Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-04-15
MADGE LAMBERT,
BY JUSTIN Mccarthy.
CHAPTER N.

CHAPTER ".
In the afternoon of the next day
Hamilton went to Bishops Green to
lsok for Miss Lambert's house. Though
he had only been there once before, and
by night, he felt sure that he should
know it again, and in fact, after little
seeking, he came upon it close TO the
farther side of the Common. The
girl who opened the door to him went
TO see il Miss Lambert was in. and re-
turned to say that she was in the gar
den and would see him there. Hamil-
ton followed the girl through the house
into large garden at the back which
seemed even larger by reason Of the
spreading fields beyond, only divided
from it by a fence OF low trees. y
great elm tree stood in the
middle of the garden with
garden chair beneath it,
ON which Miss Lambert was sitting
reading. As Hamilton came near to
her through the soft thick grass she
raised her eyes steadily from her book,
aud, with u look of inquiring wonder.
II hope you will forgive my intrusion
upon your Arcadlan retreat" Hamil-
ton murmured apologetically. He was
standing before her, hardly knowing
what TO say. She laid her book down,
and look straight out across the gar
den.
"Wnat are you reading he asked,
awkwardly.
al was studying my part for the new
piece" she answered. ITS a stupid
thing, enough, but suppose it will do
rs well a. the others
"IfyOl are in it," he suggested.
She look up suddenly at him. why
did you come here" she said.
IL wanted 10 see you again he ans
wered; al wanted to tell you that l
must see you.
The garden was very quiet, but II
seemed stiller than ever gust then as
she looked gravely into his troubled
face. The sunlight tlOated through the
elm branches in fantastic pattern upon
the grass about them, and the warm
air was heavily scented with the min
gled OdOrs of many flowers.
"Are you in love with me-" she ask
ed quietly.
The strangeneSs of the question did
not surprise him. Nothing would have
surprised him in the mood that held
him then. He sat on a chair beside her
,and took her hand, but she drew it
away. ayes" he said in the same tone,
I'll am in love with YOU"
at is . mistake" she said, almost
more to herself than to him; lit is a
mistake and pity"
"Why is ii a mistake he asked, pas
Eionately. why is il pity? 1t
lean be hardly any wonder to you that
i love you. How could | help loving
you? Gou are the most beautiful wo-
man / have ever SEEN"
She sat quite still, looking straight
out before her with her hands laid light
ly together. She did not speak, and
be went on
''Tne light of you eyes has enchanted
me; w0uld die gladly for one smile
from you, for one kiss of your lips"
He paused. Words seem TO fail him
hopelessly.
! dWhat folly you are talkingw she
said, and there was weary tone i'm her
soft clear voice. "GOu must know
that, ,and ! wish you wouldn't"
al SIN serious enough" he answered,
Though am not skillful enough to
tell you what mean rs | should like
to tell it,"
, 81 am sorry YOU told il no ALL" she
Said. THAT was the mistake and that
Twas the pity. / am tired Of love and
Iof being loved. Though you have only
known me for few days, | guessed
yesterday what was going to happen,
and was sorry for it and for the
sufferings of my lovers; but you do not
seem quite the same as ali the others,
and perhaps liked you as a friepd-but
as lover It is differv.:t."
"Why is it ditferen,:" he urged i'm
petuouSly. why should l not love
you as Others have loved your
IL might tell you,' she replied, that
my love is worth more than you could
give for it. That would not matter,
perhaps, ii were in love with you.
But l am not in love with you, for 1
love some one else"
"Oh, grOaned Hamilton, "who is
heT'
Didn't you know?" she asked. "Well,
YOU can easily find out from any one
who knows anything about me. He
loves me and / love him."
Hamilton looked vaguely about him,
as II he expected to see the form of the
other lover rise ghostly by somewhere
among the trees. She smiled family.
"He Is not here nOw," she said; and he
is not in England at this moment
though he will be soon again. But
this Is reason enough why must not
SCI you any more"
mot see you any morew Hamilton
repeated the words mechanically after
her. The meaning they conveyed was
too terrible to be accepted all st once.
"Ofcourse not" she replied almost
fiercely. "Surely you would not wish
to see me again, il you indeed-she
paused for q mOment-''if you indeed
feel rs you say. And even if you did /
should not"
Tears came into his eyes. This Is
very hard ~ he whispered.
"No," she answered gently, mot
very hard. After q while one gets used
to those partings In Life. have got
used to them now, and people come and
go from my life as if they were only
fellow actors who have for time
played with me and then got an engage
ment somewhere else"
'You speak very cruelty" he said.
at camel take life so lightly"
"I should be more cruel, she mur.
INJURED dreamily, gazing out into the
far fields, ''if were free and chose to
listen 10 you. You have seen mea few
times, and my dancing has fetched yoI,