Smyrna times., 1885-09-09
this is my wife. "

- - s'DOuO ~ 4dlut. Ineu With q warn
ing glance, as quick as flash of light
ming, Le Roy held out his hand to his
friends wife, and expressed his pleasure
at making her acquaintance.
" Where is sister BERTHE ?" asked the
unconscious George. "In the garden,
as usual, suppose. I'll go and look
for her."
And he hurried out of the room, leav-
ing his wife and Wilfred alone together.
Madge leaned lack in her chair, white
as the lacework that had fallen from her
slender fingers.
"You won't tell him p she said, pite-
ously, lifting her beautiful eyes to vii.
fred's face.
Wilfred was silent just for a moment;
he could scarcely trust himself to speak.
But he controlled his anger by mighty
effort, and said calmly
"Let the past rest-it is gone forever.
l wish to remember only that 7 am your
husbands friend"
1t cost him a great deal to speak these
words, for Madge had treated him very
badly in days gone by. They had been
engaged and she had Tilted him on
finding that his prospects were less
bright than people had led her to imag-
me 1t had been a secret engagement,
and he had never told the wrong she
had done.
The worst of it was that he loved her
still, although he felt that she was
unworthy of his love. Weak and tickle
as she had been, he could not help the
memory of the sweet past coming back
to him, when he looked at her beautiful
face.
"Then you will keep my secret p" she
said anxiously; George has such
strict ideas. He would be angry if he
knew had been engaged to you. "I
don't think he would ever forgive me-"
You can trust my word, 1 hope"
returned Wilfred, coldly-all the more
coldly because of the love he could not
not subdue.
And then he held up his hand warm
ingly, for he could hear voices in the
hall, and in another moment Geor3e
entered the room in company with a
young lady whom LIE Rov had never
seen before, for she had been at school
III Germany when he had first known
Madge
George introduced her informally to
LIE Roy as his sister-in-law, and then
left her to entertain his friend, while he
took his wife out of the room to break
the sad news Of his speedy departure for
Egypt
She cried a little for although she
did not love her husband very much, he
had been kind to her when her fathers
failure and death reduced her and her
sister to poverty, and had given them
both home by making her his wife.
But for that, she reflected with a |
they would have had to 90 out
into the world and work for q living.
BERTHE would not have minded it so
much, but Madge had recOiled from the
prospect of working for her daily bread
with horror
They went back to the drawing-room
after time, and Madge sat down at the
piano at her husbands request, and
played for them; but she could not sing
not while Wilfred was in the room.
She had liked him better than she liked
George, although her husband was
better looking than his friend, and the
Did fascination was creeping over her.
Ii she had been wise woman she
would have objected to be left under
"ilfreds guardianship; but unfortun-
.tely she was a very foolish one, and it
eemed to her a very pleasant arrange
nent.
" 1t will be so nice for us to have a
riend to look after us while George is
way, she said. "Will it not, BERTHE ?"
Very, returned BERTHE, rather drylv. |
Girl as she was, she thought LIE Roy
together; too young and handsome for
he responsibility he had undertaken.
BERTHE was very sweet and girlish,
nth soft blue eyes, and closely
ropped head that gave her quite a !
appearance. Not so brilliantly =
andsome as her sister, perhaps but G
evertheless very pretty girl. /
When George was on his way to Il
igypt LIE Roy called daily at the cot d
age, often staying to partake of after r
oon tea with the two sisters, who always a
ave him a warm welcome. O
" He is very handsome" said BERTHE. I
she watched him riding down the o
rect on his brown mare, after spend C
lg the afternoon with them.
Something in the tone of her voice c.
ld the way she looked after Wilfred y
nnoyed Madge, who had never noticed n
Ow pretty her sister was getting till Il
lat moment. D.
eyes, she said, "he is handsome W
DOR fellow P' And as she uttered these
st words Madge heaved a sigh. pi
"Why poor fellow?'" asked BERTHE. I'll
1ickly, turning to look at her sister. 81
" Because he will never marry" I'll
HoW do you know that 2" asked pl
'rtle' coioring. " Has he told you SO ?" til
No; but I happen to know He te
red some one long ago, and he will az
yer forget her" bt
= What can you know of Wilfred LIE al
y 2" incredulously eve have onlv tic
own him few weeks" in
= knew him before father died. said ma
ldge, playing with her rings to avoid in
citing her sisters steady gaze. sa
And you let George think You had %
yer met before" said Berthe slowly. do
lou never loved him. If YOU had pr
ed him you would have been true in tn
te OF his poverty" be
lonths passed on, and, on taking the of
''es one morning, Wilfred came upon m,
friends name in the list of the lot
n. 1t was terrible blow for him. ly,
he had loved George with quite a
therly affection sn,
ladge went into Mysteries when she rat
rd the news, but soon calmad do,r, bo,