The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1890-08-22

my evil passions"
There was an undercurrent of mean
ing in the voice, and Mrs Adderley
, paused. Then she went on with, for
her, quite unusual determination:
81 must say it, Katherine: l cant
help it elm sure you know what
mean. cannot bear to see you en-
courage Calton Leigh"
There was silence. One of those
beautiful 1.-the white hands of Miss
Grahame's frightened round the carved
arms of her chair until the pressure
must have been absolute pain.
"Do I-encourage-Calton Leigh?"
"Katherine! You know you do! and
cIunot bear to see it.
"Why mott"
Mrs Adderley apparently did not
| fird it particularly easy to answer this
question. She flushed family aud stole
glance at the face--averted now and
very still--of the woman beside her.
The low deep voice, strained as if the
effort was painful one, rather went
on:
"Do you mean-because he was the
husband cf-my dearest friend'" There
was little catch in her voice as she
uttered the last words and it seemed
to encourage the other woman, for she
broke suddenly into rapid speech.
"Katheriue," she said, "Katherine,
you loved her 80. How has 1t come
about7 That you of all her friends
should be the one to stand by him!
When when-it happened, when people
began to say that-thst he must have
given her-cause it was only because
you remained his friend that people
went on receiving him at all. Kath-
crime, If it had not been for you he
would have had to 60 away I'm sure,
"Yes he would have had to go away.
81 wondered at you then and l have
wondered more and more az time has
passed. There is nothing against him
now; you tidci him over the worst,
aud now when that is mentioned he is
pitied and Miliie is, but l can never
forget it. never see The mac with
out wondering what-he die to her.
Mrs. Adderley paused abruptly.
She had spoken very quickly with
, flushed, agitated face and nervous
, manner strange contrast to the
! mctionless figure near her. After a
moment she went on again, and there
| was a curious ring Of excitement in her
, voice, as if difficult and apparently
painful as the subject was, it was not
altogether unpleasant to discuss it.
"There must have been some reason
u for it, Katherine. How can you be-
Ilieve she would have done that dread
full thing if she had not been driven to
) lit? l didn't know her as you did, l
didn't love her as you did, but even l.
y even can't bear the sight of the man
who must have brought her to such
0 misery. Millie, little Millie, commit
. suicides Katherine, Katherine, can't
's you see what it meansl Cant you
y feel how bad man he must BET You
y who were her friendl"
81 was her friend" The words
a seemed to come through the clenohed
5 teeth, almost without Miss Grahame's
80 consciousness. There was something
% stiff and rigid about her figure as she
J. !. sat there, still with her grip Tightening
on the arms of her chair.
II sAnd-and-it's 80 soon, Katherine,
T. went on Mrs Adderley, weakly. dts
( it's not much more than year since
10 it happened. If there were nothing
else against it, if poor Millie had just
le died-I don't see how you could,
W don't indeed. And it is--oh. Kath
crime, think how he must have made
, her suffer before it came to that" NJ
answer for moment. The rigid figure
le seemed to grow more rigid yet, an(
4, there was strange gray look of unut
it terable agony on Miss Grahame's face
g. At last she said in low hoarse voic
lg with long pauses between the words:
tx "They said-she-was-madl'
'u "Do you believe that Katherinei"
II know it was not true!'
b. "Then-"
in But Miss Grahame stopped her
It, Moving very slowly, as if with grea
effort, she turned her white face SLOW
ed ly towards her and spoke in voic
I'd which Mrs Adderley felt at once mus
as be obeyed, though it was 30 very quiet
ne Eleanor she said, "don't say an
re more 1t is quite useless. / know
Id you have felt for some time that yo
ed ought to say this to me. 1t was yer,
ca good of you, for know it has bee
It, unpleasant, butt is useless. I-kno,
he Calton Leigh"
There was short silence, and the
1t Miss Grahame, with self control a
ed which Mrs. Adderley could only secre
OF ly marvel, began TO talk quietly {
other matters. But Mrs Adderley ws
to not 80 stronger as she privately pu
nd it, mot SO hard as Katherine Graham
Ter and before very long she r, 70 ss
ad goodbye. They parted with rath'
id, constrained kiss.
lr- Miss Grahame closed her drawin
DC room door as her visitor disappeare
,es round the bend of the stairs and at Il
- same instant she seemed to relax Il
lily rigid hold she had been keeping c
or, the muscles of her face, and as she tut
ed edback into the room she looked an e.
ler tirely different woman. Her love
ul, eyes were largo and soft with unutte
,g- able love and grief: her whole faC
it quivered and trembled. Very slow
in. she moved across the room to lab
the on which there stood a large phot
raj graph frame, with a curtain over Il
rk, glass. She paused momen, thu
1g. drew back the curtain and, sinking (
xer her knees as though to get nearer
ere the pictured taoe, she kis ed it passio
sce ately. "My darling she whispere
'us "Oh my darling, my darling, forgiv
md me. Iknow, / know. But what cs
APPS | doi What can say' Oh, my dal
sed ingl'
to 1t was a picture of girl of abo
she five and twenty, little fair girl, W.
me a sweet gentle face and innocent, tru
ms ing blue eyes. There was somethil
not inexpressably strange and pathetic
'ea' the attitude of that strong, passions
ex woman, in her morning dress, kneelil
there before that "nresponsiye, girl
" face in such an avony of passions