St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-05-15

presence. The architect himself was
on the ground, and desired his opinion
on some question or another which
could only be decided on the spot
walk on said Trcgarthen to his
wife, Il shall oyertake you
She answered with smile and
nod and rambled slowly over the
verdurous slopes, and enjoyed the fresh
sea-breeze. In while she looked
back. and seeing no sign of her hus-
band. she sat in the shelter of an over
hanging bowlder, and, sinking down in
the soft MOSES. surrendered herself to
happy broodings upon her husband,
her home, his love and her own, and
the cloudess sky that overhung their
sweet domestic life. She was so deep
sunk in reyere, and the MOSES here
about were so soft and thick that a
wandering fOotstcp near at hand failed
to reach her ear, and she was little
startled to find picturesque young
man barring his head before her with an
almost theatrical air of homage.
Miss Churchill,n said the pct.
uresque young man, in accents of de-
lighted surprise Il was assured the
"
amazed to find you here; amazed and
charmed.
She did not recognize him, and arose
with some indignat on at the familiarity
of his tone. She was startled by his
sudden coming, too, and at the first
flash she saw danger in the presence of
any man who had known Miss Church
ill.,
Il am Mrs. Trcgarthen, SIR she
said, haughtilv and coldIv.
Il beg PARDON said the picturesque
young man, still standing hat in hand
before her. | can not be mistaken. |
had the honor to meet you at The
Mirror My name is Marsh-Ronald
Marsh. l owed the pleasure to Lori
mer.h
II have no recollection of the Cir,
cumstances,' she said, even more cold
ly than before.
Mr.. Ronald Marsh smiled with no
touch of embarrassment 1t was lit
| tie odd that there were people in the
world who did not leap at the chance
of talking to him, but the fact was in
disputable. and he was used to it.
Il beg your pardon again. he said,
with Il graceful wave of his s0mbrer0.
''At least | may have che qualification
of being assured that am not in errot
in assuming you to be Miss Churchill
II was Miss Churchill. sir; but have
mo desire to resume acquaintance with
any person who knew me by that
name.
Mr.. Ronald Marsh flushed to the
roots of his hair, and donned his SOM
brero with a final bow. She moved past
him with flashing eyes and head erect.
and sweeping thus round the edge of
the great bowlder, met Tregarthen face
to face.
CHAPTER V
Husband and wife looked at each
other for a moment, and then the wife's
eyes dropped guiltily. 1t is character
stic of people at large to be wiser about
other peoples affairs than they are
about their own-being freed, in the
one case, of egotism's glasses-and al
most anybody can see that, although
there was sufficient occasion for do
mestic scene, there was no reason to re-
gard the position of things as being
essentially tragic You must endure a
good deal before you tear yourself from
your dearer half in your sober senses.
But the one thing that stared each of
these people in the face was 4 lifelong
and inevitable separation.
81 have deceived him. said the wife,
with such a cold anguish of repentance
as could only come OF detection. HE
will never believe me nor love me
again.
lis this thing true?' asked Ire
garthen, coldly. Her aspect was
enough to convict her, aud he turned
away. Icy as he was to look at, he was
afraid of himself, and felt that he was
not to be trusted with many words. He
would 60 away, therefore, and would
think how best to bear himself in this
terrible and unsupported condition of
affairs. He had not gone far when it
came into his mind that the condition
of affairs, however unexpected it might
be, was scarcely so terrible as it had
seemed at first. He began to think how
strongly he had spoken when, as it
now appeared, his wife had wished to
take him into her confidence. After
all, there was no sin or shame in hav-
ing been an actress. Colonel Pollard
had said things Of that very Miss
Churchill, with whom his wife was now
identified, which were hideous if true or
possible: but he knew them to be false.
The more he thought about it the more
he was persuaded anew of what he had
always known as only a lover knows
anything-the purity of his wifes mind
and history. She had deceived him in
one matter. hut then he had forced do
ception upon her. And. after all. they
were man and wife, and he loved her as
he had never loved anybody in his life