The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-09-12
.Do yoa know all-all that have done
ali that have sufferelf
He rose There WAS strange agitation in

/ know. Beatrice did not just now heal
that child call you motherT
YES, he Is nv SON. she said, calmly
"Allin continued Carruthers, excltedly
| 'Neod know ALI Neel | be- rackad by
| bearing the one love tell me alli Need
| pain her by forcing her to hear me, Have
| i not h ard enough! Why should | seek tc
| know more"
LET me til you my story, Frank" sh'
| said, besecchnglv
'Nor' He spoke in that imperious tout
| which She had once before, in a slighter de
gree, noticed "Nol Listen to me. Bea
trice, believe me, have longed to find you
have sighed for this moment. If | have
surprised your secrets it was not for my
own On Is. Beatrice, when chance showed
me where YOU were ] came TO you with but
one Object This morning when, al
last, ] saw you, | had but one thought /,
was to come to You, to say / have sought
you because you are in distress, because
you want help Such help as | can give is
yours. Without question, without the hops
Of reward, it is yours"
Again she strove to interrupt him. He
checked her.
"L2ten! | have more, much more, to
say. have seen you again. his voice
changed to one of supreme tenderness, 81
have held your hands. / have looked into
your face-the same sweet face of my
dreams. Beatrice all is changed with me, u
he knelt beside her and took her hands. III
once / vi he'd to know all. now say, tell
me nothing What is the past to mel Hide
it away. forget IT, scOrn it, Our life begins
to-day. | love YOU Bend down and tell
me you " ill tie my wife,
She forcbly drew her hands from his, cov.
cred her eyes and sobbed.
"You love me, he went on, passionately.
as it for my sake you vii not do this thing'
Look at me-read in my eyes what my heart
desires-know that you have the power of
making or marring mans lfe. Beatrice!
NV love- my only love, answer me-
Once more he tried to take her hands, She
tore them away with cry of anguish, and
her ,earful eyes rested on his troubled, up
turned face.
Frank" she said, you are killing me-.
Spare me and let me speak,
He waited in anxious silence until her
sobs died away and sustained speech was a
possibility.
Frank, Frank she said, you have
leen misied. You have heard but half the
truth. You love me, yet dare to think that
if what you have heard is true | would be
your wife. | cannot blame you for beiev.
ing have no right to blame My actions
have helped that belief Yet in believing it,,
you Frank, have given me the sharpest
pain of all that | have known"
Cairuthers bent his head and prayed shs
would forgive him.
Il have nothing TO forgive. From whom
did you think | hed-from what dangerl
Frank, fed from the man who is my bus-
band-the man who more than five years
ago took advantage of girls folly, married
her and made her life misery
Carruthers rose from his knees. His face
was white as a sheet He was the picture Of
despair legion of Mrs. Mlllers would
not now have caused hope to throw up the
tiniest shoot. Her husband! The room
seemed to swim around him.
When he recovered hims self he saw Beatrice
with the tears falling down her checks. The
sight was bitter reproach to hun. How
had he kept his voNt Instead of giving her
comfort and all he was but adding to her
trouble Moreover, a keen sense of shame
came home to him. Instead of joy he felt
fresh misery when Beatrices words told
him that her secret was not one of such
nature as he had been led to believe. That
his first thought upon hearing the truth
should have been one Of sorrow showed him
that he had reached II depth Of seltishness
and degradation which no love could excuse
or condone. He bushed for himself and
for the sake of his manhood strove until he
regained composure. There was strange
calm on his face when, once more, he drew
near Beatrice.
"Teil me all, " he said, in a quiet voice.
"No, don't fear for me-" She glanced at HIM
inuuiringly TELL me all; ! can hear it. |
can help you"
She told him all. Told him without self
excuse, without even exaggerating her nus
bands sins against the world and against
her. She told him without claiming mercy
on account of what she had suffered; but
there was pathoS in her voice, an utter
hopeleSsness in her manner which told her
listener more than words could have told.
His heart ached us he thought of her; his
blood boiled as he thought of the villain who
had wrought this misery.
He heard her to the very end in silence.
Throughout her tale she had not spoken Of
her husband by any name; but from the
first Carruthers guessed who he was. As
she finished speaking he turned his pale face
to her. The mans name is llervey," he
said.
"Yes. Do you know himr
IL have seen him twice. AS he spoke
Carruthers involuntarily clenched his hands
There was kind of savage satisfaction in
thinking under what conditions he last saw
the rogue. He wished he had struck even
harder. He frowned, and his mouth grew
hard and stern. Beatrice saw the facial
change.
'Do You blame me too much to forgive
me, Frankf she asked, anxiously. He
looked at her with eyes as soft aud ten Ter rs
woman's
Blame youl Who am to blame youi
What have to forgive! You have all my
pity-all my sympathy. Again offer you
such help as | can gve-Such help as a
brother can give a sister. You will take
this from me, Beatricer
She placed her hand In his eyes, will
take it. 1t is more than | deserve. All,
mel why should my trouble enter into your
lifef'
His fingers frightened on hers. His eyes
sought hers Beatrice" he said, al did
not live until knew you. You have right
to claim all l can give Yet there is some
thing l must ask-something must know.
You have told me much-will you tell me
allm
al X,ll al