Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-07-04

SHE sat in the old tiled kitchen, her
~ hands crossed listlessly on her lap,
her face pale, her eyes heavy.
The table was prepared for the even
ing meal, and flowers decorated the
snowy cloth and gave color and frag-
rance to the simple homely arrange
ments.
His eyes took in the whole quiet
pretty scene-the clean blue and white
tiled floor. the glitter OF the brass pots
and pans, the dusky walnut-wood
presses, the old oak chairs and trest-
les, and above all, the quiet little
figure leaning so lstlessly back in her
seat, with the spotless headgear and
blue kirtle of the picturesque Norman
dress.
He stayed an instant on the thresh-
old. AS his step paused and his
shadow fell she started from her list
less attitude. She won't to meet him
swiftly, her eyes shining welcome, her
lips smiling, her face appraised for the
kiss that never failed to greet her.
But she met look that drove the
blood back to her heart with deadly
sickening fear. She covered back,
her arms fell to her side, her slight
frame trembled, her bright
girlish beauty changed in
TO shamed and shrinking
semblance of the guilt he sought and
the fear he dreaded. He looked at
her in silence for q moment.
lis this thing true?"
IL, 90, I'D hat
they pierced TO her heart with II ter
ror she could not conceal. Her head
dropped on her breast, she stretched
out her hands to him in piteous ap-
peal.
pierre, what have you heard?
What do you mean?"
A sharp caustic laugh left his lips.
"You can ask that-your own words
condemn you"
She looked at him with wide appeal
ing eyes; her lips quivered like the
lips of grieved child.
''Indeed, indeed, you wrong me, "
she cried. 81 have done nothing very
faulty; /"
The attemp at eXtenuation fred his
whole soul with fury.
ANSWER me-" he cried, selling her
in his arms and gazing down at the
pale, frightened, quivering face, with
eyes whose passion and wrath struck
fresh terror TO her heart. "Answer
me--you whom l loved, and deemed
fairest, purest, truest among women
whom d. you seek when you steal
from M sight ut dead of night.
like thing of guilt and
shame? Who is it you love so well
that you risk reputation, honor, peace,
for his sakeP Oh, Heaven, that /
should have TO ask it! Oh, love! Oh,
wife! say it is false; look in my face
as you looked but'a few short hours
ago, and / will curse myself that my
lips have wronged you by even the
utterance of u doubt"
The wild impetuous words poured
out their prayer unchecked, unslayed
but with all the agony she suffered,
with all the yelrning for his trust
his faith--that thrilled her to her
hearts core, she could not yield to his
prayer or answer the entreaty.
''Who has told you this?'
The pale lips, the shrinking form,
were not those OF innocence. A tenn
pest of fury shook him once more.
''ls this all you say?" ne cried in
h.s torture. "Are you then what that
woman calied you-beautiful, seduc-
tive, tempting--a traitroSs to honor
and TO womanhood?n
81 am none of these" she flashed
out scornfully. stung by reproach so
great, by calumny so vile.
"Nonel Then why not re-
flute the charge? Why not an
swer what / as1P A word-but
one words all l need Have YOU
stolen out at night and sailed down the
river TO meet some man-some lover,
us | heardp Yes, or MOP Nay, do
not shrink; I will have the truth now
II track your paramour to his hidden
lair and force it from him with my
knife at his throat"
A change passed over her face and