Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-04-05

ia must have written. aud the letter had
never been posted; or IN that busy season
had miscarried; and % perhaps he wal
blaming her too. That come news Of him
would reach Der that day. che felt sure.
He would never let Il pass without . word
Of greeting 10 the KeithA
At this moment Helen enterea the room
dressed for dinner Mabel started m.
thinking it must be late. herhaPs she had
news for her.
what are you doing therein the DARK
! The suspiciousness in her voice made Helen
force laugh.
aNo harm" replied Mabel II was
having q sort OF meditation among the
tombs." Helen's snswer WIS 10 put her
arm suddenly round Mabel.
"Wby, Helen, what % itY she asked,
startled and uneasy at her action and then
at her silence. "There Is no bad newsf
Nothing, from homer
"No, nothing from yous home. lndesd
mamma herself received only one letter THIS
morning. II was from Naples.
From Naples" echoed Mabel little
family. "Who does she know theref
Helen, speak, who is in NaplesT' she re
ptdtSO, ucduly CuLt.CiCOPh6 S'SA ASA 81
her friends ominous silence.
Many people-FrsnciS Grantiey, one"
"But he will be here to morrow or the
next day. -,
He said be did not know when he should
return. Perhaps he might run to Cairo or
Algiers." Cairo or Algiers or the other end
of the world: it was all the same to Mabel
Talbot.
Mabel never willingly recalled the hour
which followed Helen's leaving the room
until she started up and dressed herself in
feyerish haste. In that short time she
seemed to have become some other Mabel
Talbot. who would soon have to return to
the home where she had passed more than
twenty years of tranquil happiness, carrying
with her q remembrance which she could
ask no one to help her to bear A remem.
brance that accident had thrown coat IN
her way, that the Fates had willed that its
owner should be named Francis, and that
the said unlucky Mabel Talbot had serb.
bled a few words on the back OF letter.
And that was all the story? No. Some
thing more She had taken talseuess for
truth. Ii was no dream, that scene that
she had taken part in, and that Helen had
been obliged to interrupt, and had therefore
been witness to. Yet was it unreal as
dream, for it had been an acted lie.
And the days went on. One afternoon
she was near the postofice and was over
taken by heavy shower. While she stood
under the colonnades Hugh Sedley sud
denly rushed past her. He stopped short
on seeing her.
awfully sorry you we're not in. l read
I.otties last letter to Helen Keith. Lottie
is the best girl in all the world. You don't
half know what she is"
IL ought to" answered Mabel, smiling
involuntarily, "for have known her ever
since she was born" Hugh looked rather
iealously at her, and then laughed.
"Well, never mind. | shall have her all
10 myself soon. But must be of and post
this to her. III come this evening and read
you out what she says Mabel still smll-
ing. notwithstanding the trouble with witch
she fought night and day, went to see IT the
shower was over. Only few drops were
falling, so she set off. The narrow dark
street into which she turned was unusually
crowded with carts and carriages aud en-
crossed with her own miserable thoughts
She never noticed until she was in the thick
of them-tor it had no footway-that she
was in danger Of being run over. Sud
denly she felt herself seized and drawn
back, but only Just in time. She looked up
to thank Hugh Sedley as she expected,
and found herself face to face with-Francis
Grantley! But Francis Grantley such as
she had never seen, either in dreamland or
in life, holding out rigid arm for her to
take, which might have been that of a
statue insensible to human touch, so cold
and expressionless did his face look.
The bitter suffering Of the last few weeks
surged up in her brain and seemed to set 1t
on fire as she saw the stoneY face OF the
man who had caused it. Had thousand
deaths been before her she would willingly
have died them all sooner than accept the
support he offered her. Without one word
of thanks for saving the life that ne had
embittered for always, she turned and lett
him. Had she but looked back, she would
have seen nothing stony about him then:
Could he have been mistaken? What did
that proud pale face, those burning in
dignant eyes, mean?
You have no umbrella, he said hoarsely
as he overlook her: and another heavy
shower is coming She darted under a
near archway. He followed her leisurely
and found her as far inside as she could 60
her pale face and glowing eyes brought ontin
curious relief by the light of lamp before
q shrine in the opposite wall Why did he
not let her alone, she asked herself? What
bitter mockery of her pain! To care moth
ing for breaking her heart, but much that
few drops of rain should fall upon her. She
felt more than saw that he was examining
her clothes.
"You are changed, Miss Talbot" he said.
"a few weeks ago shower would not have
struck you dumb" Changed Mabel would
have forced herself to deny this had it not
been for something in his tones. Had his
voice trembled?
Her expression was less hard as she STAN
mered out: 81 was startled, surprised. l.
did not know you we've in Florence He
leant toward her, and his words were low
but very distinct.
why not say at once that my presence
here 10 unwelcome to you She changed
color. and her lips trembled little.
The rude suggestion was yours and not
mine. g.
cat least confess and he came step
nearer, that your are disappointed that it
was not Mr.. Sedley who prevented your COM
hitting suicide-ss you seemed clearly bent
upon doing"
"Mr.-who2" asked Mabel, still not I'M
Outstanding what was in his mind, from
sheer surprise at hearing the name on his
lips.
Yes, Mr.. Sedley,' he repeated. per
hsps you are offended at my want of man
ners. Allow me to make amends and con-
graduate you now, then Mabel never
quite remembered what happened as she
stood and listened to the few words which
revealed to her the cause of his unaccount-
able conduct 1t flashed across her for the
6re, t;p,a tbat ahar oil thav had never been