Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1890-08-28

the dark for light, hope, refuge. There
Her poor soul cast itself utterly On that
of her lover. She turned her swimming
eyes on him, and said:
How you must despise mel"
Leland half kneeIing on the carpet
near her kissed her hand indiherently
and half raised his shoulders in token Of
denial.
His face wore a strange, cruel smile.
do not insist on an answer, 1 pray
you, he said
sThen I am right? You do despise me?"
Leland turned himself abruptly full
toward her, looked straight in her face,
and said. in a cold, hard voice:
Il do"
To this frightfuI speech the poor
woman replied by wild cry that seemed
to rend her while her eyes dilated as if
under the influence Of strong poison.
Leland strobe across the room and
through an open doorway, slamming the
door behind him, and SO disappeared.
Amy, who had listened, mOtiOnIess and
pale as marble, remained in the same
lifeless attitude, her eyes fixed, her hands
clenched, yearning from the depths of
her heart that death would summon her
Suddenly a singular noise, seeming to
come from the next room, struck her ear
it was only a cOnVuisive sob, or violent
and smothered laughter.
The widest and most terrible ideas
crowded to the mind of the unhappy
woman; the foremost of them, that her
husband had secretly returned, that he
knew all-that his brain had given way,
and the laughter was the gibberish of his
madness.
Feeling her own brain begin to reel.
she sprang from the sofa, and rushing to
the door threw it open.
The next apartment was the dining
room, dimly lighted by hanging lamp.
There she saw Leland, crouch NO upon
the floor, sobbing bitterly, and beating
his forehead against a chair which he
clUtched convulsivelv.
Her tongue refused it's Office; she could
find no word, but seating herself near
him, felt the beating of his heart and wept
silently.
He dragged himself nearer, seized the
hem of her dress and covered it with
kisses; his breast heaved unanimously,
his lips trembled, and he gasped the al
most lnarticu1ate words: Pardon! Oh,
pardon mel"
This was all. Then he rose suddenly
and rushed from the house.
He hurried to New York.
Bitter WEAKNESS, disgust of life and
disgust for himself, were no new sensa-
tons to this young man; but he had never
experienced them in such poignant in
tensity as at this cursed hour, when flying
from the dIshonOred hearth of the friend
of his youth. He knew he had trampled
all honor under foot. Like Macbeth, he
had not only murdered one asleep, but
had murdered sleep itself
His reflections became insupportable
He thought successfully of joining Stan
ley in Africa, Of enlisting to fight Indians,
and of getting drunk ere he reached the
Hoffman House.
Chance favored the last design, for as
he alighted in front of the hotel he found
himself face to face with a pale young
man who smiled as he extended his hand.
Leland recognized an old friend.
The deuce! You here, Charley? I
thought you in Europe"
q only arrir ed this morning"
Quite we'll, I hOpe?"
Yes, and anxio~s for one of our old
times. How are all our fast friends?"
About as usual, think. And if you
are really anxious for time, so am I. The
truth is, 1 am a bear. a savage, a ghost!
Assist me to return to life. Let us 90 and
sup with some of these sprightly people
whose virtue and temperate habits are ex-
traOrdinary."
Agreed, with all my heart.
Half an hour later Warren Leland,
Charley Raymond, and half dozen guests
of both sexes took possession of an apart
ment, the closed doors of which we must
respect.
Next morning, at gray dawn, the party
was about to dispense, and at the mo-
ment a rag-picker, with a gray beard, was
wandering up and down before the hotel,
raking with his hook in the barrels and
piles that awaited the street scavenger.
In closing his purse with an unsteady
hand, Leland let fall shining cold piece,
which rolled into the mud at the edge of
IA "a FoC ok 1O0 vad
with a timid smile.
aAhi" he exclaimed; what falls into
the gutter should belong to the CLEANER.
Flick it up with your teeth then, an
swered Leland, smiling, and it is yours.
The man hesitated, flushed under his
sunbUrnt cheeks, and threw a look of
mortal hate upon Leland and the laugh
ing crowd round him.
Then he knelt down, buried his chest
in the mire, and sprang up the next mo-
ment with the coin clenched tightly be-
tween his sharp, white teeth.
The crowd applauded The rag picker
smiled dark smile, and turned away.
Hold on, my friend!" cried Leland,
touching his arm; would you like to earn
ten dollars more? If so, strike me in the
face; that will give you pleasure and do
me good"
The man turned, looked him steadily
in the eye, drew back a little, and raised
his fist to strike, and then, letting it fall,
excl aimed:
No! Keep your money, and I'll keep
my wrath. We shall meet again. And he
walked away.
CHAPTER XIII,
AT THE OPERATIVE FATAL KISS.
On reaching the counting-room at the
/ publishing house, Eugene found himself
! in no mood to work.
His mind was eternally dwelling upon
/ Cora Elliston.