River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-02-07

VIII oHeE none Whatever. and
viii submit to no further catechism. y
That appears to be your only sub
terfuge." he said. cuttingly. Your
behavior has been inexcusable. But /
have come 20 put an end to your disre-
/ gard for convenuonalities. will take
you home with me tomorrow"
She left his side suddenly. and went
cropping about the room In quest u
matches. When she found one. she
lighted the gas and came back to him.
She appeared feverishly restless now.
Erie" she said. II can't explain,
but it will be impossible for me to GO
home 80 soon. Give me another month
here. and aftcrward | will never leave
/ you.
He had spoken harshly TO her. but
something in her manner softened his
mood for the moment.
/ Try TO explain. he said
Il DO not wish Julian to be away
/ from his physician. In a month DR..
Deering will return 20 the city, and
/ then"
You will be ready to accompany
him. His face was so terrible that
she shrank from him. You want to
/ give credencc TO the story that you are
| still infatuated with this cOxcomb.
You have not the slightest desire 10
accedc to your husbands wishes You
would make the shallow pretense that
Julian must be near his physician and
YOU in attendance upon the patient.
Yet YOU know that Julian Is not de-
pendent upon DR. behring's services.
There are thousands Of better physi-
clans than h.. And YOU consider me
such an imbecile that will submit to
your outrageous proposal. require
you 10 20 home with me tomorrow or
not at all. ."
DO you mean that. Eric? Would
you not receive me if / came to you in
another month";"
He caught her wrists in his hands
AM pushed her back under the gas
light. where he could sean her face.
His countenance was so stern, so re-
lentless. 50 nearly contemptuOus. that
she could not bear to look into his
face.
'.You ought 10 know by this time
that ] mean cverv word / utter Tf
you refuse TO go with me. shall never
respect you nor think of you as my
wife again. | will crush ont every bit
Of love for you. and shall despise you
as you will deserve"
She struggled TO free her hands. Her
eyes We're humid, and she wished to
cover them. but he would not release
her.
Look in my face" he said, ''ar3
make your choice. VIII you 90 with
me tomorrow or not?"
NO, she replied, almost inaudibly;
Il can not go 50 soon.
tie would have been glad to have
left Newport that night. hut there were
no westcrn-bOund trains before the
morrow. He had left his wife without
a word had almost cast her from him
had strobe out Of the cottage with
ont once CHANGING back at the woman
whom he intended never to aclknowl-
edge again. There was a hotel next
door. and he took room there for the
night. nut he did not enter it at once.
He was tramping for hours on the
rocky shore and trying to keep from
thinking of the wife he had lost.
Thorndyke was exhausted at last,
and sought his room. Even then he
was too RESTLESS, too wretched TO
try TO sleep. He threw himself into "A
chair before a window and looked at
the cottage next door. There was no
light in his wife's room Had she
turned it out and gone 10 sleep? Was
she absolutely Indifferent to the loss
Of his love and confidence?
It was after midnight when man
cautiously crossed the grounds Of Mrs.
Thorndyke's cottage. He went silent
y up the steps leading to the balcony
and stood a moment a. one OF the Fin
d ows. lie turned a slat in the Blinds
and peered into the house. As he did
so a light from within shone upon his
face. After few seconds of waiting
he opened the blinds and sprang light
L. into the room Then he closed and
locked them. The man was DR.. Deer
ing.
A few moments later a woman came
ont Of the cottage and crept up 20 the
window She was hatless. and wore
no wrap about her shoulders. She
also turned "A Stat in the blinds and
looked into the room The light did
not fall upon her face, bat upon her
hand Il shOne upon the ring with
which Eric Thornlvke had married
her. What she saw within must have
been Of absorbing interest. and wholly
Of the biting wind aud wet
Suddenly she withdrew into the shsd-
ow. The blinds were opened. and DR..
Deering came out of the house.
Audrey Thorndyllc faced him. ana
the two held hurried conversation.
during which their tones were low.
but We're rife with intense excitement.
at his SindOw, had wit
messed their meeting. and had famed
into such passion that he had rushed
out OF doors. For the moment ne could
have killed Deering remOrselessly. aud
he was eager to encounter him. But
he was too late. BY the time he had
descended the stairs and had crossed
the lawn Dceriug had become alarmed
and had 1cd Audrey ThOrudyke stood
there alone and in the bitterness OF his /
soul he denounced her.
Il saw the meeting between you and
your lover" he said Il am thankful
that YOU refused 10 go with me. could
not long have tolerated woman 50 un-
You ara condemning me without
hearing my defense. Come into the
house and hear what have 10 say"
III YOU wish To speak, you can DO 40
here. he said but if you mean to de-
fend YOUR lover, YOU may spare your
self the trouble. have seen you meet /
him at midnight. aud l have that ac-
count 50 settle with him alone"
e. do not want Ia plead for Dr.. Deer
ing. but for myself We're ! an entire
stranger To you, and accused OF evil
doing aud brought - your court. YOU
would give me n patient hearing. al