Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1891-08-20

viii accuse me Of cheating him out Of It
if you do not give me one"
.'Give him my love. please" turning
back slowly ''aud tell him that he must
enjoy himself enough to counterbalance
my loss and loneliness without him."
ooh, don't you worry about that"
with significant little nod. her red lips,
moist like child's, curling III laughter.
He will have good time. OF course"
she added, with a sweet air of innocent
cordiality, 1--WE shall keep him with us
at the Park.
s'By no means!'' cried Mrs. Bartels
sharply. ''He must not think of impos-
ing on you to such an extent as that"
Imposing! An old chum like himl
Nonsense, Mrs. Bartels! We could en-
Joy nothing more than having him with
us; and as to any trouble on his account,
nobody knows anything about trouble at
the park. We all rough it and have a
good time. Indeed, we shall insist on
his staying with u.s."
Mrs. Bartels' pale lips parted as if for
further protest, but suddenly she turned
away without word. "Goodby," she
called back over her shoulder, with an
afterthought of courtesy, ''and a pleasant
trip to you.
Back again in her own darkened home,
she felt her way slowly to the nearest
chair, sinking down heavily, her elbows
on her knees, her chin resting on her
upturned palms, and the little clock on
the mantel had struck the hour, the half
hour, and licked its way round to the
point of ringing ont the time again, while
she sat there motionless in the shadows,
hat and gloves still on, moodily lost IN
thought.
So this was the outcome of her devo-
ton and self sacrifice-to give Mrs. Rog-
ers opportunity to complete half won
conquest. And had Donald stopped 70
such contemplate planning as this!
Mrs. Rogers was to visit on ranch, he
had said, had he deliberately lied! Had
he, bent ON going with these people
whom he liked, thought it the easiest
and smoothest course 10 deceive the
jealous wife into conplacent CONSENT
She rose at last, YEARLY moving from
room to room, lighting the lamps and
drawing the curtains. How pretty il all
was under the warm, rose shaded lights
What boyish delight Donald had shown
| in gratifying all her modest whims II
the matter of furnishingl Not another
home in all the place was half so artistic
and charming And how happy they
had been together all those blessed
months in the new nestl How tenderll
| kind Donald had been to her always
All, it was impossible; he could no
poison their happy love life with sucl
| puerile deception as this, and SUDDEN,
she broke into happy laugh. Why
surely: Mrs. Rogers had said that he
going had not been arranged until TIN
last moment. Naturally, Donald ha'
known nothing about it when he rod
/ away from the house that morning. II
had been innocent of any thought o
concealment. If that odious woman ha'
not worried her into such temper sh
must have understood and exonerate'
him at once.
But the fact remained that he woult
lunch with Mrs. Rogers on the morrow
that he would journey on to Lake parl
in her company, and that for the mex
week or two he Would be thrown NOR
or less continually in the society of tina
too fascinating little coquette. AMT
could not have dreamed that her in
pulsive generosity was to cost her so dea
as this.
But Donald must not be trapped int
staying with these people, and she seate
herself at her desk. 1t was a long lette
she wrote, designed with tender art
appeal to all his love for her, and FINAL
in an inconsequential little postscriI
came the real gist of the matter; Mr.
Rogers told me that she should insi'
upon your staying with them at til
park. Apparently she is indifferent
the possibility-indeed. in that even
the certainty-of reviving the silly oil
gossip that bracketed your name wit
hers once on time. 1t is a comfort il
expressible to me to know that yor
dearest. have more discretion-that yo
will not let yourself be drawn into an
3 foolishness of that sort, for my sake, if fl
no other reason. l know that / nee
! not beg you not to. for when have eve
: had to ask you 70 be thoughtful and col
, siderate of mes'