Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-08-10

been may lower YOU in the estimation
of your husband, but i see no way of
sparing you in justice 10 myself. /
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. 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. can not
promise more than that"
Zone thing more, please. Only that
you will not send that letter to my hus-
band until morning. L have a reason
for asking j"
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 desOlation of her life, but he re-
membcred that a woman's preparations
can not be made in an hour.
"Be it So he said Il will return
TO the city and send dispatch to Kill
luth; il will reach him in time for their
departure tomorrow. Ny letter to Mr..
Oliphant will arrive later by mail"
THANK vou," she said, constrained
ly, and then they parted, Launt to walk
back over the glistening sands TO the
little station with his heart full of bit
terncss toward the woman he had left.
Heartlcss and selfish and bad TO the
core, Surely she was all these. To
spare herself she had kept silence, when
n 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. Oliphapt reached the cottage as
she bad left it, unperceived, 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 alighted from
the afternoon train. unobServed by
either Launt or herself, and Mr.. Quest
was back. n hidden sheer curling his
lips as lis eyes rested for moment
upon her face. Tie made shrewed
guess at what had taken place.
The iig's up with young harrington.
IL ICdS him after Mrs. Hickctt, just as |
thought. Rather hard ON the governor,
after coming down an the nail rs free rs
he did, but well call that an Install
ment ON another account"
He had n report To make to Mr.. Oil
plant, and the two were closcted in the
library after dinner was over. Mrs.
Oliphant found it impossible TO sit down
and talk commonplace to Madame
Harrington and Miss Power. Dana was
dropping disappointed face over n
book of engraving - the last train was
i'm and Launt had not come. Signing 20
AleXia to cover her absence, Mrs. Oil
plant passed out upon the vcrandah.
She descended the steps and crossed the
strip of lawn. passing where a fountain
sent up its silvcry spray against back
ground of Gamma and other tall. trOpi-
cal-looking plants. She could see the
library window from this spot. 1t was
wide open, and while She watched, her
husband appeared ut it. Even at that
| distance she could see that he looked
pale and disturbed. \ great pain
caught ut 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 tc
/ his companion.
! wait a moment, Quest. ! 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 n doubtful look after
him.
IF YOU are given to having that sort
of turns. Mr.. Oliphant. I've not set the
! time of telling my secret any too soon, ."
/ he said To himself.
Mrs. Oliphant shrank at her husband'i
approach.
"Shivering, Rose? 1t is too damp
out here with nothing around you.
The painful grip upon her heart re.
| Taxed. Not yet, oh, thank Heaven
was the hour of her doom.
Power. she cried out next instant.
"Oh. my husband. what is it?''
lie wavercd Il little in his walk, and
a mortal pallor had ovcrspread his face
"l-QucSt has been telling me some
thing strange. He thinks Harrington
saw the-thc nurse. He came down on
the train-Launt did-and met lads
ut the station. Harmon thought il " Us
you, and l came to ask, but of course
he was mistaken
He spoke in an uncertain. daZed way.
which alarmed her more than his looks.
Power - she cried ont again.
WHAT is the matter with you? Is il
what lac has been telling you that ha:
made YOU ill?'
IL suppose No; 1 don't know.
/ do feel n little queer. but my head ha,
bceu,in 4 whirl off and on all dav. IT..
n tourh of my old vertigo, but I'm get.
ting better of it out here in the air.
Rose. do you know. | really hope Far.
ringtGu has got hold of the truth? It's
only question of time. in my opinion,
! till one or the other Of those two gives
us away. j cant understand, though,
why he shouldn't have come here ai
once"
He was turning away.
Don't go back, Power. Stay here
with me-
Il promised Quest. He had some
thing more To say
lit is sure to be something unpleas.
ant. Let it wait until morning. STAY.
Power, please
He looked down upon her smilingly.
The healthful color ,as coming bach
into his face; the un0ccidcd manner, &C
strange to him. had gone.
Almost thou perSuadest me, tempt.
rcss. Altogether. then. / am not il
the mood for anything moro unpleasant
tonight. Rose his voice changed.
something as we stand here brings
back that morning seventeen years age
when i rode away and left her with sc
little thought that / was never TO see
\ her again. Poor little Rosc,"
The sigh was for that lonely grave
in that PARKWAY land. She had slipped
her hand into his arm; she pressed il
close now. There had never been any
jealousy of that first wife in her heart.
He went on after little pause:
II wonder. sometimes, how it would
have been had she lived. / can moi