Wichita eagle., 1890-02-09

slant Imagined her to be an impostor.
i She had never from the first appeared
to be SO.
Her manner had been resolute and
truthful.
$50 my dream of happiness is over,
she said, speaking aloud in the silence OF
those solemn woods. Il had hoped that
his letter was but the outcome of some
sudden resolve. / could not believe that
he had really abandoned me to my fate,
after all his protestations; after our
years of love; af+ar the birth Of ouI
child! But l will desist in my en-
deavors. No! must go on now to the
bitter end for my little Roy's sake"
! And with these words she strode away
after him.
She had scarcely disappeared when
another figure appeared on the scene,
that of Clare Raymond.
She looked white and scared, and her
left hand was pressed over her bosom as
If in pain.
''Fool that l ann she murmured.
"Even now, when Fate is working for
| me in every way, / seem 10 have no
! courage to work things to my own use.
What shall / do next? How unrsrel
| this tangled skein without assistance?
And vet my revenge will be but poor
one after all. If he is married, all is
lost! May Fielding will suffer bitterly;
but so. also, alas! shall L."
Even as she spoke loud, shrill cry
echoed through the woods, cry as of
some one imploring help.
Clare gave one startled look round,
hesitated moment, and then. brave at
last, plunged into the thick plantation
where the two had disappeared and fol-
lowed them.
! An influx of visitors had prevented
the proposed pony drive; and Clare Ray
mond, impatient of disappointment, and
with a mind inhamed by resentment,
had slipped on her walking things and
| quilted the house.
| Never for one moment had she i'm
| agined that any discovery was awaiting
her in Lockley woods.
But fate plays strange tricks.
She chose that way as if impelIed to
do so against her will, for it was not
| favorite walk of hers.
! And she had fouhd-what?
! The time passed drearily for May.
At dinner Mrs. Raymond had head
1 ache, and Glare was pale. silent and al
} together mysterious and stupid" as
May told her laughingly.
After dinner Mrs. Raymond went to
sleep in a capacious chair in the drawing
room, Clare subsided into the pages of a
novel, and May, pretending to do SO like
wise, lay on couch idling with her book
and looking up every five minutes at the
hands OF the clock which ticked SO softly,
SO aggravatingly slowly, as she thought,
on the mantelpiece.
Guy had promised to spend two hours
with them that night: his usual time
was half past 8 when he did not come to
dinner, which at the lodge was served
punctually at 7.
1t was now half past o.
"What can be keeping Guy:" cried
May at last, finging aside her book pet
ulantly; ''he was never late before"
Clare glanced over at the speaker with
look which May could not fathom; it
was strange look, half pity, half tri-
umph.
''Odd and unaccountable things hap
pen sometimes she said. ''You see,
Guy said he was going to Barchester on
business, and it may have proved more
tedious than he imagined. No doubt we
shall have news of him soon.'
There was a mOcking ring in her
voice, and mocking light in her eyes as
she spoke, which was intensely ilritat-
ing to May.
''What is the matter, Clare:' cried the
young girl. You speak so oddly and
look so oddly, one would imagine that
you were the depositary of some weighty
secret in regard to Guy, though | should
scarcely think he would choose you for
such a purpose.
She spoke with an irritability quite
foreign to her nature but she felt an
noyed by Clares manner and looks.
''Well, it would certainly not be likely
while her majesty the bride-elect was in
the land of the living" laughed Clare;
''but, really, you must learn to be rea-
sonable. Guy may jest about being tied
to your apron strings. but, mark me, he
is the last man in tie world 10 put the
theory into practice"
May was about TO make a somewhat
angry reply, when loud ring sounded
at the nall door, followed by an impatient
knock.
THAT is not Guys ring or knock"
cried May, springing up with somewhat
pale face.
mo; but it may be a message from
him or about him." said Glare. with
significant look that was lost upon May,
for she had quickly crossed the room,
and, opening the door, stood listening.
At any other time she would nave
laughed at the idea of listening because 4
through the house.
But she seemed to be infected by the 4
same kind Of presentiment which had 7
seized upon Guy LEstrange.
At the first sound she had felt fiut- /
tering of the heart and wild sensation /
of the mind, such as she had never ex-
perenced before.
Foolish. as she told herself she was to 4
be so afraid, she yet listened intently.
She heard strong. grave voice, which 1
she recognized at once as that of Mr.. 4
Paul Armstrong, the family solicitor.
Then the servant came hurrying across 4
the wide. dimly lighted hall.
Miss Fielding" she said, ''Mr. Arm