The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-08-24
The Hand of Fate.

After " ilford Dumont married Ami,
Lee III tit of piquc aid jealousy, Ellel
Harland, once his betrothed wife. s,f
fercd more than words can tell
~She had loved him in her wild passion.
ate way, and had never thought she conlt
lose him; but she had trusted too much II
her own power, and another woman wa,
the wife OF the young millionaire She
nearly went mad with rage and pride anc
wounded passion, but she had sense enough
TO hide her heart from cnvious ewes. AS
as long as she felt that nWilford's presence
she would turn pale; ae long as she could
not bear his voice or glance without wlnc
ing, she kept out of his way, under pre-
tehce OF visiting all aunt at distance; but
IN the sprightly letters that she wrote her
friends she spoke of being glad that Will
tord Dumont had not felt her dismissal of
MIN to severely too be comforted. And
"hen she was once more mistress of her
SELF she called upon the bride, and Mrs
Dumont, who knew nothing of the old
love story welcomed her heartily, and told
Wilford, on his return home, that she was
delighted with his old friend Miss Har-
land.
she cannot have cared for me-" thought
Wllford Dumont. with pang no husband
should have felt at such a thought. but the
llttle wife never guessed it and it did not
harm her. She returned the young lady's
call and al intimacy began at once. SO
that, when the Dumonts went 10 their
place on the Hudson for the summer sea-
son, Annie sent Il warm invitation to Miss
Harland.
Ellen thought it over 1t was an offer not
to be despised Ivy a fashionable girl with u
small income.
She desired to marry, and hotels at wa
tering- places were expensive. All the
men of their set would be at Wilford Du-
mont's' at one time or another. The neigh
boring residents were people of position.
She could dress and tlirt to her hearts con-
tent and Wilford could see what u, prize
ly to understand that she was glad she had
escaped the matrimonial yoke And then
she wrote loving note to Annie, and held
an interview with her dressmakcr.
And Wilford Dumout-weil he had
loved this girl, and had married Annie be.
bause she had made him angry. And
Annie was so sweet and mild and gentle.
And now he was waiting for her coming
with guilty feeling in his heart. He
wanted to SEQ her, to sit by her, TO hear
her sing. AS her host, he could do this, at
least. He went TO the depot to drive her
home. Annie had, of course, expected
him to do that, but she had not expected
what followed; for when they were IN the
little waggonette side by side, and she
p turned and looked into his eyes, Wilford
Dumont had kissed the girl. 1t was night;
and, though the moon was bright, the
shady lanes which led to Dumont Park
were still and lonely. No human eye
looked down upon them, and their lips hat
met so often-oh, so ofteni-betorc.
But Ellen drew back and flushed scarlet
and said:f@. =, ,a@ az &s 80. @sse.@i
You forget you are a married man.
SIR"
And Wilford answered.: '..
Eyes. l did forget. Pardon me-"
That and nothing more Then thcr,
was silence, each Of those two suffered in
different way, and yet somehow there wa
q pleasure in the pain. F,s . ~
Afterthis they could not stand on TIL
calm, friendly footing they'hud; both hope'
for. He, at least, meant no wrong. Sh
had hoped that he might be rogrctful of til
past, but had not dreamt that he woult
dare presume upon It,
For an hour or 80 aftcr-the evening wa
over--the long dinner, the music in tn
parlor, the dark, the walk in the moonlight
with the young wifc's arm about he
waist--Ellen intended to make her Iyisl
very brief. In a little while, however, Rsh
changed her mind. She would stay. Yc
stay; and this wife, who boastcd to her O
her husbands love, should suffer littl
also. What was she to como between them
And now all that was evil asserted itself |
Ellan Harland's heart, and where evil ono
abides it grows stronger day by day.
She laughed, she fiirted, she danced wit
other men, but she met Wilfold alone b
the banks Of the river She sang duet
with this one, looked merrlly into the ey,
OF that, but In the lonely woods she sat L
Wilford's side with his arm about HI
waist
They talked freely of the past now. Fl
had confessed that she was yet more