The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1890-03-15
CLARE'S BEVENGE
Concluded from onr last
TNT


her greatly, and she seemed by night
time to have quiyorocovered her strength.
At the usual time for retiring she was
chatting gayly to Clare. who had been
strangclv reserved and silent.
At length she interrupted her.
''May," she said "you pain me by
these happy, trusting words of yours. |
have kept silent up till now, because you
were so weak and i'll; but it is only just
that should speak. Give me your
promise first that you viii be brave, and
that you will believe that l only tell you
what do for your good
May turned very pale, but she slipped
a trusting hand into that of her enemy.
"Tell me all. ." she said; ''it viii be bet
ter for me to know"
"You must hope still for the best,
dear" said the willy traitress, because
nothing short of utter compulsion will
force words from me, But Guy LES
TRANCE is guilty; I saw him myself in
the woods; saw him strike the woman
to the ground in his rage"
"Oh, Clare, Clarel Il is not, it cannot
be trueT cried May, as she flung herself
on the breast Of her supposed friend.
81 will never believe that Guy could be
a betrayer and a murderer"
"No, no, May said Glare, pressin e
Mays head to her breast in pretended
fondness, that she might not see the
vengeful glitter of her eyes, the serpent
like triumph on her face; 81 do not say
that, saw and spoke with Guy after it
was all over, and can relieve your heart
Of a great deal
"Tell me-tell me then, l beg said
May. "Do not fear for me. Anything
is better than suspense. It's that which
prostrates me and seems to rend my heart
with hopeless despair"
Listen, then, May" said Clare, "Do
not interrupt me and will explain all.
But above all remember that not a word
of what say must be repeated to any
one, not even to my mother"
II promise that" whispered poor May,
still nesting her aching head on the
warm bosom of her betrayer, call shall
be sacred between you and me"
"Well, then, continued Glare, 81 saw
Guy LEstrange strike this woman down,
as 1 have said, and she saw me and knows
that 1 was witness to all. She will tell
this when she rccovers her senses, and
they will force me to be a witness against
him. But he has quite cleared himself
in my eyes. That woman is not his wife
nor anything to him. She never was;
of that he has convinced me, 1t was all
hatched up story to eXtort money, but
so well was it concocted that, in his hor-
ror and dismay to find that his marriage
with you would be put off and all his
prospects of happiness perhaps blighted
forever, that he lost command over
himself and struck her, never intending
to deal SO violent a blow"
"But it was oowardly TO strike q
woman at all, )" sobbed May.
eyes; it would have been utterly cow
ardly and wicked had he meant it," said
Clare, "but he did not do it in premedi.
tation, and he was bitterly repentant
after. He wanted to remain, and do his
best to restore her to consciousness, but
persuaded him to fly while no strangers
were about; and having seen that the
woman was quickly recovering her
senses, and hearing footsteps approach.
ing, confess l fed, too. 1t was then
met Guy again and heard from his lips
the proof of his innocence Of what the
woman charged him with"
"What is to be done, them she moaned
81 wish he had not struck that woman
1t seems to lower him in my eyes. Oh
Glare, if that part of your story could be
blotted out should be happy girl"
"You do not love him, them" said
Glare, gently putting her from her anC
rising; 'if you did you would find ex
cuses for him in his utter despair at be
ing compelled to leave you as he feared
he would. Good night, May. He sen
you hopeful, loving message. 1 dom
think it would conduce to his well doing
if he heard your doubts and complain
ings tonight"
"But stay, Glare" cried May, clinginl
to her; "what is to be the end Of 1t all
If he did this thing, if that woman force
you to speak, he will be convicted"
"There is no doubt of that" said Clare
"and he will be heavily punished. W.
must make up our minds to bear tha
unless one of two most unlikely thing
happens"
"What are theyY
"Either that the woman dies befor
she recovers consciousness or that he es
capes. The latter is the more improba
BILE in these matter of fact days of we
built places of detention and wide awak
police. And yet such things do occur
and there is at any rate.a bare possibil
ty that he might escape If he does h
will, of course, have to fly the country.
''That would be confession OF guilt,
said May.
, "Well, what else could he do2" sal
, Glare; IF he remained he would simpl
be placed back in prison, under far moi
unfavorable circumstances. No. If
once escapes he must leave England, an
: it is very unlikely you would see hi
again for years, unless, indeed, you iC
! with him. but ! must 20 TO my roo
now, and you, my DEAR look as If lor
sleep would do you good. You must Il
and keep up your strength, for wi
knows what fresh trials the morrow ms
bring2'
She bent TO impress a treacherous ki
g on the girls forehead, and then hasten'
h to her own room.
'' Here she at once began to undres
sitting the while before the mirror an
llee admiring the Juno like beauty she l
d vealed.
Chow can he prefer her insipid beauty
she muttered to herself, as she survey
again her own ample charms-'a we
faced, helpless childl Bahl / hate m
self when 1 find myself pitying her,
must and will go through with my pla
l have begun it, What q pitiful cowa
}, / should be TO abandon it nowln
For hours she sat there perfectinl
scheme-a scheme diabolical inits trea'
& cry and cruelty,
~ Bid what of thatf
1t meant Mays shame and ruin; b
then, to Clare Raymond it meant {