The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-11-30

amounted to a moral coercion of her uain-
formed will. On one point she was clear.
when she married him. She did not love
him. lie told her that her love would como
later; and Jubtless he might have proved a
true prophet if he had been worthy. But
though she did not love him she was CRATE
ful 10 him for his goodness to her in the
time Of her trial; grateful too for his &c
ceptance of the guardianship of a young
girl like herself, aGd fiattered too by his
preference for her. Ii did not enter her
mind that his preference for her was the
preference Of the willy snake for the inno-
cent dove. That was to come later
Nlnifre1 soon learned that she had not
linked her fate with the hgh-minded
chlvalous friend who soothed the last mo-
ments of her father, and who had watch
fully befriended her. but with an inveterate
gambler and rOUe. The earliest revelation
cams soon after her marriage. The London
season was just beginning when they ar
rived in England. and after few DAYS
passed at West End hotel Capt DenisOn
took furnished house in Cavendish street.
Here the scales first fell from Winlfred's
eyes, though it was some time before she
learned to put fact and fact together. As
soon as they were settled il Cavendish
street, Capt. Denlson, who, on one pretence
and another, had postponed introducing bis
wife to his family, announced that some old
/ friends of his would dine with them that
evening
"Now, at last" thought Winjfred, "she
would have some one on whose mature ex-
perlence she could lean, aud to whom she
could give those conidelc5s that women
only give Co each other"
Capt. Denison showed himself excea iingly
anxious about his 1ife's appearance az their
first dinner party, and Winlfred spared no
effort to please hi II. When she descended
to the drawing room to await the arrival Of
/ her guests she more than satisfied her hus-
banQ's fastidiouS taste. She wore rich
dress OF silk. trimm I'd with yelvet-for she
hal resumed her mourning for her father
and the black became the purity of her
complexion and the dazzling whlteness Of
| her beautiful neck aud arms. her C lrsa Se
was cut low, aud though her figure was
wanting in the ripe fullness Of womanhood
the subtler charm Of girlhood was hers. a
diamond locket sparkled on her breast and
a diamond star shone from the thick
masses OF her crisp wavy brown hair. The
only trace OF color was the delicate rose of
her softly rounded cheeks.
| 1t was with a beating heart that Winifred
welcomed her guests. She looked wistfully
in TIE face of her husband for an explana-
ton OF the circumstance that 10 LADY was
numbered amongst them. Buu Capt. Deni-
sons smiling face exhibited no trace Of
sharing his fair young wife's anxiety. He
saw shat the men whom he had invited
were smitten with her beauty, and he was
satisfied.
After dinner Winifred was still more per-
pleXed to lind the drawing room utilized for
| games that were strange and new 10 her, in
which a good deal of money appeared to
change hands. Not even then did the whole
truth break upon her. 1t was only fAd-
ually that she came to learn that Ter hus-
band was engaged in driving metaphorical
| coach-and-six through acts of pGriame {,
and that ostensbly living before the world
Us gentleman Of means and repute. he had
converted his house into private gambling
den. Long before Winfield came to under.
stand her position, Capt Denisoas estab-
lishment in Cavendish street was freely
spoken of amongst the fast seth at the
clubs as "a nice quiet place where club
rules don't hold
Winifred in her innocence imagined that
her husband, finding his home little dull
had called in few friends to drive away
ennui. But when the dinner parties be
came an institution as regular as their
morning meal. her suspicious took alarm.
One thing only was wanting to give her sus
picions shape, and it was not many weeks
bafore that was forthcoming. She couic
|
nerly of her guests in taking his leave o.
her after an evening at play in which for
tune had been against him, veatured to EN-
ploy an iusOent freedom, as if WinifreC
| herself had been in the plot TO despoll him
Capt. DeiIison shvank from the explana
ton that WiniIred forced upon him, but ht
was compelled TO acknowledge he had N
reliable source Of income, that all he pos
sesSed or was likely to posses was OBJ
tanned by such means Is she had sean HI
wound up his explanations by pointing OF
to her the extremely important aid that sht
could render by making herself agreeabl
to his guests. enjoining upon her at the sa NJ
time not to be shocked at tcitiss.
Trihes. Poor Winnyl Her brain reee,
under the shock of the discovery 50 tina
she could scarcely tell what were trihes ant
what were not. All possibility OF affection
for her husband died away in the hour whel
she first learnt that the man who should
have protected her from the least appear
| ance OF insult was guilty Of the ineffabl
meannesi and degradation OF exposing hi
wife as tae dec3y to q gambling hell Thi
was the explanation OF Lord Algy Fitzher-
| bert's extraordinary behavior that evening
when seating himself by her SIDE Mt tn
piano whilst she was playing piece from
| Schumasn he had dared to whisper low,
| proposals IN her ears. His words had out
I ragged her to the very soul after hearing he
husbands explanations but she felt the ris
ing color in her cheeks, and the que. heav
ing Of her bosom as she rose from the PIMA
with the offended digity Of quoan, mus
have appeared in the eyes even Of sucn
I witless young noblenan as Lord Algy like
piece of acting. Verify the iron entere'
! her soul that night! She ventured to asl
her husband whether his friends knew tina
she was his wife! But he laughed at he
scruples and mockingly asked her whet er
was necess ary to exhibit their marriag
lines to his visitors. She shuddered TO thin
the thing she had become.
Thenceforward her life held out for he
no hope. Then came the birth of the chill
to reconcile her in part to the lot from whicl
she could ses no escape
CHAPTER III.
| 4 brave vessel