Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-02-15
CHAPTER XVIII.
WHY COULDN'T SHE HAVE wAIrEDi

CHAPTER XVIII
NJ WHY COULDN'T SHE HAVE wAITEDl
N The new maid, who showed Philip Breton
INTO Mrs Ellngsworth's parlor, was not near
| lN as pretty as her predecessor in office, but
| hey was too much absorbed with his delicate
err'And to take any notice of her. Bertha
| was Nalone somewhere, deserted, unprotected
Some thing must be done for her. 1t was a
strnhgNe place to seek pity for her, in the
| womahcs bosom which he had seen heaving
IN hate # her; but magnanimous heart is
wont 10 Mount on the generosity of others.
The mad Mad said Mr. Elhngsworth was not
M ana 50 Se was left to appeal TO the woman
~ tenderness of his wife
He rose sudc lenly from the satin covered
sofa ana iooEedl wonderiEgly at a woman's
FORM IN inc aoolSway. Could this be the poor
little factory giNl, this fashionably dressed
woman, with a Main like oueensi He had
stupidity enough eAxnected to find her in the
same old cameo uNress, perhaps with the
diugy, plaid shawl an bout her shoulders.
But inc elTl was nor so sensitiveas to DO an
noyed. Had not she kept him waiting while
she dressed on purPoseV to enjoy Triumph
And now she was quite PLEASED at the plain
evidence of it, She smiletiR rather consciously
as she extended her jewe[led little hand to
him.
"Why haven't you calleGS before2r Her
voice had lost the desperate ON sullen tone he
remembered III it of old, but NE was not sure
he liked it any better. He bowed like any
gentleman, he touched her( hand. and
noticed the great gold bracelets Nom her slim
wrists Philip was unpleasantly re,,ninded Of
manacles, and then the massive chain around
her neck with a huge locket shapaNd like n
paddock, had suggestions, too of Mort. he
fancied, the girl would hardly have liSSed If
| sla bol 81 of Ha oil x
olive cheeks, and the slightly oblique y YES
and the voluptuous fullness of her foS
How could an American village have pAo
duced 50 perfect an odalisque'
II did not wish to interrupt your honeyS
moon" He seated himself again.
She was looking oddly at him, as if curious
whether he had forgotten her indsCreet VISIT
when she had told him Of her own broken
heart.
Philip suddenly met her eyes as she sat OPP
posite him. 1.-THE truth is, Mrs. Filings
worth, have hardly been in the mood for
polite calls of late. | suppose you under
stand"
"How should IF She elevated her dark
brows rather unpleasantly as if to DISMISS
once for all, any further condolences with
him. Philip smiled, in spite of himself, at
her tactics.
do you know where Bertha is!' he asked,
simply.
A sudden flash of color lit up her cheeks
~ hate the very name of her." she exclaimed
as she rose as if to leave him. She was not
yet wonted to the customs of her new rank.
| Don't CO." he urged, Il am SO anxious to
know where she is. No doubt you have
cause to be angry with her. Philip did not
notice the growing passion in the girls eyes,
but you surely would not have her starve to
death, or suffer and die alone"
i perhaps not" Jane meant to smile, but
she only produced the effect of showing the
cruel white of her teeth. Hasn't she got"
tho word stuck in her throat, "him"
why, didn't you know" cried Philip
breathessly, "sho has left him? She is alone
somewhere, for all We know, in want; think
of it, and she too proud to-"
Left her -husbandf'
"If no was her husband | didn't know" he
hurried on, as if afraid of the answer that
would come; II never heard, and / didn't
like to ask"
She had seated herself on the pink satin
beside him and caught his hands as she bent
toward him to read his thoughts before he
spoke
"Did you hear they We're not married." she
almost Kissed at him.
"Why, yes, that is" he looked away In
his shame. at was told about tho village,
but you know better, of course He tried to
laugh, then grew sober again. "How vile Of
| them to whisper it, and it was vile of me to
let oven the faint Of a fear into my mind"
But she did not answer him yes or no. Her
eyes had grown preternaturally large, and
there was u happiness In them as if she looked
| right into the gates of heaven. All the COM
mon expressions were gone from her face.
| One could read there now nothing but purity
and sweetness, such makeup the substance
of dreams of love.
And he is alone. Oil where is he2 /
must know. l must go to him. 1t cannot
be true The angelic look fitted, the ex-
quisite dropping at the corners Of her mouth
was gone.
"If you have dared to lie to me- Philip
was perfectly astonishCd at the sudden
change in her face and voice. Her black
eyes blazed ungoyernable passion into his.
The quick transition from the height of
blissful hope to the depths of deep despair
seemed to bear her over the line of humanity.
"Tell me, have you lied to make a show of
me-"
She trembled for an instant, like a wild
creature before a spring, then she clutched
with her hot supple fingers at his throat,
magnificent a tigress and in every motion
u perfect, terrible grace. Philip threw her
from him as he would some untamed animal;
it was hard to remember her womanhood
then.
She sat where he had left her. as if just
awoke from a terrible nightmare, her fingers
parted and curved and moved spasmodically
as if she yet held him by the throat. Then
she buried her face in the cushion in a flood
of tears
II didn't know what l was doing" she
sobbed. Don't remember it, was mad"
She rose tremblingly to her feet and came
forward covering her face with her hands.
She might have been abused child so
gentle and sweet she seemed now. She took
down her hands from her face what man
could be SO cold and hard as to stand against
such eyes as hers looking through their tears.
But she was alone.