the paths of strangers until we met
here. You must enlighten me-
81 am expecting friends, and, with them,
my wife. | hope you two will take to
each other"
He would have gone on uttering com
mon-places, but Zoe lifted her face, grey
as ashes, to search his own with an agon
lied glance. Her half-hope tn 1t it might
only be a cruel jest he WAS uttering was
bIotted out by the cowardly defiance she
read there.
Your wife Heaven help me !" she
murmured, huskily, aud sank down at his
feet in a stricken heap
lie thought she had tainted but she
shrank away from him WREN he would
have raised her In his arms
:" Go away, Leave me alone ~ she I'M
plored.
Vavasour shudered as he glanced to-
wards the precipice, hundred feet down,
with the sea rolling at its base.
will you 90 p; she demanded angrily.
50 am afraid you will do something
rash. Oh, Zoe, Zoei never knew until
now that | love YOU so! Forgive me,
darling! my punishment Is greater than
can bear p
lie covered bis eyes with his hands,
and groaned aloud. He was weak, vacIl
laung, and in that moment really believed
that lie without her would be nothing
more than a mere bleak waste OF years
The awak ened bitterness was succeeded
by an impulse, mad as 1t was sinful. He
stopped over her, with impassioned entrea-
tv in his tones aud that handsome, false
face, whose beauty had gone so lar to win
her, lighted with a pleading glow
"Ioe, darling. come to me- Life Ii
nothing without you-iate would be cruel
to part US. Forget what have told you.
let us defy all the world, and live only for
each other ~
Slowly she T. ose up, with crimson flames
leaping back into the palld cheeks and
lips. and the wide black eyes stained with
unutterable longing.
"You love me ike that ?p she asked.
those wistful eyes, fixed upon him with u
reproach he could not tathom
Better than life itself, Zoe"
He stopped as if to caress her and,
with quick motion, she put him between
herself and that precipitous descent, with
the sea at its base.
| Her two hands fell upon his arm, light
and fair as snowfakes, and her face was
upturned with such look as might have
inspired better man.
Il love you, she SAID, with solemn
earnestness that made him shrink and
| shiver, with chill dread "You are cruel
but ! love you, Ineyer could live the
| life you propose, and | never can face the
leers and sneers of those who know how
| lightly you had won me. Fate would be
cruel indeed, TO part us now. Come !"
| Ter soft white arms twlned about his
neck, and her gaze riveted his with a fas-
cination he could not brook even while he
started with horror ut the meaning he
| read In the wide distended eyes.
The two figures wavered upon the edge
of the cliff. He threw up his arms wildly,
endeavored to shake her off, and then
both went over the glddy height.
y I i y
The sea washed up It's victims, their
hair spangled with the gittering ocean
sand and twined with clinging seaweed
her arms still clasping his neck as when
| they had fallen from the cliff
And her face was rneffably calm but
his was stamped with horror and dread of
an unsought death
4 Rahy for HaffDpnuy.