Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-05-25

1 =
moments thought. 1 opened the school-room
| door, and. as did so. was startled by hearing
low, conyUlsive sObs, as from some one in all
| agony of grief; they were really heartrending
| MISS Bollltho-Lily. what is the matter?" /
exclaimed. frightened at the intensity of the
| girls distress
/ She sprang up wildly and seized my arm.
! ON, Mr.. Forteseue, was af raid | should
not see you; did so wish TO meet you in the
| park. and they would not let me come /
| thought should have died" And she sobbed
historically, still clinging TO my arm.
Had the girl gone mad? l put my arm
| around her to steady her TO the sofa. but be-
| fore we had advanced one step a majestic fig
| ure thrust me aside. seized the letter Miss
| Bolntho was pressing into my hand. and Turned
and confronted me. II was my mother-in-aw.
she must have heard every word that had been
! SAID. IIly's shrek of terror when she saw her
letter in the hand of that woman recalled me
| to sense of my duty
Mrs. Montgore. that letter is not yours; give
! IL 70 nae at once. L said. in voice which / in
| vain tried to render commanding
| ''louvillain. Iwould die first.' she screamed
| ''As for You. you hussy'-I always had had
| suspicion that my mother-in-law. if excited.
would be vulgar-''you good-for- nothing"
seized her by the arm and tried to take the
! letter.
Help. murder she shrieked. Help.
help
10 this day do not understand how il hap
| pened; but. at that moment, my wife. my
h. e.
towe. nav, half the relatives | have in the
world. burst into the room. Mr.. Nontgore
| seemed to understand the scene at a glance
| he took the letter from his wfes hand. put it
INTO his pocket. usAered us out Of the rooms,
and locked the door, leaving Miss Bollitho
| within. This done, he led the way into the
dining room, sat down at the head of the table.
pointed to me to take the chair opposite, begged
! the others to sit down; reduced his wife TO
sllence-no easy task-and then began. very
much in the tone which judges adopt when ad-
dressing condemned criminals:
| alfred Fortescue. | need scarcely tell Won
that this has come upon us all a most painful
blow; the more painful, perhaps. from being
unexpected have trusted you. and where
have once trusted do not lightly withdraw my
trust; therefore, insist upon a calm and dis
! passionate investigation of this most painful
affair before ! can consent to your being treated
as one unworthy of being my son-in-law the
husband of my daughter"
At this Arabelle sobbed aloud; her mother
| furtIvely shook her fist; even Jack and his wife
| looked grave; while, as for the others. with the
exception OF Bristowe. who chuckled. they all
| SIMPLY glowered. But ] WIS too stunned to
care had the dull. vacant feeling of being
! i'll a dream.
| You are accused of carrying on a vulgar in
trigue with young person who is living under
your roof. May beg that You will no. inter-
rupt meO You are accused, l repeat. OF carry
ing on vulgar intrigue with this young per-
son. and the following facts are advanced as
! proofs of the accusation:
| "Frst-Systematic neglect of your own wife,
notably one evening at the Lvceum.
| ''Second-lndulging in Jokes and undue IA
mlllarlty with the said young person during
| breakfast.
"Third-Being alone with her. under suspi-
cious circumstances, at an unseemly hour of
the night.
"Fourth-Meeting her by appointment in the
park
"Fifth-Carrying on a clandestine CORE
! spondence with the same.
| "Sixth-Ailowing her to kiss you.''
! Il saw 1t with ny own eyes" called out old
| Margery, whom | now first observed to be
among the spectators.
He was casping her in his arms when en-
tered the room cried Mrs. Montsore.
silence" said Mr.. Montgore sternly. Then.
turning to me: What have you to say in re-
| ply to these chargesI'
The whole thing is an Internal concoc tion"
replied, by this time thoroughly angry. "A
vlllalnous SANDER invented by spitefui, jealous
old women, who hate the girl because she is
young and pretty"
Ny wife and her mother sprang to their feet
s out Mr. Non'goss again reduced them to
Il understand that you deny the charger"
| Yes, do. 1t Is an insult to ask the ques-
tion."
You do not, suppose, deny that this let
| ter taking out of his pocket the one his wife
had seized from Lily-"was intended for you?
Do tOu ODJtCt W my TedulHS II!
| The letter is mine, and / refuse to allow You
! to read it,"
1T will be question of counsel later to de-
eide whether or not the letter can be admitted
as evidence; but, in any case, will make a
note OF your protest against its being read"
He deliberately broke the seal, read the first
| lines, and then. looking at me keenly, said:
You acknowledge that thisletter is addressed
to you?"
';Yes."
This simplifes matters considerably. Ara
belle, L should recommend your going to your
room. No? Very well; perhaps it is as well
that you should know the truth at once
And III his usual metallic, lawyer-iike voice
he began to read the letter:
My own darling, my love! Since my lips
| last rested on yours"
| My brain reeled What followed never
| knew, excepting that it was a wild. fervent
! love-letter, which no woman could have writ
| ten excepting under the influence of an all
absorbing passion which she knew TO be shared
| by the man to whom she was writing Again
and again she thanked me for my love, and
swore that, although for the moment all seemed
| against us, she would vet be mine.
| Love" she said, lis immortal; but those
who stand between us will perish"
'Arabeiie that's You. They are plotting to
murder you."
This suggestion, of course, came from Mrs.
Montgore. My wife had violent fit of hyster-
les, her sister Maria shook the poker at me.
The whole scene was too unutterably horrible;
| 1t haunts me to this day.
1t was some time before even Mr.. Montgore
| could restore order. His voice was more cut
| ting than ever as he remarked:
After reading the letter, do not wonder at
your protest May ask if you have received
many such letters from this young person.
| Twas too stunned to reply. 1 could only
shake my head.
Il remember you always carry letter-book
| in your pocket Will you allow me to examine
II? must warn you, however, that you are
| not bound to incriminate yourself"
Scarcely conscious of what l was doing. 1
| handed him the book. He gave slight grunt
as he turned over the leaves; evidently there
was nothing i'll it of interest. How could there
| be, when / only kept it for Office work? Sud
| denly he paused. put his hand to his throat, as
| if threatened with apoplexy, and. for one
| moment, his feelings a man overcoming his
| instincts as lawyer, he literally CRASHED his
| teeth with rage as he shook some papers in my
! face. Then my heart stood STILL for | saw that
he held in his hand my love poem-the one
written while the poetic fervor was upon me.
l could bear no more. L rushed from the
| room-from the house, Jack following me,
| clinging to my arm. l tried to shake him Off
| and wished madly that the Thames were near
| to put an end to my misery.
II say, ALT, don't attract a crowd. People
think you are mad. No, you shan't shake me
Off l shall stick to you, bad lot though You be"