The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-09-24
THE LAWYERS SECRET
By B. L. Farieon, Author of "Bread,
Cheese and Kisses"
CHAPTER vI.-CoNT1NUED.

Inc QIn lamp was Snaueu from the
eyes of the invalid by white porcelain
screen, which subdued the light, and
cast great shadows of the furniture upon
the walls of the room.
He lay for some time quite quietly,
with his face still turned away from
Ellinor, but by the incessant nervous
motion of the hand lying upon the coun-
terpane, she knew that he was not
asleep.
The doctor opened the door softly,
and looked in.
I "lf he says anything to YOU he
whispered to Ellinor, hear it quietly;
bat do not ask him any questions; and,
above all. do not betray agitation. -
She bowed her head in assent, and the
physician closed the door.
Suddenly Horace Margrave turned his
face to her, and looking at her earnestly
with his haggard eyes, said:
"Ellinor Dalton, you ask me what
this means. will tell you. The very
day on which you left England, a
strange chance led me into the heart of
a manufacturing town. town which
was being ravaged by the fearful
scourge Of an infectious fever; Twas in
a very weak state of health, and, as
might be expected, caught this fever.
| was warned, when it was perhaps not
yet too late to have taken precautions
which might have saved me, but l
would not take those precautions |
was too great a coward to commit sui
eide. Some people say a man is too
brave to kill himself was not-but |
was too much a coward. Life was hate
full, but | was afraid to die. Yet |
would not avert danger which had not
been my own seeking. Let the fever
kill me, if it would, Ellinor, my wish is
fast being accomplished. am dying"
Horace! Horace!" She fell on her
knees once more at the side of the bed,
and taking the thin hand in hers. press
ed it to her lips.
He drew it away as if he had been
stung. "For heavens sake, Ellinor, if
you have any pity-no tenderness! That
/ cannot bear. For four years YOU have
never seen me without a mask. | am
going to let it fall. You will curse me-
you will hate me soon, Ellinor Dalton!"
"Hate You, Horace-never!'
He waved his hand impatiently, as if
to wave away protestations that must
soon be falsified.
"Wait," he said; ''you do not
know" Then, after brief pause, he
continued" Ellinor, | have not been
the kindest or the tenderest of guar
dams, have l, to my beautiful young
ward? You reproached me with my
a cold indifference one day soon after
your marriage, in the little drawing
a room in HEREFORD street"
G "You remember that?'
e 81 remember that! Ellinor, you never
1 spoke one word to me in your life which
!, | do not remember ; as well as the ac.
= cent in which it was spoken. and the
8 place where | heard it. | say, have
C not been kind or affectionate guardian
e have /, Elinor?'
!, You were so once, Horace" she
T. said:
= Il was so once! When, Ellinor?'
n Before my uncle left me that
o wretched fortune"
i THAT wretched fOrtune-yes, thai
e divided us at once and forever. Ellinor
t there were two reasons for this pitifu
s comedy of cold Indifference. Can you
s guess one Of them?"
Y mo" she answered.
Y "You cannotP l affected an indiffer
J. ence did not feel, or pretended an ap
b athy which was lie from first to last
rs because, Ellinor Dalton, loved you witt
t. the whole strength of my heart and soul
". from the first to the last"
.e 80, Horace! Horace! for pity
sakei" She stretched out her hand
It imploringly, as if she would prevent tn
lie utterance of the words which seemed +
Y break her heart.
N 4'Ellinor, when you were seventeen
n years of age, you had no thought G
er succeeding to your uncle's property. /
t. would have been, upon the whole,
= much more natural thing for him t
n have left it to his adopted son, Henri
: Dalton. Your poor father expected tina
" he would do So | expected the same
# Your father intrusted me with the Gus
q tody of your little income, and | di:
le charged my trust honestly. | was
le great speculator; ] dabbled with thou
d. sands, and cast down heavy sums ever
n. day, as gambler throws down car
I'd upon the gaming-table; and to me you
mothers little fortune was so insight
ne cant trust, that its management neye
h. gave me a moment S thought or concern
re At this time l was going on in ia
a way to become rich man; in fact, wa
az a rich man; and, Ellinor, / was an hol
- orable man. / loved you-loved you {
~ never believed / could love-my innt
~ cent and beautiful ward; how could
=. we'll be otherwiseP / am not a COZ
.o comb, Elhnor; and if there is one cha
:, acref noId more IN contempt than al
~ ~ other, it is that of q lady-killer; but
u s dared to say to myself love, and al
y beloved again Those dark and dee
y gray eyes, Ellinor, had told me the s.
y cret of young and confiding heart; an
= / thought myself more than happy
ct only too deeply blest. Oh, Ellinor! E
linor! if had spoken then"
Her head was buried in her hands,
she knelt by his pillow, and she WI
"a sobbing aloud.
ID There was time enough. l said. Tn
Ut Ellinor, was the happiest period of n
ny life. Do you remember our quite eve
ne ings in the Rue St. Dominique, when
to left business and business cares behir
ey me in Vernlam Buildings, and ran ov
ms here to spend a week in my your
ny wards society," Do you remember Il
vn books we read together? Good heaven
ut there is page in Lamartine's 'Odes
ne which can see before me as l speak,
of can see the lights and shadows which
70 taught you to put under the cupola of
,st church in Munich, you once painted
,se water-colors. Icanrecall every though
I'M every word, every pleasure, and eve
to emotion of that sweet and tranqr
at time in which hoped and believed tn
do you, Ellinor, would be my wife.
it She lifted her face, blind and blott'
he by her tears, and looking at him for Oh
to brief instant, let it fall again upon h
ke hands.
i Your uncle died, Ellinor, and Il
fair elevation of this palace of my lii