The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-10-19

That night, few minutes after he had entered
his dressing-room, there was gentle knock at
the door, and Doris came through from her bed
room. She looked very delicate and fragile, he
thought, as she paused timidly on the threshold;
very pretty and childish, too in her simple
white dressing gown, with her long golden hair
falling over her shoulders.
MAY come in, Geoffrey? she asked, nerv-
ousy 81 want to speak to YOU"
"Come in, by all means, il it will give you any
pleasure, " he returned, shortly. "What do you
want? Are you Ill ?'
His tone was not reassuring-it sounded
strangely hard and cold even in his own ears
and Doris gave him timid glance as she came
forward, very slowly and dragging one foot after
the other as If she had hardly strength or energy
to move. He looked down at her, as she stood
by his side, and was struck by her extreme pal
lor, and the feverish glitter in her eyes
"You are i'll" he exclaimed, hastily. ''I am
sure that you are ILL.,"
"No," she said, wearly 81 am not ill-only
tired.n
'If you are tired, why don't you go to bed?'
he asked, in an unsympathetc tone.
She shook her head
81 could not sleep without speaking to you.
l must speak to you tonight, Godfrey"
'Sili spedh AWAY UeOurey Salu ungra-
ciousy. ~ am anxious to get to bed, if YOU are
not"
She came step nearer, looking up in his face
with her clear childish eyes.
"Geoffrey,' she said, in low tone, 1--WE are
not what We were once to one another, you
know.n
She could hardly have begun worse than by
referring to the strained relations then existing
between them the reference irritated him un-
reasonably
"Good Heavens, or' he exclaimed SIT is
not however, necessary to remind me of that
fact, Doris'
Something in the words, or in the manner in
which they were uttered, seemed to hurt her,
and she shrank back with most piteous ex-
PRESTON, but she still strove to speak bravely.
"Geotfrey," she said, pleadingly, ''if you
would be kind and gentle to me this once, only
this once, it would not be so hard to say what is
in my heart"
Now, in those days, Geoffrey's disposition was
peculiarly self-righteous one, and nothing an
noyed him more than for people to imply that
his conduct was not, in all ways and under all
circumstances, exactly what it ought to be.
Doriss words angered him.
81 amnot aware" he said, stiffly, ''that have
ever treated you otherwise than kindly Don't
be childish, Doris. What have you to say to
me?n
She looked at him with sort of despair.
''You won't help me,' she said, DULY; then
l must do it all myself. Oh how hard YOU
are!n
pray spare me the catalogue of my short
comings," he cried, icily; "they are numerous
no doubt, but scarcely interesting at this time
OF night Please say what you have to say
quickly; am getting sleepy, and late hours do
not agree with you.''
Doris averted her eyes from her husbands
and began to play nervously with some long
loops of white ribbon that fell from cne side of
her waist.
sit is about Archie" she said, in low tone.
"Ah" u Geotfrey's tone was studiously calm
and he showed none of the excitement that he
felt. "And what have you to say about
Archie?"
"Before 1 met you," she said, winding the
ribbon round and round her fingers, "when 1
was very young Archie fell in love with me.m
She paused and looked up at Godfrey He
met her appealing eyes coldly.
"Really ?" he said, 'tthat is not very interest
ing to me-"
"He asked me to marry him., she went on,
with an effort.
"Really?" Godfrey said again, ''that is not
very interesting either, Doris"
''She flushed scarlet, then turned white as
death, and began to tremble all over.
sit is no good" she cried in a despairing
tone. "Oh, it is no good at all. You are so
hard, and you don't understand
The misery on her white face might have
touched heart of stone, but it only angered
Geoffrey he hated to see her tremble and cover
before him.
II understand perfectly" he said, coldly:
''you need say no more. These tender reminis.
cences have no charm for me. You can hardly
expect me to sit up all night listening to tales
of your old lovers. Goodnight"
He turned away, but she did not move
"Do you mean that l am to go?" she asked
eyes"
"You refuse to listen to me, then Geoffrey.
if you refuse you may be sorry some day. VIII
you hear me out ?n
persistence increasedh his anger. He turned
and faced her.
"Doris, he said sternly 'let us understand
one another once for all. | understand you per-
fectly. know as much you can tell me. /
know as we'll as you do that your cousin makes
love to you, and that you allow him to do SO.
BY the by, that is a nice thing to know of one's
wife, is it not ?"
She shiVered, and stretched out her hands i'm
ploringly.
"Geoffrey !'' she cried. "GeofTrey Oh speak
kindly to me, for Heavens sake !"
He did not heed her wild cry.