The Red Cloud chief., 1886-02-12

huiis' aid Il toon MN an hOtr or two
to put himself into the new mental at.
'itndc necessary to it, ac>eptance.
When be had succeeded he went home
and awaited Mrs. Tregarthen's rsxurn.
intending a serious conference ami a per-
feet understanding. When he look her
back TO confidence there should be no
lingering doubt in his mind. She should
know ell that had becn charged rain:
Miss Churchill. and she should deny it,
and there should be an end Of the cpl
d lie was not shaken in his belief
IN his wlfe's honor, and IL She had not
gwen him all her confidence il was be-
cause she had thought it would impcriI
his love for her.
Has Mrs Tregarthen returned?"
tie asked the servant VINO admitted him.
mo. ST"
LET me know when she does So"
"Yes. sir"
, lie sat a long tine silent and alone.
ana there came into his mind the not
loo 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
n beautiful yo!ce touched him again.
He went anew through his pleasant
fanc.cs of her. and his defense OF her
against 'Ollard. and his first meeting
with her. and his second. and his third
all the story Of his courtship floated
through his Ia ind-aad hc 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>aiready shining with a ghost
ly silver CLEAN in the darkening violet
OF the sky. Fears began To rsc in his
mind. and he pictured the delicate SEN
ftlvc thing in shame and soreness of
heart over this p~ardonablc secrecy OF
hers, hid NJ herself and fearing To APP
proach him. He remembered how he
had asked his question: lis this thing
true AMI how, without n word from
Scr in answer, he had turned away and
seit her. Ills fears began TO rise higher
and 10 take one or two horrible forms,
which prcsented themselves persistent
ly.
1t neither Increased nor dissipated
The e fc@rs when he had run down to
the Gate of the Sea and had learned
that she had left the sand TWO or three
hours ago, and had returned to the
mainland, sending the boatman back
10 await his pleasure. He iook his seat
I'm the boat n once and babe the men
gave way. Before they Were half across
shc narrow waters he could see his
own house on GCrIay Head. and could
make on that the one light which
twinklcd IN IT came from his wife ;
room. His heart seemed almost to iiy
from his body as he sent tcforc him
his message o. forgiveness and affections;
and wien tie noise Of tie boat ground
against the saiDgie he left the little
vessel with Il leap. and ran 10 the house
IL haste. \ man servant met him with
an uninicrcstci face, and handed him
q letter on 4 Salyer.
Mrs Iregarthcn ordered this to be
given yon. sir. on your return he
said.
t..Where is Mrs. Tregarthen?" asked
the husl and.
she went up t. town. SIR. by tho
seven express" returned the servant.
Alone" inquired his master. turn
ing away To hide his fec, and triiling
with the letter in his hands.
'.Iook Miss Farmer with her. sir
and the maid"
Thc servant followed him into the
room he entered. and thee turned up
The lamps and laid hands upon n trifle
or two upon the sideboaid and the
table.
You lnay 60" said his master,
quietly.
Tho man retired. and I'regarthcn sat
down ty the center table. drew the
lamp closer. ard opened the envelope.
For q time the slender letters danced
before his eyes. and he coald not make
out 4 word tT IN a while he mastered
himself aud icgan 10 read VIVA; he
read WAS Incohcrcnt and agonized. 1t
WAS written In haste, with blotS and
craSuics. and thee were blis.crS upon
the par a. where the writer's tears had
fallen. She hal known her owi, un-
worthinesS IN keeping Ter secret all
along. she wrote. but she had never
dared 10 tel! him wha; her past life had
been. And now he had discovered
her dupl city and wickcjneSs, and she
could not bare to face him. She had
gone AWAY. and she begged him Ia for
Get her. But she loved him. and she
PRAYED Heaven 10 bless him.
There waS much more to this effect.
nnd while he read. the shasOw of a
horrible doub. fell closer and darker
round his heart What was there in
the mere discovery. taken hy itself, to
excite such anguish rs the letter dis
played. What lay behind the discov-
cry? Was il likely that q wife would
run away from Ter husband and her
home on a provocation SC trivial as the
discovery OF Itself afforded. Then all
his heart rose up TO defend her and he
was torn b tween doubt and trust. and
love and ar. and the little mild pas
sions that had dwelt within him dilated
to yiant size on n sudden. and took his
soul for \ attic ground. and shook it
with their conflict
There was no sleep for him thai
night, and all next day he wandered
vaguely. trying 10 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 a confession Of
worse than he knew. or could he bear
to hear that confession if il had 10 be
made. or 10 hear her denial of it and to
have to doubt her still?
If people always did the plan. COM
mon-sense thing. always spoke the
plain truth. and always looked circum-
stances in the face. the world would be
Improved out of knowledge Mrs. Ire
! 1,Ttheu had taken perhaps the most
: foolish of possible steps. had disguised
d ruth. and now ran away from the
instances she had herself created;
yst you shall not despise her if 1