The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-07

proudly II understood that Ii would be so
before came and am prepared to abide by
the consequences of my course. Otherwise |
should not be here.
WllTred bowed again.
=, i will be as brief as possible" she went on
In sparing you many words spare myself also.
Ine man married does not appear in an amia-
Die light IN the story have to tell you. If he
naa never existed it Is possible that Philippe
Fairfax would be better and more honest
woman than she is. You know that he was her
lover; you know why she is not his wife to-day.
There was only one obstacle in her path. He
was fond OF her, think. If she had been Iso-
bel Fsrquhar and Philippa Fairfax she would
have been happier woman than have been:
at least she would have been spared the humil-
iatiou of knowing that she had never possessed
his heart for an hour. He loved her, and eha
loved him-and he married me. You know that
much, Mr.. Carnegie and it has not made you
doubt her.
"Madam. /" said Wilfred, tempestuously, Unjust
doubt her because she was child and limo.
cent and Mr.. Ernest Duval was scoundrelp
Isobei smiled sadly.
"She did not love him as she loves you,n she
said. "Her love for him was only fieeting fan
cy. 1t is easier for you to believe that than FOE
me to believe it, Mr. Carnegie. am the woman
who married her lover. you remember. and
married him because loved him as she did. But
IL was not of that came to speak. That Is an
old story to you That would be easily forgiven.
The rest cannot be. am going to explain to you
why have not regarded Miss Fairfax with favor
from the first Not long before l came here my
husband told me that might expect to meet her
here"
"Duval told you9" Wilfred exclaimed
She looked at his bewildered face with deep
pain in her eyes. She even laid her hand upon
the piano to steady herself she spoke.
IF ! could spare you I would" she said;
"but cannot / must tell YOU the shameful
truth as 1t stands and leave the rest to you. My
husband told me that should find her here and
told me that her father had sent her"
''Why should he send her9" VIII demanded,
with desperate effort at calmness. There ID
no reason" And then he broke down. sit is
lie" he cried, savagely. 1T is lie of Du-
walls"
She answered him with the little air of chill
contempt with which she always referred to her
husband.
mo, it is not lie," she said. cit is not lie
this tme-because he had no purpose to serve.
If he had had purpose to serve by speaking
falsely he would have spoken falsely. He is
more honest than you fancy-he never lies, I'M
less he has an end to reach. The reason for
which Philip Fairfax sent his daughter here was
good enough in his eyes. He is a maj
of the world and diplomatist He is poor
man and a gentleman of leisure. Do you know
what that means2 He is a man who needs
money ard who has wit enough to scheme for it
He sent the girl here because you were Mrs.
Oswalds guest ALSO He sent her to please you
to fascinate you-if such thing was possible,
to marry you. And she has done her work WELL"
1t seemed to Wilfred that every word aud
glance of Pills came back to him at that mo.
ment: every caprice, every petuence every evil
dence of GOODNESS or reluctance to be won. A
hundred things he had forgotten rose to taunt
and shake him. He felt that the blood died out
Of his face, but he braced himself with some
thing like stubborn ferceness.
81 do not believe it," he said. 1t is lie of
Duvals. l love her, and [ will not believe
word"
There was letter" said Isobel, steadily per-
sistent-''a letter Philip Fairfax had written
himself. He was in pecuniary difficulties,
and wanted money, and when he wrote
to ask for it he spoke of the prospects that lay
before him in the event of his daughters success
He said that his chances were those of beauti-
full. attractive young creature, with wit enough
to understand her position and spirit enough to
hold to her purpose"
ITO her purpose9" cried Will at was no pur-
pose of hers-even if the rest is true. And
will not-how can believe that it is. unless she
should tell me so with her own lips"
''She will hardly do that" said Isobel. but
have the right to ask you to do the poor just
ice of speaking openly TO her. It will be justice
to her also. If there is a shadow of chance
that have done wrong no words OF mine would
ever express my contrition. 1t is not me you
doubt is it. Mr.. CarnegeW -
mo no. said Viii; "a thousand times no. Il
is not you 1 doubt. at least But it is Phil,
believe-against all the world-against all proof,
but the proof Of her own words"
Large tears stood in Isobel DuvalS eyes and
fell upon her cheeks. Her own lost faith and
love seemed to confront her once again.
Il had not wrecked my own life" she said;
eff had not staked all and lost-if had not
learned from such a bitter experience what
mercenary marriage is-the hopeless pangs and
suffering it brings upon the man or woman who
had been deceived into it, should not have had
the courage to speak. l am young woman,
Mr. Carnegie, and my life is over. l do not
hope; do not believe; l do rot love. Some
times / am afraid to think-I grow so hard and
scornful of trust. There have been hours when
have scarcely believed in my God-because Fla
has let me suffer so-because He seems to have
marked me with such promise and crushed me
with such dull bitter depair. l think | came
to Brackencleugh more because l wished to
make one effort to save you than for any
other reason. l did not know you, but knew
that you were in danger, and felt that must
stretch out my hand. If we had more than ono
life we might afford to throw one way-but
there is only one for us on earth; and try as we
may to think otherwise 1t seems a long one
while we are living. One might afford IN
happy episode, but not an unhappy life--not
hopelessness and unbelef aud broken faith un-
til tho unknown end"
Was this the face Of a woman who entered to
misery She was cold and immovable no longer.
Her voice trembed. She held out one hand In
an appeal, almost wild. Her tears fell hot and
fast.
81 tell you that wish to God that it was a
he," she cried II tell you that if it was, and
you should prove to me that 1t was, should be
glad even for the pain of knowing that have
erred so terribly. Better that it should have I'M
consciously sinned than that she should bear
this stain upon her womanhood and you tho
misery Of knowing it,"
Then it was-just at this moment-as they
faced one another, that each of them heard
light feet upon the stairs the rustling of dress.
the low sound of girls voice humming bar Of
q song vii turned white as death. It was
Phil and Phil had overcome her ghost of de-
preston, and was happy again, and was coming
toward them, singing
Listen" he said, 'she is here now, and she
will come into this room. love her with all my
SOUL will believe her against heaven itself. II
she says to nee that this is all lie, nothing will
move me. II she says to me that il is true, my
life is ended
Must / remain here7" asked Isobe ST
shall rest with you. What have said abida
by. I will stay or go. Speak quickly Must