Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-12-12
The excitement half carried her little


And she held out her hand toward
him.
The curtain went up in q moment
and Pallatine began his reading in a
whrl. He scarcely heard his own
words. When the curtain had gone
down again amid burst of applause.
hiding the reader and the illustrative
tableau alike from view, he Withdrew
into corner and tried. with all the re-
newed confusion around him, to collect
his thoughts.
Great heaven! He did not wish to
be coxcomb, but what was thisP
Could it be! Was this where he had
been drifting, with his frequent visits
to this house, his tolerance of the great
lady's patronage? 1t seemed impossi-
BILE. and yet Merciful powers! He
remembered Mrs. Merriweathrr's look.
her extended hand and chill ran
down his spine.
Had the little Italian girl seen themp
She had moved away rs soon as he APP
preached Mrs. Merriweather. And
vet, how could he tell? His cheek
tingled. II she had surmised anything
of this sort it would account for
the GOODNESS. the contempt almost, with
which she had seemed to treat him in
these weeks he had been coming here.
A povcrty-stricke reader ingratiating
himself into the favors of an elderly
widow of wealth and social standing
with visions of matrimonial denOue-
ment-that was how he must have APP
peared to her. Faugh! The thought
slckened him.
He went through the rest of the pro-
gramme automatically. He was seized
with wild desire to get away. And
yet his eye watched for Amina con-
stantly. Just before the last tableau
he caught sight of her standing on a
chair and mailing up some bit Of
drapery for the scenery.
He found himself the next instant
beside her and looking up, with sort
OF desperation. into her pale face. Her
lips were tightly set. Some hidden
emotion seemed to communicate itself
from him to her. from her to him. He
longed to explain to her
His voice came thickly. and all he
found to say was: I'm afraid the
chair is not steady. You will fall"
"Oh, no." she said in turn. But was
it his close presence that made her
fingers less sureP One end of the
heavy drapery slipped from her grasp
and, as she made movement to re-
cover it, the chair tipped and her light
weight slid downward into his arms.
ltwas tremendous revelation to
both of them. Their faces were white
and their eyes glowed.
Let me go" whispered Amina,
fighting for her self-control.
Il love YOU" Egbert kept repeating,
II love you very much. Amina. You
must believe me. That is why / have
been coming here-though did not
know it myself"
1t had been the affair of a moment.
A high cardboard wing had screened
of it Mrs. Merriweather had suddenly
appeared. The three stood looking ut
each other; then youth. wild with
haste and excitement under his paint
aud wig, rushed frantic;flly toward
them and, dragging the fallen drapery
out of sight. told them the curtain was
about to rise.
Mrs Merriweather's boudoir was
darkened and I'm odor of cologne and
rinaigre de toilette pervaded it. She her.
self lay on the lounge in deStdbHie of
the highest art design and with ono
hand. sparkling with rings, yelling her
eyes.
A light tap at the door was followed
by the entrance of Amina. She had,
at length, been sent for and she APP
peared, like culprit, with downcast
eyes.
1t was a dramatic moment, and Mrs.
Mcrriweather would not have been
Mrs. Merriweathor had she not felt the
thrill of the occasion.
80" she began, you have deceived
me-both of you--"
But at this Amina unexpectedly
rallied.
Deceived you-no! l know now
that Mr.. Pallatine loves me and that 1
have loved him all along. But there
was no deception. l owe you every
hing, and f'you say that must give
him up shall do SO ut once and for
ever. That can do. But | cannot
make him unlove me or love you in-
stead II he has not done So already"
Mrs: Merriweather said not a word;
and suddenly Amina threw herself
down before the lounge and kissed the
high art destabitLe passionatcly.
You are the kindest-hearted Great
ure in all the world" she cried land
when you are anything else you do
yourself injustice! l know you will
let us be happy still! Think of what
you have! You can even pick up such
waits as am and give them the great
est joy in life. But by ourselves wo
two have nothing-nothing but each
other. Oh, be generous to us! You
could not help being generous if you
tried!"
1t must be that Amina was right.
For, after all, she and Egbcrt Palla-
tine were married not long after. The
brides trousseau was rs complete as
though she had been an hciress of un-
told means.
Mrs. Merriweather wears black q
great deal now aud pensive smile.
Both become her, and it is impossible
that she is conscious of the fact. In
any case she does not appear deeply
unhappy.