New-York tribune., 1885-08-16

like a gentleman. And now"
Yet one tremor more as she got out the rest Oh LILO
"And now, had you treated me with considera,,
ton due to a wife. had you cared for me at an,
ahcud be the first to say to you on my dylng oeu-
DO not fret, my dear; marry some good woman;
try to be happy for my sake. otrot;no,v
Then she did indeed look at him: penetratingy
and with q startling fxedness that seemed 20 70
search his very soul Clenching her hand as III
between himself and her stood her deadiiess ioe'
she added: , o os 7
am put in my gravel In spite OF your cautl9n
see we'll enough who is waiting 10 take my piaGe, th
Marry that n Ell peKGhn hence ' at the
Birth of son and heir. No god will come OF IL;
Conscience will crush you. unclean heari, peiJiIea
tongue You will tremble when Death stanas nf'a
you. beckoninng as he now oeckohs me- anu ''"''''
White as the diving woman, the husband leaned
forward with word Of excnpatioh an 9n.ieaos aoS
late. The force Of ebbing life had already spent
itseIf. Mrs Harden fell back unconscious on the
PILLOW and e sS a Sams Sansh e n fau
ing his cry or help, hastened to tho bedside u nu
her mistress dead 49,,
So enticing the warmth OF that luxurious iur-
lined cloak so soft and easy the armchair III wnlcn
her patron had settled her, that Constance Eihery
felt ready to drowse. But her brain was 700 busy
with the future to indulge IN sleep ,,. fhefnnre
az it opened itself 10 her cnlargng gaze. fsrnaps
fha oIrI was not deserving of wholesale condenina.
tion after all Vulgarty may indeed be q pioco Oh
;I,.fortune. as mnch as q wry nose or misshapen
foot only to the rarely endowed ones is possibly
to burst the chains of custom, bringing up ana
heredity. ,.o,,,s ~
silks and triplets carriages and acqueys bondoirs
and fashionable receptions she was arouseu w % eh
abruptest intrusion s ns no be- she was fam
to clasp his hand to whisper an enhearing worn,
to greet him fondy as she had done eptitionsly
% her patron her Eeart stood still, Clever she was
NOT feminine tact she possessed I'D housra.o
degree vet she realized in u moment, wllhout
knowing the cause, the nature OF tho transiorma-
t;oo that had come over him. She stood aghast,
not yenturing step forward, lacking courage e'oh
so much as to utter his name. ,.,,.s
He cawe close up to the table by which she $1,000:
holding in his hand small strip OF paper barred
with pink. ,, l.. 10. hr,of hard unon.
swerabe voice she knew so well, though now used
for lie first time to her" Constance. cannon
marry you. shall never marry again. Here Is
condensation for broken promise"
He turned up the lamp in order that she might ~.
.oa ~ Mai he had given her. There, ii was PLAIN
enough nothing could bo palmer. a'check ior nVe
hs aasioppnded girl was dumb and he hardly
Lna'S q %bether as vot she fully understood the
meaning of his words. Something else ne hau ~
say' however. unmistakably clear and 10 the pur-
IL viii be better for you not to stay here any
longer. have ordered coffee to be ready oy SIX
O'Clock and tn. brOugha%W Wam Fl nnRn'd wR drive R S
the station, and give you frSt-cass ticket Mind
S,iIl not word from the scarlet-cheeked morti-
eaI trsmbiing rirl Had any one half an hour be-
fore assnred pstance Emery that she shouid tnus
stand silent and abashed In the presence OF this
man. she would have laughed the prosnoS'i'a'''n
But with that quick. unerring Instinct OF inc
dn the instinct born of fear and
she now recognized the fact ior avan we're sbe
mistress of herself Establishments, e1hoi Oh
tears, would all prove Intellectual as chiaioh uA'n'
something had hsppeued-she vaguely guessed
the truth-to shut him from her. TO harden nin
toward her forever. ,,.
able TO get ont syllable. yet feeling that sne ought
10 saw something on her own behalf, anothet siy
nCant act told her clearly enough Ss1s PrGOd PmiOd
The rich fnr,llned cloak In which he had 80 tend
erly enyeloped her Just an hour ago. lay on lhe
ground In her startled surprise. IL had iaien Io
her shoulders She now saw him PICK IL up ana,
with gesture not to be mistaken lay IT, carefully
folded on his wifes favorite char at tne
end OF the room. That cloak she was not 10 touoh
again Then he left her. In moment more 10 re-
fnrn. Constance Emery looked up and once more
her heart stood still. He had repented oil TINS cruei
abruptness, this undcserved ooldness. ana was
come to whisper a tender word in her ear. 10 con-
sole her for what he had perhaps been forced into
by death scene. He came back TO the taoie'
leaving the door ajar.
he said as he pointed to the check.
Again tho door closed. and this time no was IN
deed gone She heard him 60 10 his closet on the
same floor and locked himself IN that was a sign
also she had learned to understand. Nothing
remained but to do as she was bid. After all. ne
was master in his own house. She slght weep.
demonstrate, implore, she Gould not stay against
his will ,,.
succeeded by other feelings on the whole. per
haps, her sudden departure would not create much
! talk in the DeighbOrhood and III the Kitchen she
was young and no relation. Would 1t not be dnitc
natural for Mr.. Harden. in the eyes OF the world
Ter benefactor only, 10 send her awayt And GER
tany rs far as her own feelings aud incIinations
were concerned, she we1ld rather be anywhere
than in house with the blinds down, and TIE hush
of death reignIng over it, In her heart OF hearts,
but for the errand she was really glad TO co.
And lastly, that check, when she grew calm
enonshH It to fhnk about s6S hnd un Iea of M Haden
real wealth but the SUN he had just given her IN
lieu OF a wedding-ring seemed 20 her simple eyes
enormous Whatever happened, she was 2 great
parsonage now. IL was characteTlstie OF tho grl,
"a she deposited the check at the bottom or her
trunk and sullenly made her preparations for de-
parturc that she never for a single moment
regretted the affection of this man or what had
passed muster for his affection She only thought
of his rough batteries. his unhgnrauye compil,
meDts, his homely admiration. But all these ana
much more surely, awaited her in the trlumphant
future. Why should she shed a tear for one who
could part from her then without handclasp a
smile, fond look She almost felt that in time she
should learn TO hate him. -
True enough punctual TO the moment, William
waited in the porch with the brougham moment
later and a womans trunk was placed on tho top
"A slender, glrlsh figure wearing email crimson
hat with white feather. and tight-ftting crimson
mantle bordered with fur, stepped IN, the door was
shut. and az If diginiDg his masters wishes. the
old manservant drove the carriage swiftly toward
the lodge gate.
w.
What the rich man did with his inner life from
that time. none knew. Outwardiy 1t was clear foI
all 10 see, o model of austereness Teotitude and
rigid adherence to duty. Mr Harden made no af-
fection of pety of conversion, the phrase goes.
He did not take to reading his Bible, or excessive
cburch- going The cxactions of conscience and
custom IN this latter respect had ever been fulfilled
by him.