Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-25

V.
The health of Major Macdonald was fairly
established when he embarked on the Tan
jore, accompanied by his beautiful wife
and attended by the faithful Ali, to set sail
for England. Colonel West, who had come
on board to take leave of his friend. whom
he had learned to love as brother, could
not repress feeling of misgiving as he con-
trasted the burly form of Hector Macdonald
as he had known him few short months
ago, and the bowed and feeble-looking man
who, though pronounced convalescent,
looked prematurely aged by the terrible ILL
ness through which he had passed. His
misgivings were not allayed as he looked
upon the beautiful face of the handsome
woman who was hanging on the arm of her
husband in an attitude of bewitching trust
and tenderness. Never had she looked
more ravishingly beautiful than now, as.
with heightened color and tall, erect, regal
figure, she looked every inch a queen, and
cast on Colonel West look of proud dis
dain.
Since the day when he had so broadly
hinted that she might be charged with be-
ing accessory to the death of her husband if
he CHANGED to die under her care, they had
never met until now. The Colonel had
been constant visitor on his friend through
his illness, but whenever he called Mrs.
Macdonald would quit her sick husbands
chamber by one door as he entered the room
by the other. Now that they met at last
she returned his salutation with studied
GOODNESS, and except from the occasional
flashing of her wonderful dark eyes in de-
fiant scorn, and the naughty curl of her
dewy lip, she BETRAYED no other sign of inter
est in his presence For the first time in his
life Colonel West felt that he looked small
in a woman's eyes. But his uppermost feel
ing was of sorrow at parting from his friend
and concern for him. What" he found
himself thinking-"what if this determin-
alton of Macdonald's to take long fur
Tough in England proves to be the chance
scheme to a successful issue which has been
interrupted by my interference!"
He had lately lighted, too, on what he
deemed fresh confirmation of madame's
guilt. The Macdonalds had left the hill
station to make preparations for their de-
parture for England some days earlier than
Colonel West and his wife. Their departure
from what Colonel West firmly believed to |
be the scene of a contemplated tragedy had |
been the signal for the unloosening of the |
tongues of every native in the settlement. |
1here were rutnors, az nrst vague, but grow
ing more and more certain in their tenor, of |
kisses and caresses between the beautiful |
Mrs. Macdonald and the faithful Ali, and |
some runors went so far as to hint at more
sinful dalIiance still.
"1hen they are in league, as thought Y
they were, exclaimed the Colonel, bastily1
jumping to conclusions when his wife I'M |
formed him of the stories that were current
in the station. He had anxiously asked
himself since, whether it was not his duty
to make full disclosure of what he had
heard, and of his own suspicious to The
Major before bidding him farewell, but he
had reached no definite conclusion until he
arrived at the ship. Then, when he looked
Oh the face OF his friend cleaning with love
and trust and complete satisfaction. as he
yazed on the face of his wife who had given
herself in all the full ripe charRhs of her
perfect beauty TO a battered warrior of
mature age who had spent all his active life
rs soldier in the East, he felt that even if
ne had more reasons to allege in favor of his
suspicious than he possessed, reasons more
still would jbe required before
he Majors faith in his Mife could be shat
cred. He decided to bold his peace!
The sailing of the Yanjore was DELAYED
or some time after Cfblonel Vests arrival
N board to bid his friend goodbye, and