The Irish standard., 1890-09-06
A RECKLESS MOOD.
Why Mrs. Dunstan Mourned a De-
parted Husband.

Why Mrs. Dunstan Mourned a De-
parted Husband.
= "There is limit to even the most pa
tient forbearance. tell you. Zoe, can
not and will not endure this state of
things any longer. If you loved me
you would not defy my wishes as you
do"
Speaking thus, Earle Dunstan
turned and faced his young wife with a
look of sudden and stern determination
written on every line Of his handsome
features.
But all unheeding this, Zoo flashed
her dark eyes upon him derisively,
while short, low laugh of mocking
defiance rippled unsteady from her
scarlet lips.
eff loved your she echoed, scorn-
fully. ''Well, perhaps you are right in
saying that. I have often wondered at
the strange whim which. led me to ac-
cept you instead Of
cot Fred Hammond, why don't you
say?' he finished, with bitter sheer,
as Zoe paused, a trif1e shocked at her
own temerity. ''You can't deny that
it was his name which was on your lips,
as it is evidently his image which fills
your heart. Fred Hammond, the fas-
cinating Lothario, whose atten tions to
you last night made you the talk of the
rooms, who was mold lover of yours,
as everybody knows, and whom you
would doubtless be willing enough to
marry now were you again free to undo
the errors of the past. Can you deny it,
Zoe?"
II shall deny nothing" she flashed
out, in white heat Of passionate scorn,
her large, dark eyes blazing, and her
very lips blanched to the hue of snow
drift. 'sYou have drawn fascinating
picture of what might have been, and it
is thousand pities that it never can
be realized. How cruel you are to re-
mind me that I am not free to Undo the
past!" .... ...s..
s'By, heaven, then, you shall be-" he
retorted, desperately. ''From this hour
you shall not be troubled with my pres
ence, nor your actions trammeled by
my tyranny as you are pleased to
serm my consideration for my good
name. I am going to leave you for
ever, Zoe, and as soon as the law per-
mits, you will regain your freedom. and
marry the man you love. This is all
that is left me to do for your happiness,
but it is still something. Thank God
that I know the truth at last! If had
known it sooner, how much sorrow
might have been spared US both!"
He stopped, his voice growing husky
and broken toward the last, cast one
lingering, passionate look upon the
young wife he had loved so we'll, turned
away from her without another word,
and then was gone!
Gone! Zoe, listening to the echo OF
his footsteps down the hall, down the
broad, shallow stairs, awoke at last
from the trance which had held her
since the first word of that terrible
speech fell on her ears
Like one awakening from some deep,
strange sleep, she suddenly reused her
self and staggered toward the door,
holding out her arms with a gesture OF
passionate anguish and entreaty.
earle, Earle! come back!' she cried.
II did not mean it. You drove me wild
with your cruel suspicious. / love no
one-want no one-but you! Il Oh,
God!"-as the great front door below
swung to with q heavy crash-''he is
gone-gone foreverp
The wild, yearning voice, intense
with the agony Of . breaking heart
whose sound, even at first, had scarcely
gone farther than the white. rigid lips
through which it passed, suddenly
failed-died into silence and Zoe Dun
stan, the deserted wife, sunk down upon
the carpet like one stricken by mortal
blow.
Weeks passed before she knew any
thing more of that terrible day.
Brain fever had seized upon her, and
1t seemed many times as though her
life must pay the forfeit Of her share in
its reckless folly.
But at last she crept back to life,
though for months she was only the
shadow Of her former SELF.
Brilliant and bewitching, with the
effervescent sparkle OF champagne in
her lovely eyes, and flushing, rounded
cheeks. and dainty. scarlet lips, had
been Zoe Dunstan before that Inflated
day. Beautiful she was yet, but that
sparkling brilliancy was gone, and
deathless sorrow looked out from those
marvellous dark eyes whose witchery
had ensnared so many hearts.
When she was strong enough to bear
it, they told her every thing; how
they had tried to find her husband
when they discovered her stricken
down BY that almost fatal shock; how
they had searched vainly for him every
where, only to learn, at last, that he
had sailed for Europe on the very day
that he had left his wife and home;
how, . little later, the world had been
startled by the news Of an awful dis iiss
aster the noble ship on which he had
taken passage had been wrecked in
mid-ocean, and Earle Dunstan,s name
Was among the List OF those ho were
knownst to be lost
10 listened 81 the; awful tale s. ], pttti.