Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1881-04-23

He walked to the window as he spoke
1t looked out on the grounds in front ol
the house. At the same moment the
noise Of rolling wheels became audible
on the drive. An open carriage mp.
peared at the turn of the road. Winter.
field called Romayne to the window.
GA visitor" he began, and suddenly
drew back without saying word more.
Romayne looked out and recognized
his wife.
Excuse me for one moment, 4" he said
ait is Mrs. Romayne."
On that morning an improvement in
the fuctuating state Of Mrs. Eyrecourt's
health had given Stella another of those
opportunities of passing an hour or two
with her husband which she 80 highly
priced. Romayne withdrew to meet her
at the door too huniedly to notice Win
terfield standing in the corner to which
he had retreated like man petrifed.
Stella had got out of the carriage
when her husband reached the porch.
She assembled the few steps that led 10
the hall as slowly and painfully as if she
had heon an inhrn old woman. The
delicatsly-tinted color in her face had
faded to an ashy white. She had seen
Winterfield at the window.
Tol the n.pncnt Rcmayne looked AT
her III speechless Consideration. He led
her into the ruaics5 room that opened
out of the hall, and took her in his
arms.
My love, this nursing of your mother
has completely broken you down !" he
said, with the tenderest pity for her.
"If you won't think of yourself, yoi
must think of me. For my sake remain
here, and take the rest that you need.
will be tyrant, Stella, for the first
time; I won't let You go back"
She reused herself and tried to smile,
and hid the sad result from him in i:
kiss.
~ 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 words-so trivial and so terrible
that must sooner or later be pro.
nounced "You have visitor" shc
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 see strangers
'o-day."
She was too determined to prevent
Winterfeld from ever entering the
house again to shrink from the meet
ing.
~ am not so i'll as you think, Lewis"
she said, bravely. "When you go to
your new friend, will go with you. !
am little tired, that's all"
Romayne looked at her anxiously.
"Let me get you glass of wine," he
said.
She consented-she really felt the
leed of it. As he turned away to ring
the bell, she put tho question which had
been in her mind from the moment when
,bo had eoan WintarfiaId
Chow did you become acquainted
with this gentleman
"Through Father Benwell."
She was not surprised by the answer
her suspicion OF the priest had re.
mained in her mind from the night OF
Lady Loring's ball. The future Of her
married life depended on her capacity to
check the growing intimacy between the
two men. In that conviction she found
the courage to face Wintertield.
How should she meet him? The I'M
pulse of the moment pointed to tho
ehortest way out of the dreadful position
in which she was placed-it was to treat
him like stranger. She drank her
glass of wine, and took 1iomayne's arm.
I've mustn't keep your friend waiting
any longer" she resumed "Come p
AS they crosgad 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
tha obonua IN Gfa1lo otfr;b,,toI.Io .,o,,