The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-05-27
TRI-WEEKIY EDITION.

held my dear wife in my arms. "You will
DO it best, should blurt it all out and per-
haps do him harm. Meanwhile | will 20
for Lady Dancsford.
Trembling little, and with fearful eyes,
Alice went down. Max glanced up us she
entered, and seeing that something troubled
her, said quickly
"What was it, Alice? Is anything the
mattcr?"
"Nothing," she said. "I have been
hearing story from Hilton which made
me make "baby of myself "-s,lch a
touching story, Max. Shall tell it to yo,l2
IL IS Il story about woman's great love for
Il man, so great that to save him from a
disgrace she gave up all her happiness"
Max smiled incrcduously.
Alice went on, touching lightly on some
parts, dwelling tenicrly on others. Max
| listed in silence, but with glcam of inter
! est in his face.
"Alicc-tcll met is not her story? 2"
lie caught her hands in his almost hurting
/ her i'll his intense cagcrncss. "But not
cannot be
| "The name of that noble wife, 80 true
and devoted, was JEANNE" said Alice,
smiling through her tears; "the name of
the husband whom she loved SO dev0tedly
was Maxwell. 1t is all true"
"Fell me ALL" was all he could say, and
with her hands still in his she told him all
there was to tell, and hiding his face in his
hand, Lord Dancsford cried like child.
Alice stole away; jeanne, white and trcm-
bling was waiting for her below. Alice
took her hand, and leading her to the
room where he was, opened the door softly.
She watched her enter, and, going to his
side, put her arms round the bowed head
and draw it to her breast She saw Max
clasp his arms round her with cry of love
and joy; and closing the door, Alice came
quietly away.
"MaH" whispered the slow sweet voice
OF his wife, after long pause, during
| which he had drawn her face down TO its
old resting place, and she had claspcd his
hands in hers, "can you forgive my doubl9
Can you love me againl"
"liush, my dearcstw came the tender
answer. ''Thcre can he no question of
forgiveness between you and me. 1t was II
terrible mistake: but wife, l have never
ceased to love YOU.
There was much to tell and much to
hear when Alice and l joined them Max
had been cxratiating on my "gcncrous
friendship" and Jeanne, with tears,
thanked me for it, while | could only ask
her forgiveness for my old doubts of her.
She told us her life in London, ut first so
! lonely and sad-''almost sadder still, if not
SO lonely, when our boy came, looking at
me with your eyes, Max" of the news she
had heard long afterwards of her maid
Flores departure from Duncsford with M.
lie Clmmprosc, and Of how she had thought
or her husband day and night, and Ionged
x.,;il
! here Max drew her closer to his heart. We
had much to tell, too, and together we dis
cussed the unimcly fate of Frederick Max
well, Lord Dancsford, and Ellen his wife,
and wondered whether he had ever meant
to bring her home to- the Park rs his wife
and its mistress. | may mention here that,
when we went down to Devonshire, Max
well hunted up the girls relatives, homcly,
honest peasants, and behaved to them with
every lihcrality and kindness
DancsfOrd is no longer deserted. and af-
ter SO long an absence, the household rejoice
to have their lord and lady with them
again. Max has rcgaincd his old health and
! spirits, and Evesham-who by the way,
has never quite forgiven me my long past
accdent-has orders to buy perfect pony
as can be procured for the Honorable Max,
who takes to his father immensely, and is
never tired Of twisting his hands in the sill
Ky, golden luxuriancc of beard, and of
looking into the blue eyes, merry again
now, so like his own. Between husband
and wife the old love exists, but stronger,
truer, tcndcrcr. There is almost rcve-
renee in MaXwcll's love for Jeanne, while
in hers the consciousness of the grave
doubt OF his truth and honor, makes it yet
more intense, more trusting. They are per
fcctly happy in each other; and if people
say that Lady Dancsford has lost the bril-
liancy of her beauty, there is in her manner
now an earncstness, Il depth and tenderness,
which is infinitely more charming and
more fascinating. They have both been
through the "dccp waters" hut save for
the natural regrets for the three years which
were so bad, hut which might have been so
happy, there is no necessity to look mourn
fully at the consequences of that "Tcrrible
Mistake"