Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-01-25
CALLED BACK.
A wen-Told Story Of Continuous
and Absorbing Interest
BIZ HUGH CONWAY.
CHAPTER XN.-CoNTINuEp.

CHAPTER XV.-CoNr1NuEp.
Tomorrow l would tell her all. I
would tell her how strangely our lives
became linked. l would plead for her
love more passionately than ever man
yet pleaded. Iwould prove to her how
innocently l had fallen into Ceneri's
schemes-how free from blame was
in wedding her whilst her mental state
was such that she was unable to refuse
consent All this she should learn, and
then would hear my doom from her
lips.
Iwould urge no plea based upon my
legal right to my wife. So far as 1
could make her she should be free.
Nothing should bind her to me except
love. If she had none to give me l
would tear myself from her, and at her
wish see if steps could not be taken to
annul the marriage-but whether she
elected to remain my wife in name, to
become my wife in reality, or to sever
every tie, her future life. with or with
out her knowledge, should be my care.
By this time tomorrow my fate should
be known.
Having settled this l should have re-
tired to rest: but l was in no mood for
sleep. Again and again l recalled her
last words and commenced one of those
weighings of hopes and fears which
always means self-torture. Why, if
haI . ft.a y,rth ho1 ha
not asked me about it? How could she
spend hour after hour with me,
knowing she was my wife, yet not
knowing how she became so? Would
her words admit of the Interpretation
that she dreaded what she had to learn?
Did she wish for freedom and continual
forgetfulness? So, on and on until l
made myself quite miserable.
Many a man on the eve of learning
whether his love is to be accepted or
rejected has been racked as | was that
night. but surely no lover save myself
ever lived who was to receive the mo-
mentous answer from the lips of
woman who was already his wife.
The hour was late when returned
from my solitary walk. Ipassed Pau
lines window, and standing gazing up
at it l wondered if she, too, were lying
awake and thinking and deciding about
our future lives. All, well, tomorrow
would put us both out of suspense.
The night being still and warm her
window was open at the top. Before l
turned away a fancy seized me. I
picked rose from a bush in the gar
den and managed to toss it through the
open sash. She might find it in the
morning and guessing from whom it
came might wear it. 1t would be a
good omen.
The blind shivered as the rosebud
struck it; then, fearing discovery, I
turned and fled.
The morning broke fair. l rose with
hope in my heart and secuted the fears
OF the night At the earliest moment /
could hope to find her l started in
search of Pauline. She had Just gone
out / ascertained in which way, and
followed her.
found her walking slowly, with her
head bent. She greeted me with her
usual quiet sweetness, and we walked
on side by side. | looked in vain for
nE rose; and was fain to comfort my
self by thinking it must have fallen
where she could not see it. Neverthe-
hess, was troubled.
And there was worse in store for me.
Her hands, ungloved and with the
fingers interlaced, were carried in front
of her | was walking on her left side.
and | saw that the hand nearest me
was denuded of its rings. The golden
circlet which had shone until now like
a beacon of hope, had disappeared. My
heart sank. The meaning was only too
clear; when coupled with her words of
last night, who could fail to understand
y Although she knew herself to be
nv wife she wished to throw the yoke
side. Pauline loved me not-the truth
which was gradually creeping from the
misty past would bring her sorrow-
low that she remembered, she wished
% forget The rings were cast aside to
how me, if possible, without words,
hat she was not to be my wife.
How could l speak now? The answer
had been given before the question had
been put
She saw me looking at that little
white hand of hers, but simply dropped
her lashes and said nothing. No doubt
The wished me to spare her the pain OF
IN explanation. If | could nerve my
self to it, perhaps the best thing would
be to leave her as speedily as possible
leave her to return no more.
Moody and despondent as / felt at
the discovery just made, it was not
long before found a great change in
Pauline's manner. She was not the
same. Something had come between
US, something which entirely dispelled
the old friendly intercourse; changing
it into little more than conventional
politeness. Shyness and constralnt
now made themselves manifest in every
word and action - perhaps, in mine
also. We spent the day together as
usual, but the companionship must have
been irksome to both, so greatly was
its footing changed for the worse. That
night | went to bed wretched. The
orfze had striven for seemed to be
snatched away just as l had hoped to
win it.
So several days passed. Pauline
made no sign, OF certainly none l could
construe favorably. ! could bear thus