New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-03-22

her face over the forgotten Telegram WYNN III
said, Francis (irantley had been summoned 10
Rome to the deathbed of friend, and glahCo =; o.
her watch told her that he could no LONGER 10 n
Florence. 49,
For some days no news came from him, Helen
Thought il very strange but Mabel semed only 20
think of his trouble, she kept her own .nons nort
herself Mabel however. was only acting PM.
AS the days went by small voice-a treache.obhtt
one it seemed to hCr-kept Whispering that he ous
to have found time to wrtemlf only one Them she
would recall that glance which they had excna ad
and her JOY returned in full She would naV ha@ hs
those days more difficult to pass through hau sho
not been partly taken out of herself by the unex
pected arrival of dear friend on Tue osoi Hnah
Mr. Grantleys departure In,se was senior on who
Sedley young man some years her senior sem onnin
was engaged to De married to hcr laVoII.o Sned
Charlotte Burns. He one of those sunny IdJeo'
bright-eyed people who. when they nave itohie
win the sympathy of others at once. HIS trouDie
was six months delay of his marriage ana nv f ali
not have found more sympathsIlc eI yas at that
moment She needed distraction ana sue ieiu
sorry for any sort of disappointment 70 DC f
Florence TO him all day and let him talk everlnst
ngly of Charlotte. they both felt their sori'"'
| ligbened. ,
Helen Keith however, who was not in Highs
| confidence felt a trouble grow within her the
| lighter theirs grew but MabePs natural reserve
male it impossible for her even to hint at a aanRcn
which perhaps might be merely Imagination. ono
could only try to keep them apart as iu mnheI
possible and she succeeded so far wei tnat mapo
spent the greater part of Christmas Day WIN oonv
| friends Toward evening she returned, ana seelhg
Helen and Hugh Sedley talking over the le, S S &c
went up TO her room and sat In the dush' S,"f ui
| this moment of solitude with her own palhln.t
| thonghts There must be some mistake! lie must
| have written and the letter had mover been poster
or in that busy season had nscarrleu anu ~ p 90
| haps he was blaming her too 1hat some nc"S III "a
| him would reach her that day, she felt sure nc
would never lot il pass without word OF greeting
| TO the Keths. 5r..sod
| for dinner Mabel started up. thinking 1T must be
late. Perhaps she had news for her. a,r,w The
| /" What are you dong there III the DARK INC
| nspiciousness in her voice made lielen iorce Il
no HARM replied Mabel. al was having q
answer was to nut her arm Suddenly round Mabel.
aWhy. Helen what is itp' sho asked. startled
ana h" uneasy NO bad %0 nsws Nothing from homer
| aTo nothipg from yonr home. Indeed mamma
herself received only one letter this morning IL
a. rom Napies.r echoed Mabel n little family.
aWbo does she know therci Helen sneak who
is in Naples r. she repeated deadly emil creeping
| over her at her friends omnons silence
| Many peOp.e-Francis lirantlcy. Tor one
But he Will be here to-Inorrow-or tho next
Z fie said he did not know when he should return;
Perhaps BE- might run over to CaiTo or A,s,i.si u
Cairo or Algicrs or the other END OF inc WORM !"
| was all the sane to Mabel Talbot
| Mabel never Willingly recalled the hour which
followed fIelens leaving the room unt she statLea
| M ana dressed herself In feYerish haste In that
| short time sine seemed 10 have become some othrr
| Mabel Talbot who woHld soon have To return 10
the home where she hao passed more ,nn . WIZ
| years of tranquil happiness, carrying win her
| remembrance which she cOthd ASK no one 10 ne'P
| her to bear. remembrance" that accident n ,,,
thro wn coat in her way. that the rates ia1 wlu'd
| that its owner should be named Francis, ana tlat
| the said unlucky Mabel Talbot had scribblod 10"
words on the back Of a letter And mat was an we
| story No. Something more she had taken
| falSeness for truth. II was no dream. that sccho
that she had taken part In ana tha iiciel hih pc'n
| obliged 10 interrupt and had Therefore been .
witness to- Yet was II unreal as dream Tor u had
| been an acted lie. -
And tho days went on. One afternoon she was
| near the spot-ofice, and was oycrtakeu by leaNy
| shower While she stood under the colonnahes;
| Hugh Scdcv suddenly rushed past hor. lie stopped
Oh Mabel he said broathlcssly. $50 awfully
sorry YOU were not in. read Lutics last letter Ia
| Helen Keith. Loite Is the best girl IN all mo
| world You don't half know what she a.
81 ought TO do So" answered Male smiling
! Involuntary. for have known her ever Since
she was born" Hugh looked rather jealousy ut
her, and then laughed.
| aWeIl. never mind I shall have her all TO
myself soon. But must he oil and post tins to her
m h eye"nS n r9a XII S"i ,s
trouble With which she fought "sSt aud Sy ToSs
we've falling ~ she set on. The narrow dark street
| into which she turned was unusually crowded with
carts and carriages aud. ensrosseh Win hrr own
,niserabIC thoughts she noticed until she was
In the thick Of them-for IL had no ioOtwhN,that
| she was in danger of being run over Suddenly she
felt herself seized ana ulaNu baCk, but "b Ju' ih
| time She looked mp to thank Hugh Sedley, ~ She
| oxpectcd and found herself face TO lace wlthI
Francis Grantley! But o Francis Grantley sncn
| as she had never seen, either In drenmland or IN
life holding ont n rigid arm for her 10 take. which
| might have been that OF statue insenshe TO
human touch. cold and erpressionless ala MS
The bitter suffering Of the last few weeks snrgsd
mn in her brain aud seemed 10 set IT on ro ms sho
saw the stony face OF the man who had caused u;
Had n thousand deaths been before her she won d
willingly have died them al sooner than hcc"p, th ne
no %gTed bs e'T life that SS had %O smbtors
for always she turned aud left him. Had she but
looked back. she would have seen nothing ston!
about him then. Could he have been mistaken
What did that proud pale iacc those burning
indignant eyes. meant
lyon have no umbrella" he said hoarsely. as he
overlook her: and another heavy shower IS com
ing" She darted under near archway. lie
followed he; eisurely and found her rs lar inside as
abe could go, her pale face and glowing eyes
brought ont in curious icei 10y the eu o, idn h
not let her alone she asked berselff What bitter
mockery of her pain To care nothing for breaking
her h art but much that few drops oi ram should
fall upon her She felt more than saw that he was
examining her closely.
"You are changed. MISS albot' ne siln. a ,om
weeks ago a shower would not have struck you
dumb Changedl Mabel would have forced her
self TO deny this had it not been for something III
his tone Had his voice trenbled
Her expression was less hard rs she stammered
out IL was startled surprised. did not know
that YOU were in Florence lie sant toward hcr'
| and his words wer0 low but very distinct.
| "Why not say at once That my presence mere u
unwelcome 10 yon.' She changed color. and heI
lips tremblcd little. ,
aThe rude suggestion was yours and not mine"
"At least confess" and he came step nearer
"that you are disappointed that 1t was not MI
Sedey who prevented your committing sulclle-a'
Won seemed clearly bent upon doing" ,
aMr-who - asked Mabel. still not understand
ing what was in his mind. from sheer surprise al
hearing the name on lis lips.
ayes Mir. Scdley7 NJ repeated "Perhaps you are
offended at my want OF manners Allow me 70 make
| amends and congratulate you now, them MABEL
never quite remeI. berrd what happened as she
stonl and listened 10 the few words which revealGd