The midland journal., 1886-10-15
Her Guarded Honor f;
teAi C4.. gG..se OR. t
81. '@ AFTER MANY YEARS.
BY EDMOND ST. CLAIRE PITT.
CHAPTER VIII.

GUCu d 6pAcuu1O buCCGSS LU2C ROBERT
Denham ran it for whole week to
crowded houses; and when Viola came
on the stage, after the second act, he
told her that he had already recouped
the losses of the first part of his tour.
II am SO glad" she said, earnestly;
$50 very glad you have not that burthen
Of anxiety as we'll"
He hesitated q moment as she moved
away to her dressing-room; then fol-
lowed her. and at the door arrested her
with hand on her shoulder.
H"Child," he whispered in her ear,
~she-C Charlotte-has not left Loden;
she is here tonight. I saw her just
now at the back of the dress-circle."
70 "Are you sure, Mr.. Denham?"
"Sure ?-yes. Look up when you 60
on again, little to the left of the centre:
fair-haired woman with pale yellow
mantle-ft color for her." he added
bitterly. "Yellow's forsworn, you
know. Never be fool enough to marry,
, my dear" e-a .'
She laughed-a strangely bitter, joy
= Gus laugh, it struck him afterwards
andswent to her room.
When she came on again, she managed
to glance quickly towards the dress
circle, but the lady in the yellow mantle
had either left or moved. Viola could
4. not see her; and even then Austin
Rayenswood, who was with Helen and
Lady Mountfane in a box. noticed that
glance. Era@
"She never looks over the house." he
remarked to his fair companion "What
can she have seen?"
He bent forward himself, and glanced
up in the same direction, but drew back
with slight, vexed shake of the head.
Nothing, 1 suppose" he said; then,
to his kinswoman, "Well, Lucy, how do
you like Valere's Beatrice?"
"My dear Austin, there cannot pos
sibly be two opinions about it" rejoined
Lady Mountfane, as the outburst of
applause compelled the beautiful
actress to appear before the curtain;
and with a sudden impulse Ravenswood
took Lucy's bouquet from her hand,
and threw it at Viola's feet.
The actress flushed a little as she
swept low salute to that box, lifted
the flowers, and passed on. .
"Did you see that?" said fair
haired lady, who stood back in cor
ner of the dress circle; and she drew
up around her a yellow, embroidered
scarf. "Did you see that?"
| The person she addressed had ex-
changed some remarks before, and now
answered, as they moved on with the
crowd.
"What of it, madam? Only a rich
bouquet thrown from the grand Mount
fame box"
"Yes, by that gentleman-handsom
Sir Austin Ravenswood-wasn't it?
You are native of Loden, are you not.
and l suppose have heard something
about Ravens Place seven years ago."
"Ah, of course ma'am," returned the
other, a tradesman's wife. "It's an old,
forgotten story"
4Indeed! WE'LL" said the fair-haired
lady, in very audible whisper, "you
need not repeat it; but 1 happen to
know who the girl was-not so immacu-
late, you see, as reople think"
"Who was she?" asked the Loden
native, eagerly.
The other laughed, and answered.,
aloud. "That actress-Viola VALERIE"
"You don't say so? Only to think,
now! How shocking! Dear me!'
Robert Denham heard the cruel
gossip few days after; and, whether
or no it had the least foundation, he
kindly resolved that the girl should only
hear it first from hint looked so
like piece of personal Spite
So one evening, the last of an extra
three nights of "Much Ado about
Nothing" he said he must be down at
the theatre a tritle earlier than usual,
and, if ready, she might as well drive
down with him adding, with a wicked
look, that Cliff Morton was happy
enough to escort Kate Fairfax, and
leave the others to follow.
But, once at the theatre, Denham
drew Viola into his private room, and
began at once.
I'm afraid, my dear, you will be very
vexed, but l thought it best to warn
you beforehand that some kind (?)
tongues in Loden have amused them
selves by tiinging scandal at you.
Nothing new, of course, in our line;
but still"
"But stillw She turned so white
that he paused, rather startled.
"Go on. What do they say of me-
iMr. Denhamp I want to know the
truth"
A GEnnnaooo 49, L.. Ia, -, =,