Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-02-22

but wumens smiles do not always signify
amiahility. II suppose she added, letting
her skirts touch her two guests as she passed
ont, "you want to talk over old times with
Miss EllingswOrth,'
Now came the last terrible assurance;
Philip WINGED at the leartless blow, but not
30 much as u flush passed over Bertha's cold
fnce She accepted the name without oven
shade Of silent denial on her calm features,
though il was the badge of shame for her
"Ob, no - but he dared not look her in tho
face for fear she should sec his anxious pity
for her. "You have been i'll, perhaps, but
always thought you the loyelicst woman in
the world"
She smiled as she let him lead her TO seat.
"You always said that Then she glanced
sadly into the mirror. but it Is more pleas
ant 10 hear now, for know am not pretty
any longer"
Could she understand that the change that
had come over her radiant beauty only
changed his love 10 make il deeperi Could
she not sce the new intensity of ycarning IN
his eyes ~ he raised them 10 her face againi
He longed 10 draw her into his arms and kiss
her tired face into eternal smiles, His love
had been refined into IA new divnencss; a love
capable of all sacrifices for her, that asked no
price, but would pour itself in an eternal
flood against her duh indifference, II II must
he; love more pain than joy, Of unuttorablo
warnings for what he believed she could
never have for him; that would seem 10 grow
on her unrcsponsiyeness; that welled up the
mightier for her GOODNESS, content if hereaf-
tor 1t might throw little brightness on tho
path her snowy feet should tread, content if
she would but let him warm her cold heart
with his tenderness.
"Aro you glad to be at home" he asked,
gently.
DO you call this home, with my servant
its mistressn For moment it was Bertha,
as she used to be, her anger curling her red
lips and flashing new fire into her tired eyes.
"Does she insult youN
at is insult enough that she is my fathers
wife. She can not go beyond that
"Shall you stay here alwayT asked Philip
stupidity enough.
~ suppose 30; where else is there"
A wild impulse touched him; he loved her
and she needed love, had he not waited long
enoughi But a sudden fear came into his
mind and chilled his hope like a frozen foun-
tain. She might have child-how strange
he had never thought of it before Ah it
would be strong love which could endura
that, n baby to hang on her bosom and take
her kisses, baby with Curran's face, No,
he could never bear that, anything better
than that. Her sin he could forgive. Though
it must linger forever in his memory, he
would bury it beneath more blessed expe-
riences. His love should hallow her, he would
kiss away Currans carcsses from her lips.
But if there were II child
Philip started violently and looked at the
door; he fanced he heard sound like tho
pattering of infant feet. Ina moment Bertha
would catch to her arms her child and Cur
4 l...IE .. t1,..1u
kisses.
isn't that a childs voice." he cried, rising
to his feet and his eyes rested ON her in n new
pitiful reproach He thought she started
strangely as il mothers instincts stirred
in her bosom
ooh, no; it is only Jane--l mean Mrs.
Ellingsworth What all innocent little laugh
she has,
A child, with sweet winning ways, is a
strange thing to hate, n lovely little rose
bud to blossom no one knows how faultlcssly
by and by But Philip thought lie would
hate her child-Bertha's child, perhaps with
his dmlng's star like eyes; ali, was it not
Curran's, too, the symbol Of her shame! As
he walked home in the twilight he saw in
each toddling baby in the doorways and
windows, an image of his own materialized
fear and horror. Philip looked back from
lage his father had built up. Those massive
mills with their thousands of looms were his;
those long rows of white houses, each one of
which held family rich in possibilities of
virtue and hope, they all We're his, and the
new element of brightness and thrift, that had
| made the whole village n nursery of Comfors
and happiness was his work. Behind him
| was the great stone mansion with its archcd
| gothic windows green with clustering wood
| bine, it was his too. How pOwCrless he
| thought all that wealth and material power
| can do to solve one of the terrible problems q
| heart makes for itself.
MOodily he walked to his stables, in n kind
| of vague longing for companionship, and
threw open the doors. -Four horses stood in
| their stalls within, noble looking creatures
| all of them. They turned their stately heads
| toward the sound of their masters feet they
returned his love with love. One of them
whinnied welcome and laid back lis ears as
| his master came into the stall beside him.
"Poor fellow, good boy;' Philip patted his
white neck atfectionntely. you would do
what You could for me, wouldn', you, Joel
know you would, old fellow" E.e laid his