Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1884-08-21

she began, II was staying with nv
mother at MIR. Dents, about six miles
from here. 1t was there | met Mr..
Faulkner. | was foolish enough to
listen to him, and in less than week I
had promised to be Faulkner's wife. NV
mother objected; but was headstronQ
girl, as | am a self-willed woman, and
opposition only served to make me the
more positive that Faulkner was the
only man in whom I should ever find nv
ideal. We married in the spring, against
every ones wishes, and in a very few
weeks discovered that my husband was
lunatic."
ga lunatic! Faulkner a lunaticl Why
he is as sane as l am, said Horton. in
much amazement.
g 1t matters little whether the brain is
affected from the use of alcohol or from
hereditary disease" she answered; "the
effect is the same"
Frank thought of the array of bottles
on the supper table, and wondered
whether the beautiful woman's love for
Faulkner would be reawakened when
she learned how entirely he had re-
formed; but he made no observation, and
she went on.
TO give you an idea of Mr.. Faux.
ner's vile and disgraceful treatment OF
me were impossible. Suffice it to say
that his cruelty, his brutality, when he
was under the influence of drink, were
so excessive that my life was in danger,
and that when L had been married
scarcely year l fled abroad, carrying
with me my little baby only fortnight
Old. There | remained in strict seclu-
sion till about six months ago, when in
formation reached me that my husband
was dead, and l returned once more. l
still, however, lived under the name of
Madame Rose-my Christian name is
Rose-fearing that | might be in some
way prosecuted or annoyed by my late
husbands creditors, who were numer-
o1s. 1t was only in response to a very
pressing invitation from Mrs. Dent that
i was induced to break through my re-
tirement, and agreed to join, with my
little daughter, her party"
D." Your little daughter-is she also
here p asked Horton, who was utterly
staggered by the strangeness of the
story, and the surprising beauty Of the
woman. She raised curtain at the side
of the room, and showed him a sweet
little piece of loneliness, of about 4
years old, fast asleep. Pretty though
the child was, he looked from the
mothers face to hers and back again,
but could see no resemblance.
"She is like her father" he observed,
succinctly.
Madame Rose leant over the child and
kissed her. There were tears in her
eyes when she raised her head.
"For her sake, if not for mine, you
will save me from this m IN, Mr.. Horton.
Judge of my lorror Wien, believing in
the absolute safety # my supposed
widOwhood, | all of sudden met my
miscreant husband here alive in this
hotel. But you will protect me from
him, will you not ?"
"To the death |" answered Frank,
bravely, as he wondered what course to
pursue.
She dropped the curtain which con-
cealed the room where the child lay
sleeping, and they went back once again
to the fire in the sitting room.
You will stay with me for a time"
she said. "You won't leave me alone
here to my fears, for that man is cap
able of anything. He may even kill
me. He looked more mad than ever as
| saw him for a moment in the glass in
that room at the end of the passage,
where l had gone for a book"
Poor Frank ? Beauty may DO very
Intoxicating, but scarcely stands in the
place of good supper to hungry man.
Before, however, he had time to re-
fuse or accept her invitation to stay, o
knock came at the door.
She chung to him in a sort of wild ter
ror, He pointed to the curtain behind
which the baby lay, and motioned that
she should remain there while he gave
audience to the intruder. He opened
the door and went out into the passage
Faulkner was standing there with n
lighted candle in his hand. He looked
very white and haggard, but perfectly
sane and composed; in fact, Horton had
never known him to be otherwise, and
he felt that the account of his bygone
proceedings which he had just learned
from Madame Rose needed some explana-
ton from him.
"What has she told you, Frank I
must se4 her, he said, imperatively.
But Frank barred the door with one
arm as lie he'd Faulkner off
Coward villainl Would You per-
secute woman?' he cried, withia tyleat-
rieal air.
My dear fellow, you have known mo
tolerably intimately for the last two
years-have you ever proved me to be
otherwise than rather considerate of the
weaker sex p
Acting-mere acting !" vociferated
Frank, who was little carried away by
the responsible position in which
Madame Rose had placed him.
DO you know who the lady is that
is in that room ?" asked Faulkner. with
quiet dignity.
"She is Madame Rose"
MY dear Frank, you are lending
yourself, unwittingly, / believe, to a
great deception. Come away from the
door and let me speak to her. Since
YOU have elected yourself her champion
yen shall stand by if you like and hear
what have to say"
There was something so very quiet
and subdued in Faulkner's manner that
it could not fail to carry with it a strong
appearance of truth, added to which.
Frank Horton was his friend-had been
his friend for the last two years, and
had during that period believed him to
be an honorable and benevolent man.
He dropped his arm from the door,
but laid it on Faulkner's shoulder as
he looked him straight in the eyes.
How long since you have taken to
temperance drinks? p he asked.
Faulkner shook him off as he would
have done troublesome fly he was by
far the stronger man of the two.
My dear Frank, this is not the mo-
ment for foolish questions. Unjust speak
to that woman now, or the opportunity
may never recur. Let me through the
door, or, by Jove as sure as my name
is Dick Faulkner I'll"
A scream-such another scream as
Frank had heard once before that even
mg-issued from the interior of the
room. the door was flung open wide.
and Madame Rose. as she called herself.
stood on the threshold.
Had love conquered, when she heard
Faulkner's voice, the old love for the
man who had usurped the first place in
her heart?
Strange if it were so, after her confess
sion to Frank still stranger, since she
stood looking at him with a half-query-
ing. half-frightened look on her beauti-
full face.