The Penn's Grove record., 1885-06-20

sIPnnr childrl WAS all he said.

derstood her grief, her loneliness, her
remOrse. But he could not comfort
her, He might not pass his hand over
the golden sheen of her hair; he might
not tell Ter that there was IN who
thought Of Ter and prayed for her
wherever she was; he never for an in
slant forgot that she was Claude Crau-
furi's wife.
But there came a revelation to her
as she grew calmer under the light
pressure of his hand. She had betray-
ed her misery and her secret, and with
that thought she shrank from him; and
he reading her hart, drew back.
"Forgive me?" she said b%rokenly.
sob, if l thought you could forgive the
pastl''
lie folded his arms aeross his breast,
and answered unhesitatingly--
az have no memory of the past-nO
hard thought of you. Heaven knows |
have never dreamed Of judging you"
No hard thought Of me-not even
nowl she said. "Then | will bear a
little longer-till she is grown up and
does not want me-"
He could not trust himself to speak
just yet, but stood motionless. Pres
entity he stepped forward to her side
and lad his hand upon her golden
head.
Goodbye again-G wendolen; good
byel'
"Come to me. You are the only
friend | have"
They lay before him, the brief words;
and Philip Avrell never paused for an
instant nor hesitated to answer the
summons. Gwendolen was in trouble
that was enough; but there was a
deadly sinking of heart as he stroye to
picture what the trouble was. Was
she lll-dying? She had gone abroad
with her child, and had been all the
summer in Switzerland; and this tele-
gram was from PARIS. Was Daisy i'll
again, or was it her husband?
In twelve hours he was in Paris, at
the door of the splendid hotel where
| Lady Gwendolen and her husband and
child were stopping
Doctor Avrell asked no questions of
the servant. He only babe him tell his
mistress that he was there; and he wait
ed, walking restlessly up and down,
But he was the calm physician the mo-
ment he heard the handle of the door
turn; and then she entered, white and
quiet; but he could see that there was
a terrible strain on every nerve.
you are we'll, " he said taking her
hand for a secondhand DaisyP"
Yes" she answered; sit is-it is
Claude. He is ill-very i'll. They say
he cannot live." She faltered a mo
ment, and then went On hui riedly. 81
know he has done you great wrong-ah
you do not know great and how bitterl
but l yentured to ask you to come.
You could do something perhaps toto
give him time-to lessen his suffering
You are not angry with me2"
"Hush, child" He uttered the
words quickly; and then he added in
his usual gentle way, ''Why should |
be angry2 This is. l think, no ordi-
nary Illness, Lady Gwendolen?"
'He is shoti'' she whispered, turning
away. SIT was Il duel. Spare me-in
pity spare mel"
lie knew the whole story then with
out her telling him, and asked no more;
but his brow grew very dark, and the
sweet firm mouth very stern.
W ~ JOh NObiC W hii 4O"1 ostiA
GwendOlen, after a few moments. And
be bent his head and followed her.
So the two men-the wronger and
wronged-met again.
Philip Avrell stood beside the bed of
HIM who had taken away the jewel of
his life, and looked down upon the
wreck-the mere wreck-Of manhood
that lay there; the far aristocratlc-
LOOKING face was drawn and pallid with
pain, lines OF dissipation craven on the
brow, the eyes wandering wildly from
n object to another.
There had been times when in Phil
ip's heart had burnt a fierce passionate
hatred of the man who had taken his
treasure only TO despise it; but any such
feeling could not live in presence of the
awful Tetribution before HIM.
He stood by the unfortunate man.
and his glance said, There is nothing
to be done here;" yet he laid his fingers
on the quiyering pulse; and Claude
seemed then. for the first time, aware
of the proximity of a stranger.
"Who are your" he SAID almost
iereely, staring at the plying face that
was bent oveT him.
81 am Philip Avrell. | have come
to see if l can do anything for you"
"She has sent for YOU'D he cried
"My death is all she wantsl Well, ]
won't say that she has been happy with
me. "Have you, Gwen?"
"Never mind that now Claude" an
swered his wife quietly, laying her
hand upon his. ''lf you talk so you
will suffer more"
Poor Gwent" he said, in ahalf reck-
less. half-sorrowful tone that made her
shiver and look back to the days of their
opening life, when he had been kind in
his way, and before she knew of his
~treachery. 81 did care for her once,
you know Avrell. And then | told her
like a fool, and she hated me, If it
hadn't been for you," he said with a
sudden ierceness, ''she might have
liked me. l won't have you here-she
and you'll Go-go?"
"Claude, Claudel HusEl"
well, well, | won't then;'' and he
sank back, his ewes wandering aimless
ly about. "Giye me your hand, Gwen,
there's a good girl. So you can't cure
me--eh, Ayrell.
4 ktAilAAbA.
Claude lay silent for a time, Gwen
dolen kneeling at his side, Philip Avrell
! standing erect and attentive.
"Why did you Gomez" said Claude
Craufurd at last, in the same reckless
yet regretful tone. 81 did you an aw
full wrong, old fellow-hasn't she told
yOu?-swore that you were dead, and that
you married before you died. She vas a
confoundedly naughty girl, She couldn't
stand thatl But the old man wouldn't
give me the money TIL she died, and
now I'm going before her-eh, Avrell2
I've been a seams to her,"
"Hush, Claude!" cried the miserable
wife, in a very passion of entreaty; but
he laughed, and turned to Avrell say
ing
"Look here-Ill tell you now"
''You had better CO." whispered Az
rell quickly across to Gwendolen; "this
will not be no ft sight for you."
~ 800. - Nh It'll -.