The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1886-02-17

lump yetP Not yet Pure hands and
a clean heart are great gifts They are
greater than any one could give you,
though I made Emperors despair tc
think of you. Don't throw them away,
Phil; don't barter the immediate Jewel
of your soul for the husks which the
swine do eat" He had laid his hands
again upon Pills shoulders, and his
voice was full of ertreaty and affection,
but he broke off abruptly and began to
pace the room. "You will do what
you must do. Fire will not drown,
nor water burn because of my beseech-
ings. ito your way, Phil. Eat and
drink and be merry-if you may"
Phil opened the door, passed through
it, came upon the corridor and stood
there amazed and desolate. He could
find but one solution to the problem
Tregarthen's speech presented. That
there was much melancholy wisdom in
it, and the revelation of heart by nat
ure noble, made it none the less the
speech of madman.
The housekeeper had already pre-
pared meal for him, but Phil had no
desire for it, and sent it away untasted.
By and by Tregarthen appeared.
"Are you readyP" he said. "Have
you lunched? Come into the open air,
then, and let me hear your news. My
work is over" Phil rose obediently,
but he asked himself what good end he
could serve by telling the news he had
travelled so far to carry. 81 have of
late" said Tregarthen, as they came
upon the grass in the rear of the old
house" l have of late, and wherefore
l know very well, foregone all custom
of exercises; and indeed it goes so
heavily with my disposition that this
most goodly frame, the earth, seems to
me sterile promontory; this most eX-
cellent canopy, the air, look you, this
brave o'erhanging armament, this
majestical roof fretted with golden
fire-why, it appears no other thing to
me than fool and pestilential congre-
cation of vapors. "
ale can quote Hamlet" said Phil
to himself, "and perhaps he is no more
mad than Hamlet after all. "
"Your news, Phil" said Tregarthen.
"You promised to surprise me-"
II have serious news. indeed" Phil
answered. 1t looked harder than ever
TO offer it now, and he could not guess
how il might be received: arthur,
have met Mrs. Tregarthen." His COM
panion swung round upon his heel and
faced him.
"Wellp"
81 owe you so much" said Phil,
earnestly, THAT l must try to pay
little" He forgot his diflidence and
began to forget his fears for Arthur.
"lf ever there was good woman in
the world-if ever there was n woman
In the world who loved her husband
If ever there was an unhappy woman
in the world-I have seen her Arthur;
there was great mistake"
"You wrote Of her." said Ire
garthen, with no show of feeling, "but
you did not write ingenuously. You
pretended not to know my knowledge
of her, and wrote Of her as a stranger"
"She was a stranger then," returned
Phil, "but she learned from friend
that came from Tregarthen, and that
ypu had saved my life. She sent for
ME and tried to question me about you
as il she had not been interested in
you"-thc lad was moved at the merl-
ory of this scene-"but she broke
down, and confessed who she was;
and, Arthur, since you have let me say
so much you must let me 90 on. /
have heard the Gorbay people talking
about you hundred times, and in their
mouths IL was always you who were ut
tault. But knew better, and / knew
that you believed terrible things about
Mrs. Tregarthen. / believed them.
too, but l believe them no longer.
have seen her and spoken to her, and
she has told me all the story. She did
not let you know that she had been
upon the stage, and when you found il
out she thought you could never for
give her deceit, and she ran away.
There was something worse in your
own mind against her, or you would
have traced her and have brought her
back again. But that is all her story.
That is all the confession she has to
make
"You are quite sure she Is innocent
and good, Philip asked Tregarthen,
looking askance at him.
81 am as sure OF her innocence and
goodness as | am of my own heart
beating at this moment"
$50 was !" returned Tregarthen.
Don't you see, Phil" he added, "that
you are somewhat indiscreetP This
lady is my wife, and it is little hard
that | should be asked either to in
criminate her or condone her crimes.
Let me hear no more of her. Your
love excuses you now, and your mex
perience alone would be extenuation
enough for so wcll-meant folly"
Phil accepted his rebuff in silence, but
he was none the less sure that he was
right, and that some dreadful error
had separated Arthur and his wife.
"Let us change the question:" said
Tregarthcn. "Tell me Of your studies.
Who is your friend, Mr.. MarshP am out
Of the world here, and know nothing
of him, though you speak Of him as be-
ing famous" :"
Phil had no heart to talk, but he an
swcred Tregathen's questions, and
wondered all the while what the mad
speech Of an hour ago had meant.
There was no trace Of madness now.
The youngster knew well enough that
he had made foolish move in attempt
ing to influence Tregarthen by mere
impression Of his own, and yet he was
as certain as he could be Of anything
that his impression was the true one
But Arthur seemed frozen into indifer-
ence, and Phil had no evidence TO offer,