The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1882-05-11

down on a sofa beside her, she hid her
eyes with her hands, and gave a little
as she said:
ST knew til knew it. All If you
had an idea what I have suffered from
this man, and to meet him here |"
"Faulkner is O good fellow" put in
Frank, a little hesitatingly.
He was too loyal not to try and de-
fend his friend, though he was desper-
ately inclined to make love to the lady
himself.
"You men always hang together"
she said, getting up once more, and
pacing excitedly about the room.
"Do you know who I I'm p she asked,
after awhile.
Frank shook his head.
81 am Mrs. Faulkner"
Impossible ! Why, I never heard
that he was married !"
"Of course not, my dear Mr.. -"
"Horton, " interrupted he.
"Of course not, my dear Mr.. Horton.
When was Mr.. Faulkner ever known to
speak the truth? Will you sit down for
a few minutes while I tell you something
of my history. and let me explain how
it is that I am IN this hotel with only
maid ?"
Frank thought momentariIy of the
good supper in the room at the top of
the steps; but the magic power of the
beauty conquered, and he sat down
with scarcely any regret. She looked
very b~ewitching, as she sat with the
light falling on her face near the fire ;
and Frank decided that she could not be
4Ia, f1r,- onl kuonkr aud that ~
would be imperative on him to expostu-
late with Faulkner on her account If he
had really been base enough to il-use
this beautiful young creature.
"On o Christmas eve, five years ago"
mother at Mr.. Dents, about six miles
from here. It vas there / met MI.
Faulkner. I was foolish enough to
listen to him, and in less han a week /
had promised to be Faulkner's wife. My
mother objected; but I was a headstrong
girl, as I am a self-willed woman, and
opposition only served to make me the
more positive that Faulkner was the
only man in whom I should ever find my
ideal. We married in the spring, against
every ones wishes, and in a very few
weeks I discovered that my husband was
a lunatic.
ga lunatic! Faulkner a lunatic Why
he is as san as I am" said Horton, In
much amazement.
1t matters little whether the brain is
affected from the use of alcohol or from
hereditary disease" she answered; "the
effect is the same"
Frank thought of the array of bottles
on the supper table, and wondered
whether the beautiful woman's love for
Faulkner would be reawakened when
she learned how entirely he had re.
formed; but he made no observation, and
she went on.
"To give Won an idea of MI. Faulk-
ner's vile and ~disgraceful treatment of
me were impossible. Suffice it to say
that his cruelty, his brutality, when he
was under the influence of drink, were
so excessive that my life was in danger,
and that when I had been married
scarcely a year I fed abroad, carrying
with me my little baby only a fortnight
old. There I remained in strict seclu-
sion till about six months ago, when in
formation reached me that my husband
was dead, and 1 returned once more. I
still, however, lived under the name of
Madame Rose-my Christian name is
Rose-fearing that I might be in some
way prosecuted or annoyed by my late
husbands creditors, who were numer-
oIs. It was only in response to a very
pressing invitation from Mrs. Dent that
I was induced.to break through my re-
tirement, and agreed to join, with my
little daughter, her party"
"Your little daughters she also
here ?" asked Horton, who was utterly
staggered by the strangeness of the
story, and the surprising beauty of the
woman. She raised a curtain at the side
of the room, and showed him a sweet
little piece of loneliness, of about 4
years old, fast asleep. Pretty though
the child was, he looked from the
mothers face to hers and back again,
but could see no resemblance.
"She is like her father" he observed,
succinctly.
Madame Rose leant over the child and
kissed her. There were tears in hel
eyes when she raised her head.
"For her sake, if not for mine, you
will ave me from this man, MI. Horton.
Judge of nay horror when, believing in
the absolute safety of my supposed
widowhood, I all of a sudden met my
miscreant husband here alive in this
hotel. But you will protect me from
him, will you not?"
"To the death I" answered Frank,
bravely, as he wondered what course tc
pursue.
She dropped the curtain which con.
cealed the room where the child lay
sleeping, and they went back once agar
to the fire in the sitting-room.
"You will stay with me for a time,'
she said. "You won't leave me alone
here to my fears, for that man is cap
able of anything. He may even xii
me. He looked more mad than ever a.
I saw him for a moment in the glass il
that room at the end of the passage
where l had gone for a book"
Poor Frank Beauty may be yer,
intoxicating, but scarcely stands in the
place of a good supper to ahungry man
Before, however, he had time to re
fuse or accept her invitation to stay,
knock came at the door.
She chung to him in a sort of wild ter
ror. He pointed to the curtain behind
which the baby lay, and motioned tina
she should remain there while he CAV,
audience to the intruder. He opened
the door and went out into the passage
Faulkner was standing there with
lighted candle in his hand. He locke,
very white and haggard, but perfectl.
sane and composed; in fact, Horton ha,
never known him to be otherwise, an,
he felt that the account of his bygon
proceedings which he had just learne,
from Madame Rose needed some explana
ton from him.
what has she told you, Frank?
must see her" he said, imperatively.
But Frank barred the door with on
arm as he held Faulkner of.
"Coward-villain! Would you pei
secute a woman?" he cried, with a theat
rical air.
"My lear fellow, you have known m
tolerably intimately for the last tw
years-haye you ever proved me to b
otherwise than rather considerate of th
weaker sex ?"
"Acting-mere actingI" vociferate
Frank, who was a little carried away b
the responsible position in whic
Madame Rose had placed him