The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1884-05-09

HIS back was turned TO Mr.. Eyre.
across whose features an expression Of
love dashed as he looked ut the man
whom, next to Madcap, he loved better
than anything on earth.
And now Tor the future,o he said.
$50 long as that woman is in the village
there is no safety, and the other may be
in Jail here some days longer. have
already taken steps TO get her removed,
while, l suppose, the other won't leave
herr"
mo" said Frank, thinking of those
two despa!ring figures, locked in each
others arms, that he had seen over
night; "they are bound together by q
common misery; they have only one an.
other in the world"
Good God, Frank" burst out Mr..
Eyre; you know l was ignorant of the
chain OF events that led TO this awful
fatality. II the woman had only told
me the truth when left her. the whole
thing would have been averted."
Frank turned-no longer as Madcap's
savior, Testers champion, he looked at
Mr.. Eyre; but rs man to man, acknOwl-
edging as only q man can, the tempta-
tions beneath which his fellow has
stumbled.
For man cannot change his nature
because single passion has called out
all that is best and noblest in him; so
much the more as its object is beyond
his reach, so much the more struggle to
keep that purity at fever heat is need.
ed. And Frank had been no Simon
Pure, having erred and fallen like
weaker men, hating himself always, and
looking back to that might have
been," which is oftener fount of Bit
terness than source of future moral
development.
1t was on that ground of common
brotherhood that he took Mr.. Eyre's
hand and cried, You didn't know-and
I'll stand by you through it till they are
gone"
And after?" exclaimed Mr.. Eyre.
"Pll go back to India and stay there
a dozen years or sO-perhaps the county
will have forgotten the story by then. "
Eyre, what is popular rumOr, public
opinion to you? We love you-and you
love us-remain, and let us all be happy
together"
"In Arcadia we might be-" said
Frank bitterly, "but here-no, I could
tell lie for her-but to remain-tO see
her every day and not love her-it is be-
yond my strength; and people will talk, t"
the young fellow added abruptly.
Let them" said Mr.. Eyre indiffer-
emily, for he knew his friends heart as
well as his wife's, and discerned danger
in neither, land as to the county-it
shall stand cap in hand to you yet"
Il don't want the county, said Frank,
to whom the name of his honor matter
ed nothing. while the honor itself was
his own, land l can't stay-as soon as
she is safe, CO."
And if she is still in danger-if you
can secure her happiness by remaining
you will stayY" said Mr.. Eyre.
II will stay" said Frank, reluctantly.
''Her happiness before everything"
said Mr.. Eyre, 'all must give way to
that-your life or mine as nothing in
comparison with it-this to be persisted
in to the end"
ITO the end" cried Frank, with no
suspicion of that to which he was
swearing himself.
But l must see her." said Mr.. Eyre;
II mean the woman, Hester Clarke.
You will arrange for me to meet her
somewhere in your own grounds after
dark. will repair the wrong unwit-
tingly done; but on certain terms.
to induce her to remain"
1t never crossed Mr.. Eyre's mind that
Hester might love him still. Love that
is not valued mostly knocks at the door
in beggars' guise, and is refused admit
lance, while we set the door wide for
what comes tardily, its footsteps beat
ing on our hearts.
my wife asked nae an odd question
about Darlington" resumed Mr. Eyre.
'She thought he went to her after the
marriage-yO,T supposed marriage-and
asked the woman not to interfere. lie
always liked her, and l told another lie,
and said it was he. Poor Darlington,
he never had the heart or sense to con-
ceive the idea. But why didn't you
write and tell me?" he added suddenly.
You were happy" said Frank, land
she loved you. 1 let well alone, believ-
ing that you would never hear more of
Hester. She neither knew your name
nor home. 1t was the fatal curiosity of
her servant, Janet Stork, that brought
about the whole catastrophe"
'Heaven knows how she traced me;''
said Mr.. Eyre, who was walking to and
fro; Through some mark on my linen,
probably, or dropped letter."
"What is her sentence?" said Frank,
WuO udu odb uOWu WcdIlly, do IIOuBu,
on the brink of battle, his courage had
failed him.
Fifteen years." said Mr.. Eyre, who,
feeling himself to be once more master
of his own fate, hardly needed Franks
detection.
"And if Hester refuses to go2" said
Frank.
'Oh, she WON'T" said Mr.. Eyre care
lessly, in the tone of q man who has
never learned the meaning of the word
defeat; and something Of Franks old
admiration returned as he looked at the
dauntless, resolute face, that had once
seemed to him the noblest upon earth.
Don't take Madcap's anger to heart"
said Mr.. Eyre suddenly; lit will wear
itself out, and she loves you dearly.
You'll help me to guard her against any
meeting with Hester. When I'm not
beside her. you will be-"
mo-" cried Frank passionately, II
can't face her scorn. Don't ask me to
approach her; will keep Hester away,
and guard her-but from distance"
'Pshawl" said Mr.. Eyre; "you make
the sacrifice, then shrink from a mere
nothing; it is her love for you, and lit.
tie womanly jealousy that makes her SC
bitter; but that will pass. And now
you'll arrange for me to see the woman
the soOnpr the better (.OOd-Dy