The Osceola times., 1883-07-14

Frank Reston nodded at his wonder
ing aid, who left the room.
"Why, my dear John, what is the mat
ter? Lesby?"
"Oh, she's all right; God bless her !"
cried Audas, throwing himself into a
chair, and gazing wildly, with blank,
cadaverous face, at his brotherin-law
"Give me something, for heavens sake
-brandy-wine-Pm done up"
"Reston opened a cupboard, brought
out his spirit stand, and Audas hastily
gulped down glass of spirit, returning
the glass to the table with trembling
hand.
"why, John, old fellow" said Reston,
"what is it?"
"Tll-I'll tell you directly. l hardly
dare but, oh, Frank, swear to you /
did il in all innocence. Oh, my poor
darling my poor darling! Don't blame
me Frank. | swear TO you l believed
it ALL"
Here, here! come, come, old fellow.
Don't give way like this. Why, hang it,
man, what is Il. You look as If YOU had
committed crime"
81 have, Frank, have and against
the dearest, the sweetest girl that ever
picoctu u nidu Will ncT ituutT lONt.
"Why, John Audas," said Rseton
fiercely, IF you have dared to raise your
hand against my sister"
RAISED my hand against herw cried
Audas, in tones of whitening contempt
why, ! would sooner hew it Off"
"Then what the duce is the meaning
of all this? You havn't been such fool
as to take shares in gold mine 2'
Bah Don't be absurd"
What is it, then? Crime? What do
you mean?"
Read that" cried Audas, tearing his
pocket-book from his breast with tremb-
ling hands, opening it and procuring one
of those dirty, discolored pieces of paper
which paternal government considers
good enough for the Transcription of a
| telegram"
"Eb Why, what's this ?" said Reston,
reading. From Grace Audas, Ultrama-
rine Hotel, Folkestone, to John Audas
The Coppices, Calkston, Calkshire. Come
to me at once. Our boat drifted to an
island. Very i'll"
John Audas wiped the great drops OF
perspiration from his forehead.
"Well, but began Reston, i'm puz-
zled tones.
81 believed she was dead, Frank. On
my soul believed she Vas"
"And on the strength of that, sir, you
have won sweet young girls affection
and committed bigamy"
eyes, yes" groaned Audas. "And l
was SO happy"
"You scoundrel" cried Reston fiercely
Don't, for Gods sake, don't turn up
on me like that, Frank"
There is one comfort" continued the
young barrister, "the law can be pretty
hard upon villain who blights young
girls life in such a way as this; and the
punishment"
Course the punishment roared
Audas. What care for punishment ?
I'd go through fourteen years penal SER
vatude with pleasure if it weuld spare
my darling pain"
"Then she doesen't know it yet ?"
"Know it? Of course not. | could
not tell her." groaned Audas
"And pray what do you intend to do ?
OF course the only thing for you to do is
to make my poor sister very large set
tlement. But | shall insist upon that
I'll 90 and fetch her away at once"
What and separate us, Frank? No,
no, for heavens sake, don't think OF
that As for money, all / have is hers
bless her; but We must not part
Frank, swear to you, that if you take
her away, III blow my brains out at the
| hotel"
"Humphl wouldn't do that" said
Reston, coolly. "But perhaps you have
some plans"
"Plans? Yes cried the other excited
| Iy az broupht bar nm with mo She's N
the Grand"
"What, here in London?"
"Of course. | am going to take her to
Paris"
"Via Folkestone?"
Course it, no; via Dover. shall take
an assumed name. Well travel for a
few years till that fiend ofa woman real
ly dies"
Frank, she was perfect curse to me
My life was one long torment, and here,
now that my life has been one long bliss
like spoiled fool, have been hipped
and gloomy; and, Frank, would you be-
lieve it ? was such "a brute. such a
scoundrel to poor Lesby that | found
fault with the dinner, and said
wish my tongue had been cut out"
"What did YOU say that for ?"
"No, no, l did not say that / said il
my first wife had been alive we would
have had better dinner"
81 should hardly have believed it Of
YOU. John Audas.
"No, you would not, Frank but Pm
such fool at times. Ysu see Pm not
like you, all brains. I'd give anything
to be as clever and-and-"
"As uglyw
"No, old fellow was going to say
wise as YOU are. All Frank, that woman
was nearly fifty when married her, and
she only had me out of spite. believe
so rs to annoy some one else. | never
had a moments peace with her. | was
bigger fool when | married her than
am now. | say you won't think of my
being separated from Lesby ?"
"But your wife? She has the right tc
you-of course the right"
81 don't care" said the big fellow, set
ting his teeth and growing stern and
logged now. "I'd about lost my head
That telegram was a regular crusher
| But I'm coming round now, and | should
like to see the man who'd step between
me and my wife"
"But she's not your wife, sir" cried
Reston sternly.
"And l say she is" cried Audas, ris-
ing, with his fist clenched and fierce
menacing look in his ewes, 81 say she
is my dear wife, and no law shall come
betweel us or separate us. Oh, Frank
| do love her dearly, and l never knew
how much till / received this awful
news"
'Humphp ~ said Reston dryly ''some
men don't find it out till their wives arc
dead. Here, let's see that message again
! We must look Mt this matter in a cool