Bridgeton pioneer., 1884-01-17

one CnlnS tnA5 StareO eacn Oh LneSe people
in the face was life long and inevitable
separation.
al have deceived him, said the wife,
with such cold anguish of repentance as
could only come of detection. she will
never believe me nor love me again"
"Is this thing truea" asked Tregarthen,
coldly. Her aspect was enough to convict
her, and he turned away. Icy as he was to
look at, he was afraid of himself, and felt
that he was not to be trusted with many
words. He would go away, therefore, and
would think how best to bear himself in
this terrible and unsuspected condition of
| affairs. He had not gone far when it came
into his mind that the condition of affairs,
however unexpected it might be, was scarce
ly so terrible as it had seemed at first. He
began to think how strongly he had spoken
when, as it now appeared, his wife had
wished to take him into her confidence.
After all, there was no sin or shame in hav-
| ing been an actress. Colonel Pollard had
said things Of that very Miss Churchill,
| with whom his wife was now identified,
which were hideous if true or possible; but
he knew them to be false The more he
thought about it the more he was persuaded
anew Of what he had always known as only
q lover knows anything-the purity of his
wife's mind and history. She had deceived
him in one matter; but then he had forced
deception upon her. And, after all, they
were man and wife, and he loved her as he
had never loved anybody in his life before,
OF could hope to love a second time. The
revelation he had surprised was thing to
be made the best Otto be understood and
accepted once for all, and then buried and
forgotten
This resolution was not arrived at in q
hurry, and it took him an hour or two to
put himself into the new mental attitude
necessary to its acceptance. When he had
succeeded he went home and awaited Mrs.
Tregarthens return, intending q serious
conference and perfect understanding.
When he took her back to confidence there
should be no lingering doubt in his mind.
She should know all that had been charged
against Miss Churchill, and she should deny
it, and there should be an end of the cpl
sode. He was not shaken in his belief in
his wife's honor, apd if she had not given
him all her confidence it was because she
had thought it would imperl his love for
her.
"Has Mrs. Tregarthen returneda" hs
asked the servant who admitted him.
"No SIR"
"Let me know when she does So"
eyes, SIR"
He sat long time silent and alone, and
there came into his mind the not too deli
cate commentators bestowed upon Miss
Churchill by the captain and his echo, the
lieutenant. He went with them into the
theater, and the magic of the beautiful
voice touched him again. He went anew
through his pleasant fancies of her. and his
defense of her against Pollard, and his first
meeting with her, and his second, and his
thlrd-all the story of his courtship fioated
through his mind-and he would have sworn
to her immaculate purity, or would have
died to prove his faith in it.
1t grew dusk, and the early summer moon
was already shining with a ghostly silver
gleam in the darkening violet of the sky.
fears began to rise in his mind, and he pic
tured the delicate sensitive thing in shame
and soreness of heart over this pardonable
secrecy of hers, hiding herself and fearing
to approach him. He remembered how he
had asked his question, " Is this thing truea"
ana how, without word from her in an
swer, he had turned away and left her.
His fears began to rise higher and to take
one or two horrible forms, which presented
themselves persistently.
1t neither increased nor dissipated these
fears when he had run down to the Gate of
the Sea and had learned that she had left
the island two or three hours ago, and had
returned to the mainland sending the boat
men back to await his pleasure He took
MS seat In the boat at once and bade the
men give way. Before they were half
across the narrow waters he could see his
own house on Gorbay Head, and could
make out that the one light which twinkled
In it came from his wife's room. His heart
seemed almost to fly from his body as he
sent before him his message of forgiveness
and affection; and when the noise of the boat
ground against the shingle he left the little
poat with leap, and ran to the house in
haste. man-servant met him with an
unlnterested face, and handed him letter
on salver.
Mrs. Tregazthen ordered this to be given
you, sir, on your return" he said.
'Where is Mrs. Tregarthen?n asked the
husband
She went up town, sir, by the sevenex-
press, returned the servant.
Alone!" inquired his master, turning
away to hide his face and trifing with the
letter in his hands.
Took Miss Farmer with her, strand
the maid"
Ihe servant followed him into the room
he entered, and there turned up the lamps
and laid hands upon a trife or two upon
the sideboard and the table.
ou may CO." said his master, quietly.
N AAA''AA io9Ieu, anu lregarthen sat
down by the er-table, drew the lamp
closer, and opened the envelope For a
Time the slender letters danced before his
eyes, and he could not make out a word.
but In while he mastered himself and be,
gan TO read What he read was incober-
ent and agonized. 1t was written in haste
with biots and erasures, and there were
pllsters upon the paper where the WRITER'S
tears had fallen. She had known her own
unworthiness in keeping her secret all
along, she wrote, but she had never dared
TO tell him what her past life had been
AND now he had discovered her duplicity
ana wlckedness, and she could not bear to
face HIM She had gone away, and she
legged MN to forget her. But she loved
MN, and she prayed Heaven to bless him.
!here was much more to this effect and
whlie he read, the shadow of horrible
doubt fell closer and darker round his
neart' What was there in the mere discoy-
cry, taken by itself, to excite such ane7lisb
US Une letter .1iSDlaVed3 What