The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-11-22

room, with white, white face, and Il wild,
frightened look in the sweet blue eyes, then
bursting into passionate flood of tears,
throws herself Oh the nearest chair, drops
her face in her hands, and her hands on the
table before her. Fvc--tcn-nftccn min
utcs pass The sobs grow fainter and
fainter. At length silence rcigns, save an
occasional chirp from the canarics, and the
ticking of the pretty French clock on the
mantel. A rap ut the door aro,lscs her and
James enters with cluster Of violcts.
There is no card--nothing to tell from whom
they came; but she knows only too well.
In the dear old days, when she was Miss
Trenlainc, two such clusters were left every
day at her door, one bearing Ray Rcmmng-
toms card, and the other Chus. Thornton's.
How long ago it seems and how changed
the violets are! AS fragrant rs of old, and
as quantity pretty their dear little faces all
awry, but somehow they almost make her
cry. And she likens them to little, fearful
blue eyes, and kisses them tcndcrly, pity
ingly, and thcn-tlrusts them hurrcdly
into the open drawer Of the table, closes it,
and turns to meet her husband, whose step
had announced his coming.
a. moment later she is excessively pro
vokcd at herself for thrusting tho violcts
out of sight Why did she do it? She
could not have told you. Perhaps she felt
mstlnctivcly that her husband would hardly
approve of her receiving even SO trilling Il
gift rs wee bunch Of vioiets from his old
rival, Ray Remington.
We'll, the thing was DONE and there was
no help for it. Wcrc she now to take them
from the drawer, Charley would certainly
require an explanation as to how they got
there, and surely it was Il queer place in
which to put pretty, fresh flowers. Better
not say anything about them. And should
she speak Of Rays visit? Yes; she would
surely tell that - but not now - after
dinner. Charley was always just trille
Impatient cross-wlcn he was hungry.
She would wait until after dinner. But
before the dessert was brought in, while
she was eating her salad, her husband asked
to lie excused
There was most interesting article in
the Evening SDoutcr on the Chinese qucs-
ton, which he had commenced In the om-
nibus on his way home, and become deeply
interested in."
And of he went, and when the dainty
cup custards, fragrant Mocha and luscious
fruit were brought in there was trouble
some lump in the white throat and suspi-
clous moisture in tho blue eyes of the wife,
and the custard was triilcd with for mo-
ment, and a spoonful or two of the Mocha
swallowed, for were not the watchful eyes
of "Jeems" upon herr And then she
hastcncd from the room, her mind fully
made up. She would go to Charley, tell
him everything-just how she missed the
old caresses and delicate little attentions:
how lonesome it was to sit there night after
night gazing at the back of his newspaper,
or at tho top of his sleek brown head as it
peepcd above tho top of his paper. She
would tell him of Rays visit and about the
hidden flowers, and with this resolve in
her heart she opened the door of the sitting
room.
Charley, dear, ,"-shc would not give
herself moment, for fear her courage
might fail--"Charlcy, dear, will you put
your paper aside for momcnt2 want to
tell you something"
'Now, Lou, don't bother nc; l never
was more interested in my life. BY lingo!
this fellow writes we'll. Where's Leila or
Bljou? What is the use Of your having
pets, if you never notice theme Now sit
down, that's good girl, and dress Leila up
In pink ribbon or something. You ought
to be fond of that confoundcd cat; it cost
enough"
How quickly the moisture leaves the blue
eyes! What II sudden, firm tightening
there is of the pretty red lips, and what a
hard, cold heart this Of hers had suddenly
become! And tho tcmpter whispered in
her heart, "N0t SO would Ray Remmngton
have looked or spoken" And, remember
ing the tender voice and the love in Rays
eyes, she feels tenderness springing up in
her heart for the owner Of the bold, black
eyes, and glad though guilty pleasure in
the thoughts of the hidden violets And
Charles Thornton, Esq, returns to his paper
with sclf-satistcd air. which, by the way,
is the expression generally to be found on
tho masculine countcnancc when the owner
thereof has been making a most egregious
ass Of himself.
An hour later he throws down the
SpOuter, and asks what it is she has to say
TO him. ~
81 really have forgotten. 1t was of no
consequence"
Take care, Charles Thornton? Your
wife's first falsehood. Who is to blame for
it and to what will it lcad2
Three months later. Ray Rcmmington
and Mrs. Thornton have met many times
since that sad day on which lie sent her the
violcts. They have lunched together, rode
together and attended matinecs together
and tonight IL Is arranged that she will
leave her husbands protection for that Of
Ray.
Is she happy at the thought of leaving
her husbands home? Happy? MOI
wrctchedly unhappy. But that which
seemed only slight grievance at first has
become now an ;unhappiness too great to
be borne. 34
Of course she conhdcd her sorrows to
Ray, and'his indignation was intense.
''That any ono could so neglect hcr!
She, whom ho would have cherished so
tcndcrly, and so forth in tho usual strain.
Of course oil this only made her lot seem
the harder. And now she is going to cs-
cape from it all. But the trcachcrous little
heart in her bosom, that she had thought so
cold and dead to Charley, now begins to
plead for him.
How he haunted the corridor outside her
bedroom door that time when she was so i'll
and he was forbidden to enter And when
at last she was well enough to SEQ him, how
shocked sho was at the alteration in the
dear face. Why, It was worn as thin as
her own 0nl 1uhnn o1,o frot % VIZ J,or rx,,,,