The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1888-05-19

"Miss Stickney has just entered
her room; tell her | wish to see herr
Jane, and you need not return. l
shall not want you to night"
Florance picked up the envelope.
It was directed to herself, and in her
husbands handwriting.
Pale and trembling, with terri
able foreboding of what was to come,
she tore it open and read its con-
tents,
AS Florence finished reading the
letter, Miss Stickley entered.
"Oh, Mary my husband-he's
gonen and Florence Atwood fell for
warb in IL deadly swoon.
Five years passed away, Florence
Atwood sat in the bright, little sit
ting room of her spinister cousin.
Five years of repentance in sack
cloth and ashes made Florence At
wood pale, sad-faced woman. All
the old self-will that had ruined her
life was gone; but at % she was far
more beautiful than at 20.
For the last five years she had
been II wanderer over the face of the
earth. Never despairing, but every
day hoping to meet with the object
of her search in vain; and home to
her native land she came, despair at
last gnawing at her heartstrings
Florence, Mrs. Wharton will be
offended if you do not go. She is
such an old friend, you know"
MY dear, do not ask me to go. l
would only be a skeleton at the
feast
"Florence, if you 60 on in this
way you will be found dead before
month. You must rouse yourself.
| accepted the invitation more for
your sake than my own, for l have
not frequented such places of late.
) You will so, just to please me, won't
, you, dear?"
81 would do anything to please
; you dear cousin. What would | have
l. done all these years were it not for
your good advice?"
l That night, at Mrs. Whorton's
party, nearly all the old faces greeted
Florence again. How glad they all
were to see her among them once
more. How they reminded her OF
the past.
i Turning her head to look after
i an old friend, who had passed her
: by without seeing her, her eyes fell
on one that brought the past more
b vivid before her than all the rest had
1t was Agust Marsh, the man
= who had done his part to separate
g her from her husband.
q She felt his eyes upon her; she
+ could not speak to him again, ano
y with a sickening sensation she turn
. ed away to look for her cousin.
y She made her way among the
- throng of dancers, but her cousin
, was nowhere to be seen.
v Passing the conservatory, whicl
e was dimely lighted, sne looked in
" There was no one there, and with q
sigh of relief she entered and sat il
4 front of a pillar of roses.
n She had not been seated many
O moments when a shadow fell acros
,r the floor.
n "My dear Mrs Atwood, this is al
,e unexpected pleasure" and Agus
= March seated himself on the setteC
v by her side.
Mr.. March lavished his facinatinI
80 smile, whispered in her ears tn
n same low, tender tones of five year
D. ago.
~ But how digusting they seemed to
v night The fascinating smile she re
turned with look of haughtiness
y the tender tones she answered will
h the most frigid politeness.
r. But Mr.. March was not to be cast
"a aside so easily. Her freezing manners
only made him the more determines
in his advances
=. "Mrs. Atwood rumor says tha
ia you are divorced from your hus
,t band. Florence, forgive me-" but
may say to you now what l dare no
t say years ago, Florence, love you.
10 Florence Atwood wrenched he
hand from his clasp, and in the twi
ID light of the conservatory Mr.. Mars
b could see the flash of her blue eye
and the crimson tide in her pale face
- "Sir, in my case, as in all Others
rumor takes an unwarrantable iii
40 erty. l am not a divorced wife, an
no man can ever take my husband
place in my affections"
"Florence forgive me; l -
" Leave, sir, this Instant"
% Mr.. Marsh detested scenes, and
40 left the Consarva tory without n wor