The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1881-03-25

that vague discovery before he located
it, and learned that his wife was not q.
she had been, before Felix Grace came
Then, when he saw The delicious ighr
in her blue eyes that he had so often pas
sionately wished to see there-when he
heard her light, happy laugh, as he had
SO often wondered he did not hear it. ah
then the jealousy, the horror, the de.
spair, that overwhelmed him!
He struggled manfully to conceal what
he suffered, but he was not the same,
for all his desperate efforts, to Lillian.
He could not, to save his life, caress
her and pet her as he was in the habit OF
doing. Great heavens! to think she was
in love with another man, and that man
the friend who was eating his salt daily!
What should he do? Was Lillian
false to him? or-was it only his own
mad jealousy that magnifed innocent
acts, and looks, and courtesies?
Until one cool, starlighted night, when
he was lounging in rustic chair on
Felix Grace's voice on the lower ONE
suddenly remembered women loved to
hear.
s'This cannot last much longer, Mrs.
If you can bless me, bless me now. Is
there any hope for me?''
Great heaven Felix Grace had dared
And then her voice-Lillian's his wife's
said:
"Don't ask me-just yet, Be patient
just little longer-for I think-you
may-hope."
Erie sank back in his chair, paralyzed
with supreme anguish and horror, while
they walked away-they two-guilty vile
and one of them his wife, the woman he
adored.
do not think Erie ever knew how
long he crouched there, in the crisp
night air, with stars shining over him in
mute, pitying vigil. But some time af
ter that blow had fallen so straight to his
heart, he got up and went in-toward
the room he had-she-occupied,t to meet
a servant on the stairs, carrying valise
down.
Mr. Grace has just received tel
egram strand left his regrets and adieux.
with me for you sir,
This in answer to Erle's interrogatory
look.
stHe's gone, then, has hep
The well-trained man manifested no
surprise at the white, desperate face, or
hoarse, restrained voice of his master.
"Just gone, sir. Mrs. Erie ordered
the horses out for him."
eyes, that's all right
And Erie walked on, alf-dazedly,
toward the lovely room where he knew
he could find her, and where he was re-
solved to confront her with her sin.
She was. there, just as he had ex-
pected, and in the dim light he saw her
face was buried in her hands, and that
on her dress lay picture-a mans
picture, he had no doubt, and Felix
Grace's picture he could swear to. with
out seeing, and his wife-his wife!-he
set his teeth together hard-crying be-
cause her lover had gone.
She did not hear him until he was SO
near that he stopped and picked up the
photograph, crushing it fercely in his
hand.
Then she gave little startled cry,
and, accustomed to the dusky shadows,
he could see vivid flush surge over her
cheeks, and he remembered how he had
often wished he might be able to bring
just such conscious color to her face
for loves sake, and here, the very first
time it was shame's sake, and his inhu-
ence and her fear, instead of affection.
II was looking for you; wanted
you," he said, tersely, even now wonder
ing how he could say the words that
would shut her out of his life.
And was wishing you would
come" she answered, in a strangely low,
thrilling tone. ST wanted you, too.
had have-something -to-let you
know"
All! he knew already, curses on Felix
Grace's handsome face! And he crushed
the picture in his furious grasp again.
"Do you remember once hearing me
speak of my only sister, whom I had not
seen since we were children? Well, .
and rapid eagerness came in her voice,
ssit seems so strange, but Mr.. Grace and
she"-Erle started and shuddered-
sshaye been engaged some time-until
quite lately, when some foolish estrange-
ment arose lit was Adde'S fault, be-
lieve, from what I can learn) and the
poor fellow is heart broken over it. He
has prayed me to intercede for him with
her; he has given me her address and her
picture. Where did you lay it, Berthe ?
Only think my own, own little sister, l
am SO thankful! And I told Mr.. Grace I
thought was sure he might hope,
after just little.
Erie had sat there, listening with al
most fainting pulses, his brain reeling
with rapturous relief, but such an awful,
dying sensation creeping over him that
at last, when she had done, she looked
eagerly into his pale face, to be terrified
into wild alarm.
"Bertie! Hubert! What is the matter?
You are i'll, and have thoughtlessly
been talking about things that do not
interest you. BERTHE, what is the matter?
Oh, my darling g-my darlingl don't die,
just when am beginning to love you
so -
It was like sudden elixir to him, in
the midst of that awful nervous prostra-
Gon.
ssLilliani WHAT You love me SO
we'll as that? You love me SO well as
that?"
His voice trembled like woman's,
and Lillian went down on her knees at
his feet, her glorious face uplifted, her
eyes endorsing the story her lips uttered.
"Oh, I dol do! It has come to me
like heavenly revelation. Oh, my
husband, I thank God for this great Joy
that He has sent to mel Take me in
your arms, Berthe. and say, Ny Wifep .
So, ont of the dense storm-clouds came
softest sunshine out Of awful anguish,
the blessing Of Hubert Erle's life.
A postmaster at Snnbury, Pa, is said
to have invented an ingenious postal
labor saving machine, which receives
letters As they are dropped by the send