Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-05-15
CALLED BACK.
A Wen-Told Story of Continuous
and Absorbing Interest.
BY HUGH CONWAY.
CHAPTER XV.-CONTINIIED.

CHAPTER XV.-CoNTINUED.
Tomorrow / would tell her all. !
would tell her how strangely our lives
became linked. / would plead for her
love more passionately than ever man
yet pleaded. would prove to her how
innocently l had fallen into Ceneri's
schemes-how free from blame l 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.
Having settled this | should have re-
tired to rest; but l was in no mood for
sleep. Again and again recalled her
last words and commenced one of those
weighings of hopes and fears which
always means self-torture. Why, if
Pauline had guessed the truth, had she
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 /
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 a
woman who was already his wife.
Tho hn,,. LOFT 7 \
from my solitary walk. Ipassed Pau
lines window, and standing gazing up
at it l wondered if she, too, were living
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 I
turned away a fancy seized me. 1
picked a rose from 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,
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. l looked in vain for
my rose; and was fain to comfort my
self by thinking it must have fallen
where she could not see it. Neverthe-
less, 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 l 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
it? Although she knew herself to be
my wife she wished to throw the yoke
aside. Pauline loved me not-the truth
which was gradually creeping from the
misty past would bring her SORROW
now that she remembered, she wished
to forget. The rings were cast aside to
show me. if possible. without words,
that she was not to be my wife.
How could l speak nowP 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
she wished me to spare her the pain of
an 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 respondent as felt at
the discovery Just made, it was not
long before found 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 constraint
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 L went to bed wretched. The
prize / had striven for seemed to be
snatched away just as had hoped to
win it
So several days passed. Pauline
made no sign. or certainly none could
construe fayorably. l could bear this
state of things no longer. Priscilla,
whose sharp eyes saw that something
was amiss, pestered me beyond endur-
ance; and spoke her mind so roundly
that began to suspect she had slready
executed her threat of telling Pauline
everything; and / felt inclined to at
tribute my failure to the old woman
oficiousness in making a premature
revelation. All might have gone well
had been given another week or a
fortnight TO win my wife's heart be-
gan to believe that she was growing
unhappy; that my presence troubled
her. Not that she evinced any wish
to avoid me; indeed, she came so surely
at my beck and call as to suggest 3
shadow of the obedience she had always
given during those days upon which
I now dreaded to dwell But / fel-
she would be happier and more at cas-.
in nv absence So 1 resolved to depart
could NOT on without ex,,lainisa