The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1886-10-30

Then she sighed; perhaps she thought
that it was not alone the beauty of thC
night she had missed.
Roy Carlyon had been at Glencral
ten weeks-long enough to meet Gertit
Mayo and discover that in her he had
found the embodiment of his ideal, but
not long enough for the gossips of the
place to ferret out his history.
That he was a married man all knew
for he was too honorable to sail under
false colors, but none knew why he was
there alone; and for one who suspected,
there were twenty who liked and trust.
ed him.
He had never breathed a word of love
to Gertie Mayo, never offered her aught
but friendly attention, and she in her
innocence did not realize that the inter
est they had for each other was aught
but mutual friendship.
All new the truth, yet it came to
them like shock when, on the morrow,
Roy Carlyon brought dainty blonde
haired woman into their midst and in
trOduced her as his wife.
She was smiling and brilliant, and he
tried to. appear natural.
81 am going away today" he said.
"Mrs. Carlyon desires to visit the sea
shore ere the cold weather sets in"
Only one pair of eyes saw the pallor
on Gertie Mayo's face as she crept away
stunned and startled.
These belonged TO Agatha Carlyon,
and she looked back at her husband and
smiled faint, cold smile.
They were not to depart till afternoon,
and sail on the lake had been planned
for the morning.
Roy had joined the party previously,
and he did not draw back now. but ap-
peared on the little pier with his wife,
who looked like bewitching stage
heroine in her bizarre dress of red and
buff, with the rouge on her cheeks and
an unusual briliancy in her blue eyes.
He could see in the daylight what the
rays of the moon had concealed, the
worn look and lines on the face that
had once been beautiful; in those times
Agatha Carlyon did not need to resort
to artifice for tint and radiance.
lie had not spoken TO her since they
left the hotel, but now the woman
turned and whispered in his ear.
"She is not here. My coming has
revealed to her the secre: of her heart,
and she cannot trust herself. Bah,
was never so weakr'
He made no answer, but held out his
hand to assist her into the boat that
rocked at the moorings. An instant
later they were skimming over the
waters.
Agatha Carlyon was the life of the
party; she jested, she sang, she made
them all smile and wonder-onlY Roy
was grave.
"Come back. Mrs. Carlyon," called
one of the party, as she tripped gayly tc
the bow of the boat, and stood poised
like scarlet-winged bird upon the very
edge, with one arm flung carelessly
round the mast.
She answered with peal of laughter
and looked back at her husband, who
sat silent with that dark look en- hi:
features.
The wind blew her yellow hair about
her face, her scarlet scarf fluttered be
hind her like a pennon. She looked
down and saw in the water a reflection
of the yellow and scarlet, but the ripple'
made the vision indistinct. Did sht
see more than this-who can tell?
Those in the boat only knew that Ro!
started up with loud cry, that tn,
figure before the mast was gone, and oil
the waters surface red scarf wa
floating.
When they found her and drew he
into the boat life had fled. There sh
lay with her cold, white face and drip
ping hair, and only one among then
knew her secret.
Roy had met that last strange glanc
of his wife's blue eyes, seen the smil
that puzzled him, the half-eXultan
light on the pretty face, the step for
ward-he reached the spot too late /
save her.
All the harshness and bitterness h
felt toward her for the wrong she ha
done in the past fed now, and only pit
remained. After ali, she had made a
: lawful atonement when she sacrifice
herself for his sake.
A year later he married Gertie Nave
and then he told her the story of hi
past life, softening the details c
Agatha's wrong-doing, till sympathy 70
him extended to her who had once bee
his wife.
One truth he reserved, Agatha's las
act. She never knew the story save a
guests at Glencrag told it, and it wa
better SO.