Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-12-24

where she sat childishly deferrlug to

where she sat childishly deferring tc
him
"You have never done ANYTHING tc
annoy her." he answered gravely.
GU have been blessing in our house
He.en Is too just to harbor fancles."
A Jealous woman can harbor any
ldea." she said, with a little ring OF
triumph In her tone.
"A Jealous womanI My wife has nc
need to be jealous of any one" TheI
he turned to leave her her victory oyel
him was hardly gained.
~ know she has no cause" she said,
following him ''but she is Jealous
nevertheless. l think she is angry that
you were obliged to accept favor from
ME. L know she dislikes me-" she
added, with a mournful droop of her
white eyelids.
''If L thought that were So But
| shall explain to Helen. l cannot vex
her for any reason"
Then he went slowly upstairs, and |
follow d him, despising myself for hav.
ing played the eavesdropper to such a
man, and wondering to what depth OF
meaDness misery may not drag a wo-
man down.
Why would she not leave me him ?
He was my chief treasure, and had
never injured her. Oh, if L could only
open his eyes-if could only show him
that she was making shipwreck Of both
our lives, OF all the happiness that had
been sufficient for us before she came
1t was in his own dressing room that
L found him.
do you feel better ?" he asked anx.
iously.
Yes" | looked up into his face,
and noticed there the now habitual look
OF depression to which year before it
had been stranger.
You have not been happy lately,
Heien," he went on. ~ want you to
tell me what it Is that troubles you.
Long ago | should not have needed to
aSk.n
He put his arm round me as he spoke.
but it had not its customary clasp. 1t
Was like the careless caress he would
have given to fretful child; and felt
this, and drew away from him.
is it about the money Katie lent
me p' he asked; after pause.
''If debt does not trouble you. why
should it me Z" said indifferently.
81 suppose YOU are as honorable as /. Z"
How often words serve to conceal our
feelings Even as | spoke / was think
ing how much too noble he was to ex-
anime closely my sayings, as | had ex-
amined his.
Il don't think you quite understand
about the money" he said gravely. SIT
was most generous of Katie to offer 1t /;
many persons would not have ventured
to do so, seeing that the business ap-
peared very unsafe just then. But
Katie trusted her money to me-trusted
TO my honor not to accept it unless
it would save us. We are saved
now; and in the future she will find her
very profitable one. Her
shares are already paying interest, and
in time will pay a much higher rate /;
therefore, if L refunded her money to-
morrow, the loss would be more hers
than mine, though my obligation to her
will continue as great always as l feel
it now. think there are few people
in the world who would have behaved
as nobly rs she has done. To her own
brother she could not have shown her.
self more trusting and generous.
Il don't think she would have shown
herself So to her own brother" | an
swered in tone that even to my own
ears sounded obstinate and uncOnvinced.
Il don't know what has come over
you, Helen," he said, signing. ''Long
ago you were SO reasonable; now"
Now L am most unreasonable, am
notf l must seem so, am sure, after
that sympathetic tender angel down.
stairs.n
had come to make peace, and this
was the result; but surely was mad
with the sense of my own misery.
81 do not understand you," he said
coldly.
l turned from him. Why had 1 said
the things l ought not to have said and
eft unsaid all that I should have told
him ? Then l looked back. He was
resting his elbow on the window sill,
gazing out | knew with unseeing eyes
and in his whole body there was list
less droop that touched me to the heart.
| went back to him dropped upon
nv knees beside him-I took hold of
he hand hanging so listlessly by his
side and covered it with kisses, the love
ird despair of which he must have felt.
"Send her away pleaded. ''Do
you not see that my heart is breaking I
She Is taking you from Inc and with
,ut you 1 shall die. On, Hugh, send
ler away ~
"Youm must never kneel TO me, Helen,"
le said, lifting me on to my feet. us
{ Katie you wish me to send away P'
YES; she is false and wicked. She
wants to win your love from me and,
Hugh, my fear of her is driving me
mad"
"This is all fancy" he said, holding
nv hands and looking into my face.
Il never knew before, Helen, that you
lad such wicked imagination.
"Will you send her away ?" l per-
listed. "You must choose between
Is"
"Send away your sister, woman OF
Ter age, who has not relative In Eng
and, after all she has done for me
send her out of my house as l would
ervant who had robbed us-is that your
wish ?n he asked incredulOusly.
Eyes, she must &C or >" awnsered
loggedly.
SThen, Helen, cannot consent.
hall think the matter over; but to day
It any rate cannot tell her that, since
he has served our purpose, she can CO."
l looked up at him.
"Then let her stay,"I said. "Per-
,aps l am wrong but, right or wrong,
t does not matter. Let her st ~"
He would have petted and careSsed
ne. but | could not bear 1t. | kissed
lim once as we kiss the dead, and
eft him.
l thought my cup Of bitterness was
'uIl; it had yet to be set flowing over.
As Hugh's love and mine fickered
md went out, my baby, by some subtle
influence, faded, blighted by l could
rot tell what. The gray-black eyes, so
ike Hugh's, lost their lustre, the little
lands grew thin and feverish, the burn
nD lins turued from food. and q suf-