The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-19

sSus 8KOWS even more nervous, anu a
!! LAST says ssNo" The mistress had left
| the house last evening and had not re-
| turned since She had gone 10 friend 5
| perhaps. Mrs. Biount suggests. strange
| sinking at her heart The girl thought
not. The mistress never left home without
saying where she was going, and besides,
| Martha, her own maid, had found letter
lying on her table this morning saying
| Mrs Dalton Was gone forever. and that she
| had written = line to the Mr.. Dalton from
/ the north, to whom the house now be-
| ionged, recommending the servants to his
| consideration Here, the girl beginning TO
| cry, Mrs Blount lays half . crown in her
| hand, and in dared fashion goes down
| the steps and into the hanson that Is still
| waiting for her.
To go to her aunt: To tell her how true
| were the suspicious that yesterday she b I'D
| only limited at, is her one thought And
sympathy, perhaps longing. hope for
| sympathy lies also in her breast. Not for
one second does she doubt that her hus-
band is the originator Of Mrs. Dalton's
| disappearance
What an early hour to be out, my
| deal" says Lady PauIton, as Mabel is
| shown into her morning room.
Never mind the hour-never mind
| anything but what I am going to tell
tone. '.She Is gone. You don't under
Disappeared. Her own servants don't
know anything about ii"
Since when?''
Last evrning, according to the frighten-
| ed person who opened the door"
frightened, You don't mean TO hint
that there is cause for. Good gracious.
Mabel. that the poor soul has been very
unfortunate IN her affairs of late, and per-
haps-"
Il don't think you need be frightened, /"
| says Mabel with . cold little laugh.
Il don't think suicide was In her
| thoughts. There was something better
| than that.
You mean more than you say, Mabel.
What it itg Whatwas in her thoughts ?"
Godfrey. think" returns Godfrey's
wife, very simply.
Mabel, Indignantly:
Eyes, calmly
IAN 1. to understand" sternly, ssthat
| you accuse your husband of unfaithful-
ness?" Lady Paulton has risen and has
pushed from the stronghold of her lap the
poodle that is the Joy Of her life. That she
IS TOR once seriously In earnest may be in
| ferred from this.
Yes SAYS Mrs. Blount, immovably.
She leans back in her chair and looks
straight up at her aunt as if defying not
her. but someone else; someone on whom
her thoughts are fixed. someone that
means Godfrey Biount. Her small, lovely
mouth had taken set expression
1ou are most unhappy girl. says her
aunt, Indignantly. Your temper will be
Your undoing one of these days. You
have got a good husband, and beautiful
home, and you straightway elect to
destroy both. 1t seems you have nothing
better to do. you foolish child, than TO
create an imaginary grievance. To sus-
If at a loss for word. and then. as if sud-
denly finding it, lis to be fool"
THANK you" SAYS Mrs. Blount, ssbut
let me put in, that to be rude is not to be
convincing. You haven't convinced me,
though you have been extremely rude.
81 decline to listen to another word"
says Lady Paulton, decisiveiy. Rush on
your fate if you will Let Godfrey once
know you suspect him of so vile thing as
As what?" says her niece, with bitter
little smile ut seems TO me it is You who
are forming the accusation
There are times, Mabel. when leyity is
out of place, says Lady Paulton, angrily.
Mrs. Blount throws up her head sud-
denly and breaks into a strange laugh
well, shan't be out Of place long,"
says she.
LET Godfrey once know of your foolish
suspicious" persists her aunt, land OH
will be at an end between You and him.
THE sooner the better" defantly. eff
things are tOcon4i1ue as II
AS you whatf 'scontemptuously. Tim
"Beiievc," CURLY
"You are wicked girl" says her aunt,
.'you should go home and down on your
knees, and
sThank heaven, fasting, for good mans
love, quotes her niece. mockingly. well,
a word. Mabel.s' says her aunt, follow
rv1rv hAD or1A c$n hn~ - -
of the room. don't speak to Godfrey of
this madness. Wait. Wait! give yourself
time"
..There has been . great deal of time.
And whilst waiting is tiresome, Auntie,
how them"
why, wait, says her aunt. profoundly
vague.
sBut to wait-alone?' Something of
heartbreak has grown into her voice.
THAT certainly" said Lady Paulton;
'sto the woman who gives herself away
in an affair of this kind is of no value at
ALL"
.sYou mean,n with suppressed agitation,
shat l must stand alone and night my
battle by myself"
''If the battle is to be with your husband,
battle?'
"Ah! You must ask him that. It is he
who has thrown down the glove"
so you persist in thinking. / tell You
you are wrong. You are harboring most
unjust suspicious. As q fact, Mabel, 1
think your husband has more fault to find
with you than you with him. Several
times lately it has occurred to me that he
has looked jaded, miserable"
"Miserables"
''Quite that. Now. my dear. / don't
want TO be too hard upon you-you are
young girl, too young for so mature
man; but stiil-can help you in any way,
Mabel?
.'No," Jelly, "no." Then. with sudden
rush of despair into her young face, mo
one can help me. You say l must fight
this battle BY myself, and-I will. Good
by, auntie,o leaning toward the elder
woman, and pressing her soft, young cheek
against her, ''if the battle has TO be fought
alone, the sooner it is begun the better"
Her smile as she says this is CHASTITY. Her
face is as white as death.
mabel, a moment. You will not accuse
Godfrey of this thing. You viii not speak
harshly to your husbands"
Mrs. Blount bursts out laughing. Such
queer laughter.
'sAre you afraid of scene?" saws she,
''you need not be. There won't be any
thing of the kind, promise you"
"You look so strange, Mabel, +" says Lady
Paulton, nervously.
Il am feeling strange. am repenting
me of all my evil ways, and am going TO
make Godfrey quite happy again. As
happy as In the days when he and had
able of late, YOU tell me. Well, prophet
ically, Il shall make that all right He
shall be miserable no longer. You will see
thar shall roaEa IN him, for