The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1878-10-02

rose to pierce him ! 2 t
"But l can withstand her witch.
craft now" he said aloud. "Her
presence moved me only because
was so unprepared for it's her
husband with her, wonder-the
Cresus for whose money-bags she
threw me over? Certainly. Mrs.
Burton, 1 await your pleasure. To
me, Constance Allen is dead. l
need not fear her ghost in Mrs. Bur
ton"
But, spite of this soliloquy, the
appointed hour found the unusually
composed man walking restlessly up
and down the hotel parlor, awaiting
her coming.
Scarcely sound her light football
made upon the velvet carpet; but
light as it was, it thrilled through
every fibre of his frame, as he turn
ed to meet her.
A vision of loneliness, she stood
before him. Time had but added to
her beauty. But the memory of
the ruin that self same beauty had
wrought hardened him, as the hot
iron hardens when carried from the
heat of the flame; and once more
the self-composed, immovable man
of the world waited, in courteous
hauteur, that she might break the
silence. @
"Terry-Colonel Randolph" she
began her voice, low and gentle,
murmuring through the room-"will
you not let me thank your"
Thanks are unnecessary, Mrs.
Burton. You must remember L
should have done the same had any
one else's child stood in my path
but L cannot forget that it was
your own life you risked."
You value life so much, Mrs.
Burton? All, 1 forgetl To you it
must be full of possibilities. Blythe
way, may not pay my respects to
Mr.. Burton?'
Terry. is it possible you do not
know? I have been five years
widow! Mr.. Burton lived but one
year; but here comes my baby-my
darling! You will accept from her
lips kiss, when words of mine you
when"
But the sentence remained unfn-
ished tears sparkled in the azure
eyes, and trembled in her voice.
If this was acting. it was marvel
Gus; but mother is strong in every |
woman's heart, even though no 9th
er feeling may enter, thought Ran
dolph. as he caught the child--her
child-to his breast, with a thrill of
exultation. in spite of himself, that J
his had been the hand to save it. An
hour later he rose to go.
''You will call again?" question
ed the sweet. musical tones. "You
You have forgiven me, Terry"
"Not only forgiven. but learned
to thank you. Mrs. Burton. You
made man of me, and taught me a
lesson for which must ever remain
you debtor"
Under the courteous words the wo-
man paled. Each dashed with a sharp
cord, each held its hidden sting, but
her pride came to her rescue.
Then we are still friends? shall
see you often?'' %
"As often as my professional du-
ties win permit. A soldier is not
always his own master. Certainly I
shall not want for an attraction"
Then, with his old grace of man,
ner. he bowed low and left her.
With weary step, she assembled to
her rooms, but. once within their sa-
cred precincts the storm SO long
gave way, and sob after
sob shook her slender frame. -rr
"Why did 1 send for him? Why
did I see him? she said aloud. HAS
not the ghost of the past haunted
me for five long years, that / could
not rest until had called up the
-eaIity of the present? So he has
earned even to thank me-to thank
ne? The wasp, they say, leaves its
sting in tile wound it makes and
lies. The person stung writhes for
| moment in pain. and then forgets
hat he has ever had wound. Alb.
ioolish wasp! You, too, have left ,
our sting behind, while be has for /
gotten even the momentary pain? =
So week followed week, almost
very day, on some pretext, bring
ng together the two whose paths in
life had once again so strangely
rossed, each. meeting but seeming
o build higher the wall of GOODNESS
nd distrust. whose first foundation
er slender hand, in that far-off-past,
ad lain.
If either suffered, they wore an
mask, until one morn +
ng it was whispered through the
otel that the beautiful young widow :
ad been suddenly attacked with I