The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-09-20

my assent, then fled to my own room, and clasp
ing Leoline IN my arms, cried in passionate an
guish:
''For your sake, my baby, and for your faith
ers; but oh, my darling, if we could only die to-
gether!"
Perhaps, had death seemed near to me in any
way, | would not have been SO willing to 20; but,
despite my fragile appearance, / was young and
healthy, and there was little danger Just then of
my wild wish being granted; but God knows l
meant u at the time, for my anguish was more.
1t seemed to me, than could bear and live.
My marriage morning dawned, and / knelt be
side the altar; the words were spoken that made
me Vance Eldridges wife, and all the time there
rose before my eyes the stately vessel that had
gone down with GUY my Guy, 1 called still,
despite the terrible story 1 had heard.
The ceremony was over, and white as my
bridal robes stood, and it seemed to me my
senses were leaving me and then in the midst of
US stood the dark eyed stranger Of the cottage.
manufacturing as an empress she stood, and
Nances face paled, as clear and triumphant her
voice rang out:
7 can speak nowl' she cried. 'My unhappy
brother is dead, free from your power, Vance
Eldridge, whom I knew as Guy Ashton. Child, +"
turning to me, 'you were Guy Ashton's wife,
for he never put ring on woman's finger before
ne welded you; but that man." pointing to
Vance, took his name, and under it married a
child IN years-a proud, passionate, loving child,
whose very soul at the time went into his keep
ing
Vance never spoke a word, but a s~neering
smile crossed his face as the woman continued:
HE tired of her, however, and deserted her,
and she dared not push her claims nor follow
MIN, and Why's Because her brother, led into
gambling by this same man, forged his name for
a cheque, and the villain, who purposely lured
the boy into the commission Of the crime, held
the proofs of it in his possessions; but the un-
happy youth is dead, and / am here to tell the
truth.
1T is rather late,n Vance said, 'sfor this lady
IS already my wife; for, acknowledging the whole
story true, my first wife, your sister, whom /
married ten years ago, is dead almost a year.
Ny marriage with this lady is perfectly legal;
the story | told her-well, all is fair in love or
war, and-Violet, Violet, my wife, you will par
don me for the love / bear you.
| shrank back, white and shuddering. | was
his wife, yet triumphant through it all rang the
thought. Guy had not wronged or deceived me.
Guy had been my husband.
In the midst of it all | thanked God for that.
My child, my Leoline, bore rightfully her name.
She was the legal heiress of the Grange.
The next instant there rang through the build
ing the clear, musical laugh Of the stranger, and
at the sound of that laugh Vance started and
looked at her.
''She is not your wife, my dear husband, for I
am lnez Vanessa, instead of Assunta. Oh,
man! could your eyes deceive you thus2 Could
such a simple disguise make you a fool2 Has six
years so changed the girl you professed to love
that such a fmsy thing as a crown of raven hair,
a dash of olive paint, could mislead youg Seer
-AS ~ 4OAASAI bA1O VIA n a O. Oh OAC
ground, and a sponge had wiped the liquid off
her face, and she stood before us like, yet unlike,
the beautiful dark woman she had been.
You know me now-I am 1nez, your wife,
and the eremony between you and that child
there is neither more nor less than idle words,
for | can prove my identity. 1t was Assunta
that died a year ago-net / When / came here
I learned your plans, and in this disguise 1
watched You, but | dared not speak till to-day,
but to-day l have thwarted you
Course VOU!o he cried. aSh6 drew a niStOl from
his pocket and fired straight at her heart.
l not what iHnpelled me, but I sprang be
tween them.
1 felt a sharp pain in my side, andtnen knew
no more.
When I woke to life again-oh, the joy Of that
awakening! for Guy, my own, my husband, was
bending over me.
Was it only my senses that deceived me, or
closed my eyes. When I opened them he
was gone.
'tGuy! Guyi Guy!n I cried.
Then Inezas beautiful face was bent over me.
rAh, tell me, did / only drean?n
Something in her face made the question die
on my lips.
Keep quiet, Violet. Can you
Guy lives! He was saved! Where-where-s
Here, my love-my darling wife,
l was in the arms of my husband.
When grew a little stronger they told me all
the story Of Guys escape, and of the long
months he had lain helpless in a faroff land,
and / listened to all with Leoline in my arms,
my head on my husbands breast.
Then they told me another story-that Vance
was dead and buried, and before his death Mrs.
Cassin had confessed he was her son, whom she
had put in the place of little Vance Eldridge,
whose nurse she had been, and who had died in
his infancy.
They told me he had died by his W hard,
and | listened, pale with horror, but-ah, the
world is selfish, and I as well, for am I not in
my husbands arms, and the past seems already
fading away.
AS time passed the one temptation of my life
was almost forgotten, and another ehild came to
keep my Leoline company.
a dark. haired boy is now almost as tail as my
yellow-haired girl, and the last littIe one that
came to me / have called Inez, after the beauti-
full woman who ever since has made the grange
her home.
Her home it will be for a little longer still, but
only for a little, for last night a slender ring
g~listened on her finger. When she told me his
name | bent and kissed her.
There never was one of his lame unworthy
of woman's love- E said; and Guy, who has
known him all his life, repeated my words. when