Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-07-01
The Evil CGliQS.
A DOMESTIC STORY.
CHAPTER XXXTT

ton (HOt the first recOnc Ii lun mhapDiiv)
with hopes revived. and oWe t content re-
stored, seydnay's serenity oI IL mt was not
quite Unutll1d. Her thou ats were not
dWeI.n- on the evil life which she had hon
eslly drplorrd or on the Wr0nged wife TO
whom Sil" hal been eager 10 make atone
mrnt. WA II is the woman whose SOrrOws
are no; thrown into the shade by the bright
renew! ot love? The one anxiety that tr0ub-
led s dncy was caused by the remembrance
OF n letter which she had sent to the convent
at SandySeal.
AS her better mind now viewed it, she had
doublY injured Herbert-frSt i'll distruSting
him; then by appealing from him to the COM
passion Of strangers
Ii the reply for which she had rashly ask
ed was waiting for her at that moment-if
the mercy Of the mother superior was ready
to comfort and guide her-what return could
she make? How could she excuse herself
from accepting what was offered in kindly
reply to her own petition? She had placed
herself, for all she knew to the contrary, be-
tween two alternatives Of ingrattude equally
uncomfortable, equally degrading. To feel
this was to feel the suspense which, to per
sons OF eEcitable temperament, is Of all trials
the hardest to bear The chambermad was
still in the room. Sydney asked if the post
office was near the hotel.
The woman smiled. Everything is near
us, ma am, in this little place. Can we send
to the pOstOffice for you?'
Sydney wrote her initials. ASK, if YOU
please, for a letter addressed in that way"
She handed the memorandum to the cham
bermaid. Corresponding with her lover
under her husbands nOser' That was how
the chambermaid explained it below stairs
when the porter remarked that initials look
ed mysterious.
The mother superior had replied. Sydney
trembled as she opened the letter. 1t began
kindly.
Il believe you, my child, and [ am anxious
to help you. But cannot correspond with
an unknown person. If you decide to reveal
yourself it is only right to add that [ have
shown your letter to the reverend father
who, in temporal as in spiritual things, is
our counselor and guide. To him l must re-
fer you in the first instance. His wisdom
will decide the serious question of receiving
you into our holy church and will discover,
in due time, if you have a true vocation to
religious life. With the fathers sanction,
you may be sure of my affectionate desire to
serve you"
Sydney put the letter back in the envel-
Ope, feeling grateful toward the mother su-
perior, but determined by the conditions inn
posed on her to make no further advance to-
ward the Benedictne community
Even IL her motive in writing to the con-
vent had remained unchanged, the illusions
to the priest would still have decided her on
taking this step. The bare idea of opening
her inmOSt heart and telling her SaddeSt Sc
cretS to man, and that man stranger, was
too repellent to be entertained for a moment.
In few lines of reply, gratefully and re-
SpCctfully written, she thanked the mother
superior, and withdrew from the correspond
ence.
The letter having been closed and posted
in the hotel box, she returned to the sitting
room, free from the one doubt that had
troubled her, eager to show Herbert how
truly she believed in him, how hopefully she
looked to the future.
With happy smile on her lips she opened
the door. She was on the point of asking
him playfully If he had felt surprised at her
long abSence-When the sight that met her
eyes turned her cold with terror in an in
slant.
His arms were stretched out on the table;
his head was laid on them; despair confess
ed itself in his attitude; grief spoke in the
deep Sobbing breaths that shook him. Love
and compassion restored Sydney'S courage;
she advanced to raise him in her armS-and
stopped once more. The book on the table
caught her eye. He was still unconscious
of her presence; she Yentured to open it.
She read the inscription-looked at him
looked back at the writing knew the
truth at last
The rigOr of the torture that she suffered
paraIyZed all outward expression Of pain.
Quietly she put the book back on the table.
Quietly she touched him and called him by
his name.
He started and looked up; he made an at
tempt to speak to her in his customary tone.
81 didn't hear you come in, he said.
She pointed to the book without the slight
est change in her face or her manner.
Il have read the inscription to your wife"
she answered; II have seen You while you
thought you were alone; the mercy which
has so long kept the truth from me is mercy
wasted now. Your bonds are broken, Her
bert. You are a free man."
He affected not 10 have understood her.
She let him try to persuade her Of it, and
made no reply. He declared, honestly de
clared that what she had said distressed
him. She listened in submissive silence
tie took her hand and kissed it. She let him
kiss it, and let him drop it at her side. She
frightened him; he began to fear for her
reason. There was silence-long, horrid,
hopeless silence.
She had left the door of the room open.
One of the servants of the hotel appeared
outside in the passage. He spoke to some
person behind him. perhaps the book has
been left in here" he suggested. A gentle
voice answered: Il hope the lady and gen.
tleman will excuse me if l ask leave to look
for my book" She stepped into the room to
'uake her apologies.
Herbert Linley and Sydney Westertield
looked at the woman whom they had out
ragged. The woman whom they had out
ragged paused, and looked back at them.
The hotel servant was surprised at their
not speaking to each other. He was a stupid
man; he thought the gentlefolks were
strangely unlike gentlefOlks in general; they
seemed not to know what to say. Herbert
happened to be standing nearest to him; he
thought it would be only civil to the gentle
man to offer q word of exclamation