The morning call., 1890-10-21
LOOKING BACK.
TCONCIUDED,1

[CoNCLUDED.l
@lORIS averted her eyes from her hus-
FGSI bands, and began to play nervously
LIN with some long loops of white ribbon
that fell from one side Of her waist.
at is about Archie" she said in low
tone"
"Ahw Geoffrey's tone was studously
calm and he showed none of the excitement
that he felt. "And what have you to say
about Archie?"
"Before met you," she said, winding the
ribbon round and round her fingers, when L
was very young, Archie fell in love with
me-"
She paused and looked up at Godfrey. he
met her appealing eyes coldly.
"Rcally?" he said, shat is not very inter-
esting to me"
HE asked me to marry him." she went
on, with an effort.
"Really?" Godfrey said again, that is not
very interesting. either, Doris"
She flushed scarlet, then turned white as
death, and began to tremble all over
SIT is no good" she cried, in despairing
tone. "Oh, it is no good at all. You are so
hard, and you don't understand"
The misery on her white face might have
touched heart of stone, but it only angered
Godfrey; he hated to see her trem bic and
cover before him.
Il understand perfectly" he said. coldly;
you need say no more. These tender rem
iniscences have no charm for me- You can
hardly expect me to sit up all night listening
to tales of your old lovers. Goodnight"
He turned away, but she did not move.
.'Do you mean that l am to go?" she
asked.
Yes"
you refuse to listen me-. then? Geof-
frey, if you refuse you may be sorry some
day. VIII you hear me out?"
Her persistence increased his anger. He
turned and faced her.
Doris" he said, Sternly, "let us under
stand one another once for all. L understand
you perfectly; know as much as you can
tell me. know as well as you do that your
cousin makes love to you and that you allow
him to do so. By the by, that is nice thing
to know of ones wife, is it not?"
She shivered and stretched cut her hands
imploringly.
"Geofrey" she cried. "Geoffrey! OH!
speak kindly to me, for heavens sakev
he did not heed her wild cry.
"You need not trouble to conflde in me,
he went on, "it is quite unnecessary. for am
not easily blinded. You must rstand
that do not intend to interfere in this affair.
You may take your own course; leave yen
entirely to yourself"
She was trembling so violently that she
could hardly stand; her arms were still out
stretched.
81 came to ask for help" she gasped, in
a broken voice sit is not much"
doris" Godfrey interrupted, Listen to
me. | will give you no help, aud decline
to hear another word on the subject II you
are not strong enough TO stand alone you are
no wife of mine"
There came time, later in his life. when
Godfrey would have given all that lie pos
Sessed to be able TO recall those words, but
in vain; words once uttered can never be
uusaid or recalled
She looked at him a moment with a look
that he could never forget, 6tnt she uttered
no word of repToach or complaint.
Il understand" she said, IN low tone.
Ill am rather stupid, but l understand. |
am going to bed now. Please forgive me for
troubling you. Goodnight"
Godfrey watched her move slowly away
into her room, and then he shut and locked
Tie door. The next day Archie st. John
left the house, but he did not 20 far away;
he only returned to his own home which
was about three miles distant Godfrey did
not see him again, but knew that he ana
Doris managed 10 meet every day.
One evening, about week after the con-
versatlon recorded above, Godfrey was sit
ting in the library, reading and smoking his
after-dinner cigar, when the door was sud
denly flung open and Doris rushed in and
threw herself at his feet
"Geoffrey" she cried looking up in his face
with the wild imploring gaze of hunted
animal, "Geotfrey"
He laid down his book with an instructive
feeling that he was approaching crisis in
his life.
Icta IN M ~ cba
on; you must"
Il am liste ing" he said, speaking quite
calmly, although he was almost as much ex-
cited as she was
Her eyes held his in strange and fasci-
mated gaze.
Il have come to make one last appeal to
YOU" she said. 'If you will not heed it. the
consequences be upon your own head
And upon yours" be added.
And upon mine" she repeated, firmly.
est entreaty: "Y on will listen to me, Geof-
frey" she pleaded; "Oh, say that you will
listen and help me-"
Il am willing to Hsten," Godfrey re-
turned slowly, but can't promise to help
YOU"
If YOU refuse" she said blrathlessly.
''if you refuse-but no, hard as you are. you
will, you. go ,set, refuse me now. Listen,
Geoffivy, Ip hare jusr met Archie"
YES" he said, as she paused, sis that
NO. no, you know it is not al.B Godfrey,
you must take me away
Away ?" he repeated.
Eyes away from him. l would not ask
you If | were not forced to. but things are
getting beyond me. | can't help myself,
and you must help me"
A dark red flush giowed sulenly beneath
Geoffrey's dark skin.
Upon my word" he exclaimed, "you are
setting me nice task. | wonder you dare
talk to me in such way"
There is nothing tnat | would not dare
tonight" Doris cried Il am not afraid of
you now. | have got past that. You are
my husband; you are bound in honor to
protect me- and l demand that you take me
away"
He looked at her steadily.
And what If ] refuse your demand?"
Again the hunted look flashed into her
Then" she said "then-but we need
not think Of that, because you will not re-
fuse"
At that juncture Goeffrey's temper got the
better of him. Few men could have looked
into that poor child's white, miserable face,
and refused her the help that she craved, but
he did. His heart was so tull of sullen, I'M
reasoning anger at the knowledge that she
could entertain single thought of another
man that there was no room in 1t for pity or
consideration.
81 do refuse" he cried. 81 refuse dis
tinctly. tell you now. as | have told you
before that if you have not strength to
stand alone you arepo wife of mine. You
are too weak, too slight for me-"
She WINGED at his words and shrank back
as if he had struck her, but moment later
she rose and faced him bravely.
you will lie sorry for those words some
day." she said, in low, vibrating tone that
| thrilled him unpleasantly. ''Oh! yes, you
| will be sorry. Your eyes are blinded now,
I'm mr. do uou will nlna ri 1ypn
that am weak, but is that not all the greater
| reason for you. my husband, to help and
| protect me? i do not wish to reproach
| you, no doubt you have acted up to your own
standard; but if you had expected less and
! given more. if you had spoken kindly to me,
| and helped me when | needed help, things
would never have come to this. Some wo-
| men, no doubt, can stand alone, but they are