The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-08-21

uINpI sbHI IfIIDIVdi III itif', tJu yOuI
saws of eternal ccnstancy."
1T is false. | never engaged myself
to yon,' exclaimed Edith. with height
rncd color, "and ii yon please, Mr..
Balfour. l desire TO pass as am ex-
perting my husband every minute.
He went on, mnttering about death
bed marriages and the colonel OF dra-
soons. Nothing exceedingly compli-
mentary. however.
As Edith recognized the staiwart.
manly form Of the Colonel approaching
now, she felt sac from further annoy
ance.
4 couple Of weeks later, as Edith
was sitting nursing Il severe headache.
and gazing from her chamhe. WINDOW.
Erie came bounding III with, Come,
Edith, love; We are going to have Il
ramble, and ! want Won for my part
ner."
Edith pleaded heatlacle, and told
him to not nope mt home with her, rs she
wished him to enjoy himself with the
rest.
lie went with them. agains. his will,
Edith gazing after them rs they disap-
peared among the foliage Of the trees
"What capital idea it would be-"
she said to herself, TO meet her hus-
band when he would be returning, and
claim his partnership the rest OF the
way home
She tied OH her hat, ran lightly
down the steps, and was som hnrrying
along the lane toward the babbling
brook, where she determined to await
him.
She had not heen sitting there long,
when she heard his familiar step, ac-
oompanied by another lighter one. Be-
ing screened by huge oak from the
path, she could not see any one pass
ing by without arising to her feet, and
being exposed to the others observa-
ton.
He was talking earnestly, answered
ut intervals by sweet, silyery voice.
As they drew nearer, and she was about
to make her presence known, she was
rooted to the spot by hearing her own
name spoken, and this is what she
heard:
Eric Lennox, All, heaven! / saw
you yesterday. l knew You at once.
And vou-oh, You have not, cannot
have forgotten your love, Alice Rut-
landm came in joyous. dulcet tones
from the lips OF the beautiful Lady
Alice Vandeleur.
| II remember Lady Alice Nandelenr.
The mellow voice of Eric Lennox
uuivered with the strong emotion Sc
suddenly called into lie, which he was
stcrnly controlling pain, anguish, pity,
for her, for himself, the phantom, and
the phantom only, Of the past.
But what wonder that tho miserable
listener utterly mistook it all, Then
Lady Alice's voice came again:
/ "Whv do You torture mo SO? lor
knew month ago that was free, for ]
sent You that paper. Yes, Eric, dared
to bridge the gulf which l knew sov
would he too proud to cross. and
knew that we both loved still, and
Alice. Alice In pitt, for honor.
sake, spare rs both" he said, hoarsely
1T comes ten years too late. ! am mar
ricd"
There was 4 sharp, bitter cry from
Alice. then Edith heard her husban,
say, sadly:
For honor's sake, farewell. Alice;
but she did not hear him add: Il love
my wife too well to wrong her in an,
| way.
Edith fell with her tall, slender
figure at full length upon the grass
She did not faint. but lay moaning an,
writhing in humiliated agony. "rt
think that he had married her out o
pity, and loved another all that time !.
And now comes the sequel.
Edith was sitting that evening upol
the hearth-rng, gloomy and despond
ent, when her husband entered til,
room. She shrank involuntarily iron
his caresses, which lie attributed to th
only cause that he could think OF, tn,
meeting with Cyril Balfour.
Edith" he said. in tone of al
guish. i was in hopes, until to-day. tina
you would learn to love me. But If yo1
still regret having married me | will e
away, and you will then be f.e..'
"Oh, no, no! that would break m,
heart. It is at the thought Of your no
loving ME which tortures me so.' The
she related to him what she had over
heard.
my darling my wife, he es
claimed, huskiiy. 1t is you, and yo
alone. whom / love!'
i