The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-05-12

down on n aofa beside her, she hid her
eyes with her hands, and gave little
1T knaw U saw % knew it. All if you
had an id<a what l have suffered from
this man and 10 meet him here
Faulkner il n good fellow, put IN
Frank, little hesitahngiy.
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 am she ASKED
after awhile.
Frank shook his head,
sc am Mrs. Faulkner. -,
IMPOSSIBLE Why, l never hearo
that he was married
"Of course not. my dear Mr. -
Horton, " interrupted ne
"Of course not. my dear Mr.. Horton.
When was Mr.. Faulkner ever known TO
speak the truth I? Will you SIT down Tor
a few minutes while tell you something
of my history. and let me explain now
1t is that am in this hotel with only
my maid %
Frank thought momentar1ly 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 bewltching, as she sat Win the
light falling on her face near the hre
and Frank decided that she could not be
more than four-and-twenty, and that IL
would be imperative on him to eXpostu-
late with Faulkner on her account II he
had really been base enough to hl-use
tins beautiful young creature.
son Christians eve, five years ago,
she began. 81 was staying with my
mother at Mr.. Dents, about six miles
from here. 1t was there / met Mr..
Faulkner. was foolish enough TO
listen TO him, and in less than week l
had promised to be Faulkner's wife. My
mother objected; but was headstrong
girl. as ! am a self-willed woman, and
opposition only served to make me the
more positive that Faulkner was the
only man III whom l should ever End ny
ideal. We married in the spring, against
every ones wishes, and in very few
weeks l discovered that my husband was
a lunatic.
GA luuatic Faulkner lunatic Why
he is as sane as l 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
zL 1s,.,v.r,,I HOW
formed; but he made no observation, and
she went on.
"To give You an idea of Mr.. Faulk-
ner's vile and disgraceful treatment Of
me were impossible. Suffice 1t 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 l had been married
scarcely a year l fed abroad, carrying
with me my little baby only a fortnight
old. There l remained in strict seclu-
sion till about six months ago, when in
formation reached me that my husband
was dead, and l returned once more. /
still. however, lived under the name of
Madame ROse-my Christian name Is
Rose-fearing that l might be in some
way prosecuted or annoyed by my late
husbands creditors, who were numer-
o1s. 1t was only in response to a very
pressing invitation from Mrs. Dent that
| was induced to break through my re-
tirement, and agreed to join, with my
little daughter, her party"
"Your little daughter-is 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 (
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.
g She IS Ike her father, he observed,
succinctly.
Madame Rose leant over the child and
kissed her. There were tears In her
eyes when she raised her head
''For her sake, If not for mine, Won
viii save me from this man, MIR. Horton.
Judge of my horror when, believing in
the absolute safety of my supposed
widowhood, 1 all of sudden met my
miscreant husband here alive In this
hotel. But you viii protect me from
him, Will you not ?"
"To the death !" answered Frank.
bravely, as he wondered what course to
pursue.
She dropped the curtain which con-
cealed the room where the child lay
sleeping, and they went back once again
to the fire in the sitting-room.
You VIII stay with me for time. -
she said. "You won't leave me alone
here to my fears, for that man is cap
able of anything. He may even kill
me. He looked more mad than ever as
saw him for a moment in the glass in
that room at the end of the passage,
where 1 had gone for book. "
Poor Frank? Beauty may be very
intoxicating, but scarcely stands in the
place of good supper to hungry man.
Before, however, he had time to re-
fuse or accept her invitation to stay, a
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 m0tioned that
she should remain there while he gave
audience to the intruder. He opened
the door and went out into the passage.
Faulkner was standing there with a
lighted candle in his hand. He looked
very white and haggard, but perfectly
sane and composed; III fact, Horton had
never known him to be otherwise, and
he felt that the account of his bygone
proceedings which he had just learned
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 one
arm as he held Faulkner off.
Coward-villainl Would you per-
secute woman?" he cried, with theat-
rical air.
My dear fellow, you have known me
tolerably intimately for the last two
years-hav you ever proved me to be
otherwise than rather considerate of the
weaker sex ?"
Acting-mere actingl" vociferated
Frank, who was little carried away by
the responsible position In which
Madame Rose had placed him.
" Do YOU know who the lady Is that