Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1889-02-06

and stood q moment al one OF the win
dows. He turned a slat in the blinds
and peered into the house. As he did.
SO light from within shone upon his
face. After a few seconds of waiting
he opened the blinds and sprang light
~ into the room. Then he closed and
locked them. The man was DR.. Deer
ing. ~ "
A few moments later 4 woman came
out of the cottage and crept up to the
window. She was hatless, and wore
no wrap about her shoulders. She
also turned slat in the blinds and
looked into the room. The light did
not fall upon her face, but upon her
hand. 1t shone upon the ring with
which Eric Thorndyke had married
her. What she saw within must have
been of absorbing interest. and wholly
unmindful of tho biting wind and wet
sea-t.ir which chilled her cruelty.
Suddenly she Withdrew into the shad-
ow. The blinds were opened, and DR..
Deering came out Of the house.
Audrey Thorndyko faced him. and
the two held q hurried conversation,
during which their tones were low,
but were rife with intense excitement.
Thorndyke, at his window, had wit
messed their meeting. and had famed
into such passion that he had rushed
| out OF doors. For the moment he could
have killed Deering remorselessly, and
| he was eager to encounter him. But
he was too late. BY the time he had
descended the stairs and had crossed
the lawn Doering had become alarmed
and had fled. Audrey Thorndyke stood
there alone, and in the bitterness of his
! soul he denounced her.
81 saw tho meeting between you and
your lover" he said. II am thankful
that you refused to go with NO. I could
not long have tolerated woman so I'M
principled.'
"You arc condemning mo without
hearing my defense. Come into the
house and hear what I have to say"
IF you wish to speak, you can do so
| here,' he said; "but if you mean to de-
fend YOUR lover, you may spare your
| self the trouble. Ihave seen you meet
him at midnight, and have that &C
| count to settle with him alone"
Il do not want to plead for DR.. Deer
ing, but for myself We're I an entire
stranger to you, and accused of evil
doing and brought to your court, you
would give me a patient hearing. al
though I Appeared to be guilty. Would
you be much less merciful to your
wife?"
"You have forfeited the right to call
yourself my wife,
She was shivering with cold, and she
made a final effort to have him entor
the house.
Il am cold, Eric, and some one may
hear us if we talk out here. You are
standing by Julian's window. Would
it not be better to avoid the probability
of being ovcrheard?"
"Yes," he answered, sit would. l
am surprised that you ran that risk
with Deering.'
She led the way to her sitting-room.
and this time he threw himself into a
chair. She seated herself on an otto
man at little distance from him.
While she talked she kept her eyes
fixed upon the dying embers in the fire.
place.
II am not going to ask for mercy,
nor to think of you as my husband.
You are to be my judge tonight, and
to hear my story without prejudice
just as you would listen to any unhap-
Ply woman in your court I am &C
cused by my husband of abandoning
him to be near my lover, and of meet
ing that lover at a disgracefully late
hour Of the night.
"When l was twenty years old, I
was engaged to DR.. Deering. I ad-
| mired him greatly, because I was
young and sentimental enough to
idealize him, and because his manners
were really engaging. But, after a
time, l suspected that his character
was weak. I thought he was vain,
and that he had an inordinate desire
to possess my property. So, when I
was twenty-one, told him wonl d not
marry him. Afterward I did not see
him for a year or two.
"About eighteen months ago he &C
quired a powerful influence over nv
brother Julian. He was miserably un-
happy if he did not see the doctor
! daily, and submitted to his visits for
Julian's sake. The boy was so de-
pendent on others for his amusement
that could not deny him the pleasure
of DR.. behring's company. Just be-
fore my marriage, I suspected Julian
| Of being addicted to the use of NOR
phine, and told the doctor of my sus-
picions. He said that he had discov-
cred this habit, and believed he could
cure my brother of it if I would help