Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-07-24

the boudoir, waiting to announce him. Mrs. |
Calender advanced to welcome her guest
in simple evening dress perfectly suited tn |
her age. All that had looked worn and |
faded In her fine face, by daylight, was now
softly obscured by shaded lamps. Objects |
of beauty surrounded her, which glowed
with subdued radiance from their back |
ground OF sober color. The influence of
appearances is the strongest of all outward
influences, while IL lasts. For the moment, |
the scene produced itsimpression on Ernest,
In spite OF the terrible auxieties which con-
sumed him. Mrs. Calender. in his office, |
WAS woman who had stepped out of her ap- |
propriate sphere Mrs Calender, in her
own house, was woman who had risen to
new place in his estimation.
81 am afraid you don't thank me for
forcing you to keep your engagement" she
said, with her friendly tones aud her pleasant
smile.
"Indeed, thank you" he replied. :" Your
beautiful house and your gracious welcome
have persuaded me into forgetting my |
troubles for a WHILE
The smile passed away from her face.
"Then il is true? 2" she said. graNely.
"Only too true"
She led him to seat beside her. and |
waited TO speak again until her maid had
brought in the tea
"Hsve you read my letter in the same
friendly spirit in which l wrote itTh she
asked, when they were alone again.
al have read your letter gratefully,
but
"But you don't know yet what have to
say. Let us understand each other before
we make any objections on either side.
VIII you tell me what your present position
is, at its worst? can, and will, speak plainly
when my turn comes, if you will honor me
with your confidence. Not II II distresses
| you," she added. observing him attentively.
He was ashamed OF his hesitation, and he
| made amends for it "no you thoroughly
| understand me " he asked, when the whole
truth had been laid before her without
| reserve.
She summed up the result in her own
words.
"If your overdue ship returns safely,
within a month from this time, you can
borrow the money you want without diih-
Guilty. If the ship is lost, you have no alter
| native when the end of the month comes)
but to accept a loan from me or to suspend
payment. Is that the hard truth ~
| alt is"
"And the sum you require is twenty
thousand pounds"
| a. have twenty times much money as
that, Mr.. Lsmore, at my sole disposition
one condition.
"The condition alluded to III your letter %
"Does the fulhlment of the condition de-
pend in some way on any decision of mine"
alt depends entirely on you"
That answer closed his lips.
With a composed manner and steady
1 | hand she poured herself out a cup of tea
r 81 conceal it from you" she said "but
g want confidence Here" (she pointed to the
i | cup) is the friend of women, rich or poor,
= | when they are in troIble. What have now
Z | to say ohliges me to speak in praise of myself.
$ | l don't like it--let me get it over as soon as
= | l can. My husband was very fond OF me
}. he had the most absolute confidence in my
o | discretion, and in my sense of duty to him
4 | and OF himself. His last words before he
r died, we're words that thanked me for max
Q ing the happiness of his life. As soon as
had i'll some degree recovered, after the
l. affiiction that had fallen on me, his lawyer
y and executor produced copy OF his will
|. and said there were two clauses in it which
" my husband had expressed a wish that
should read. 1t is needless 10 say that
, | obeyed."
She still controlled her agitation-but sh,
:, was now unable to conceal ii. Ernest mad
an attempt to spare her.
q "Am l concerned i'll this?" he asked.
@ "Yes. Before / tell you why, want t
+ know what you would do--in a certain cas-
! which am unwilling even to suppose.
a have heard of men. unable to pay the dc
Ia mands made upon them, who began busines
az again. and succeeded and in course of tim
:, | paid their Creditsrsn
a "And you want to know il there is an
N likelihood Of my following their example
- | he said. 4" Have YOU also heard OF men WI
- have made that second eiiort-who hay
- tailed again-and who have doubled Il
a, debts they owed to their brethren in busine
at who trusted them? l know one of tho
IN men myself He committed suicide"
a. She laid her hand for moment on hi
NJ 81 understand you," she said. "It ru
a comes"
% % "If ruin comes" he interposed, 50 ma
:. without money and without credit can mai
'N but one last atonement Don't speak OF
~, | now."
,n ,a She looked at him with horror. al didn
p, | mean that /" she said.
40 "Shsll we go back TO what you read in Il
> will? ?" he suggested
as "Yes-if you will give me a minute
ns compose myself"
d. CHATTER VI.
80 In less than the minute she had asked 70
~ Mrs. Calender was calm enough to go on.
81 now possess what is called a life-intere
IS in my husbands fortune" she said. "Tt
IS money is to be divided, at my death, anon
" charitable Institutions except Certai
st event"
ID (which is provided for in the will /?
Ernest added, helping her to go on.
Of Yes. l am absolute mistress of Il
a. whole of the four hundred thousand pounds
s. her voice dropped, and her eyes locke
of away from him as she spoke the next wore
n ton this one condition, that / MARI
again"
10 He looked at her in amszemenL
mSurely have mistaken YOU" he saiC
;" "You mean on this one condition, that yo
do not marry AGAIN."
"No, Mr.. Lismore; | mean exactly what
h have said. You know that the recovery
y. your credit and your peace of mind res
I entirely with yourself"
h After a moment of reelection he took ht
= hand, and raised 1t respectfully to his lip
"fou are a noble woman !" he said.
10 She made no reply. With dropping hea
i and downcast eyes she waited for his d
cision. He accepted the responsibility.
~ must not, and dare not, think of th
ST hardship of my own position" he said %
rs owe 1t to you TO speak without reference
70 the future that may be in store for me. n
/ man can be worthy of the sacrifice whic
y your generous forgetfulness of yourself
willing to make. / respect you; / admir-
y you; i thank you with my whole hear
y Leave me to my fate, Mrs Chsllender- an
At let me CO."
. lie rose She stopped him by a gesture
10 "a young woman" she answered, "woul
shrink from saying-what l, as an oil
y woman, mean to say now. | refuse to leav
~ you to your fate. 1 ask you to prove ths
you respect me, admire me, aud thank IN
y with your whole heart Take one day I
y think-and let me hear the result. So
It promise me this2"
If He promised.
70 "Now CO." she said.
4 CHAPTER VII.
= The next morning Ernest received lette
l from Mrs Calender. She wrote to him a
follows
,r "There are some considerations which
ought to have mentioned yesterday evening
o before you lett my house.
It 81 ought to have reminded you-if yo,
IA consent To reconsider your decslOn-that tn
U | C.lrpumstanp6S do reu o.