The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-01-20


said TINT the artist had held Lefty in his arias
and given her repeated ksssy' which she had
retmncd There had been illusions 20 former
evenings, when she had been with him under
cover of going 90 meet her husband, and not
until an incautious movement OF Stcyos
startled them did they separate, Cnderhill
I going back 10 the corner and Lefty hurrying
/ home.
Gabriel dill not say word during this
story. only his clnchcd hand shook Steve,
arm whenever the laitor made q pause. Al
tho close he said hoarsoly: IF YOU have lied
/ % me n--- For o moment steve saw his
I face lyid In the sunset glow, and then he was
/ gone down the wool road
lie went striding along his homewai1l way
With q devil tearing his heart, that old sub
born devil Of jealousy, which, once emf ,s ! in,
/ took utter possession. When he cntcrai the
door Lefty sprang up, but stopped at sight of
bis changed face
"Why. Gabriel. she faltercd, sis anything
the natter Are YOU
lie cut hor short, selling her hands and
dragging her % The window, where tho light
fen fun on her face Then, without any
preface.
Did YOU mcct Larry Underhul in the
WOODS last Friday oftcrnoohN he said.
Lefty blushci crimson
Yes She began plcadingly, but
And did he kiss YOU" interrupted Gabriel
between his set teeth.
"Ohl Gabriel let me tell you how
ayes or 20: did he kiss your repeated Ca
br.ol with fierce ewes searching her face.
There was a long, sickening pause, then Lefty
faltcred again:
YES. butt
He lot go Ler hands so suddenly that she
fell back against the wall He had walked
away % the other window, where he stood
with avcrtel face. There was another 81.
lence, then Lefty said, with trembling eager
ness: Gabriel dear, let me tell :, how Il
| all was-may |"
There was no answer She crept up behind
/ him and laid her hand ON his arm. He flung
IL OF Don't touch me-" he said in a voice
she would not have known for his
"Ohl Gabriel, darling, only hear mor and
again she caught al bis sleeve Ho turned
round then
Hear INC. he said Il don't want any
/ explanations, don't want YOU to touch me,
only b 20 away where never shall SIC your
/ face aCa.u-w1it a minute, as Lefty tried 10
/ speak, II don't want 70 hurt you, but ii you
don't so in lyo minutes | swear l win shoot
myself where / stand
lie took a revolver and placed 10 with his
watch ON tho table beside him. Then be
turned his back to his vito again and waited
The minutes licked on mouotonously. Lefty
sat in stunned silence until She saw him make
4 a movement, then she sprang forward and
+ threw herself upon him. "Gabrielw she cried
4 in a voice Of agony, Oh, for the sake Of our
love-
"Not a word Of that, he interrupted, loos
inc her hold 1T is time VIII you 20, or
lie put his hand on the revolver She gave
him a look of passionate, desperate appeal,
then, as be made another movement, with
wild scream she rushed out Of the house
IL was soon noised about Stonybank that
Lefty Dallas bad left her husbands home
and disappoarodezrom the town. Old Law
yer Fernald questioned Gabriel but found
him taciturn and obstinate Don't ask me
any more, Mr Fernald, he said respectfully
but firmly "You'vo always been very good
20 me, and don't want 10 offend you, but
can and shan't talk about this The old
man shook his head and turned away, for be
saw that the trouble was beyond his mend
ing.
After this no one mentioned Letty's name
90 Gabriel except that once steve Thatcher
suggested that She had gone to join Under
hill But thcsullcn fury with which Gabriel
turned on him restrained him from ever re-
peating this idea, and, presently, the only re-
minder of Lefty flight was the change it
had wrought in Gabriel
But one hot August day Lefty herself
though the mere shadow of her former self
came back to Stonybank. She carried
little sickly wailing infant in her arms, and
looked weary enough 10 have dropped by the
way, yet she pressed on 20 the corner where
LAWYER Fernald lived lie owned the old
house in the hollow, and she wanted to Get bis
/ leave 20 occupy il. The old man tried TO
induce her to remain for a time under his
own roof, but here he came in conflict with
certain gentle pride and Obstinacy which
were marked constituents Of Lettys charac-
ter. No arguments could make her open her
lips about Gabriel or consent to any favor
more than the use Of the old house, and Mr.
Fernald was reluctantly obliged to give way.
SO Lefty set up her poor little home within
the deserted walls where she had once laugh
| ngly declared sho would like 10 keep house.
/ She supported herself and little Gabrielle
for so She had named the baby-by needle
work and by such odd jobs as she could find
among the village housewives. They were
glad 10 DO what they could for her, and, as
she was thrifty, and the means Of living cost
but little IN Stonybank, her small earnings
answered well enough.
People wondered at first what Gabriel Dal-
las would do now that bis wife had returned
70 the ncighborhood But Gabriel simply
7 ignored Der. Once only did he show that he
was aware Of her presence. Lefty had gone
| over % Stonybank Corners 10 do piece OF
work. and the baby was with her, one thin
arm clasped about her neck. At Lawyer
Fernald's cato they came suddenly face 10
face with Gabriel, who was going out, and
the child, moved by some impulse, began 20
crow and stretch out its little frail hands to
him, almost falling from its mothers shout
der. Gabriel inst,nctively put up his hands
to steady il, and over the baby's head the
husband and wife for moment looked into
each others faces, Gabriels dark and sullcn
az usual now, Lettys pale and wasted but
with tho same sweet look in the deep blue
eyes. Then Gabriel turned away without a
word and Lefty passed on silently.
But one October day the baby died, with
cftt up ike q IRAN llile mower III Tue uutuiiiu
frOsts Every ono was sorry, for whatever
the rights OF 1t between Gabriel and his wife,
Lefty and the baby had enlisted general sym
pathy so, in their simple way, they did
their best 10 comfort her, and by her wish
the tiny grave was made beneath the
branches of a hemlock tree beside the win.
dow, where she could sce IL at her work.
Again peoplo. wondered about Gabriel
Would he be at the funerali He was not
there, bat one who was, and who saw him
+ the same daf, thought sho could never for
get the scene Cora Fenald had come over
with her grandfather 10 the old house in the
hollow, but, when they were about 10 return
/ home, Mr. Fernall recollectel a matter Of
/ business some few miles further on, 50 Cora
concluded % walk back through the woods.
/ After tho close little room down there, 1t was
a relief TO bo in the open air, and she went
along enjoying tho beautiful Indian summer
like day, the splendid colors of tho forest foil
ago and the sweet smell Of the whitening
brakes a branch Of brilliant scarlet maple
caught her eye ard drew her In search Of 1t.
Entering small clearing, she came suddenly