The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-05-07

over the divorce bill and wept as only
such woman could weep at such time.
Mr.. Vivian looked amazed, then sur
prised; then sudden grave expression
came into his eyes. He turned away
from her, and began to promenade to
and fro, walking with quick, restless
strides, the while flinging quick glances
at the glorious head bowed in such mute
agony on the table before him. Then
half reluctantly, half angrily, he paused
beside her.
81 am so astonished, Mrs. Vivian; L
had not expected anything of this kind
presumed you had arrived at your de-
liberate decision, and that thenceforth
the past was only the past; the future
She raised her white face, with its
aunting eyes.
"Oh, the future The awful midnight,
trackless, endless future that looms
before me- Edward Edward this
will kill me !"
She was trying to speak calmly; she
sat folding and unfolding her nervous,
chilly hands; but in her very attitude,
her vain efforts ut courage, was a dumb
despair that touched his heart.
" Ethel"-he had not called her Ethel
for so long before, that it thrilled her to
her very soul to hear it once more
"there was no actual need for this, and
he lightly touched the document. SIT
US ut your own request / had it pro-
cured"
A little wailing cry interrupted him.
81 know, / know" she moaned; l
wanted you to do this; want it still,
because you love me no longer; because
you love Laura St."
"Mrs. Vivian"
He was stern and icy again; she knew
by the curt, sharp way he interrupted
her.
"This is not the first time you have
openly accused me of infdelity to you
and loyalty to Miss st. John. Cannot a
man express admiration for beautiful
woman without jealous wife using it as
a weapon to destroy her own happiness?
Miss st. John would be insulted beyond
measure did she for moment sup
pose"
"What2"
It was q siren voice that startled them
both; and then Laura st. John, herself,
radiant in daintiest blue velvet and min
iver costume, came laughing in, so sweet,
so arch.
"My dear Mrs. Vivian, am so de-
lighted to-why-"
For Ethel had arisen, cold and still,
with no welcome on her white face, and
only reproachful sorrow in her eyes.
Miss st. John has no reason to be
delighted to see the woman whose life
she has blasted-whose husband she has
tempted.
Ethel spoke very deliberately, looked
Laura full i'll the face; then she turned
to her husband, in whose eyes there
shone red CLEAN that portended wrath.
"Perhaps you will assure your friend
she is in the way just now, !" she said, 81
have only a quarter of an hour to attend
to our business"
And then Ethel consulted her watch
with an air of quiet; but oh, how,
under that cold exterior, were her pulses
leaping, bounding
Laura stood motionless, with an un-
gloved hand resting on the library table,
her scarlet lips trembling as if her heart
was broken-her big, resplendent eyes
slowly filling with tears as she looked
first at Ethel, then Mr.. Vivian, as if to
humbly beseech him to tell her what it
all meant She was very beautiful at
that moment, and she thought Edward
Vivian appreciated it to the full; she
knew it when he turned toward her.
81 am sure you will pardon us, dear
Miss st. John," he said. cat this
moment Mrs. Vivian is particularly en-
gagged"
Laura shot him a glance from her
liquid eyes.
But 1 must come again and find out
what she means. L must know why
am thus accused.
But her mission was accomplished !;
and, with thrill of qualification at her
keart, she bowed to Ethel and gracefully
departed. And Ethel Vivian, with icy
cleaning eyes, compressed lip and un-
faltering hand, now signed her name in
full under her husbands.
And so it was done-or undone.