Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-08-23

| loVel understand, however, yoa are II
drop that role next week. / shall MOI
interfere, for / have seen your uncle's
will. But if keep out of the way mus
be well paid"
"Will you go away-stay away-if
! pay you?' Gertrude cried, quickly.
II will You are free, suppose, as
lie law is so very kind to convlct's
wife: but when the supplies fail I'll call
upon you"
They will never fail Only go! go
and not returni'
Your welcome Is really overwhelming
Have you any money about your"
/ 81 will bring you six hundred dollars.
Itis all l have in the house. Will you go
| thenY'
| Yes, my DEAR leaving my address,
when we arrange for future supplies"
| She sped to the house, never seeing
me; and l followed by another path. |
must tell Geoffrey-I, who loved them
both The law might free Gertrude, but
Geoifrey must know. / loved her, but
not as l loved my own, only brother.
And something of my love faded as /
thought of the monstrous wrong Ger
trude was committing. Could she live
with The burden of such secret between
herself and her husband?
L went to my own room, and soon saw
Gertrude return to the summer house.
She was not gone long, coming slowly
home again, to meet Godfrey on the
porch.
heard them enter the library together
and close the door. Oh the suspense of
the long two hours they spent there,
broken at last by Geoifrey's voice call
ing me.
He stood alone in the wide, brilliantly
lighted drawing-room, and in one mo-
ment read in his face how had wronged
Gertrude. All the brightness was gone,
the blue eyes were haggard, the merry
face drawn and white, as If with long ill
ness.
Jessie" he said, hoarsely, 81 have
something to tell your
drew him down till l could kiss him,
put my arms about his neck and whis-
per:
81 know already, Geoffrey. Do not
blame her"
Never" he said, quickly. "But stay
with her, Jessie. Stay and comfort her.
must go. We've had better not meet
for time, and l will go abroad"
'Not alone. Oh, Godfrey, take me
with on"
''She needs you more than do, Jes-
sic"
Then his manhood gave way for mo-
ment, and u great sob broke from him,
as bending his head upon my shoulder
he sobbed:
'Jessie, my heart is broken. 1 loved
her so dearly -
l could only cry, too, kissing him, and
wishing my slender hands could strangle
out the life of Harold Tanning, mur-
NNtl 20, 1,.,t
ing hearts.
II will write tomorrow" Geoifrey said
at last, looking UP, and speaking in a
choked voice; 'you will let me know
often how she is?"
81 will"
eco to her now, dear. She wants
comfort She told me to tell you ALL"
He left me then, walking with heavy
steps and bowed head down the path he
had travelled the last time with such
buoyant tread and bright face. My poor
Geoifreyl l found Gertrude insensible
in the library. | never knew how long
she had lain upon the floor unconscious,
but it was still long before we could re-
store her. | called Mrs. Clarke, and we
worked together until the color came to
the white lips and the dark eyes un-
closed. She spoke my name with u
whisper not to leave her, and we as
sisted her to her own room, where re-
manned all night with her.
Never had | loYed her so well as |
loved her then, seeing her suffer so
bravely rather than throw any cloud
over Geoffrey's life. In the morning she
was quiet and composed, but no corpse
was ever whittier as she moved about the
house. At noon proposed to drive to
C for Geotf-eys promised letter, and
she ordered the carriage.
There was crowd around the post
Office and evidently some excitement
"Man run over by a locomotive" our
coachman explained; "drunk, they say,
and fell across the track just as the
train started"
"Who Is he?" asked, with a strange
chill at my heart.
'Name of Emory, they say. At least
that the name he gave at the bar last
night
Il will see him, )" whispered Gertrude
''Oh, Jessie. if it should be r.
l put my arm around her, and We
passed through the crowd. Upon the
platform, covered with horse blanket,
was shapeless something, crushed all
Dut of semb blance of humanity, save the
evil face, the almost perfect features,
and heavy, dark beard had seen once
before, Gertrude did not faint. | put
her back n the carriage, and over the
wires flashed telegram to Godfrey:
IF. was killed by railway accident this morn
ing. Coile at once
Need l say the next train brought
ieoffrey? He went to C--and reported ,
shat there was more than sufficient for .
proper burial on the wretchcd mans
'erson, and he would see that all that
Was necessary was done.
He advised secrecy, as no one but our +
selves suspected the mans identity, and .
~ our united ur.ing, we persuaded I
iertrude to allow the wedding to come /
vi at the proposed time.
"You have been his widow more than
Tx years, Geoffrey said, "and that
lreahful episode may be only horrible
iream. Try 10 forget the night OF sor-
ow, and thank Heaven for the morning
II delsveranep.
Noman-like, Gertrude gricved over the
errible, unrGpen;ant ending of the
wicked Hfe, but tieoIrey won her back to
luiet maj piness long before the bridal
rip 10 Eurup- was over.
w" all hYr 1t Ferndale now, for the,
viii not spare me, but there are no
hadows upon our lives, no nightmare
Iorrors to dread, as there might have
'epn had Ger. rude deceived her nrom-