, 1885-01-11
AFTER LONG YEARS


1AAAAAH 49, D0@"H - -
hotel took the hveliest interest In a party OF
three, who for the last two months had had
possession OF tho p~leasantsst rooms In tho
house and the most comfortable corner OF
the wide veranda This interest was likewise
awakened Immediately In the minds OF the
latest arrivals, a man and hts wife, evidently
tourists The man was unusually handsome,
with brilliant blue eyes. heavy dark hair
with reddish infections In the sun. strongly
marked dark eyebrows. and a reddish beard
and mustache, which concealed the do
fleets in tho lower part OF his face.
particularly tho straight lines of a cruel
mouth, and removed the effeminacy Of his
excessive beauty. His manner was so studi-
ously unconscious as to betray to q keen OBJ
server tho height OF CONSEQUENCES His wife
was perhaps ten years younger than be. Q fair
pretty woman OF six or even and twenty,
evidently very much in love with her hus-
band, and prone TO jealousy. Having seen
the Interested look her husband had given
the trio on the verandAh rs he got out OF the
stage, sha struck up an acquaintance with
her ~neighbor at table, and, by seemingly
careless, though really adroit questioning,
ELECTED a mall watering place history OF the
party who had attracted her husbands no
tice. To this she observed that be lent as at
tentive an ear as she did, though he seemed
absorbed In his dinner and the other CONVEX
sation going on round them
The man, she learned. was tho celebrated
blind author, John Rossitur. One OF the
ladies, the handsome, dark one, was his sis
ter, who had devoted her life TO taking caro-
Of her brother, being eyes, hands, every
thing, to him since ho bad become blind In
his 22d year, some ton or twelve years ago.
The other, the sIighter blonde In mourning,
was a Mrs Everson, q schoolmate and dear
friend Of Miss Rossitur, q widow who had
lately come from the cast, and had been
spending three or four months with her.
Gossip said that she would soon relinquish
the name of Evsrson for that Of Rossitur.
"The same name as ours. 1 wonder,
Julian" said the questioner TO her husband,
ST that can be your brother Georges widowl
You know / never nw her.
Every likely" replied the astute Julian; II
thought her face looked familiar. l will
ind out"
After dinner they went out on the veranda
and nav the Rossiturs and their friend still
seated in their pleasant corner. apparently
obliyious OF the world around them, nb-
sorbcd In themselves and the book which lay
in Mrs. Everson's lap
aStay here, Grnce, while l smoke my cigar,
and l will be back presently" said Julian,
establishing his wife In a chair just out OF
light Of the Rossiturs. At first he walked up
and down in front OF her; but presently
turned the corner. gradually extending his
range until he passed Mrs. Everson, and by
design, though apparently by accident,
brushed of her handkerchIef, which lay on
the arm OF her chair. As he restored 1t with
a courteous excuse, be saw from her start,
and the whiteness OF her lips as she glanced at
him, that she was for the first time aware OF
IL $500 n - H..t~ t.--lt-&~f. -
bis wife, and Mrs. Everson continued read
ing, but the keen ear Of the blind man de-
teo.ed the short breaths that she tried to
control.
Something has agitated you" he said, in
his deep, quiet voice. Don't read any
more
She closed the book, and a few moments
later Julian Everson and his wife saw her
hit past them and vanish into the house, like
d black shadow. But before she had sst foot
on the first stair, Julian stood in front OF her,
blocking her way.
Isabel" he said, gently, almost entreat-
ingly.
How dare you recognize met How dare
you speak to mef' was her answer.
II always dared what / wanted TO do; and
II is not like you to make scenes" he said,
quietly drawing her hand within his arm,
and leading her TO an upper balcony, where
they wore not likely TO be interrupted. as
this for met" he added, and touched the
Grape on her dress.
"Youl7 she flashed, contemptuously.
"You pass for n widow here, you know
be continued; zone Of those widows who
console themselves When is 1t 10 bet Does
he know Of my existence. He thanks God
piously for his affection, l hope, since it has
-4.4-u H.. 49,. -...I 1..~-4- ~I..~-
at seems that l have no protection from
your presence, " said Isabel, after a pause.
"But you can not enforce a right over my
actions or intentions. You lost that ave
years ago. You have not changed. Do you
pursue tho same course with your second
wife hat you did with mel-your second
wife, for whom you neglected, insulted,
abused me, until l left you In aheer despera-
ton. She married you. Is she meek, and
faithful, and lovingP
"GraeeI' said Julian, carelessly. YES,
she Il all that, and / am sick OF the whole
concerns; but she is happy enough II she
wasn't, she hasn't the spirit to run away. l
neuer thought you would, but for a very diff
feront reason; l thought you had too much
pride. You always gave out to the world
that you were 30 serenely content, / thought
nothing would ever induce you TO botray
that IL wal all a sham Perhaps l shouldn't
have gone SO far II ! had known. / believe
now that we might have been reconciled II 1t
had not been for your father. Our divorce
was all his doing. Why. you know l never
loved any women as well as i did you
as wen as / do now. / admire you
more than any woman l ever knew. There
has never been a day nor IN hour that you
haven't been before my eyes You origin
atty always fascinated me-, / confess; you
were SO utterly unlike other women. Half
my practicing on you was to see how you
would take it; and you never did what l ex-
pected."
sho received his fiattery like a stone; and
he suddenly changed his ono 10 one OF sup
pressed emotion.
isabel" he went on, show can / tell you,
how will you ever know, what / suffered
through the long hours of sleepless nights
after 1 went home and found you gonei ]
swear TO you that since that time I have
never touched drop. Haven'tyou one word
for meIn
you always put on the ~ieading-man man
ner extremely weI.n said Isabel, with q
sheer. II am glad Mrs. Everson has never
gone through with any Of those scenes that
make me recol, not only from you, but from
myself, that l should have had "a part in
~ NoAA uottAAa onAAN tuhb Ahat AIlNuF
full night ] spent under your roof, II She
broke OIL.
u know / was a iiend to you,p be said, In
a smooth, coaxing voice; shut you would moi
see me 10 let me tell you 80. Isabel, yer
loved mo too we'll 10 trust yourself. But 4
you had you would have forgiven me, and W.
should have been spared such a meeting Al
this"
"All this is to no purpose said Isabel
coldly. "Your preposterous, cold -heartet
vanity makes you false 70 your second wifi
aa you were false to me. / was your wifi
once; / am not yo,ar wife now, and this tall
between US is not only useless, 1t is wicked
As an unmarried man you used To boast O
o u conquests. and had your gallery O
a Remarkable Escape
Mrs. Mary A Daley, of Tunkhannock
N a. ID - IL