The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-04-29
HER RHTHNGE.
EeoSc1rbEpI


ItoScErsEp.I
CHAPTER III
Very promising. too. were the events
+ Of tie next day. [ felt that the man /
hated was paving me attention above
my fellows or course. it was not mark
ed enough 20 attract notice, but atten-
ton it was, undoubtedly. He walked
with me, aHd toId me. among other
things. . great deal about his early life
ana struggles Tor success. lie was quite
interesting. So much Sc, that / wished [
could check these condolences. I feared
THAT ms talk Eli2lr awaken q SuSpicion
or sympathy In ny mind which would
GFleVUUSlE Interfere with my vendetta.
mat evening, he reneated his request
that l would sing; Euc after the way in
which had IN sled him. [ knew be only
urged me for The sake of pObteneSS. |
began with one of those little ballads
which be SO much oislike5: an easy.
simple little thing. which could only he
borne out oI the commonplace By Ieei-
ing o0 the part Of the singer. I glanced
al aznl as / flll she'd the song. lie thank
ga me quiet s. hut Z saw he looked puZ-
Zled. Then placed Beethoven s "AdeA-
aide' before me. and sang It as ! had
seldom on never before sang lt-eHtTely
10 ms own satisfaction. ] rose from
the piano. and our eyes met. lie tld
not JOIN In the chorus OF thanks; but l
knew he was more than. moved; ana as
he followed ne t0 my char. / eNU3teG,
as [ Thought that the ret we1qon iu my
MmoIE HaG s.ruell we'll DoHle
Miss Rivers, he said. Il thoUght no
amateur IN England could sing that
song tn her own accompaniment rs you
sing it. | can only coREra5ulaJe You,
while blaming you FOR decelvIng me so.
last n5gnt.7
thanked him for bis compliments;
and for the rest of the evening Mr..
Hope talked little except TO me.
There!-I viii write no more about II.
Now. I am utterly ashamed of it all.
Had It not been for my resolve t0reject
it when offered, [ would have stopped
to win uO man $ loVe-n0t even Vincent
Hope But in five days | knew that
my work WAS doBe-aud fully dOne-SO
fully. That ] dreaded the result of il, and
began 70 wish had not been 50 yiuGic-
tive. Worse th3u all, friends-aS friends
Wllk-Were exchanging knowing glances,
and commenting ON the relations which
appeared TO exist between my foe and
myself.
Could I have conquered my nature,
and decided TO tOrego my revenge. it
was now impossible to do so. For my
own sake. matters must come to eli
max that all might see how little l
cared for the man.
One night. as I sat i'm my dressing
gown ever the FIRE irving 20 make mp
my mind TO tear myself from the pleas
ant glow and get into bed. Mabel Light
on entered my room. she was r good
true girl, VINO spoke her mind freely,
and at times lecrure3 even me.
Heritage she salQ abruptly. what
do You mean to do with Vincent IIOpey'
could not for the life of me help
changing color, and was compelled 10
shield the cheek nearest Mabel with the
fan which had been protecting my eyes
from the freight.
DO with him. I don't know what
you mean"
Had it been anyone bat YOU Heritage,
| should have called her a dirt. But
You are not tlirt, we know"
what have l done, Mabely' I asked.
The screen was still between us.
Mabel quietly pushed it aside: then.
placing her hands ON my shoulders.
scrutnized my face in a most uncom-
Portable manner.
You have done this. and who can
wonder at il? You have gained that
mans love entirely. But, although it
seems so unlike YOU. l believe YOU have
brought him to your feet for vanity's
sake Heritage. he IS a good man-d
proud man. Ii you mean to give him
nothing in return. / should say his life
VIII be wrecked. Do you love him, or
are my fears we'll f0unded2'
In some fashion, was bound to reply.
I sought retuge in leyity.
"N hen | am moved 10 confess my
sins. Mabel it VIII not be TO you. but to
some nice ascetic IIigh-Church curate."
Don t talk nonsense. I am in bitter
earnest. Vincent Hope VIII surely ask
you to be his wife. You are rich. and
he is comparatively poor; but ] know
that VIII not influence you Only I say
again, il you refuse. you are to blame
for all that happens"
This must be stopped at any cost.
Until now I had always believed that
mysteries and aheCtaUun were synony-
nous.
~Mabel." I said, "Ihate Vincent Hope;
but at this moment | think ] hate you
even more. Go 70 bed. am too tired
to say another word: 50 go away
Herewith, I got into bed, turned my
face to the wall, and LETT Mabel to put
out my candle and Get back to her own
quarters when she thought fit.
4
nearly accused me Of what / had IN
truth been guilty of-maklng love to
my enemy. As people noticed my con-
duet. it became more and more nece5-
sarY that | should clear myself from all
such imputatiOns. This could be done
in one way only.
Perhaps | had the grace TO avoid Vim
cent Hope somewhat during the next
two days. Perhaps that very aVoidance
fastened the catastrophe. But on the
third day. chance-pure chance, mind
left us together and alone. For a mo-
ment there was silence between us; then
/ he drew near 10 me. and said IN quiet
( earnest voice:
Heritage, Hove you. Win you be
/ could not answer. Al I could Go
/ was to prevent myself breaking INTO
/ hysterical laughter.
| lie tried to take my hand.
/ Heritage. my darling. ! think I loved
/ you the moment / saw you. Look mp.
( and answer me. Say you love me. and
/ Ills wife, After hating him for so
/ long-after Mabels reprOaches-after
/ winning his love in a way the thought
/ of which made me blush, Never, never
! never!
So [ steeled myself-drew myself NJ
/ to every inch Of my height-lOOked him
4 full in the face-tTiumphed. and tool
| my revenge. l hope and think l SPOKE
composedly. if not coldly.
MIR. Hope, you honor me greatly .but
/ it cannot be. Please never mention Il
4 again"
His face was very pale; and when IN
/ expression of positive pain left it, grew
/ stern, aIIsOst hard. Ny manner must
/ have convinced him | was in earnest
| No doubt. had | wished to do so, / cOule
| have made him fall at my feet and pleae
| passiOnately. But then. unless one ].
/ an utter savage. yindictveDeSS must bt
limited. / had done enough.
Perhaps. under such trying circum
stances, no man could have behaved il
more dignitied manner than did Mr.
Hope.
but with d look IL his eyes which
dared not meet am to understand
you do not love me!'
i | bowed.
| Please let me hear you say So" h
said.
Il 10 not. Let us say no more abou
it. | think | viii go back to the hous
now"
We walked in silence until we wer
close to the gates. Then he said:
MESS my IlfeSulnpt ION bo-udy lnakt
my presence unbearaDle to you, l slal
stay two days longer, as | promised Mr.
Lighton. 1t is not worth while to Sc
people inquiring as to the reason for
hasty departure
Certainly not" I answered. stay a
long as you wish; or. if you prefer 1t,
: will leave
That is out of the question, > he re
| piled, as we crossed the threshold an
parted.
! | went to my room-to exult, Q
course in my revenge. 1t was so full
so complete. so exactly as i planned il
And writer's and poets say that reyeng
Is sweet VI sesi u "as SS1Is; VI W