Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-04-25

60 norning nur,eaiy. VI courss, ma
objected to his desire; hut she knew her oh.
. ;ections would have no influence upon q
man so madIy in Iowa But she prayed for
: delay-literally went upon her knees and
besought him not to be married for tweivs
!. months A clever woman was Mn Blaka
: Who knew what UNFORESEEN things might
happen in yeara
. Percivai yielded 70 soma extent After
all. before be married he must prepare an
ether home for his mother and sisterA
He told Philippa what be bad promised
4 She said nothing, but something In her
0 look made him regret be bad made the
s promise However, he vowed that the first
y Of January should be his wedding-day.
o Mrs Blake played her part very well,
. and Percival was delighted when she sug-
gested that Philippe should accompany her
daughters and herself to London, whittier
D they always went early in June; for 4r1
Blake, although but q country rector's
widow, was a woman Of fashion and friends
It is very possible that while pressing this
| invitation on Philippe Mrs Blake thought:
"She has lived in London woman Of her
extraordinary appearance cannot be for
gotten Some one must surely know oil
> about her"
i
his mother, Philippe hesitated
~Have you forgotten.' she whispered
He frowned
ut is better to face what may be in store
than to fly it Nothing can part m"
aVery well, will CO.
She kissed him, and for the thotisandth
time told him how much she loved him
A fortnight afterward Mrs Blake and
Philippa were seated shelby side at an
evening party. The beautiful young widow
was the object Of much attention Sud-
denly Mrs. Blake noticed that her compan-
ion stopped short in the middle Of q sem
tence, and begged gentleman near her to
lead her from the room-the heat was over
coming her. Then Mira Blake felt sure that
something had occurred, and looking round
in search OF it, saw a man leaning against
the opposite wall and cycling Philippa with
amused wonder.
She knew him well-a rising barrister,
with whose family she had long been upon
terms of intimacy. So when he turned his
eyes from the vanishing Philippe to her
vacant chair, Mrs Blake signed him to I'LL
it.
She cut greetings and inquiries very
short
"You know that lady who just left my
| ci0c. DAG o<AAo-
Il thought So Perhaps / was mistaken
Tell me her name.'
She told him
at must be the same" he said
what do you know Of herr asked Mrs
Blake.
Her husbands fearful rogue-was tried
for forging and swindling. The rascal tried
to save himself at her expense She was
tried with him The man was SAINT to penal
servitude for five years"
Eyes, yes-but the womanr
1T was burning shame" said Graham
"On my soul, believe she was innocent
The judge thought 50 too"
60 on quickly" said Mra Blake
@Her sentence was three months" said
Graham, reluctantly and sullenly. He hated
himself for having tattled about this beauti-
full womans anteCedents
"Tben,n safe Mrs Blake, with emphatic
pauses, she has-actually benin PRISON."
Il suppose so, But why do you want to
know. l wish had said nothing"
She walked from room to room and me-
chanically murmured; what an escape.
! What an escaped"
Mrs Russell was willing enough to go
home. Mrs Blake's lip curled as she thought
why. She said nothing, but before going
to bed telegraphed to her son, bidding him
| come at once.
He came up by the first train the next
morning. Mrs Blake had managed to get
Philippe and her daughters out of the way,
| so was able to meet him alone. His first in
quiry was for Pbillipa- He seemed greatly
relieved by hearing she was well
Then Mrs Blake made her communica-
ton She was kind enough to suppress all
show Of triumph; but she told him every
thing, and wondered at the silence with
which he heard it
"Oh, Percival, my son" she cried, "what
an escape~
He looked fearfully stern.
Il hoped you would be spared this" be
said Il hoped it might remain unknown
to all save Philippe and myself"
"Percivall What are you saying"
Il knew it before she promised to be my
wife She told me herself Poor girl, she
was cruelty wronged Her life has been
hard one. Till her wretched husband died
| in prison it was misery"
"She deceived you-cajoled you. Percival!
You can not mean to"
This will make no change in my plans
shall be married on the LIST of January"
Mrs Blake really did succumb at the an
nouncement She fell, a dead heap, into a
chair.
@Graham I shall see at once continued
her son, "and entreat his silence. But even
il the matter becomes public property it
may be lived down.
Mrs Blake was goaded past endurance.
She rose in fierce wrath
Il am sorry, very sorry, mother he
said; but l love Philippa too well to give
| her up; and surely, If one person above
another should exercise Christian charity,
| it is q clergyman"
christian charity" said Mira Blake with
biting scorn. Call it by its true name
blind, unholy passion"
She left him, little knowing how deeply
her parting shaft had struck
He saw Graham; then returned and told
Philippa everything. She listened with
strange composure.
Il expected it, she said; "the past can
never be obliterated" Then she added, Il
do not even offer to free you You are
mine-mine forever
The look which accompanied her words
added another link to the chain which bound
him to her
The last day of the old year dawned, and
Percival Blake rejoiced to think that to-
morrow would end his uncertainties and
troubles. He was now alone in the rectory.
Mrs. Blake, having sternly refused to at
tend the ceremony, or to permit her daush
tiers to be present, had by her sons advice,
If not command, left the neighbolhood for
. whila
Although he had been very busy all the
day he had seen Philippe once or twice,
and had promised TO call again after the
evening service lie preached his sermon,
introducing few fitting words about to
morrow's event; then, having fingered in
the vestry giving some last instructions to
his subordinates, he started to walk across
to the Hollies
He turned from the river path and struck
across the field toward the Hollies He had
scarcely gone twenty yards when he heard
a sharp scream: and looking round, he saw
to his right. some distance up the river
hank, two dark struggling forms As he
ran toward them he saw that the combatants
We're a man and woman, but he was only
within arms -length before he realized the |
truth-that the woman, who appeared to be |
defending herself from some ruffian's muir
derous attack, was Fhilippa
Percival Blake was a man Of immense
muscular power. At Oxford he had been
famous as an athlete Without word be |
st his teeth and sprang on Philippa's as
sailant He dared not strike him-his crush /
ing blow might fall on the wrong person |
but in a second the wretch found his arms
wrenchei from his victim and half dislo- |
Gated, while he writhed helplesxiy in the en- |
racei clergyman's grin He did not stop 70