Daily Republican., 1884-08-15

I =
By GERALDrNH FLEMING.
The sooner this arrangement Il
made the better, MEs. jacobs was tn
impatient observation. ~. ,.-ss ...,t
II quite agree with you Mr.. Jacoba, I
was the cold response. Z. ID 81 ~ 90.
For an hour OF moro the young hus
baud had been restlsssly pacing ne
and down the length OF the breakfast.
room and for IN hour or more tho girl
wife had been sitting By the oriel win.
dow. gszing gloomily out into tbesquars
where . youthful nurse was Whoeling i
child's carriage 70 and fro, beneath thk
man was r0stive under threatened evil I;
the woman WAS passive With the pathetic
passtveness Of utter despair. Before
him were the compenaations that . life
of activity sffords his sax before her
was only an awful monotony and hui
m ilistion .-l n
"The sooner It 10 over, the bsttsr, %
Charlotte" he said, irritably.-"
mean, ofcourse, lyon have really do
termined to live apart fromsme."
1t was y0u who suggested it." she
returned, slowly, without the sllghtest
hint OF regret or reproach in her cold
and spiritless tones. m I
~ suggested it ?"hs echoed, indiR.
nantiy. And then, with sudden pas
sion, he continued +" Well, perhaps +
did. Living apart Is certainly prefer.
able to living together In discord and l
ON beginning to doubt that there ever
/ could be peace between you and me.
at least have tried to be faithful
70 my duty" Charlotte said, with IN
emphasis Intended a. . rebuke u
him."
In the letter but not In the spirit,
Lottie," he retorted. And that 10 q
. sort of duty tina. works more i'll in the
end than even . willful defiance OF all
that one holds duteous.
am tired Of your unceasipg accu.
cations, Charles" the girlish wife said.
still in that hard, dreary voice. az am
your unRentle ways, OF your lack OF
consideration.
And l." Charles declared, "am
half mad with your exaction, your un.
womanly disJrust, your unfseling
frowns. And have tried honestly "a
make you happy, Lottie."
And you have failed" she answer
cd, because you win not understand
me-"
doubt you understand yourself y
he muttered and then, in q suddenly
changed manner, he said: :" We will
end this reerimination, ut ouce and for
ever. will go away for an indefinite
time, as has been proposed. And you
|-you will remain here, presumed"
Yes" she replied "snd little
Florrie-you will let me keep the child,
will you not ?"
Her place 10 with you," he allowed;
and besides, l do not want Florrie-
she would remind me too forcibly OF
what 1 should gladly forget"
She would remind you Of the
mother whom you no longer love, and
from whom you would gladly be
altogether free" was the bitter com
ment.
For an instant he fixed upon her
a strange, scare hing look that she did
not comprehend, and then he hastily
quilted the room.
In all the city there was no more ele-
CANT an apartment than that. The un.
tasted breakfast had been served upon
table daintiiy arranged with rarest
china, richest silver, and costly glass,
that glittered like crusted snow. studded
with jewels. Exquisite pi stures adorn.
cd the luxuriousiy hung walls, and
statuettes Of cunning workmanship
were set in picturesque inches.
In all the city there was no home more
elegant and i'll all the city was ne
heart more desolate than that of the
fair, welded girl, sitting there by the
oriel window of that charming break.
fast room.
She seemed scarcely more than a
child, with her sight figure and deli
cats face. But there was woman's
pride and woman's paiu in the poise OF
the pretty brown head, In the despair
Of the great dark eyes, 10 the resolute
lines about the soft, cherry-red mouth.
She felt wropged and uploved; she
was haunted by the ghosts of sweet,
dead joys, and by vague dread that
she was not strong and brave enough Of
soul to live her life alone-without him
who had gone his separate way 30 will
ingly-ah, 30 willingly.
Had he given her one little sign oi
| tenderness she In ust have yielded, and
entreated him not to forsake her inter.
lily. And after all, she did not quite
know how the grievous difference had
been begun Both we're faulty, and
nither had been inclined to pailiate the
limperfections of the other; and the petty
conteLtions had ultimately ended il
pitiful disaster; and she was alone and
wretched, rs she must be evermore.
AS she still sat there, meditating
despairlugly over it ell, the door wa,
flung hurriedly open, and the nurse rush
ed breathlessly into the room.
" Florrie is gone-lost! 1 hav,
searched for her every " here-I canno
fluid hsr!" the excited creature gasped
between her distracted sobs, while shs
wrun1 her hands hystercally.
My Florrio lost !" the mother re-
peated, in CONSERVATION. :" Comp0sl
yourself aud tell me what has happen
ed"
But the nurse had very little to ex
plain. She had left the carriage for /,
moment white Fiorrie was sleeping, an(
when she returned the child had disAp
peared. .s-tt
"Her father has taken her." Lottis
Instantly decided, with q new bitter
ness of spirit. In his anger againA
me he has robbed me of my Last treas
ure, tho only sOlace In my desolx
tion."
The magn itude OF her calamitie,
blunted for time the sting OF anguish
She only felt cold, anu numb and dazed
pale and still, she leaned back in hel
chair, while a sort OF letharHy held hel
senses ss an indistinct and painless
dream.
And as from dream she was nj
length aroused by piIeous baby cry,
that seemed faint and far away. But
when she started w, wholly conscious,
she bebeld Florris beside her--darlinp
L futru Elnrrin q a..t nd vuxll