The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1881-05-20

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when her husband reached the porch
She assembled the few steps that led tC
the hall as slowly and painfully rs if she
had been an infirm old woman. The
delicately-tinted color in her face hat
faded to an ashy white. She had seen
Wipterlield at the window.
.'or the moment Rcmayno looked al
her in speechless CONSERVATION. He led
her into the nearest room that opened
out of the hall, and took her in his
arms.
My love, this nursing of your mothe,
has completely broken you down |" he
said, with the tcnderest pity for her
eff You won't think of yourself, you
must think of me. For my sake remain
here, and take the rest that you need ]
will be n tyrant, Stella, for the first
time; won't let you go back"
She reused herself and tried to smile.
and hid the sad result from him in a
kiss.
"I do feel the anxiety and fatigue. ="
she said. "But my mother is really
improving, and if it only continues the
blessed sense of relief will make mo
strong again" She paused and reused
all her courage in anticipation of the
next worls-so trivial and so terrible
that must sooner or later be pro-
nounced. "You have visitor" she
said.
"Did you see him at the window? A
really delightful man. I know you will
like him. Under any other circum-
stances 1 should have introduced him.
You are not we'll enough to sec strangers
to-day"
She was too determined to prevent
Winterfield from ever entering the
house again to shrink from the meet
ing.
"I am not so i'll as you think, Lewis"
she said, bravely. "When you go to
your new friend, ] will go with you. 1
am little tired, that's ALL
Romayne looked at her anxiously.
"Let Inc get you glass of wine," he
said.
She consented-she really felt the
need of it. As he turned away to ring
the bell, she put the question which had
been in her mind from the moment when
she had seen Winterlield.
"How did you become acquainted
with this gentleman
Through Father Benwell."
She was not surprised by the answer
her suspicion of the priest had re.
NAMED in her mind from the night of
Lady Loring's ball. The future of her
married life depended on her capacity to
chock the growing intimacy between the
two men. In that conviction she found
the courage to face Winterfeld.
How should she meet him? The i'm
pulse of the moment pointed to the
shortest way ont of the dreadful position
in which she was placed-it was TO treat
him like a stranger. She drank her
glass of wine, and took Romayne's arm.
we mustn't keep your friend waiting
any longer" she resumed "Come !"
As they crossed the hall she looked
suspiciously toward the house-door.
Had he taken the opportunity of leaving
the villa? At any other time she would
have remembered that the plainest laws
of good breeding compelled him to wait
for Romayne's return. His own knowl-
edge of the world would tell him that
an act of gross rudeness, committed by
a well-bred man, would inevitably excite
suspicion of some unworthy motive
and might, perhaps, connect that motive
with her unexpected appearance at the
house. Romayne opened the door and
they entered the room together.
"Mr, Winterfeld, let me introduce
you to Mrs. Romayne."
( They bowed to each other, they spoke
the conventional words proper to the oc-
casion-but the effort that it cost them
showed itself. Romayne perceived an
unusual formality in his wife's manner,
and strange disappearance of Winter
fields easy grace of address. Was he one
OF the few men, in these days, who are
shy in the presence of women? And was
the change in Stella attributable, per-
haps, to the state of her health? The
explanation might, in either case, be the
right one. He tried to set them at their
case.
"Mr.. .Winterfield is so pleased with the
pictures that he means to come and see
them again." he said to his wife. sand
one of his favorites happens to be your
fayorite, too"
She tried to look at Winterfeld, but
her eyes sank. She could turn toward
him, and that was ALL "Is il the sea
piece in'the studyP" she said to him,
family.
EYES," he answered, with formal
politeness; "it seems to be one of the
painters finest works."
Romayne looked at him in uncou.
cealed wonder To what fiat common
place Winterfelds lively enthusiasm had
sunk in Stella's presence She perceived
that some unfavorable impression had
been produced ON her husband, and
interposed with timely suggestion.
Her motive was not only to divert
Romayne's attention from winterheld,