The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1885-10-30
NUMBER 80


better for him To know the truth than
! TO live in a FOOLS paradise-to take to
/ his heart murderess-to live befooled
| and 10 die deceived? My heart rose in
hot Indignation against the woman Hho
| had blighted his life, who would bring
/ nome 10 him such shame and anguish
as must tear his heart and drive him
mad
l could not suppose, for one moment,
/ that was the only one in the world
! VINO knew her secret-there must be
otners, and meeting her suddenly, one
! 81 theSe might betray her secret, might
90 her greater harm and more mischief
than could do. After hours Of weary
thought, came to this conclusion, that
must lind out first of all whether my
! suspicious were correct or not. That
/ was evidently my first duty. / must
| know whether there was any truth in
my suspicious OF not. | hated myself
/ for the task that lay before me. to
watch woman, to seek to entrap her.
TO play the detective, to seek to dis
cover the secret Of one who had so cOrfi-
ally and frankly offered me her friend
ship.
Yet it was equally hateful to know
that bad and wicked woman, branded
with sin, stained with murder, had de-
ceIVed an honest, loyal man like Lance
Fleming. Look which way | would. IL
nation. wonder, fear, reluctance, all
tore at my heart. Was Frances Flem-
ing the good, pure, tender-hearted wom-
an she seemed 70 be, OF was was she
the woman branded with a secret
brand? must find out for Lance's
sake. There were times when intense
pity sOftened my heart, almost moved
me 70 tears; then the recollection of the
tiny white baby lying all night in the
sea, swaylng TO and fro with the waves,
steeled me. | could see again the pure
little waxen face. as the kindly woman
kissed 1t on the pier. l could see the
little green grave, with the white, shin
ing cross -" Marah, found drowned" ="
and here beside me. talking to me- tend
ing me with gentle sOlicitude. was the
very woman, feared. who had drown
ed the child. There were times-I re-
member one particularly - when she
held out bunch of fine hOt-hOuse
grapes to me, that / could have cried
out-'lt is the hand Of a murderess,
take 1t away but l restrained myself
declare that, during a whole fort
night, | watched her inceSsantly; 1
scTutiniZed every look every gesture.
criticized every word, and in neither
one nor the other did find a shadow
OF blame. She seemed TO me pure in
heart, thought, and word. At times.
when she read OF sang to us, there was
light such as one fancies the angels
nEdI DtU 4 lOll0 Also what Lance
SAID OF her charity 10 the poor was per
fectly true-they wOrshipped her. No
saint was greater saint to them than
the woman whom | believed | had seen
drown little child.
1t seemed as though she could hardly
do enough for them; the minute she
heard that anyone was sick or in want
she went TO their aid. l have known
this beautiful woman, whose husband
adored her. give up party or ball to sit
mp with some poor woman whose child
was Ill. or was i'll herself. And | must
speak, too. Of her devotion-to see the
earnest, tender piety on that beautiful
face was marvellous.
Look, John!n Lance would whisper
TO me; my wife looks like an angel
/ was obliged to own that she did.
But what was the soul like that animat-
ed the beautiful body2
When we were talking-and we spent
many hours together in the garden-I
was struck with the beauty and nobility
Of her ideas. She took the right side in
everything; her wisdom was full Of ten
deTneSS; she never once gave utterance
to thought or a sentence but that |
was both pleased and struck with il.
But for this haunting suspicion | should
have pronounced her a perfect woman,
for could see no fault in her l had
been fortnight at DuttOn Manor, and
but for this it would have been very
happy fortnight. Lance and l had fall
en- into the old loving terms of intima-
cy, and Frances made a most lovable
and harmonious third A whole fort
night bad studied her. criticised her.
and was more bewildeTed than ever
more sure of two things; the first was,
that II was next to impossible that she
had ever been anything different TO
what she was now; the second, that she
must be the woman | had seen on the
III hot rHav s.Tv.
ces, was any man to do?
No single incident had happened to
interrupt the tranquil course of life,
but from day 10 day l grew more
wretched with the weight of my miser-
able secret.
One afternoon, remember that the
Iilacs were all in bloom. and Lance sat
with his beautiful wife where a great
group of the trees stood. When l
reached them they were speaking Of the
sea.
Il always long for the sea in summer
time. said Lance, when the sun Is hot
and the air fun of dust, and no trees
give shade. and the grass seems burned.
I long for the sea. Love Of water
seems almost mania with me, from
the deep blue ocean. with its fOamlng
pillows, to the smallest pool hidden in
a wood. 1t is strange, Frances, with
your beauty-lOving soul, that you dis
like the sea
She had gathered a spray Of the beau
tiful lilac. and held it to her lips. Was
it the shade of the flower, or did the
color leave her face? If so, it was the
first time l had seen it change.
do YOU really dislike the sea, Mrs.
/ Flemingy" | asked.
Yes" she replied, lacOnically.
''Why?n I asked again.
Il cannot tell. she answered. 1T
must be on the old principle
"'I do not like thee. Doctor Foil,
The reason why-l cannot tell!
But only this know fun well.
I do not like thee, D"ctor FellV"
Those lines hardly apply to the sea, :"
I said. Il thought love of the sea was
Unborn with every man and woman in
I England
1t is not with me. she said
She spoke quite gently. There was
/ not the least hurry OF confusion. but
was quite sure the color had faded from
her face Was il possible that l had
found hole in the strong aTmOr at
( iast2
Lance turned n laughing face to me.
My wife is as strong in her. dislikes
as in her likes. he said, "She never
viii go 10 the sea. Last year l spent a
whole month in trying to persuade her;
this year have began in good time
and | intend TO give ii three months
good trial. but | am afraid it will be
quite in vain
why do you dislike the sea?'' l re.
peated. You must have a reason"
Il think. she replied. lit makes me
melancholy and low-spirited.
"WeH ii mightin I thought, for the
rush and fall Of the waves must be like
, a vast requiem To her.
a.. e 81 L.