The morning call., 1890-08-17

Y on nave had my letter."
Yes" she answered, coldly and deliberately.
"Shall we sit down ?"
She seated herself as she spoke and after an
lnstants pause he dropped into CHAIR near anu,
putting his head back with long sigh, he closed
his eyes. There was no repose on his haggard,
sensitive face though; 1t was full OF keen sensa-
tion. Miss Grahame did not speak, and at last
he reused himself, and. opening his eyes, SAD:
" III you knew, II you only knew what these last
three days have done 10 me.what II Is TO pc
with you againi Is II possible tDat II is only
three days since saw you-since was here 2"
He sat upright, and looked around the room
as though great length Of time had passed
sinced he had seen il, and as he did so, sud
denly something seemed to catch his eye; he
turned white TO tile lips, and half rose to his
feet with hOarse inarticuate exclamation. he
was looking AT the uncovered picture OF his dead
wife.
:" What is the matter ?" asked Miss Grahame.
She did not follow The direction OF his eyes. She
had seated herself so that her own face was IN
shadow, and her watchful eyes were resting on
his working, quiyeriDg features. with something
curiOusy patient and untlring In their steady
look.
what--why-I never seen that picture be-
fore"
" Ii stands there always" she answered very
low, with a strange thrill in her deep voice.
"Ihere Is curtain before IL as rule"
He paused moment, still staring at the pic
ture, and then said:
MAY I-may I-coyer it-now?"
"Why?"
rear his eyes away from it with fierce effort OF
will, aud turned to Miss Grahame. "ft's this
confounded weather suppose. 1t always affects
me. It's so horrible, somehow, IFS $3.50
awiuIy unnatural. Pm-Pm not myself"
Cover IL yourself them"
For moment he hesitated. Then he rose,
ment looking down Into the gentle, pictured
face. AS he looked strange horror crept into
his eyes, To be dominated quite suddenly by
wild fierce expression of reckless resolution.
He pulled the curtain roughly over The picture
and strobe back to Miss Grahames side. AS
she saw his face she stirred a little, aud quite
npxv Ax Sin
watelful eyes-nn expression OF almost sleken-
ing, incredulous hope. she had never before
seen that look on Cation Leigll's face.
''You know why have come here to-nlghtY"
he said, and his voice was as his faee-slrOng
ana determined.
Ne you did mol ask me. 1t is weeks since
you have asked Inc! Asked me-great heavens
katherine, there are limits 10 every mans en-
durance and mine has given out" He waited
moment as If determined not to lose hold on
himself aud Miss Grahame sat motlonless. Her
face was quite while now, but perfectly un-
moved, only her eyes glttered with burning
light aud they never left MS face.
a. / thought, when l spoke 10 you two months
ago, that had suffered all a man could suffer.
If you had told me then that you could never
love me l should have Killed myseH-yes, L
should have killed myself and never have known
what hell upon earth mans lie may become"
lie caught his breath sharply and went on, SEEM
Ing to lose his selfconlrol little with the force
OF his own words. But now-nOw will mol die,
/ will not give you Up You have been mine;
you gave me your love; you let me taste happl-
ness BY heaven, 1 VIII not let it gO!'
lie made sep TWO toward her aud stood
right over her, not touching her, but looking
down at her with fierce, restrained intensity OF
passion awful 10 see. Stlll she did not move.
Only her strong firm hands were wrung together
until her rings cut into the white fingers and her
breath was heavy aud labOred.
What right lave you'll say what right have
you TO raise a man To heaven and plunge him 10
hell: TO torture him you have tortured me
during these awful weeks? You led me on
can you deny it ?-until my very soul was yours
gnr IA a Won nlfl nor
me. Katherine, Katherine, what does IL
mean?
her head ana looked al him Tor Il moment with
out speaking. Then she said In low, clear
voice: at means-that 40 not love you"
AS if the words had turned him lnlo stone nc
stood before her SPECIFICS, motlonless, almost
brealhiess. AT last lie repeated in hollow, me-
ehanieal voice: You do not-Ioye me-"
Still there was no touch OF pity In the hard
white face thai watched him with such terrible
intenlness.
II do not love you. and 1 will never be your
wife, she SAID.
Then, with d terrible cry, he seemed to realize
The meaning oil her words, and he flung himself
down on his knees in frenzy of wild despair.
"Katherine,'i lie cried, my love, my love,
what are you saying TO Inc; what do you mean
Yon are my llIe-my loye-I cannot let you go
now Katherine, Katherine, katherine, speak
TO me; tell me that 1t Is not true"
No answer, no movement on her part, only her
whole personality seemed TO be quiyering and
vibrating, with a GREATNESS, almost uncomfortable
agony OF suspense, an intense burning eagerness,
so repressed so rigidly held down into utter
QuIesceuce of every limb and feature that it
would have made her almost terrible TO see had
not the man before her been blinded by his pas
sion and pain
sprang 10 his feet with a desperate cry. by
beavenw he cried. BY heaven, you are too
laei Not be my wife? You canuot help your
SELF You are mine, mine, mine forever. for
have given my soul for you. listen TO me-" and
he seized her hands III his In a grip of iron, while
tie rapid words seemed 10 burst from him in a
reel IpSg n IN dpSDair Listen n m
/ say. My love for you is not what you think il
is-a new thing, the growth OF months. loved
you from the first moment saw you. loved
You then as love you noW-aboye all things
In heaven and eartn. / tried 10 crush my love,
but it grew and grew stronger ana stronger, I'M
III 1t destroyed everything, every thought, every
feeling but one-my deaIbless determination 10
He paused moment, mastered by the over
whelmiug force OF his nnTeasoniHg passion. lie
had drawn her up from her chair and was hold
ing her close 10 him. closer and closer as he
pouI ed forth his words like resiStesS torrent
OF fire. She was quite passive in bis hands,
White and cold as stone, aud all her life seemed
~ be concentrated in those burning eyes, which
seemed TO draw the words from him with the In
tensiy OF deyouring light Still holding her 10
that mad, agOuZed clutch he went on In a low,
n0arse whisper:
love. | gave my soul for you. Your place is
empty"
triumph. hatred aud revenge were strangely
blended-the woman tore herself away from his
despairing hands.
through the big room. "Ob, God at last at
last!
He fell back a step. and for an instant they
faced each other in slleucej then she went Oh,
still III that WONDERFUL ringing voice, While her
whole figure seemed TO dilate with tile force Of
her terrible triumph.
ii nave waited for this moment-walted and
watched until, thought II was never TO come. L
have tried everything 1 have watched and
worked and at last--aL last have IL. Murderer
m | IN flig all the
you think-were you fool enough to think that ],
1 who knew her ana loved her 50, oh God, who
loved her sc, could ever believe my darling capa-
be of such a crime? That she. my little glrl
my little Mile, should ever take her own sweet.
Innocent lie Fool. fool, | knew my darling"
The man before her had turned an awful ashen
gray, and lie stood there, the ireuZy dead Within
him, sef-conNcted utterly deienseless.
Suicide they said" she went on, "as you
knew they must say 'suiclde!' You did not count
on the friend that loved her. / knew-I knew
1t was murder, aud from The first | have
peeted YOU stood your ftleDd-your friend
when all her other friends who could believe that
she had done that lining would have turned their
backs on tie man they believed had driven her
10 II. l 81 God your friend and kept you here.
kept you here for this. Then you began you
villain, to make love TO me and was sure. led
you on-yes, you are right, led yon oa-for
this. / vowed That sooner later you should
tell me all, and | have borne your presence, l
have borne your toueh.your kisseo-lor this,
Cation Leighl For this ~
She stopped Her voice had swelled and grown
deeper with every passionate word she uttered,
ana as she finished with kind OF fierce triIIm-
phan. cry, IL seemed To ring again with such an
intensity OF haze and vengenee, as would surely,
II such force could XII, have LAID its object
dead at herfeet. Then she began again, and her
voice this time WAS low and terrible with a
deadly determination.
Nov iisten," she said. ~ have not done with
you yet. life for a life, Gallon Leigh. Your
worthless life for my darng'sl | will prove
your guilt 10 ali The world, / swear IL NJ dar-
ling shall not lie forever With that cruel shame
upon her innocent head. For her sake have
brought you to this; for her 1 will hunt you
down, somehow, some day. Till then live il you
can. Now-gO" She lifted her hand as she
spoke, and stood there pointing TO the door, SUI
peru III her PASSION aud bate.
The wreiched man had never moved, only bis
face was horribly drawn, his lips were ashen,
and lie swayed slightly 10 and fro as he stood
staring straight before him with awful sightless
eyes. As she ceased TO speak he turned his eyes
slowly until they rested on her face, beautiful
now IN lis understandable passion. Then he turned
away, heavily and uncertainty, as II TO 60 toward
tie door. But before he had taken three Steps
he stopped abruptly with a dreadful low laugh
and win sudden quick gesture he lifted his
hand sharply. The next moment there was a
sharp report and lie was lying at her feet In a
Stiffness which no passion, no love, longing or
remorse would ever break again,
VRnQaaura lie mi 7 uiH