The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1889-11-22
fight.

wealthy young Vlrglnian whose estate
ad1oined that Of Lawrence Richmond, SO
that when she warned Carol against
Roger Darrell she had not the slightest
Idea OF the great harm she was doing one
who had ever been exceedingly kind to
her, as the unfortunate victim of his
cousin.
When she learned of the mischief that
had been done, she would not rest until
the wrong she had unconsciously done
had been riRhted, for she felt very differ
ent toward tho Roger Darrell we know
than he who had been the bane and curse
Of her life.
Roger, on his part, when he rushed
away from Carol, had no idea of the vast
ness Of the temptation and overpowering
evidence that had been placed in her way,
nor could he realize how circumstances
yes, even his own words, had united il
the effort to deceive the trusting young
girl. While not comprehending the na-
ture OF her questions, he had as much as
admitted that 1t was all true, and looking
at 1t in the light she did, what terrible
thing this must have been to hear o man
condemn himself Of such terrible crimes.
The memory Of that night when she
came to him in the avenue of elms and
put the question to him, was as fresh
with him as though it had happened but
yesterday. and he began to realize the
horror that must have entered into her
soul when, Immediately after acknowl-
edging that 1t WAS all true In relation to
Nora Warner-and Carol understood him
at the time to be acknowledging the fact
that the woman in the mad house was
his own wife, not his cousin ,as he sup
posed she knew-he had pleaded with
her to be the same to him as before.
How nobly she had resisted tompta-
tion, and won the victory against him
and her own heart. even refusing to let
him kiss her ere she went from him for
ever.
As he looked back at this time he was
filed with admiration for her courage in
resisting what she then thought was
deadly insult from tho man she loved
Yet Roger Darrell, in spite Of tho sup
erb qualities that distinguished him. was
but human after all, and, like other men,
he had his faillngs.
His self-pride had been wounded by
the fact Of Carols believing he could be
guilty Of such fearful acts. In his heart,
he gave her no credit for her fearful
struggles against such belief, and the
overwhelming evidence upon the matter,
but seemed to be seized with the insane
idea, quite beyond reason. that If she
loved him as well as she professed to,
she should have believed in him. yes,
even when his own words condemned
him.
This was how he deceived himself,
however, and In SO doing, kept up his
anger. Had he allowed himself to sit
down and calmly think over the matter,
his good sense would have soon won the
victory, together with his love fof the
young girl; but he kept the fire burning
by repeating to himself the words he had
used in that last interview with Carol,
when she had Mortified him by disclosing
the fact that she had-and even then
believed him to be the evil man who had
ruined the life Of the gypsy girl, Barbara
Mcrriles, and shut his wife up in the
mad-house, when she was as sane as he
himself, simply because he wished to be
rid Of her.
"Yes. will bring proofs to her, proofs
that will convince her Of my innocence
beyond all doubt; and, having done that,
I will throw her love from me like a tat
tered glove, for it is false. She never
really loved me, else she could not be-
lieve such terrible thing of me-"
Thus he allowed his thoughts to run on
In the same channel. He would not let
his mind dwell upon the other side OF
the case, and in this way he was unjust
to Carol and himself. It was not like
Roger Darrell to thus be ungenerous; but
there are times In a mans life when, for
a while. his whole nature seems per-
verted, though generally it swings into
place again ere long.
There can be no doubt that It is wise
Providence that wells the future from us,
so that we know not what even the next
minute may bring forth; but surely 1t
would have been a mercy could Roger
have looked into the time to come, and
caught glimpse Of the sunshine there,
for his own life was so gloomy then.
He was paying the penalty OF his anger
toward Carol. and soon he would enter
into the second stage, when he would find
himself so miserable, cut off forever from
her love, that death itself would seem q
relief.
When this time came. Roger would be
rapidly nearing state when he would be
in q fit mood, not only to forgive Carol,
but to sue for pardon himself.
He now understood the game his cousin
was playing, though. Of course, there
were parts of 1t entirely veiled from his
eyes; for instance, he did not know that
Nora Warner had escaped from the mad
house, and that it had been her vengeful
hand that had given his cousin the wound
that prevented the duel between the two
Roger barrels.
Then, again, he was ignorant OF the
fact that Nora was not insane.
Before his cousin had had her confined
in the mad-house, he had been enabled to
do her several favors. without his iden-
tity being known to her, as he thought
at the time; but when he heard she had
gone crazy, he did not doubt the truth of
the report, although he had felt sure iU
had all come through the man who bore
his name and such was his shame for the
dishonor put upon the Darrell family by
this foul act. that, more than ever, he
felt dlsgraced, and wished to be alone.
This was his state of feeling when he
came home from abroad and met Carol
Richmond for the first time.
| His fine inner sense told him that he
ought not to WOO her for his wife, but he