Smyrna times., 1885-05-13


to a marvellous fitness, he acknowledge
ed her acting perfect.
Only to him who knew it to be acting
was there involved no danger. But was
he, intrenched in his own fortress,
making the girl feel9 Was he gaining
the power to make her suffer? Once
his, he would employ it ruthlessly, but
first he must know that he possessed it.
Sometimes he turned III moment from
warmth into coldness She made no
comment on his change Of mood. Some
times he feigned indifference to her
presence Indifferent STILL when the
other moths, kept i'll obeyance by his
superior stronghold, futtered round the
candle; but, save by little tired look,
he saw from his covert and distant
observation in her eyes, she welcomed
his return to her. all unquestiOning his
absence. He found himself growing
irritated, almost angry.
"Win you drive with me this after
noon?" she asked him this morning.
eyes, he replied.
And at five o'clock, a perfect little
! trap stood waiting its mistress occu-
pancy-the horses otwing impatiently,
while the grooms held their heads, and
he, lounging near, waiting Miss Field
ing's advent.
Fifteen twenty minutes passed, and
she did not come. The half-hOur had
struck before with hasty apology for
her delay sho ,oolI her seat, and gather
ing up the reins in her little gloved
hand gave the ponies an impatient
touch of the whip, which made the
grooms scramble for his place behind
almost Waterloo.
Max quic ley observing her, noted
that her face W unusually pale, and
although there WIS no redness about
her eyes, he could have fancied there
had been recent tears there. However,
she talke merrily and brightly, as was
her wont, and soon the sea air brought
back the color to her cheek and chased
the latent look of sadness from her
eyes.
"What a lovely sky" she exclaimed,
as a sudden turn in the road brought
them in full view of sky and ocean, and
at that moment the sunset gun doomed
from the fort.
The horses made sharp swerve. The
, road was very narrow, with large boul-
ders on either side. Almost before any
, one could realize how or when it was
DONE the wheel of the pheaton had
struck one of these, and the girl totally
unprepared to resist the shock, was
l thrown heavily to the ground. Almost as
rapidly, Max was beside her
, For the instant he thought her dead.
r Her head had struck small stone, and
4 q tiny stream of blood was trickling
1 from her temple, making her pallcr
s more ghasty The thought that she
might be dead came to him with a
< sickening awfulness. Death and this
r bright beautiful being seemed so wide
d assunder; and yet in n moment, perhaps
= they had been united; but almost will
d the dreadful fear came its relief.
n She opened the lovely eyes, and the
white lips quivered while she made {
Is feeble motion to rise. He drew brand,
e flask from his pocket, and made he
Irink then when she had grown little
y stronger, he lifted her into the carriage
u and supporting her with one arm, drove
10 slowly home.
% As they approached the hotel sh
called strength into action, and gaining
~ the first entrance, escaped with bu
.! little assistance into the house. b,
IA mutual consent they made no mention
of the accident
% For a day or so she was confined t
u her room, but when she reappeared
ID save that she was a little paler, she hat
u never before looked more lovely.
10 81 thank you so much, Mr.. Elliot
'l- for your kind care of me, she said, a
they stood together on the moonli
iis piazza.
'a' "Do not mention it." he answere
90 coldly.
70 These past few days had been file
, to strange experience. His reveng
ne had grown distasteful to him he tOl
himself. 1t could not mend Fred
'g- broken heart, and his own could onl
~" harbOr scOrn.
The next week he saw but little
Miss Fielding He avoided her wheI
hB ever he could do 50, although he notice
GU she was growing wan and pale.
oi ''What are you doing, Max Elliot
ID asked Mrs. Redfern, one morning,
aai AZ, she came upon him seated by an OPT
,ld window of the long drawing room.
told you once that Nora Fielding's fau
rcd lay not in her non possession of heal
IL, but that no man had touched it. l cou
NO. not say so to-day. Have yOu no scru
=, les, no remuHse?"
-. "NOne. If what you tell me be tru
md 1 should only exult. What could ft
not but scorn for n woman who could lead
,oss man on to wrecking his life at her fee
"a But You need have no fear. Miss Fie
rld ingis a capital actress, that is all.
Mark what l say-you will reci
MN those words, " prophesied the little n
~ /" trOn, sweeping angrily away.
ard "Neverl" mentally eiaculated
n a man, vaulting through the low wind
to the piazza, with sudden feeli
a. that the house stihed him, but !
vos prepared to find himself fAce to Fl
the with Miss Fieldings self.
der She had been sitting with IN OF
hito book disregarded in her lap,
the eyes gazing seaward, and she had hei
her of necessity every syllable which /
her been uttered.
her "Yes, have heard NIL, she said,
are. reply to his questioning look "N
No came here to revenge your friend,
Elliott. Wei your roven all
ren- complete. You say he suffered.
---- 4 ...., ,,,,.l Ia ,,,., ettfI NhV ahO