The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-03-17
CHAPTER V.-CoNTINUED.


to put himself into the new mental at
titude necessary to its acceptance.
When he had succeeded he went home
and awaited Mrs. Tregarthen's return,
intending serious conference and per-
feet understanding When he took her
back to confidence there should be no
lingering doubt in his mind. She should
know all that had been charged against
Miss Churchill, and she should deny it.,
and there should be an end of the cpl
sode. He was not shaken in his belief
in his wife's honor, and if she had not
given him all her confidence it was be-
cause she had thought it would imperil
his love for her.
Has Mrs. Tregarthen returned?'
he asked the servant who admitted him.
"No, sir"
Let me know when she does So"
Yes, sir"
He sat long time silent and alone,
and there came into his mind the not
too delicate Communications bestowed
upon Miss Churchill by the Captain and
his echo, the Lieutenant He went with
them into the theater and the magic of
the beautiful voice touched him again.
He went anew through his pleasant
fancies of her. and his defense of her
against Pollard, and his first meeting
with her, and his second. and his third
all the story of his eourtship fioated
through his m ind-and he would have
sworn to her immaculate purity, or
would have died to prove his faith in it.
Ii grew dusk, and the early summer
moon was already shining with ghost
ly silver CLEAN in the darkening violet
of the sky. Fears began to rise in his
mind, and he pictured the delicate SELL
sitive thing in shame and soreness of
heart over this pardonable secrecy of
hers, hiding herself and fearing to APP
proach him. He remembered how he
had asked his question:: is this thing
true" and how, without word from
her in answer, he had turned away and
left her. His fears began to rise higher.
and to take one or two horrible forms,
which presented themselves persistent
W.
1t neither increased nor dissipated
these fears when he had run down to
the Gate of the Sea and had learned
that she had left the island two or three
hours ago, and had returned to the
mainland, sending the boatman back
to await his pleasure. He took his seat
in the boat at once and babe the men
give way. Before they were half across
the narrow waters he could see his
own house on Gorbay Head, and could
make out that the one light which
twinkled in it came from his wife's
room. His heart seemed almost to fly
from his body as he sent before him
his message of forgiveness and affection;
and when the noise of the boat ground
against the single he left the little
vessel with leap, and ran to the house
in haste. A man servant met him with
an uninterested face, and handed him
letter on salver.
"Mrs. Tregarthen ordered this to be
given you, Sir, on your return" he
said.
"Where is Mrs. Tregarthenp" asked
the husband
''She went up to town, sir, by the
seven express" returned the servant.
"Alone?" inquired his master, turn
ing away to hide his fac, and trihing
with the letter in his hands.
Took Miss Farmer with her. sir
and the maid"
The servant followed him into the
room he entered, and there turned up
the lamps and laid hands upon trife
OF two upon the sideboard and the
table.
You may co." said his master,
quietly.
The man retired. and Tregarthen sat
down by the center-tab.e, drew the
lamp closer, and opened the envelope
For time the slender letters danced
before his eyes. and he could not make
out word, hut in while he mastered
himself and tegan to read What he
read was incoherent and agonized. 1t
was written in haste, with bots and
erasures, and there were blisters upon
the paper where the writer's tears had
fallen. She had known her OWL I'M
worthiness in keeping Ter secret all
along, she wrote, but she had never
dared to tell him what her past life had
been. And now he had discovered
her duplicity and wickedness, and she
could not bare to face him. She had
gone away, and she begged him to for
get her. But she loved him, and she
prayed Heaven to bless him.
There was much more to this effect,
ii ,,,h, IL, I,n IL, g
horrible doubt fell closer and darker
round his heart What was there in
the mere discovery, taken by itself, to
excite such anguish as the letter dis
played. What lay behind the discov-
cry? Was it likely that wife would
run away from her husband and her
home on provocation so trivial as the
discovery of itself afforded Then all
his heart rose up to defend her, and he
was torn between doubt and trust, and
love and fear, and the little mild pas
sions that had dwelt within him dilated
to giant size on Il sudden, and took his
soul for n battle ground, and shook it
with their conflict
There was no sleep for him that
night, and all next day he wandered
vaguely, trying to make up his mind to
some course of action. His wife had
given him no address, but it did not
seem to him at first that it would be
difficult TO discover her in London. But
was her flight in itself confession of
worse than he knew. or could he bear
to hear that confession if it had to be
made. or to hear her denial of it and to
have to doubt her still?
If people always did the plain. COM
nonsense thing. always spoke the
plain truth, and always looked circum-