The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1890-10-10

had been blow which she had sworn
20 herself nothing would ever make
her forget or forgive. She would sep
arate them-She would force him 70
love hers Women there are as un-
scrupalouS as this and we meet them
every daS. They veal. smiling face.
and who suspects ncNa
Mrs. Estes M,,s @sin4 10 the hill that
night. Her naid ,iirsssgl her as care
fully rs ustlal, Sa, wnr, ieWels In her
hair. Her eyes wcrc e.es,r her color
lovely. There was no pretticr woman
present.
One mans eyes watched her care
fully, eeaseleSSly, rs she moved about
the rooms. He did not approach her
yet; he bides his lime, and toward the
close of the night il came.
Mrs. Estes looked up. to see a tall,
grave man standing before her. For
an instant the lovely color fluctuated
Frank Gordon! My dear cousin.
You herep The world thought YOU
IN Patagonia, or heaven known wherer'
Il have returned. Will vou not
give me Il little of Your societvpn
He stood waiting. Laura passed her
hand under his arm. Bevond the sup
per-room was a small conservatory; he
led her directly there. She faced him
with a steady smile.
Dear me. how dramatic YOU look!'
she half sneered.
Gordon paid no heed. He was still
very young man; but there was
those lines in his face that come only
from suffering.
Six months ago. he began. Il
met in South Africa u frieud of Arthur
Haslitt. From him | heard of his sep
aration from his wife. The cause was
understood 10 be discovery on Has
lifts part that his wife had married
him for his money. Magnificent fell
low as Haslitt was. no one was SUR
prised, for that one sensitive point of
his amounting almost TO a mania, was
known. On returning home month
ago. it became necessary for me TO
look over chest of old papers had
left behind on going to South America.
Among them was little bundle of let
ters very precious TO me. There were
only three or four short notes and one
letter, TO be more accurate. That one
letter was gone!n
Yes, Laura Estes nerves were iron:
but this was too unexpected Her
cousin looked into the haggard face
and read the confirmation of his sus-
picion there.
And You. he went on-..vou took
it No one they told me, had access
TO the house but Won. And vou sent ii
to Arthur Haslitf The remembrance
flashed upon me that his friend down
there in South America had said some-
thing about n letter. 1t was a clever
plan. Laura-yoa always were clever.n
he turned and left her-a crouching.
tierce-eyed creature, the delicate touch
of rouge on her lips looking ghastly in
contrast with with her livid cheeks
Mr.. Haslitt has just returned from
Europe. He sees no one" said the
clerk. except on very particular bust
ness.
This is particular business.
A few moments later Gordon was
usnered into Arthur Haslitt's presence.
he knew him by sight. though the
knowledge was not mutual Could
two years have made the change in
him he saw? Why not? What had
the last three years been to himself?
My name is Gorlon." said the
younger man. Il am cousin of Mrs.
Estes
Haslitt bowed.
A flash of light went over Arthur
E1IStiII IaGG-
Then / think we can have nothing
much to say to each other
Stay, We have. muchi You re-
ceiyed. letter addressed to me. II is
but right You should see this one as
well. 1t has never left me for three
years. 1t was written. observe. after
the first
The second letter lay before Arthur /
eyes-the second letter in his /
wife's handwriting addressed TO the /
same man. For an instant there was /
4 savage impulse upon him 10 spurn /
It, TO tread ii under foot Then sani- /
y, some measure of common sense.
He raised the letter with /
\ hand that shook.
DEAR FRANK: We have been s,ona friends
ever since We We're children. and 50 | must
say word 70 you now. You have been foolish
enough TO think that you cared for mo Ia an
9ther way; but you will feel different Scrnf.
lay, and meantime. while can never love yotl
NJ dearesf friend ia Mroa alwass y,, e Tor Sog as
% long ago when 8ou first asked me a. rsiatrfs
Ton Do you remember In IL I t0ld YCti I I
you'd never marry any but a rich husf.aii
vas so weary OF beng poor. Now I iyst.
seLnethlng very dtneirnt 70 say, ard ! Sly a
nat you mat Know that IL Is nOt 4 VERY q. j
Kept me from loving you This man whom I
Irst thought of marrying only for money
ms man, Frank, have come - love that
rom door to door through the world l would
20. and think myself happier than any queen
do not say this To ltust YOU. poor boy; but
nat you may do me little justice In spite of
ne awful criminal folly Of my ast woi4i>.
BEATRICE"
That you may do me little JUS
The paper fioated from Arthur Has
tits hand to the floor.
A bare little honse on the outskirts
'f suburban village ana a woman
smbroidering by the failing light.
The light grows more and mere dim
before the night shadows and by and
~ the tired eyes turn away and the
lands drop listlessly in the lap.
On, the weary years that stretch be-
orel
Beatrice Haslitt lays her head back.
md between the half-closcd lids some !
hIngs burns that cannot drop.
There is snap of c.osiug gate. a
tep on the walk. a hand on the door.
t IS half-open. Some one enters. Rea-
rice for the first time looks up.
Beatrice! Ny wifei Forgiven