The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-02-05
A WOMAN SCORNED.

think SO myself Dane Eckhart said,
with a sneer that made Ginevra, his
wife, lift her clear. dark eyes wonder
ingly. ''iou needn't stare so, Gineyra,
its time told you the truth, if I'm
ever going to-"
Gineyra got up from the pot of ger
aniums she was watering and came TO
her husbands side, an odd pallor in
her lovely face.
''YeS, dear" she sail in low tone,
IF there is anything i need to know,
tell it to me at once. prsY."
The man stirred uneasi V in his chair.
and looked at her stealthily from under
his black eyelashes.
He was singularly handsome man,
but with dangerous droop about the
corners of his finely nodded lips, that
would have warned any reader of char
acter against trusting him too far.
81 shan't be likely to come back, "
he sa d in sulky tone.
Ginevra looked at him, her face
whitening.
.'You will s"nd for me to come to
you? Very we'll.
Not bit of it," Dane Eckhart said
in hard voice. You'll have to go
back to your aunt"
Never
LAS you please; Only | wash my
hands of You. want you TO under
stand tn YOU and have both got too
much temper 10 get on well together :"
1T is Il pity you had not discovered
as much before you married me-
''Nell, know it now; and as for the
marrying. you ought to be as thankful
as am that it was just farce"
''What?"
Only game, my dear. You and
have onl been playing married."
b; threw up his handsome head in
solently, but involuntarily showed his
chair back step as he encountered
Ginevra's blazing eyes.
She stood an instant, trembling with
passion, then she came nearer TO him.
and dropping upon low seat, wound
a white arm around his neck.
Don't plague me with such horrid
talk, love- she said sweetly, land I'll
try not to lose my temper so easily"
Dane Eckhart east her arm oil his
neck impatiently. and rose with a NUT
tered imprecatiOn.
lit is no talk, as you'll find" he
said sayagely. While You We're Mar
garet Monkeys heiress such talk was
well enough; but you ought to have
known | couldn't afford TO. marry, Il
poor woman.
"And You are not mar led to me-:
What, then, was. that ceremony be-
tween us?"
The merest farce. That man wasn't
a min far 4
don't make fuss. 1t was all because
of your aunt Margaret's money. and
under the circumstances. really you
ought TO be thankful 10 be rid OF me,
as l am
TO be rid of me, Ginevra said in a
hard, cold voice. Very well, YOU are
rid of me. Gor'
Dane Eckhart laughed neryously.
Il think l will 60 until yoa are in
better humor. at least;'' and hs sauntel@
ed gracefully out and down the garden
walk.
The passionate Young creature he
had Left sat staring after him with
look of piteous misery on her blanched
face.
She sat where she could see the man
she had till this moment supposed to
be her husband; the man whose dan
gerous beauty and Turing words had
brought her TO this-won her from a
luxurious home. of which she was the
idol and prospect We mistress; the man
for whom the aunt who had been i
second mother to her had cast her out.
disinherited her-and now he cast her
of.
She could see him, smoking as he
walked and lazily smelling the flowers.
and her hands clenched and unclenched
themselves almost viciOusly.
In her absorption she did not see till
he was at he door man who came
swiftly up the walk-unnoticed, too, by
Dane, whose face was the ether way.
The man scarcely stopped to knock,
and Gincyra ran to him with both hands
Outstretched.
"Oh, Robert. Robert!' she cried.
I've come as p. omised you. miss.
Mistress Margaret lies a-dying, and
she's asked for yen over and over
again.
An in&e>cribable change passed over
Gineyra's face, and she glanced swiftly
in the direction of the shrubbery, where
a faint blue smoke was curling past the
leaves.
II will 90 with you instantly-in-
stantly. Robert" she said, her eyes
cleaning. Il see you have a carriage;
20 ba' k to it; Twill join you. Take
this path, Robert; should like to get
off without being seem.
Robert did as he was hidden, and
Ginevra, stopping barely long enough
to don cloak and hat, ran after him.
Dane Eckhart tossed away the stump
of his cigar and lighted fresh one.
.Deuced hard thing" he nut cred.
I'm glad it's over. Now if Dame
Margaret should leave her the money
after all, she'd rather have the upper
hand of me, wouldn't she?"
He sauntered back to the house again.
There was no one in the little sitting
room where he had lett Ginevra, and
he noticed at once that her cloak and
hat were gone.
What now?" he grumbled aloud.
s.Where can she have gone TOP"
please, sir, l can tell you all about
It," said sharp little voice at his ell
bow. and Ginevra S, small maid-of-all-
work popped out from behind the win
dow curtains, where she had been curl
ed this long time.
Il heard 'em. seen 'em," she nod
d d brlsklv; The mans name was
Robert, and he said Miss Ma garet was
d dyin', aud she went off with him.
In q e .rriage?' demanded Dane,
in breat less smazement.
The child nodded.
did he say her aunt had sent for
her?h
Another nod.
Cad. must overtake them! What
fool I've been! The old woman is
going to forgive her after all and then
I'll get the cold shoulder and Dane
Eckhart hurried away toward the town
for horse.
1t was something of a walk, how
ever, and two hours had gone before
he had started.
At M0xley the dying woman tossed
ON her thorny couch and moaned con-
stantly one inquiry:
!, "aas she esps2 Robert said he