, 1879-05-08
Horace Calthorpe's Wife

Wyman had .onL sine. bee" 'nUgF
tucked upjn bol. bvt his daughter Alice
still sat In d., sitting room, listening
with foyori,1 nagorHos, for r.."v sound
suddenly sh. somn, zap and went TO the
door.
"Nomc..
\ tall. uauisoW, man, witt, dark eyes
and wavy black hair dropping over
forehead smooth and white as m'.deo
wax, bent cprclcssly to receive the Kiss
that futtcrcd on her lips.
"Thcrc, Alice, that will DO. you tire
me to death
500 |, Horace You did not say so
once :"
81 am sick and weary of these absurd
demonstrations. DO pray, use little
common sense.
Alice stood moment, represslnS the
tears which were brimming over her eye
lids.
"You have been hunting all day,
DEAR" she said, trying to assume a
sprightly air; $50 you have not heard the
news "
"News-no. What news is there ("
'The Rev. Mr.. Wayne is dead
Dead is hel Are you certain,
Alicep
"Miriam told me so. Oh Horace,
they are all broken hearted over there |"
"Who cares for their broken hearts !"
exclaimed Horace Calthorpe in a tone Of
savage exultation. so the old priest is
dead at last p
"What do you mean, Horace ?
"Mean2 Nothing Don't poster me
with your everlasting questions, Alice, l
am not in the most indulgent or amiable
of moods tonight, young lady, as you
may chance to find out if you're not
pretty careful"
81 am very sorry you don't feel kindly
towards me tonight, Horace said
Alice, with quiyering lip, "fo-for--
I've great favor to ask of you, Hor-
ace-dear Horace why will you not pub
licly acknowledge our MARRIAGE If
you knew the false position in which it
puts me, the misery l endure, the"
"Silence !" Horace Calthorpe rose
with passionate fury 81 have told you,
often enough, how sick / am of these
pretty hysterical airs and graces; and
now l want you to distinctly understand
that shall tolerate them no longer. 1
will acknowledge you as my wife when
and where please; and if 1 choose nev-
OR to acknowledge you, should like to-
know how you are going to help your
self"
He took up the iaring light, and
went upstairs to the room he occupied, |
as lodger for the shooting season, leav-
ing Alice still picture of white motion
less despair.
"He cannot mean it oh, no, he nev-
er can mean it |" broke in incoherent |
syllables from her cold lips, as she
clasped her hands tightly together, In |
the awful silence of the lonely room.
Meanwhile, Horace Calthorpe in his |
own apartment, was quietly packing up |
some indispensable articles in a small |
valisc, the lamplight streaming redly on
face that bore somewhat of demoniac
exultation on his faultlessly handsome
features.
This is good luck" he muttered to
himself, hurriedly turning over bun
die Of papers 'The certificate here in
my own hand-the old parson-the only
witness killed on railway The mo-
mentary fancy had like to cost me dear.
l don't know how | ever became infat-
uated with her doll face and red lips;
but il is all over now, can 60 back to
London and win my way once more into
Virginia's graces The fact is, never
was created to live or love in the coun-
try. London and an heiress are my nat.
ural elements. Heigho wonder if l
can catch the ten o'clock mail train at
Addington. It's long walk, and
dark, dismal sort Of night, but l think
l might manage it."
So soliloquized the adamanthearted
man of the world
"Gone 1t cannot be possible; he
never would leave me! Gone with
out word or sign !"
Poor, young deserted wife it was
bitter cup for those ruby lips to taste,
but when the last dregs were drained,
there was something in that draught
that turned her gentle nature into gall
and wormwood Alice Wyman had
been a meek, shrinking, sensitive child,
and Alice Calthorpe was an avenging
Nemesis.
"Upon the whole, my dear, I think
it's the best thing you could have done.
GroYedale is dull. there is no denxinn