Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1886-04-09
in one mad moment 1t was done, hotly pas
sinnatalY dona-he kissed her

For the first time In Ter maiden life mans
lips touched her lips. ALI that had been per-
picking and strange, all that had been limo
Gently wonderful to herself in the feeling
that bound Sydney to her first friend, was a
mystery no more. Love lifted its veil. Nat
ure revealed its secrets in the one supreme
moment of that kiss. She threw her arms
around his neck with low cry of delight
and returned his kiss.
Sydney" he whispered, 81 love your
She heard him in rapturous silence Her
kiss had answered for her.
At that crisis IN their lives they were saved
by an accident; poor little common acct
dent that happens every day. The spring in
the bracelet that Sydney wore gave way as
she held him to her; the bright trinket fell
on the grass at her feet. The man never no.
ticed it. The woman saw her pretty orna-
ment as It dropped from her arm-saw, and
remembered Mrs. Linley'S gift.
Cold and pale-with horror of herself con-
fessed in the action, simple as it was-she
drew back from him in dead silence.
He was astOunded. In tones that trembled
with agitation he said to her: Are you ill?"
shameless and wicked" she answered.
Not ILL.," She pointed to the bracelet on
the grass. Take it up; am not fit to touch
1t. Look on the inner side"
lie remembered the inscription: ITO Sgd
ney Westerfeld with Catherine Linley's
love-" His head sank on his breast; he I'M
derstood her at last "f GU deSpi.e me-" he
said; land deserve it."
mo; / despise myself | have lived
among vile people, and l am vile like them"
She moved 2 few steps away with heavy
cio tt,,F CHI CafJ tn ,,ar-a1f tsDpor
little KittyI'
of the child" he asked, "at such time as
this?''
She replied without returning or looking
round; distrust of herself had inspired her
with terror of Linley from the time when the
bracelet had dropped on the grass.
II can make but one atonement," she said.
1--WE must see each other no more. l must
say good-by to Kitty-I must CO. Help me
to submit to my hard lot; must 60"
He set her no example of resignation; he
shrank from the prospect that she presented
to him. Where are you to go if you leave
us?'' he asked.
Away from England! The farther away
from you the better for both of us. Help me
with your interest; have me sent to the new
world in the west with other emigrants. Give
me something to look forward to that is not
shame and despair. Let me do something
that is innocent and good may find a trace
Of my poor lost brother Oh, let me go! Let
me gop
Her resolution shamed him. He rose to
her level in spite of himself
II dare not tell you that you are wrong"
he said. 81 only ask you to wait little till
we are calmer before you speak Of the future
again." lie pointed to the summer house
Go in, my poor girl Rest and compose
yourself while try to think"
He left her and paced up and down the
formal walks in the garden. Away from the
maddening fascination of her presence his
mind grew clearer. He resisted the tempta-
ton TO think of her tenderly; he set himself
to consider what it would be well to do next.
The moonlight was seen no more. Misty
and starleSs, the dark sky spread its majestic
obscurity over the earth. Linley looked
YEARLY toward the eastern heaven. The
darkness daunted him; he saw in it the shad-
ow of his own sense of guilt. The gray gim-
mering OF the dawn, the songs Of birds as the
pure light softly climbed the sky, reused and
relieved him. With the first radiant rising
of the sun he returned to the summer house.
'Do disturb you?" he asked, waiting at
the door.
No"
'Will you come out and speak to me?'
She appeared at the door, waiting to hear
what he had to say to her.
81 must ask you to submit to a sacrifice of
your own feelings" he began. when l
kept away from you in the drawing room
last night-when my strange conduct made
FOO. L.. Il Id
trying to remember what | owed to my good
wife. / have been thinking of her again.
We must spare her discovery too terrible to
be endured while her attention is claimed by
the guests who are now in the house. In a
weeks time they will leave us. VIII you
consent to keep qpfNTsarances? VIII you
live with us as Usual until we are left by our
selycsp
ut shall be done, Mr., Linley. | only ask
one favor of you. My worst enemy is my
own miserable, wicked heart. Oh, don't you
understand me? | am ashamed to look at
your
lie had only to examine his own heart and
to know what she meant. Say no more"
he answered, sadly. I'VE will keep as much
away from each other as we can"
She shuddered at that open recognition of
tho guilty love which united them in spite Of
their horror of it, and took refuge from him
In the summer house. Not a word more pass
ed between them until the unbarring of doors
was heard in the stiffness of the morning and
the smoke began to rise from the kitchen
chimney. Then he returned and spoke to her.
You can get back to the house." he said
''Go up by the front stairs, and you will not
meet the servants at this early hour. If they
do see you, you have your cloak on; they
will think you have been in the garden ear
ler than usual. As you pass the upper door
draw back the bolts quietly, and can let
myself in
She bent her head in silence lie looked
after her as she FASTENED away from him
over the lawn; conscious of admiring her,
conscious of more than he dare realize to
himself. When she disappeared he turned
back TO wait where she had been waiting.
With his sense of the duty he owed to his wife
penitently present to his mind, the memory
OF that fatal kiss still left its vivid impress
sion on him. What scoundrel amp he
said to himself as he stood alone in the sum-
mer-house, looking at the chair which she
had Just left