New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-10-07


spacious drawing-roOms for at least twenty
minutes with her eyes bent upon the floor.
She felt literally hunted down. The end bad
come; the clock had struck twelve, and her.
hneries were rags, her coach-and-four was pump
KIN and MICE She had carried it off well until the
very last she sure of this and the surety gave
her, even now, a bitter pleasure. She
had doubt that the coming of her
mother with imperative demands of support
and countenance, would mean a return
of all the old taunts and gibes If Clares wealth.
full life Of to-day had been destined to continue,
this prospect would have opened a less dreary
vista; as it was, she foresaw only a dropping back
into the former ruts and slOughs of maternal acri-
mony and intolerance. The history of her past
would in a manner repeat itself. There would be
poverty again, something closely akin to il:
there would be the mothers unpardoning disapprO-
baton of her childs ill-favored lot For ono
marked difference Herbert would be present, as a
fresh, assertive force And what a miserably ad-
verse force II must prove To exist with him would
be hard enough, now. under any circumstances.
But if he felt perpetually the shadow and weight of
this second gloomy dheavy personality, what new
hostile traits might not his depression his lmpa-
thence, his revolt developer
Claire tried TO take a very calm survey of the
whole potential consequence. In so doing she re-
garded the advent of her mother as factor that
consorted with other untoward agencies; the cen.
trail knot of the tange would be wrought of several
tough and stubborn threads. There could be no
unravelling it,
But the knot could Re cut she thought silent
y continuing her metaphor. she paced the stately
rooms.
II sent thrill of actual terror to her when sho
reflected koo the knot could be cut. To the feet
that have set their tread on slippery ways evil can
do much downward work by gentle push. Claire
felt herself lapsng. now.
different from the she had already written him.
and which was then hid under the tieecy aces that
clad her bosom 7 What if she told him that she
must from all P-the love that she had outraged
by cold hypocrisy; the keen If mute reprOaches
that would be punishment and torture alike; the
tbrusts ard innucnd0es from tongue whose venom
had poisoned her childhood the tarnsh in place Of
splendor the duness III place Of brilliapce the OBJ
SECURITY in place of prominence. the service in place
of masery-perhaPs even the toll " Place Of ease
by taking the sole means at hand Of ending these
desperate reflections In reality she took the most
copept means of endering temptation more potent.
She frightened its black clutch on her sOu sho went
upstairs aud talked with her mother.
Mrs. TwninG had been securely conyalescent some
time ago. Sho had passed through a complicated
and dangerous illness she had given Death odds,
vet won with him. She was still subject to those
attacks of fatigue which are inevitable with ono
who has proved victor in so grim wrestle; But
she had once more gained very firm iOothold on
thai solidity which bounds known sde at least,
Of the valley of the shadow, She intended, in
pbysical sense TO live q good many years longer;
her fresheLng vitality was like that OF lire In a
forest which has stretched an arm OF flame across
bare space, at the risk OF not reaching II, but ia
the END has caught mighty supply OF woodland
fuel.
Claire found her stretched quite luIuriously on
lounge with little table beside her, which held tho
remains of hearty Tepast She had the traditional
vast appetite of the recovering invalid She had
devoured enough to have sunk hearty person OF
dioastiDn into ADVISES OF DYSPEPSIA. she
had enjoyed her meal very much. IL had appeared
to her as an earnest OF many similar Joys.
She promptly began q series Of her old character
isic sarcasms and surs soon as Claire appeared.
Mingled with them was an atmosphere OF oci0us
eongratplatLon-a sort oil EeTOdI Psrrng r on tne
full than Der haflatent sneers. She was thoroughly
refreshed; her food linked with some admirable
claretj had gone straight to the making OF bodily
repairs She had never had anything SO ine and
wholesome in the hospital, though after the patron
age Of Mrs Lee she had been supplied with not u
few agreeable danties The temporary result was
that she had become in great measure her real
self $3.50 -.
of listening Sine had never known her mother not
to be without grudge OF some sort III brcughS
back the past with piercing yivldness now, while
she sat and heard Inc Vision ro Oh PSc dSHn e
the memory oil many a waDton assault, many
sure pttious wound appealed to her as well; Her
father had stood 1t all SO bTaYely-he bad been
snch a gentleman through it all! She had
stood 1t only with a sturdy, re5elllous dsapprOysl
through many VI the years that preceued MS death
She stood it. now, with weary tranquility.
When She went away from her mother these were
- do NOT think shall tell my husband for some
few DAYS. thai you are here. There are reasons
vhy should NOT. He has some very engrosslnS
matters 20 occupy hlm. But YOU will be perfectly
comfortable in the meanwhile; Order wnat sou
tieuIar If you should need me, Will come I'm.
mediately. You nave only to send me word. l
shall be at home for tho rest oil to-day ana oil
oughth evening""
Glare went into her own private sittingroom
after that, When she had been there "a, nttle
while sine had torn up her FIRST letter 10 GOODWIN.
When she had been there little While longer
she mad written the second letter. Having I'M
ished the last she promptly 9ispateheu IT, ny mes
senger to Goldwia's private addfss.
Between the hours OF ten ana eleven thaJ same
evening, the following note from Goodwin was
brought to Clalro: rriJov riobt
Gln some unaccountable way i have lost tue
letter which you sent me to-day. leel In honor
bnnnd Ia tell you OF this loss. after Drotracted
search through my apartments and numerous in
0uires and directions at my CLUB. cannot sum,
c,sntlv blame myself for not having at once burned
IL to a crisp. But thrust 1t INTO my pocket after
many readings, with the wish to learn each WORD
by heart before II was finally destroyed. DO not
feel noedlessly worried. shall DO my best to re-
cover AZ and even If it should be read by other eyes
than yours and mine, the fact OF your mere initials
being signed 70 IL Is an immense safeguard o On
Claire had grown deathly pale as she finished the
pernsal of this note She had prepared herself for
q night Of wretched unrest, put noio was uasS0i
70 murder sleep with even surer polgnanee
IL was past midnight when she card liollister go
n Ms anartments She fancied that his step was
little unsteady. If this was tnTe, no yinous ex-
hilaration made Ii so. An excitement OF most op.
poslto cause would have explained tho altered
tread. 49,. ,;,s
A saving hand had interposed between himself
and ruin. The chance had been gwen INN OF start
ing againot meeting althe hcrcest OIL ms creditors.
had chiefly to think of retrenchment Perhaps
what Claire believed unsteadiness IN his step was
,nnnIse m tell her the good news may for a mo-
ment have risen uppermost, there must nave sWePs
over him. promptly and sternly, the reeolectiop ot
a dark and sundering discovery. 49,.
Meanwhile Claire wondering II the lost letter
had. through any balefui chance, drlited INTO hls
hands lay pierced by that atrlghted remorse "h,cu
a monition of detected guilt will bring tue hiost