New Ulm weekly review., 1884-11-26
it!'' he cried passionately; mo woman
could do BY man as you have done by

..As long as l live,'' Rena thought,
81 will never flirt with anyone again. =
Fred Mercer fell on his knees beside
her. Her handsome face was white.
The despair and entreaty of his looks
were frightful to see.
.'You do-you must love ma'' he
said once more.
Rena turned away her head.
mo" she answered again; t.no. If
marrying you would right the wrong I
have done you, would be your wife.
But you know as well as I do that no
woman could wrong a man more than
by marrying him when she did not
love him.
.'But will teach you to love me.
ooh, no, no; forgive me-"
He rose to his feet.
II will never forgive your he said
bitterly; ''you have done me wrong
for which you can make no atonement
except the one of becoming my wife.
You will not do that-very well. You
have ruined my life, and you did it de-
liberately. You tried to do it. If ever
the time comes when can make you
suffer as you have me, I will do it. =
And then he was gone. Rena
Grange was alone. She was very pale,
she shivered and looked frightened.
Then in moment her color began to
come back, and she smiled nervously.
'Im sorry, and l didn't mean it
should 90 so far, /" she said. .'But who
would have thought he would take it so
hard? AS for making me suffer, /
don't know how he ever can
| But after what had happened she felt
q strange reluctance to meet him, and
it did not seem to her she could ever
look Mrs. Mercer in the face.
She went the very next day to make
Compromised visit to some friends
who lived in a distant part of the
country.
/ When she returned, some months
later, it was to get ready to be married.
She had found her fate at last. She
loved with all the strength of her
nature John Arundel, the man she was
/ going to marry.
The MERGERS had gone away, no ono
knew where, and Rena felt herself the
cause. But with her rcmorse for that
mingled an undeniable sense of re-
lief that they were gone.
She married in due time, and went
away on the bridal-tour.
One afternoon, as she sat looking
from the window of the hotel where
they were stopping for day or two,
she saw lady and gentleman come in.
They were Fred Mercer and his
mother. Both were very much altered,
she saw, even in the brief glimpse she
got of them as she drew back quickly,
her face white.
Had they seen her?
In five minutes she knew. Some one
knocked. 1t was Mrs. Mercer. She
spoke very coldly and hurriedly.
''My son is just out of the insane
asylum she said! "His father was
so; he killed himself. I ought to have
told you, but could not bear to tell
anyone. The doctors pronounce Fred
cured, but he is very excitable. Rena,
don't let Fred see you. I'm afraid he
has already, for he positively refuses to
leave the hotel.''
'1He sha' mt see me,' Rena answered,
her white and trembling lips refusing
to utter another word.
The conviction smote her that he had
seen her, and that he would try to
speak with her. She had not forgotten
his last words:
IF I can ever make you suffer as
you have me, will do it.
Her husband was asleep in the next
room. She passed into it, and stood
looking at him.
! A fair frank-faced man he was, with
curly brown hair, and lips that smiled
olr L
other of whom she was thinking with
such dread.
'H he ever does hurt me, it will be
through you, my darling" she thought.
One window of this room looked
upon small fower-garden belonging
to the hotel. AS she stood she raised
her eyes to it, and she saw Fred Mercer
standing on the terrace outside, and
gazing into the apartment. With one
hand he held the curtain back, with
the other he motioned her to come to-
wards him.
Involuntarily she went, though his
death-white face, his glittering black
eyes, turned her sick with fear. Was
he mad again? Oh, if her husband
would only wake!
Her visitor loosed the curtain and
laid cold hand upon her bare and
shrinking arm.
1--WE come to keep my word, . he
said in whisper. .'That is your hus-
band there, is it not?'' and he took q
pistol slowly out of his breast and
! pointed it at the sleeping man. utter
one sound" he said, .,'and shoot. y
But the caution was needless. Rena
was too frozen with horror to either
speak or move.
"You love him, l supposep'' he went
on. cat last, at this moment, you
suffer some, at least, of those pangs
you once made me endure. I"
Rena could not have moved or
spoken if she had tried.
/ She just stood and stared at him,
and wished John would wake, and
prayed inwardly with all her soul:
s'Dear God, don't let me faint. IT
isn't John who fsiss to blame, but me,
and you know am wicked girl bet
ter than can tell you.'
1 Which was indeed very true.
] However, to;make long story short,
Rena Arundel did faint, and her hus-
band was awakened by the sound of
her falling.
/ Fred Mercer stood inside the room
now.
II am an old acquaintance Of your
wife" he said in answer to his stare of
amazement. ''She was standing at
the window talking to me, when some
thing frightened her and she tainted.
/ At this moment Rena opened her
| eyes.
She was in her husbands arms, and
! he was saying to Fred Mercer in very
stern voice:
II know all about you. The best
thing you can do is to leave
Rena shuddared, but to her amaze
ment Mercer instantly passed through
the low window, and, standing out
side, turned and looked at her.
81 bep Mrs. John Arnndels pardon