St. Landry democrat., 1886-07-24

desires, and gratifed desire is despair
And am one of the dirty crowd my
self, Phil, though | scarcely care tc
think it, and have not the heart to give
them what they cry for.
, Phil could only look back at his ben.
enfactor and friend with grief and Won
der
You are hungry after your journ 80
said Tregarthen, returning to his light
er manner. "Get something to eat,
and in the meantime will dress. You
shall tell me your news out of doors,
when you have had luncheon. Let me
look at you again. You are honest,
you are not changed? The little bit of
leaven has not leavened the whole
lump yet? Not yet. Pure hands and
clean heart are great gifts. They are
greater than any one could give you,
though l made Emperors despair to
think of you. Don't throw them away,
Phil; don't barter the immediate jewel
OF your soul for the husks which the
swine do cat He had laid his hands
again upon Pills shoulders. and his
voice was full of entreaty and affection,
but he broke off abruptly and began to
pace the room. '.You will do what
you must do. Fire will not drown,
nor water burn because of my beseech-
ings: Go your way, Phil. Eat and
drink and be merry-if you may
Phil opened the door, passed through
| 1t, came upon the corridor and stood
| there amazed and desoate. He could
find but one solution to the problem
Iregarthen's speech presented. That
there was much melancholy wisdom in
it, and the revelation of heart by nat
ure noble, made it none the less the
speech of mailman.
The housekeeper had already pre-
pared meal for him, but Phil had no
desire for it, and sent it away untasted.
BY and by Tregarthen appeared.
care you ready?' he said. "Have
you lunched? Come into the open air,
then. and let me hear your news NY |
work is over Phil rose obediently, |
but he asked himself what good end he |
could serve by telling the news he had |
Travelled so far to carry. II have of |
late, said Tregarthen, as they came
upon the grass in the rear of the old |
housc-''l have of late, and wherefore
L know very well, foregone all custom
OF exercises: and indeed it goes so
heavily with my disposition that this
most goodly frame, the earth, seems to
me sterile promontory; this most ex-
cellent canopy, the air, look you, this
brave o'erhanging armament, this
mnajestical roof fretted with golden
flre-why, it appears no other thing to
me than fool and pestilential congre-
cation of vapors."
.'Hc can quote Hamlet said Phil
to himself, land perhaps he is no more
mad than Hamlet after ALL
your news, PHIL" said Treearthen.
''You promised to surprise me-
81 have serious news. indeed" Phil
answered. 1t looked harder than ever
to offer it now, and he could not guess
how it might be received. 'Arthur. |
have met Mrs. Tregarthen. His COM
panlon swung round upon his heel and !
faced him. {
.Well?'
Il owe you so much said Phil. t
earnestly, ''that I must try to pay 6
little" He forgot his diffidence and 8
'egan to forget his fears for Arthur v
II ever there was good woman in s
he World-if ever there was woman Il
n the world who loved her husband O
eyer there was an unhappy woman e
the world have seen her Arthur: il
here was great mistake
''You wrote of her. said Tre- T
arthen, with no show of feeling, s.but s.
on did not write ingenuously. You
retended not to know my knowledge tt
I her, and wrote of her as stranger
'She was stranger them" returned tt
nil, ''but she learned from a friend n
nat came from Tregarthen, and that h
OF had saved my life. She sent for v
le and tried to question me about you
IT she had not been interested in ss
ou'-the lad was moved at the men, tt
~ Of this scene-s'but she broke m
own, and confessed who she was: d.
1d, Arthur, since you have let me say til
much you must let me go on. I T
ave heard the Gorbay people talking m
bout you hundred times, and in their of
ouths it was always you who were at pl
uit But knew better, and knew as
at you believed terrible things about ar
rs. Tregarthen. / believed them, yo
Q, but believe them no longer.
I'VE seen her and spoken to her, and at
e has told me all the story. She did flu
IT let you know that she had been GU
ION the stage, and when you found it hi
t she thought you could never for M
We her deceit, and she ran away. of
iere was something worse in your sp
10 mind against her, or you would of
We traced her and have brought her me
OK again. But that is all her story. in
at IS all the confession she has to no
Ike" NO
You are quite sure she is innocent
q good, PHILIP" asked Tregarthen, sui