Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1886-03-25

than father to HIM, and distant re-
lation, for the true name as well as
name by adoption of Guy was Singleton,
was alriost past speaking, but he point
ed to the girls.
Either of them, Guy, for you-you
He said no more--his soul had passed
to its God.
Two days Lister they laid him to rest
in the grave, and then, in the dim old
| library, the will was read
He gave and bequeathed all he pos
sessed to his adopted son, Guy Single
ton, on condition that he wed Cleta
Manvers, or Hester Leigh, within the
year. To his other grand-niece, the
one whom Guy did not marry. he left
ten thousand pounds, to be paid out OF
the estate on Guys wedding day.
If Cleta Manvers was beauty, so
was Hester, of different type, diff
ferent and nobler.
Cleta was fair as lily, with golden
hair and eyes of cerulean blue, while
Hesters eyes were deep, soft brown,
| her hair chestnut, thick and wavy.
Cleta's face was rose-tinted and dim
pied, while flush seldom stained the
fair, pure pallor of Hester's delicate
face.
With all the passion of his heart, Guy
loved Hester Leigh-his pur e-souled
darling, he called her-and any one
might know, when the will was read,
that she would be the chosen mistress
of the stately home where the girls had
spent their lives.
Up and down her own room Celia
walked.
He loved Hester, and the girl she hat
ed would have love, wealth, position,
| while she would have ten thousand
pounds.
81 would dye my hands red again."
she cried, before Hester should reign
here triumphant. After all, my crime
might as well not have been; yet 1
could not have trusted him. Had he
lived, cannot tell what trick he would
have played me-"
81 was to destroy the will, and then
as nearest-of-kin he would inherit all,
and to me he would give one third. But
the fool, to never dream the other plot
in my mind, which his coming would
thwart-a plot that will at least part
Hester and Guy, and then perhaps 1
will win. 1t is my last hope"
Whatever her plot, she played it well,
for when, three or four months before
the expiration of the year. Guy asked
Hester to be his wife, she simply an
swered him mo"
She gave no explanation, only turned
coldly away, but had he seen her in the
seclusion of her own room he would
have known, no matter what had caused
her refusal, that she loved him.
"My love, my love" she cried though
all unworthy, L cannot tear you from
my heart"
All, what weeks would have been
saved-at least, what weeks of agony
had Guy known the truth, had he known
of gypsy mother who accused him of
wrecking her child's life, had cursed
him with mothers curse, for the gyp-
sy girl who had stood under the tree,
then fled at Cleta's words, lay in her
grave, and her last words to her moth
er had been the name of her lover, Guy
Singleton.
"My curse around him and around
the woman he, weds," she cried in a
frenzy.
Was it any wonder, then, that when
Guy Singleton asked Hester to be his
wife, white and trembling she refused,
turning coldly away from his pleading?
1t was then that Cleta played her
cards well, for Guy found q sympathi-
ger in her, and, man-like, Guy found
sweetness in tat least, balm for the
blow Hester had given him.
Then it dawned upon him that this
girl, with her eyes of blue and hair of
gold, loved him with passion he had
never dreamed of.
What man is not fattered by a
womon's love particularly if she is
young and beautiful-and this girl was
both.
With soft, sweet smiles she won him.
Not that his heart yield to her spell,
but his senses, dazzled by her smiles
and sympathy united, put his better
Judgment to flight, though his heart
was, and always would be, Hester's
One of the girls he must wed, or
leave them both penniless. Ali, had he
dreamed OF Hester's pain and hopeless
ness of heart he might have less quick
ly fled for consolation to another.
A few months later-almost at the ex-
piration of the year-Guy Singleton
made Cleta his wife. Crime and sin
had conquered
She was mistress of her uncle's
wealth and wife of the man she adored
She knew her husband did not love
her, but she had triumphed. In time
he would learn to love her. She must
win his love.
Yes, she had triumphed; but did the
memory of the man she had sent before
his Judge cease to haunt her morning,
noon, or night?
Hester bore her pain In silence. If
gentle, she was far from weak, and
though her face grew paler; her eye
more dreamy, none dreamed of the
weary days and wakeful nights that
were hers. She had loved Guy with all
the strength of her heart, but he had
proved unworthy.
Did the knowledge--had the knowl-
edge killed ner love? No-a thousand
times mol Love lived, though it lay
bleeding. All, how well she loved him
she never knew until he was the hus-
band OF another!
Her life stretched bare and hopeless
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