Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1884-11-22
who that moment stepped into the

who that moment stepped into the
sunshine.
'sThat is my wife, Guy he said
Is she not beautiful enough t,
make pardonable my nsesaliancc, as
they call it -
Beautiful enough! All, Heavens!
Yes, for that moment | saw the per-
| feet features, the crown of wavy
hair, the crimson curving lips of the
woman / had Lowell. The lovely
dark eyes of my false wife were look
ling into mine.
A sharp cry left my lips.
Ny eyes did not deceive me. Clad
in silken robes and costly lace, Arelie
stood before me.
Stood before me only for mo
ment-and then saw her lips grow
white, her face grow pallid, heard the
law, frightened cry, saw the passion
ate, pleading look-the next moment
she had thrown up her hands and
fallen at our feet.
My brother Looked at me.
"You have frightened her, Guy,
By the way you looked at her.
think you must be crazy. You did
not seem to know what you were do
ing.
He lifted Arelic in his arms and
carried her to the house while l fol-
lowed, almost doubling the whole
occurrence.
First went to my fathers room
and gave him the drops / had gone
for, then went down to the library
to seek Vernon and tell him Arelie's
story and mine.
/ entered by the side door and
came face to face with Arelie, who
held an open paper in her hand.
What do you intend to do p she
said, the paper dropping from her
fingers, which l saw at glance was
my fathers will, for he owned other
wealth beside the ebtailed estate.
AT this instant a servant entered,
and Arelie stole out without hearing
my answer.
l left the library then as well, and
went out into the grounds, walking
up and down in deep thought, when
the sweep of dress told me some
one was near, and | turned to meet
her again.
"You will spare me, Gnyf You
will not betray me - she cried, clasp
ing my arm.
| shook her off.
"Do you think | would be party
to your crime ~ | said.
But still | shrank from telling Yer
non, for he was perfect devil when
his temper was aroused.
Meet me here tomorrow night
l said, and | will give You my de-
cision but, Arelie, dare ttE attempt
my fathers life again, and as sure
as there is a God above me. / will
hand you over to the law. Oh, wo-
man, could you not wait for wealth
and position few short years 7"
l did not dream that at this mo-
ment PAIR Of eyes-Vernon's eyes,
dark with suddenborn jealous rage
were fixed upon us; but Arelie
must have seen them.
She pushed me back.
You must not tempt me to leave
my husband, Guy Howard" she
cried. Vernon, where are you, to
save me from this mani"
You would steal my wife from
me, you scoundrel v' l heard Yer
mons voice cry as he leaped forward
beside US. But l will send bullet
through your cowardly hearth
/ saw pistol CLEAN in the air. l
felt a sharp, sudden pain in my side,
then as fell / thought / heard a
woman's scream and the second re-
port of the pistol, and then Iremem-
bered no more.
When | awoke to consciousness
again was what | am now-the
lonely master of all this vast estate,
for l had been tco late to save my
fathers life, and as Vernon had rails
the revolver the trigger had caught
in an oyerhanging bough and the
other bullet had entered his own
heart.
| never married again, never
woOed nor welded another! People
call me misanthrope, but never.
thank God, a cynic. and wonder why
it is so, but none ever dream of what
Vernon's wife had been to me.
/ never married, though / was at
liberty to do so, for after my recovery
Archie went away, and four years
after | looked upon her dead face, all
It's beauty marred, all its delicate per-
lection goue by the life she had led.
This is the story of Fleming Hall,
and the reason why l, its master,
have never been charmed again BIZ
the light of woman's eyes, nor won
by smile on her lips.