Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-08-16
CHAPTER WIFI

WAS never WlOliy .1OfSoIteu.
CHAPTER XVI!I
"GOOD-BYE AND GOOD-BYE FOREVER
Some small portion of this story Mrs.
Oliphant told to Launt harrington be-
fore they parted.
Il tell you what my husband would
tell you if you were to go to him. she
said, in a constrained yet imprisoned
way. He never knew the real truth
OF my earlier life-never knew that your
fathers ruin and death were laid to my
charge. We Will not discuss that.
Think of me rs you like. it matters very
little now, but spare him, it will not be
for long
Launt's heart hardened toward her.
You ask what is simply impossible.
1t strikes me, Mrs. Olipnant. that you
are only anxious to spare yourself. |
can not consent to appear in the light
OF a coward or a villa IL for the sake of
shielding You from the consequence of
your sins. To know what you have
been may lower YOU in the estimation
of your husband, but 1 see no way of
sYaring you in justice to myself. l
shall write to him my reasons for break
ing my engagement to Dana. Tell her
what you will-what he may think
best. Better for her to believe me
false than to know her parents for what
they were. l will write also to Killuth
asking him to BRING my grandmother
and rejoin me; it is not necessary that
these explanations be made to her while
she is beneath your roof. l can not
promise more than that"
lone thing more, please. Only that
YOU will not send that letter to my hus-
band until morning. l have a reason
for asking it,
Launt hesitated. He was averse to
having his grandmother remain one in
slant longer than necessary in the same
house with the woman who had wrought
the desolatiun of her life, but he re-
mcmbered that a woman's preparations
can not be made in an hour.
BE it 500 he said. Il will return
to the city and send a dispatch to Kill
luth; it wall reach him in time for tn if
departure tom 'rrOw. My letter to Mr..
Ollphant will arrive later by mail.
'.Thank you,' she said, constrained
", and then they parted, Launt to walk
back over the glistening sands to the
little station with his heart full OF bit
terness toward the woman he had left.
Heartless and selfish and bad to the
core! Surely she was all these. TO
spare herself she had kept silence, when
few words from her would have saved
Dana and himself both infinite pain. He
could not forgive her that. She had
known from the first what his action
must be, if the truth were told, and she
had not spoken.
Mrs. Oliphant reached the cottage as
she had LETT it, Lnperceived. just in time
to dress and appear in the drawing
room before dinner was served. Mean
time there had been another arrival,
another passenger had aligiited from
the afternoon train. unobserved by
either L2urt or herself, and Mr.. Quest
was back, 4 hidden sneer curing his
lips as his eyes rested for moment
upon her face. He made a sArewed
guess at what had taken place.
THE iig's up with young Harrington.
1t aDas him after Mrs. Hickctt, Just as |
thought. Rather hard on the governor,
after coming down on the nail as free as
he did, but We'll call that an install
ment on another account"
He had a report to make to Mr.. Oil
plant, and the two were closeted in the
library after dinner was over. Mrs.
Oiiphant found it impossible to sit down
and talk commonplace to Madame
+ arlington and Miss Power. Dana was
dropping disappointed face over 4
book OF engravings- last train was
in and Launt had not come. Signing to
AleXia to cover her absence, Mrs, Oil
phant passed out upon the verandah.
She descended the steps and crossed the
strip OF lawn. passing where a fountain
sent up its silvery spray against a back
ground of Gamma and other tall. tropi-
plants. She could see the
library window from this spot. 1t was
wide open, and while she watched, her
husband appeared at it. Even at that
distance she could see that he looked
pale and disturbed A great pain
caught at and held her heart. At last,
at last, she felt her hour had come,
Standing by the open window, Mr.
Oliphant caught sight of that lingering
figure, and spoke over his shoulder to
his companion.
Wat n moment, Quest. l don't
feel able TO talk to You just now. / see
my wife out there, and | will ask her
what it means. Remain. if you please,
until RETURN
Mr.. Quest sent doubtful look after
him.
IF you are gwen to having that sort