Dodge City times., 1890-06-13

my father and Harry. beg your pardon,
ought to have said Lord Harry. When
my father came to the house, insisted on
speaking with him alone: told him what
! have just told you. He said: Think
again before you MAKE your choice be-
marry him, you will live and die without
one fsrthing of my money to help you.'
He put his watch on the table between
Us, and gave me five minutes to make up
my mind. 1t was n long five minutes, but
it ended Mt last. He asked me which he
was to do-leave his will as it was, or go
to his lawyer and make another. ] said:
You will do as yen please, sir No: it
was not hasty repiy-you can't make
that excuse for me. knew what l WAS
saying; and saw the future I was pre-
padng for myself, as plainly as you SEQ
it"
Hugh could endure no longer the reck.
less expression Of her despair
MOI" he cried, ''you don't see your fu-
to say, before it is too late,"
1T is too late already. But will listen
to YOU if you wish it"
''And, while you listen." Mountjoy add.
ed, ''yOu will acquit me of being influenced
by a selfish motive. l have loved you
still. But, this l know: if you were to
remain single woman for the rest of
your life, there would be no hope for me.
Do YOU believe that l am speaking tbs
TRUTH"
You always speak the truth"
81 speak in your interests. at least. You
think you see your future life plainly-you
are blind to your future life You talk as
If you were resigned to suffer. Are you
resigned to lose your sense of right and
wrong! Are you resigned to lead the life
Of an outlaw. and-worse still-nOt to feel
the disgrace of it,"
go on, Hugh"
"You won't answer me."
II won't shock you"
"iOu don't discourage me, my dear; /
am still obstinate in tine hope of restoring
you to Your calmer and truer self. Let
me do every justice to Lord Harry. l be-
lieve, sincerely believe. that his miserable
life has not utterly destroyed in him the
virtues which distinguish an honorable
man. But he has one terrible defect. In
his nature there is the fatal pliability
which finds companiOnable qualities in
bad friends. In this aspect of his charac-
ter he is dangerous man-and he may
be forgive meD a bad husband. 1t is a
thanklesS task to warn you to any good
purpose. A wife-and loving wife more
than another-feels the deteriOrating in
nUence of n husband who is not worthy
of her. His ways of thinking are apt to
become, little By little. her ways Of think
ing. She makes allowances for him, which
he does not deserve: her sense of right and
wrong becomes confused; and, before she
is aware of it herself, she has sunk to his
level. Are you angry with mes"
"How can be angry with you. Per
haps you are right"
DO you really mean that"
"Oh, yes"
decisiOnl Let me go to your father"
Mere waste of time" she answered
Nothing that you can say will have the
least effect on him."
AT any rate" Mountjoy persisted, Il
mean to try"
Had he touched herr She smiled-how
bitterly, Hugh failed to perceive.
Shall tell you what happened to me
when l went home today" She said II
found my maid waiting in the hall-with
everything that belongs to me, packed up
for my departure. The girl explained that |
she had been forced to obey my fathers |
positive orders. knew what that meant |
i had to leave the house. and find place |
to live i'm
Not by yourself, Iris,"
'NO-with my maid She is a strange
creature; if she feels sympathy, she never |
expresses it. L am your grateful servant,
miss. Where you go, GO That was all |
she said was not disappointed--I am
Mine is a lonely lot, isn't it, l have ac-
4uaintances among the few ladies who |
visit at my fathers house, but
no friends. My mothers family, as i have
always been told, cast her IF when she
married a man in trade, with a doubtful
reputation. / don't even know where NV
relations live. Isn't Lord Harry good
enough for me. as l am nows When
look at my prospects, is it wonderful il !
talk like desperate womana There is but
one encouraging circumstance that l can
see. This misplaced love of mine that
everybody condemns has, oddly enough, a
virtue that everybody must admire 1t Of
fers refuge to a woman who is alone in
the world''
Mountjoy denied Indignantly that she
was alone in the world
rs there any protection that a man can
offer to a woman" he asked, (which am
not ready and eager to offer to you, Oh,
Iris. what have done to deserve that you
should speak Of yourself as friendless in
nv hearing?"
He had touched her at last Their ten.
der charm showed itself once more in her
eyes and in her smile. She rose and ap-
proached him.
What exquisite kindness it must be-"
she said. that blinds clever man like
vou to obstacles which anyone else can seei
dear Hugh, what the world
would say to that protection which your
rue heart offers to me. Are you nv near
relation? Are you my GUARDIAN Are
7Ou even an old man, All, me! you are
'niy an angel of goodness whom l must
'ubmit to lose. l shall still count on your
ltudneSs when we see each other no
more. You will pity me when you hear
hat have fallen lower and lower; you
will be sorry for me, when l end in dis
yracing myself"
Even then, Iris. we shall not be separ-
ted. The loving friend who is near you
low. will be your loving friend still" I"
For the first time in her kfe she threw
ler arms round him. In the agony Of that
arewell, she held him to her bosom
'Good,by. DEAR" she said faintly-a2d
,issed him
The next moment, a deadly pallor over.
pread her face. She staggered as she
rev back, and dropped into the chair
nat she had just left. In the fear that
ne might faint. Mouutjoy hurried ont in
earcn OF restorative. His bedchamber
Tas close by, at the end of the corridor;
nd there were smelling salts In his dress |.
ag-c As he raised the lid, he heard
he door behind him. the one door in the
oom, locked from the outer side
He rushed to the door, and called to her.
rom the further end Of the corridor, her
oice reached him for the last time, re-
eating the last melancholy word: Good
y" No renewal Of the miserable parting
cene: no more Of the heartache-Iris had
nded It'll
CHAPTER XxH.-rHE FArAL woRDA
When Mountioy had rung for the serv-