The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-08-02
THE LAST PAGE.

Tomorrow, Grace-to-morrow, oil my
own p
They were parting in tho laurel walk,
halfway to the cottage from the garden
gate. ....
eff had always been all your own,
Norman! If I had always belonged to
you as T do nowl'
His arm frightened about her, and
little cloud came into his eyes which he
turned from her.
Always his own ?
What did he know of the twenty-five
years that lay behind her ?-this beauti-
full woman whom he had met for the first
time six months ago, when she came to
dwell with the staid old matron, her
companion, in this little cottage Of hers,
half a milo across the cliffs from his park
gates.
Whist did he know ? Little enough,
perhaps-only that she was the one wo-
man in the world to him.
And yet she was leaving on tho morrow
for Wyndham Park, the great house OF
the neighborhood.
Norman Wyndham, like herself, had
no nearer kindred, no one to consult
when he fell suddenly and violently III
lovc-nothing to interfere with this pas
sion of his, except that the beautiful
stranger had been very hard to win.
But after steadily and coldly repuls-
ing every attention from him for tive
weary months, she suddenly broke down
with complete surrender, which
showed she had been secretly won long
before.
She did not even demonstrate when he
fixed the wedding day only month
later and she schooled herself to meet,
with certain stately graciousness' ms
many friends, who had not taken the
smallest notice of her before, but who
now Aocked to make her acquaintance,
as the ncighborhood could not afford 10
he but on the best of terms with Wynd-
ham Park. And 80 the morrow was the
wcddingday. :
But the cloud in her lovers eyes was
not the shadow Of doubt OF her, OF
whom he actually knew so little 1t was
rather of jealousy that there had been
time when she was not his own. IL
was zone almost as soon rs come, how
ever, for the morrow was tho Wedding
day. .,o
continued after pause, "could you be
happy now without me ?"
"Gracc -
It was answer enough for her-that
one word in his thrilling voice. she
bent her head, md the next instant her
lips Just touched his hand. =
And before he could start out OF his
nmazcment, and stop her, tho flying
white figure was halfway to the porch.
"Until ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, Nor
man /" was the good night she finng
back to him rs she went.
And then she heard the click OF the
patc after him as she went slowly up the
porch steps. :o
Up the porch steps, into the vino
shadows, and brushed against man,
who loungcd, with folded arms there IN
the doorway. A dark, haggard, dlssl-
pated face, that matched we'll with the
slouching md yet bullying figure, an
the slovonly, yet hashy style OF dress.
One would have thought she would
have cried out, the clear Wow she had
had of him. And yet she uttered not a
sound. Sho only reelcd back pace or
two. and smotc her hands together with
a Wild dcspairing gesture.
At TINT tho man gave low and guard
ed chuckle.
$50, my dear, you recognize me in
stantly? I might have known you could
not forget mo, though it's six long
years since last wo met. One does not
easily forget ones husband, and'on
first loye-eh, my dear Grace2 lmigh'
have known you would bo faithful
dear"
She shuddcrcd back, out OF reach OF
is extended hands; she made no answer
to his jecring speech. Only she said
hoarsely, after moment:
"You-alive You were not los
aboard the Petrol, then?"
"Obviously not" ho answered, care
lcssly.
"And you suffered me to believe yor
were all these years ? You left me
little more than n child to struggle o.
starve in the great city, when I did no
prove the smooth, easily handled too
You thought the inexperienced gir
would be. When you found You coult
not use mo rs your decoy, your trap
whereby to ensnare tho foolish young
gamblers you would plunder at all those
plao n you took mo to-"
UExootlv. T perceive YOU undei stand