The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1886-02-10

ca4e presence of some gentle divinity.
~ am alone at home this afternoon,
Mr.. Marsh" she added, "and ! shall be
glad if you and Mr.. Maurice will take
q cup OF tea with me. Lima is there, of
course" she added with faint smile:
"but sisters are not always the best Of
company to each other"
"You libel Lima and YOURSELF" said
the poet with pretence of gayety.
SIN half an hour" she said, turning
toward the door, MAY l expect
youP"
Her carriage waited at the stage en-
trance to the theater, and she drove
away, with another faint smile and a
nod of the head to Phil. He and the
poet followed her on foot, and, reach
ing the house, were shown into little
jewel of room, where everything was
wonderfully neat and rich and dainty.
BY and by the actress reappeared, in
indoor costume; tea was brought, and
the three settled down to talk. The
hostess, with her face turned from the
light, nestled into luxurious chair,
and spoke from twilight in which her
features were scarcely to be discerned
"You know Tregarthen Island, Mr.
Mauricepn
"Oh, yes" said Phil, good deal
surprised at the question. II have
spent more than half my life there"
81 am a Cornish woman" she said.
II was born at Gorbay. But 1 have
not seen it for long time. Is it much
changedP Tell me about the Island
Are the Pollarths livingP"
"Jan is Dead" said Phil. "Did you
know Jan the patriarch of the tribeP"
"Poor Janw she said, with tremor
in her voice. Marsh sat i'll at ease,
fearing she would break down. "But
the rest are all livingP Reuben and
his children, and"
"All of them," Phil answered.
"Jan's is the only death that has taken
place on the Island for more than
twelve years"
"And the Castle" she asked-"are
the repairs finishedP"
"No," returned Phil. "They were
abandoned years ago. Mr.. Tregarthen
never had the heart to finish them"
"How was thatP" The cup and sau-
Ger she held in her hands clattered
against each other, and the poet
writhed upon his chair and turned pale.
Why should she torture herself in this
wayP he asked internally. Phil no.
ticed nothing. What was more natural
than that lady great in the worlds
eyes, should shut out her greatness for
a little while and talk Of the places she
had known in childhoodP
"Its a sad story" said Phil, ig-
norantly. "Did you know Mr. Ire
garthenP" She answered only by a
movement of the head. "He met with
a great misfortune-.a misfortune
which seems nearly to have broken his
heart. He married a worthless woman,
who"
"Great heavensl" groaned the poet,
wringing his moist hands together
Phil turned and stared at him.
"a worthless woman" said Mrs
Tregarthen from her shadowed corner,
in voice so unlike her own that both
her hearers started Eyes. Go on"
"You are i'll, madam" cried the
youngster rising to his feet
"Ohr' besought Marsh, rising also,
and turning an imploring look up
on her, ''pursue this interview no
farther"
"Be seated" she said, in a voice less
painfully disguised by emotion, but
still strangely harsh. II will not keep
Mr.. Maurice in the dark any longer. /
beg your pardon" she continued, to
the amazed visitor, ''if have seemed
to try to entrap you. But you will tell
me everything about him-you, who
know him so wellP have had nobody
TO tell me word about him for years;
and-I-am Mrs. Tregarthenl"