Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-01-25

And so for seven years and more before her
husbands death. and for seven years after. he
had been Der idolator and slave. she nothing
Misunderstanding his quiet attentions as
calmly as she took a basket of hot house flowers
from her gardener. asking no questions of her
own heart or of his thinking OF him only as an
amiable eccentric, who lived at her gates be-
cause 1t was his fancy SO to live. who gave one
third OF his life to the tuition of her child be-
cause it was his within so to waste himself.
Her kindnesses to him had been of the sli CHIT
est, for in her widowed loneliness it had beloved
her to keep even SO old a friend somewhat
aloof, lest the little world of Lamford should
begin to have ideas and speculations about her
and her daughters teacher. She had kept her
lie completely apart from the life of student
ana master. and had on rarest occasions offered
hospitality to the man to whom she owed so
much. To his son she had been more frankly
kind. treating him almost a son OF the house,
and letting him feel that he was ALWAYS vel
come. Even to CyriIs college friends her
house had been open. and he had in no wise
stretched his privileges, though they we're oc-
casions upon which he was glad to take boat
Ing friend to River Lawn rather than to his own
dull old cottage. with its shabby furniture, and
atmosphere OF Ovcr-much learing.
so had he worshiped her faithfully and
silently for fourteen years, just the length of
Jacobs servitude for Rachel and she was still
afar of. cold rs marble, unresponsve, uncon-
sclous OF his love. 1t was a hard thing to have
to be no nearer the goal-to feel the golden
years OF manhood slipping away like those
faded lilies yonder drifting with the current.
flowers which some careless hand had plucked
and flung away. 1t was hard. it was more diff
cult to be patient now when he felt the glory
and strength of life beginning to wane. Was
ne TO be an old man before he dared ask for
his guerdon-he who had done so much to win
his beloved. who had sacrificed for her sake all
that other men cared for?
Today his heart was throbbing with new
vehemence and there was fire in his thoughts
that must needs burst into a blaze before long.
Everything in life has it's limits; even the
patience of a man who loves as he loved
DAISY grows prctticr and more womanly
every day." he said, after a contemplating
silence OF some minutes, You must not waste
her life rs you have wasted your own--since
your bereavement. / conclude that you in
tend to go into society next season, if only for
her sake
Il have been thinking about it," Clara an
swered quietly, land / suppose it must be so.
Poor child, she has seen very little OF the
world, but weHave been so happy together so
completely united that l do not think my Daisy
Will ever regret her solitary girlhood. How
ever, everything must come to an end" with a
faint sigh, $50 | have asked my sister Emily to
look out for n furn ished house at the West End,
in Wilton Crescent, or somewhere about there
and If she can find one that Daisy and | like
Shall take 1t next Januury. You must come and
see us IN our new home" she added. smiling at
him with her calm and friendly smile.
Il should seem like fish out of water among
smart people,
You might feel bored by their frivolity, but
the smart people would be very glad to know
you. They must all have heard of your books :"
Heard of them, yes; read them. no--and I
fancy there are not many smart people who
care for the makers of books-only the intel
lectual few. the stars of the smart world. who
have found time TO cultivate their minds as
well as go to parties"
Cyril will come to us often, hope" she
said cordially.
II shall have to give parties, and must have
a day for callers. 1t viii be all very dreadful "
This time her sigh was deep and long.
why dreadful? You who are still young, still
beautiful. and rich enough to indulge YOUR ca
prices, are not woman to shrink from
society"
Am not? Oh Mr.. Arden. how can Won be
so short sighted? Do you think it will be no
ordeal to me to face strangers! DO you forget
that am the widow of n man who was cruelty
and mysteriousy murdered and whose murder
set all England talking and wondering? l
shrink with horror from the thought of going
into society, knowing that people will whisper
about me and point me out to each other in every
room enter. But that isn't the worst! Daisy
Will hear Daisy will be told the dreadful history
we have kept hidden from her. Here people
are kind and considerable, and they have re-
spected her feelings-but in London it will be
different"
True, she cannot be so fenced round and
protected in society as she has been among
your few intimate friends .here,.g answered
Arden thoughtfully. '.but seven years are a
long time. Dynasties are forgotten within a
lesser PERIOD Look at France for instance,
and see how little trace is left of a fallen en-
pre- and a suicidal war. Tout passe, tout
lasse, tout case. That tragedy which made SO
deep mark In your life is forgotten by the
world at large. l do not think you need fear
any annoyance either for yourself or Daisy
But there is one way by which you could put a
barrier between the present and the past if you
would but take that way"
His pale, fair face flushed as he drew nearer
to her, his eyes lighted with q sudden fire as he
laid his long white hand upon her shoulder.
stopping her almost imperiously, looking down
at her with a resoluteness that gave to his face
something of the eagle look which belongs to
conquering natures.
What way?' she faltered perplexed by the
sudden change in a familiar face.
Take my name instead of yours Let Robert
Hatrells widow vanish in Ambrose Arden's
wife. Clara. cannot be eloquent where all
value ON earth is at stake. l love you'll have
loved you ever since-no, l dare not say how
long. Only remember that have never Of
Tended you by one hint of my consuming love.
have waited. waited, waited-until 1t seems to
me that my life is like the children of Israers
-
weary, so far from the Promised Land. Let
me not be like their leader. Ia me not die
with the haven OF my hope seen mly in unat-
tainable distance. 1 have been (tient, have
not? have never offended you, Clara?"
Offended me, no. You have been a kind
and devoted friend" she answered quickly.
but never thought you wanted to be more
than friend. Nothing was further from nv
Notwithstanding she went on in an embar-
rassed manner, and then with a sudden tram
sitlon to warmest feeling she exclaimed, s'You
know | loved him. You know how dear his
image is to me. II would be treason to care
for any any one else. 1t would be cowar!ice
to take another name. | am the widow of
Robert Hatrell. OF him whom some devil muir
dered. Marry again. Call myself by another
name! Why, to be true to the past l ought to
give up all my future life to one continuous
endeavor to bring his murderer to justice"
My dearest. i'll plays and in novels murder
ers are brought to the scaffold by devoted
women like you. after any interval the novelist
or dramatist may find convenient, but in real
life there Is only one kind of machinery that
works, and that is the much abused police.
When the police, stimulated by the offer of a
large reward. cannot find criminal within
seven years from the date of the crime. YOU
may be snre the criminal is safe. The odds are
that the murderer who is not caught within n
week has saved his neck. In the case of nv
lamented friend the assassin was man of pecu.
liar audacity-prompt, resolute, unfiinching.
and there Is strong reason to believe that the
murder in Denmark street was not his first
crime"
Not his first" cried Clara Hatrel with a
sudden vehemence which startled her lover
linen u Will not be his last crime and he will