The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-07-13
evening. when Molly was indisposed, the


light quivered over the roses, heavy will
dew, perfume and night, and the won
derful witchery of beauty held him
while the perfect lips told him secret, {
listle story, something that changed
the very current of his being The mad
love of his youth, fought against, dead
buried, as he believed, sprang in tina,
hour to sudden life. The woman that
he had loved and hated, who had
wronged, deceived him, stood now vim.
Dictated and spotless, victim like him.
self of another's wrong, like himself a
sufferer.
The man cried out against fate; this
woman who had been all the world to
him in the old days of his honest youth
was more than that now; in the hour of
his weakness he would have sacrificed
honor, truth, life itself; but she was
strong; another life should never suffer
as she had done; now that she stood be-
fore him blameless, she was satisfied.
Then he found himself alone and the
devil in the guise of a fair woman, en-
tered into his soul and abode there.
Perhaps the sight of Molly's loving
face might have been safeguard in
those days; but she was ill, and refused
to see him; so day by day the evil grew
and thrived, nourished by soft signs and
false tears.
One night he found the widow alone
in little room that opened out of tiny
conservatory; he threw prudence to the
winds and the woman was forced to hear
burning words of madness and devotion.
In the very midst of the resistless tor.
rent of his woe the door opened and q
man entered He was tall, dark, and
grandly bearded, Saxon giant of her.
culean mould. He took in the whole
scene at a glance.
go Lura! Luraw he cried. evil
you never have done with your folly?"
Then she turned. Such light famed
over her face. Such sudden beauty
flashed upon i'll A smile like that might
pave the..way to death for any man.
80 Roy Royw she cried, and rushed
to the stranger, fiinging her arms with
glad kisses about his neck ''My hus-
band" said she, turning to Harry; "and
never think again to fight woman with
her own weapons. 1 was only redressing
old wrongs and opening blinded eyes.
Your lady-love Is in the next room;
made sure of that before played this
little farce"
The stranger shook off the olinging
arms of his wife, and stepped to the side
of the dazed, unhappy man.
IT cannot ask you to forgive my
wife," said he; II know that she has
done you some grievous wrong; it is not
the first time, most likely it will not be
the last, and yet love her, young man,
you do not suffer alone"
Then he was gone, he and his fair, false
wife.
Mechanically Harry stepped through
the half open door of the conservatory;
o bowed, crushed figure leaned against
L~ls of,vnou wiuuvw IL waS uiiAi--< uio
woman he had vowed to love and cher
ish always.
He could not speak; softly, as though
he touched the dead, he kissed her
golden hair; she never moved, and so he
left her.
In the morning he received message
from Mrs. Daily; Molly desired to see
him.
He went to the interview as traitor to
his doom; he had no hope that Molly
would overlook his perfidy; she was too
much of O woman to hold herself so
lightly; too noble in herself to tolerate
the humiliation into which he had
fallen.
Molly received him with pitiful
smile; her face was crimson, her eyes
swollen and purple. This Niobe-like
woman bore hardly trace of the
pretty. merry hearted girl once so dear
to him.
She spoke in muffied tones.
Look at me-" said she; "look at me!
Last night 1 was quite myself, and went
down stairs thinking to give you pleas
ant surprise. went into the conserva-
tory, and, like o foolish child, fell
asleep by the window; il was the heat
the Misunderstanding Now look at
mel am fright, an object! always
am when take a cold. / thought you
ought to see mo, ought to know"
Then Harry's arms we're around her.
Molly had been asleep! His heart sang
for Joy as he pressed kiss after kiss upon
her pink and purple face.
"What devotion" sighed Mrs. Daily,
whose own married life had been some
thing of mistake.
"Was ever girl SO blessed as II"
thought Molly, little dreaming what
the cold which she deplored had saved
her from: for Harry, grateful, repent
ant, yet believed that Ignorance was
bliss.
Kaltsnbach has described On astonishs
| ing number Of insects a. found ON some
kinIa NJ forast trAas in EurOpe only