Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1886-12-11

| viii always believe that what | do is right"
| He sat down at his desk and wrote long
letter to Ned inveighing bitterly against the
| stupidity and malice of people living in small
villages, and informing him of his intention
| to remove to Cincinnati as soon as an opening
could be found for him there, which he
begged Ned to busy himself in discovering.
Attired in his most becoming garb, and neg
| Letting nothing that could enhance his per
| sonal appearance, he walked slowly up the
| hill in the evening to Rachel Bonds house
| The shrinkage which his self-sufficiency had
| suffered had left room for u wonderful ex
pansion of his affection for Rachel, whose
| love and loyalty were now essential to him,
| to compensate for the falling away of Others.
| The question of whether he should break
| with her was now one the answering of which
| could be postponed indefinitely. There was
no reason why he should not enjoy the sweet
| privileges of an aflianced lover during his
| stay at Sarllis. What would happen after
\ ward would depend upon the shape that
| things took in his new home.
He found Rachel sitting on the piazza.
| Though dressed in the deepest and plainest
| black she had never looked so surprisingly
beautiful. As is usually the case with young
women of her type Of beauty, grief had
| toned down the rich coloring that had at
| times seemed almost too exuberant into that
delicate shell-lil1e tint which is the perfection
| of natures painting Her round white arms
shone like Juno'S, rs the outlines were re-
vealed by the graceful motions which threw
back the wide sleeves. Her wealth of silken
| black hair was drawn smoothly back from
her white forehead, over her shapely head,
and gathered into simple knot behind. Save
| black brooch at her throat, she wore no
ornamentS-not even plain ring
She rose as Harry came upon the piazza,
| and for t, moment her face was rigid with in.
tensity of feeling This evidence of emotion
went rs quickly as it came, however, and she
extended her hand with calm dignity, saying
simply:
You have returned, Mr. Glen"
In his anxiety to SO play the imprisoned
lover as TO conceal the recreancy he had
foStHred il lis own heart, Harry did not
notpe the GOODNESS of this greeting. Then,
too, his self satisfaction had always done him
the invaluable service of preventing ready
perception of the repellant attitudes of others
He came forward eagerly 70 press a lis
upon her lips, but she checked him with up
lifted hand.
20, the familys in there, are they?' said
he, looking toward the open windows of the
parlor, well what mattera Isn't it cx-
pected that fellow will kiss his affianccd
vito on his return, and not care who knows
itl'
He pointed to the old apple tree where they
had plishtcd their troth that happy night,
with gesture and look that was reminder
Of their former meeting and an invitation TO
90 thlther again. She comprehended, but re-
fu5cd with a shudder, and, turning, motioncd
him to the farther end of the piazza, to which
SIZE led the way, moving with a sweeping
gracrfulness of carriage that Harry thought
had wonderfully ripened and perfected in til
three months that had elapsed since their
parting.
Fore gad," he said to himself This was
new addition TO his ezpletory vocabulary.
which had accrued from Ned BurnIeigh's
companionshipJ Ia like to put her along
side Of one of the girls that Neds always
talking about. | don't believe she's get her
equal anywhere
Arriving at the end of the piazza be I'M
petu0usly renewed his attempt at an en-
brace, but her Iepulse was now unnistal.-
able
Sit down" she said, pointing TO a chair,
Il have something to say to you"
HarryS first thought was rush of jcal-
ousy. Some rascal has supplanted me- he
said bitterly, but under his breath
She took chair near by, put away the
arm he would have placed about her
waist, drew from her pocket dainty
handkerchief bordered with black, and
opened it deliberately 1t shed delicate
odor of violets
Harry waited anxiously for her 10 speak
This mourning which wear" she began
gently, II put on when received the news
of your downfall
''My downfalll7 broke in Harry hotlv
''Great heavens, you don't say that you, too,
have been carried away by this wretched
village slander7"
Il put it on she continued, unmindful of
the interruption, because | suffered loss
which was greater than any merely physical
death could have occasioned.'
II don't understand YOU
MY faith in YOU a man superior to Your
fellows died then. This was A much more
cruel blow than your bodily death would
have been
Fore CAD YOU take pleasant view of my
I
than am able 10 take Of that interesting
event in my history"
Her great eyes blazed, and she seemed
about to reply hotly, but she restrained her
self and went on with measured calrnness:
"The reason selected you from among all
other men, and loved you, and j"yfully ac-
cepted rs my lot in life to I've vour devoted |
wife and hclpmate, was that believed YOU
superior in all manly things TO other men.
Without such belief could love 10 man.
She paused for an instant, and Harry man |
aged to stammcr:
Bat what have l done to deserve being |
thrown over in this unexpected way9'
you have not done anything That is the |
trouble You have failed to DO that which |
was rightfully expected of you You have |
allowed others. who had 10 better oppor- |
tunities, to surpass YOU in doing your manly |
duty Whatever else my husband NAV not |
be he must not fail i'll this
Rachel, YOU are hard and cruel"
mo, am only kind to You and to myself |
know myself too we'll to make a mistake in |
this respect have seen too many women |
who have been compelled TO defend. apologize |
or blush for their husbands acts, and have |
felt too keenly the abject misery of their lives |
TO take the least chance of adding myself to |
their sorrowful number. If were married |
TO You could endure to be beaten by YOU |
and perhaps love YOU still, but the moment |
was compelled to confess your inferority to |
some other woman's husband | should hate |
you and in the end drag both of us down to |
miserable graves"
But let ME explain this"
1T would be waste Of time" she answered |
coldly at is sufficient for me to know that |
you are convicted by general opinion of hav-
ing failed where a number of commonplace |
fellows succeeded. You, yourself, admit the
justice of this verdict by tame submission to |
it, making no effort to retrieve your reputa-
ton. can not understand how this could |
he so if you had any of the qualities that |
fondly imagined You possessed in high de
gree. But this interview is being protracted |
10 painful extent. Let us say good night |