Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1881-07-30
aboard the Petrel. then 2"

i'SHiN
And YOU suffered me to believe YOU
We're all these wears ? You, left me.
little more than a child to struggle or
starve III the great city, wh>1s / did not
prove the smooth, easily handled tool
you thought the inexperienced girl
would be. When YOU found you could
not use me as Your decov. Your trap,
whereby to ensnare the foolish young
gamblers you would plunder at all those
places you took me TO- :
Exactly, | perceive YOU understand.
Well, when as | have said, you turned
rusty on my hands, and found could
ito nothing farther with YOU, it seemed
to me the very best thing for us both
that We should part. | never embarked
on the Petrol, as you may suppose |
only took advantage Of its wreck, with
au<hands lost, to write You that letter IN
a feigned hand, as if from one Of vour
husbands friends, to tell YOU he had
sailed on her. and SO make YOU a widow
| thought YOU might be able to endure
your weeds though, Grace, You did
| love me once
II deny it. The low voice was clear
and steady now. ''It was a girlish fancy
an ignorant belief that you were some
thing very different from yourself
Love. thought it was; but now l can
! assure YOU / know better
'Slnce you've taken up with this fine
fellow from the Park, ell, Grace 2?
She had no retort to this insult from
him. She only lifted her eyes, haughti
ly, full on him. She could look full at
him for to this man, Ashford Bell, She
had done no wrong. To Norman
Wvndham-but she dared not think Of
him now.
May I ask why, having lost sight of
me these six years, You take the trouble
to look me up lhw?"
"For two reasons, my dear To be
exact, I never lost sight of YOU You
have owned that snug little property
these four years. So much for reason
number one secondly, I have a certain
objection to seeing my wife the wife of
another man.
There was ring Of truth in the last
words mockingly though they were spo-
ken. Grace looked at him and calmed
herself.
AT least | owe YOU something for
saving me from that she said, quietly
but tomorrow everything shall be
arranged between us"
She went past him, into the house, and
upstairs to her own room.
He understood her well enough >she
was leaving him there as master Of the
house; only tonight, as she had told
him, there was nothing more to be said
between them.
Well, 50 let it be- He was content
enough.
He lit his cigar, which he had taken
from his lips when Grace first came up,
but had not vsntured to light while its
spark might have betrayed him to
Wynham lettering with Grace i'll the
garden and when he had smoked com
placently awhile, he flung himself to
sleep on the drawing room sofa.
Everything was going we'll, he. was
quite at his ease SO much at his ease,
SO comfortably asleep, that when there
, was a light rustling through the shrub
berry under the windows, it never rousdd
him.
! 1t was but an instant :.
A dark figure gained the gate and spec
: on swiftly up the road.
In the morning they found her cham
Der empty, her bonnet and shawl gone
:, her purse and small satchel filled from
her open bureau drawers, and tw,
: sealed notes on her dressing table. One
. was addressed to Ashford Bell. and i
ran thus
ed Il told vo,, l owed you something 70
> saving me Take. III repayment. my lltrl'
property. which my poor aunt left me
and which / give freely TO Won, trlstin!
e that this clears off all scores hetveel
/, you and GRACE BELL.
II The other note was Norman Wvni
! hams
Forgive me II Won can. when ro
81 READ below, and see that have deceive,
vou-that seven wears before | me, yo'
ID | had ceased 10 he Grace LINDSAY For
Il give lne--I tried 70 tell Won Of my past
. when YOU see the man who Is my hi,s
band, Won Will understand how 1 sh,al
: from the humiliation Of the confession
u | think | need no, tel Won had fl
reason 10 believe him dca.i-deal AZ
T. blottc.l or of nv life SIX Years ago
might have known such 8 BIO. a tha
=. could not leave any after page fair A.
!, clear. I did knov-hut | loved yon-
= though | am GRACE BELL.
:, And that was all-,he last page o; liz
: life that these two men ever read