Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-06-04

The man's faee grew white ss deaaA hs leaned forward-his hands clu tchig tho boughs before him. his heart and pulse seeming 10 stand still, as if the very life in him was suspended by tho az ony he suf- fered
 "What foul lie is thisf" he hissed between his close-set teeth.
 "1t Is no lie, 1t Is gospel truth" repeated he woman. Twice within this W eek have seen her steal away to the riverside, unloose Inc boat and drift away down the river-how lar know not-she returns just between midnight and dawn. How comes it you have not found 1t out yourself. friend Pisrre2"
 "It is false." he gasped. "Come with me straight into her presence. and there repeat thls lie If you darep
 For what purpose2 That she might frame some pretty tale to hoodwink you still turther2 No, Pierre Leroux, can do better than that. You may prove the truth of my words yourself. You have but to watch and wait. The third night from this she will again go on her midnight errand. You must ;ake heed you slumber not so soundly as of ate; follow her to the watersids where the boat is kept; If my words are not true, then
 
 iouI-tongued slanderer you have called me.
 The .ace before her grew dark with rising passion.
 "If you were but a man p he muttered. in tho lower fierce tones of an anger and indig- nation too deep for expression. "You would kill mo, suppose, for daring | Q show you that the girl you deem so per- ,ect is no better than many of her sex-per- | chance worse"
 Silence l" he thundered. Dare not breathe such words of her in my ears." l "You arc hard to convince," she sneered nAIiciously. You believe everything she may choose to tell you. An. well, you are not the frst-perhsps you will not be the l ast."
 "You called yourself her friend-once," he Iaid. flashing a oontemptuous glance on thu Roman's dark and vindictive faco. The re- suke touched her. flush of shame rose to her brow-then she laughed.
 "Her friend. yes; that was before knew her as she Is. Besides, pity you. You have sast all your heart on her. You love-there- l lore you are blind. I said 30 before. Of ,ourse, you arc bitter against me because in .o your darkness bring the light of truth. Men are ever so-where they love-"
 He shivered in the bright, warm sunshine His eyes turned blindly, darkly. on the deep brown waters at his feet, on the radiant, izure-winged butterflies poised on the lily ,tems, on the scarlet-throated birds that larted in and out of the feathery blossoms of
 he lines. It was all so fair, so peaceful, so till. A few moments before he had looked sn it with eyes so glad, and heart so thank
 ul, and now-now a hideous darkness cov-
 ,red all. A terrible burden lay on his life
 which his strength could hardly bear. Yet. ,ven through the misery that crushed and
 he pain that maddened him. his first thought
 vas to defend her-to hurl back the foul as-
 ,ersion he had heard. He loved her so ut.
 ;erly. so trustingly. doubt could not find an ,asy resting-place within his loyal soul Have you said all?" he asked.
 "Aui Is 1t not enough2" "It is too much to be passed over lightly
 This matter ends not here. But for the pres .nt will prove your words Or" "Or whats" she asked, heeitatingly.
 Revenge themr'
 AS the words fell from his lips, he turned , md went, with the staggering, uncertain , ,tep of drunken man, through the orchard 2 paths and up to the old gray house-tht home of his infancy and manhood. the homo ( Ehero honor and integrity and virtuo hae E done reigned for generations past, with nt ,tain of evil or breath of shame to mar iti ,potless fame. Was shc-the woman h. T deemed too pure and fair almost for morta { ove to touch-was she to be the first to iarken those stainless recordsp Beliefin tht
 story he had heard could not hold him yet ( .ould not shake his fidelity or weaken hi | love, but deadly fear crept into his achin; n heart and ran like an ice-current throuGl
 his veins. The poison of doubt had breathe, l apon his senses. and the plague-spot burne' ! yet deeper and deeper with its torturin ' whispers. Once, in the agony that consume 5 ainl, he gazed up at the home he loved. an t stretched his arms out to the vacant air. }, "Oh, my wife, my love-" he cried, uncon t ,ciously, "let all the world perish, only let m ! know you true!
 t It was tho yearning. the idolatry of an in II tense engrossing passion that spoke in tn Il words. To think that the loveliness he hel
 lu reverence so deep. the heart that had bes h kisses on his-that these were shamed, an ea vile, and dishonored. was worse than deatl ,f If there was treachery and inf1delity In he k' past or present. she was equally lost to hin
 She could no more be the spotless ideal
 his life, that he knew. Then he passe a Through the rose-covered porch and stood 20 her presence.
 D! CHAPTERv.