The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-10-14


tongue You will tremble wher
death stands near you. beckoning as
he now beckons me, and tremble in
vain"
White as the dying woman the
husband leaned forward with word
Of exculpation, an entreaty for par.
don on his trembling lips. But il
was too late. The force of ebbine
life had already spent itself. Mrs
Harden fell back unconscious on
the pillow, and as he caught her in
his arms, he saw that the end had
come. The faithful Anna, hearing
his cry for help hastened to the bed
side to find her mistress dead.
III
So enticing the warmth of that
luxurious fur. lined cloak 80 soft and
easy the arm chair in which her
patron had settled her that Con-
stance Emery felt ready to browse.
But her brain was too busy with the
future to indulge in sleep. She must,
would keep awake, in order to
think out the future as it opened to
her enlarging gaze. Perhaps the
girl was not deserving of wholesale
condemnation after all. Vulgarity
may be indeed a piece of ill fortune
as much as a wry nose or misshap-
ed foot; only to the rarely endowed
ones is it possible to burst the
chains of custom, bringing ur and
heredity.
In the midst of foolishly-bewilder
ing dreams of silks and trinkets,
carriages and lackevs, boudoirs and
fashionable receptions, she was
aroused by the abruptest intrusion.
Rising to her feet, for she knew well
who the intruder must be, for she
was fain to clasp bis hand, to whis-
per an endearing word, to greet him
fondly as she had done surrepti-
ously many times before. But, at
glance toward her patron, her
heart stood still. Clever she was
not, feminine tact she possessed in
moderate degree ; yet she realized
in moment, without knowing the
cause, the nature OF the trausforma-
ton that had come over him. She
stood aghast, not venturing to step
forward, lacking courage even so
much as to utter his name.
He came close up to the table by
which she stood, holding in his
hand a small strip of paper barred
with pink.
Constance" he said, in that
brief, hard unanswerable voice she
knew so well, though now used for
the first time to her. Constance, |
can not marry you. shall never
marry again. Here is compensation
for broken promise" ]"
He turned up the lamp in order
that she might see what he had Civ
en- her. There it was plain enough
nothing could be plainer--a check
for $4,000.
The astonished girl was dumb.
and be hardly knew whether as yet
she fully understood the meaning of
his words. Something else he had
to say. however, unmistakable, clear
and to the purpose also.
1T will be better for you not to
stay here any longer. l have order
ed coffee to be ready by six O'Clock,
and the brougham at half-past in
time to catch the early express.
William will drive you to the sta
ton and give you first class ticket.
Mind and be ready"
Still not word from the scarlet
checked, mortified, trembling girl.
Had any one half an hour before as
sured Constance Emery that she
should thus stand silent and abash-
ed in the presence of this man, she
would have laughed the prognosti-
cation to scorn.
But with that quick unerring in
stinct of the dull-the instinct born
of fear and self.preservation-she
now recognized the fact foI herself.
There was nothing she could say to
soften him, even were she mistress
of herself; blandishment, exhosta-
tions, tears. would prove ineffective
as childrens dams to keep out the
tide.
Something had happened-she
vaguely guessed the truth-to shut
him from her,to harden him toward
her forever.
Whilst she stood thus shrinking,
irresolute, unable to get out sylla-
BILE. vet feeling that she ought to say
something on her own behalfanoth-
er significant act told her clearly
enough. were proofs still wanting. Of
what was ip Mr.. Harden's mind.
The rich fur lined cloak in which be
had so tenderly enveloped her just
an hour ago lay on the ground. She
now saw him pick it up, and with
gesture not to be mistaken, lay it,
carefully folded, on his wife's favor
ite chair at the extreme end of the
room. That cloak she was not to
touch again. Then he left her in
moment more to return. Constance
Emery looked up, and once more
her heart stood still. He had To-
pented of this cool ahfuptnsss, this
undeserved coldusss, and was come
to whisper a tender word in her ear,
to console her for what he had per-
haps been forced into by a death
scene. He csme back to the table,
leaving the door.ajar.
Take good care of that piece of
paper" was all he said, az he point
ed to the check.
Again the door closed and this time
be was indeed gone. She heard him
90 to his closet on the same floor
and lock himself in that was sign
also she had learned to understand.
Nothing remained but to do as she
was bid. After all, be was master
in bis own house. She might weep,
remonstrate. implore-she could pat
stay against his will,
Hpmillatiop .moraitied vanity and
dismaY were succeeded by other feel
ings. On the whole, perhaps, her
sudden departure would not create
much talk in the neighborhood and
in the kitchen. She was Young and
hadnn ralafion Wnnld IA moi he nnife