Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-09-11
BETRAYED;
A DARK MARRIAGE
MORN.
A Romance of Loue, Intrigue and
Crime.
BY MRS. ALICE P. oAaRIsToN.

guage Of the Senator became more ele-
waited.
His features assumed an air Of somber
dignity and imposing grandeur.
A slight shade Of palsness passed over
the lovely face Of the Young women, and
slight frown contracted her forehead.
By an effort, which in better cause
would have been sublime, she quickly
mastered the rising weakness, and, cold
ly pointing out to her husband the draped
door by which he had entered, said:
every we'll, conceal yourself therel"
''You will never forgive me?"
'sYou know little Of women, my dear, If
you do not know that jealousy Is one of
the crimes that they not only pardon
but love-"
''My God, I am not jealousl"
"Call 1t yourself what you will, but
station yourself therel"
"And You are sincere in wishing me to
do so2"
81 beg you to do sol :. Retire in the in
terval, leave the door open, and when
you hear Eugene enter the hall, return"
mol" said the Senator, after moments
hesitation: "since have gone SO far
and he sighed deeply-@I do not wish to
leave myself the least pretext for distrust.
If leave you before he comes, am cap
able Of fancying-"
THAT might secretly warn him. Is it
not so2 Nothing more natural. Remain
here, then. Only take up book; for our
conversation, under the circumstances, can
not be lively"
He sat down.
But" he unused @what mystery can
there be between you twoP"'
4You shall see," she said, with her
sphinx-like smile.
The Senator mechanically took up q
book.
She stirred up the fire in the crate, and
reflected.
As she liked terror, danger and dramatic
incidents to blend with her intrigues, she
should have been content; for at that
moment shame, ruin and death, we: Q at
her doorl
But, to tell the truth. it was too muc
for her; and when she looked, in the
midst of the silence which surrounded
her. at the true character and scope Of
the perils which environed her, she
thought her brain would fail and her
heart break.
She was not mistaken as to the origin
of the letter. This shameful work had
been planned by the private secretary.
To do him justice, however, he had not
suspected the force of the blow he was
dealing.
OF course he did not really believe in
the lady's virtue; for during the perpetual
surveillance he had never relaxed, he had
not failed to see the exict nature of the
intercourse between Eugene and Cora.
But it must not be forgotten that he
was himself in love with Mrs. Elliston.
and that he dreamed of securing for him.
self the succession to his masters place.
He had let matters 20 on thus long be-
cause he had not seen how he could very
we'll stop them without making an enemy
of Cora, and that he did not wish to do;
for, notwithstanding her intimacy with
Cleveland, he still loved her, SO far as
such creature is capable Of loving; Sud
then there was the vast wealth that would
be hers OF her husbands death, and Of
this he was perfectly willing to assume
the charge.
But being in Washington, and remem-.
bering what he had seen just before leav-
ing the house in New York, his jealousy
and hatred of the rival who now had the
field all to himself, got the better of him,
and he determined to act. To awaken the
distrust of the Senator toward Eugene, so
as to cause his doors to be closed against
him, and to hasten the lady's coming to
Washington, was, however, all he medi-
Z tated at that time.
He wrote the letter, dated it day
ahead, sent it to confidential friend in
New York to be remailed, and so it reached
the Senator's hand.
But, like most villainies Of the kind,
this anonymous missive was more fatal
and murderous weapon than its base au-
thor imagined.
The Senator's young wife then mused
while stirring the fire, casting from time
to time furtive glance at the clock.
Eugene would soon arrive. How could
she warn himP
In the present state Of their relations it
was not impossible that the very nrst
words of Eugene might Immediately di-
vulge their secret, and once betrayed there
was not only for her personal dishonor-
scandalous fall, poverty, retirement
but for her husband or her lover--per-
haps for both-deathl
When the door-bell rang, announcing
Eugene's approach, all Of these thoughts
crowded into Cora's brain like legion OF
phantoms.
But she rallied her courage by des-
perate effort and strained all her faculties
to the execution of the plan she had hast
lily conceived, which was her last hope.
And one word, one gesture, one mistake,
or one carelessness Of her lover might
overthrow 1t In secondl
A moment later the door was opened
by a servant, announcing Mr.. Cleveland.
Without speaking she signed to her hus-
band to gain his hiding place.
The Senator, who had risen at the
sound Of the bell, seemed still to hesi-
tate, but struggling his shoulders, as II in
disdain Of himself, retired behind the
curtain which faced the door.
Eugene entered the room carelessly,
E and advanced toward the fireplace, whore
4 Cora was seated. his smiling lips half
opened TO speak, when he was struck by
the peculiar expression on Cora's face,
and the words were frozen on his lips.
This look, fixed upon him from his en-
trance, had q strange, weird intensity,
which, without expressing anything,
made him fear everything. But he was
becoming accustomed to trying situa-
tions, and vas as wary and prudent as he
was INTREPID. He ceased to amile, did
not speak, but waited.
Raising her right hand, she made q
gesture intimating that he must preserve
silence.
Either she Is mad, he said to him-
self, 4or there is some great peril"
A searching glance into her eyes tn-
creased his alarm, and sudden and
heretofore unknown feeling OF dread
seized him and almost stillsd the beating
Of his heart.
CHAPTER XIX.
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