The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1874-12-03

} that instant, before the door close
! behind hin, saw the ragged, erin
; lsOn SCAR cutting deeply iHtO has u.
per lap, aud knew that Arthur Graz
/ was III Leudon
For q moment L stood irresolGt,
! not knOEIug what to do, aud tne8
! moved ~ sudden impulse, l ran u
the long steps.
fI must see Mr. Craig" said {
the mzu WuO opened the door. .
: must see him at once"
The man stared at me in stupid sul
; prise. There isn't any body by tia
: uame here" he said "yOu are mis-
: taken, ma'am"
"Ba. 1 saw him come in not min
ute ago." persisted "Mr. AIthu
Craig. l am Mrs. Gathright and mus
see HINT
"fDsrs hasn't any gentisman com'
ia here but Mr. Newcastle himself
! he said .iy0u have made mLstsk
tell yoa." He was going 10 clos
, the DIOR ia my face, but sEepped In
side and planted myself firmly befOri
him.
"I tell you be is here" I repeated
land won't leave u6til see him ?
I you see I was red-hoE angry tnsu. 70
never could stand any NONSENSE frOn
those lAced-uL hunkeys) ..,-
AT that moment . door near b,
opened, and Arthur Craig IUoked Ou
INTO the hal. "What IS II, Briggs p
ne asked "whst is the disturbance p
and then, as he saw mf,, his fac
paled uuul it looked like yellow wax
"WAIoh l think tnis female hai
turned crazy" answered Briggs in al
Injured tone. "HeFe she Is insisting
that Mr.. Arthur Craig Is here, ant
sne won't leave until she sees hun
and l never heard the Dams, muci
I less SAW the man, Ia my lifs.P a
1 'Snov her IuIo The library said
Mr.. Craig; 81 can explain her mis-
take 10 her in few mIuutes, at pres.
ent 1 am engaged aud tnen his pale
| face disappeared and the door closed
| I followed tue servant into the H.
braTy perfectly dumb with amaze
ment. What did it all mean ?-why
was Arthur Craig in London, and not
with his wife ? Why was he wearing
false name ?-and how came he t.
have so much authority in 50 fne a
house ? I could not answer one oil
these questions, and so | sat there in
q perfect daZe until he came in, look
ing like a ghost of himself.
"What Is it, Mrs. Gathright ~ he
asked short and sharp, but avoiding
my eyes and resting Que hand on the
tzIle rs though to steady himself. SIS
anything the matter with Alice
have recsIged no letter as you prom
ised." ~
II have just posted letter to you,,'
I answered. II Thought it was time
to-n
SIS she sick ?" he Interrupted me
with a suddehness which quite took
ny breath away, and l answered
nIm short aud sharp myself.
mot only sick, Ou dying, sI!"
He turned his back on nae and
walked To the window not a word
did he speak, but when ne came back
his face was nard aud set, aud L saw
how terrible the blow had been.
"Yo0 were doubtless surprised to
see me in London," he said, after u
long pause, during winch he had re-
covered himself a little. 81 came
back only to-day, Briggs is new to
the place, which accounts for your
trouble at the door, and II am al
must "a stranger here.i ir
was looking MIN squarely In the
face as be said this, and he met my
eyes unt1Incuingiy. WHAT = weight
IrIfles have in this world ! Had the
doOr not Opened just then, should,
u this day, have believed Arthur Craig
implicitly, cut even as hs stood there
with the words on his lips, little
girl about eight years old came in,
aud ran up to bin with q ringing
laugh. ''Oh, papa I" she cried, not
BOtIcing me, "Manma says, il you
are willing, We may cUme into the
DRAWN -ro1m after. dinner / and Roo
bic, may We 2"
'Go away now" be said, "I aD
busy" out as be turned to Close the
dUOr after the abashed and disappUint-
ed little one, y tall handsome woman,
richly dressed, passed through the
hall and Called "a him. ''RJ RJOert,
moment, il you please" Aud as he
went Uut I saw her put her hand on
his snO1Iaer, aud LOOK up at him Ms
poor tiItle Alice had SO often done,
aud then, like a fash of light, his
guilty secret wYs revealed To me
aud I understUOd the double life
which he had lived.
II seemed nOurs tnat I sat there try
ing to rellze the awful truth, and
when he came back saw by the
look on his face that he knew that
the end had come to his deception.
81 suppose you see the truth now"
he said scowling, aud biting his nails
savagelys "It's no use To tell any
aHA Il g. n
sake, have little mercy on me J"
Mercy !'--for an instant l seem :
ed to see poor Alice aud her baby
close beside me, aud the word m .rcy
turned me hard aud cold. What
mercy had he shown her?
"rnat was your wife, I said, land
those voices that / hear are the voices
of your children. You who have done
Alice Morton the crueiest wrong. that
man can do, ask me for mercy y May
God forgive yuu-but never will"
rose as said this, but he caught
atmy dress fear OF exposure and
disgrace made him abject and hum
Die as q whipped dog. "OCly keep
my secret" he plead, "you shall never
regret it, / will psy yOu-I will"
drew away from him-sven his
touch seemed Contamination. "If /
keep stnl IL Will be only because
love Allca-it wOuli kill her, aud she
has not long to live at she best"
"You SUW keep silent? ?" he caught
at that eagerly. "YJu give me your
word that you will 2"
"For Alice's sake, yes for her and
ehIId.n
NJ - - -, - Oh H.
was as hum Bile as child now.
/ turned on him fsrcely. "YDu p
No ?-Let her die IN peace il she can
you have done her harm enough"
He covered and trem mbled, strong
man that be was, and said nO-moIe,
and without another word / left him.
Alice was much worse when /
reached home, but quiet and uncom-
planning as she always was. Idread-
ed 10 meet her eyes but knowing
tnat she was probably worrying over
my long absence (for she had grown
very fond of me of late) laid off my
wraps and went up TO her room. She
was lying with her hands folded on
her breast; her eyes were wide open
and feverIshiy bright, aud scarlet
dame burned 10 either cheek Arthur
Was On the bed beside her, with some
piaythIngs, but she seemed scarcely
10 notice him.
al am 50 glad you have eome!r she
said as went to her. Il want you
t. do something for me. Dolly Is
good, but / didn't want to ask her,"
and then she told me what it was. I
was To open n certain box aud take
out = picture which was tuere, a pic
ture of her hhsband, and give it To
hsr. 1 did so, and she was for time
quiet and satisfied, but when l wsnt
10 take Arthur away she asked me to
wait q little.
'It's Not long that can have him
WITT me-" she said. "I see it all now,
and, on, Mrs. Gathright, If Ar
tnur were only here !" aud then,
as she saw she tears in my eyes, SHE
held out one Of her hands 70 me aud
drew me cIose to her. "Don'L cry"
she said in her childish way. "You
nave been very kind to me, AMI L
lave been happy here, aud I ean'e
bear to have you feel so badly"
for I was sobbIng as though my heart
would break, and than sue turned her
head wearily on the pillow. "if
Arthur were only here. oh, Arthur,