Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1891-04-16
No. 81.

This charming Marie Hudson made
no secret Of her admiration for Crag-
meir's handsome master, and, to all
appearances, 1t WAS fully requited by
him.
"Don't be surprised, my dear. IL
Cragmeir has younger mistress before
many MONTHS she whispered to Ora
one evening, with Il laugh and pretty
blush. Give been trying hard enough
to bring him to my feet, and at last
I've"
At that instant some one called her
away, and she ran of, laughingly, leay.
ing Ora standing there, white and rigid
as Il marble image
"My silence has become sin y. she
muttered presently, her lips ashen, her
voice intense and hoarse. Great
Heaven !. what am I to do T.? what am /
to do?'
A moment longer she stood thinking,
then desperate gleam shot into her
dark eyes, and her white lips We're
sternly pressed together.
Scrlbbling q hasty line, she gave it,
with low spoken order, to servant.
and then, alone and unseen, slipped
down to the silent beach,
Two minutes later Hollis Gallon stood
before her, his handsome face pale and
agitated, his gray eyes full of passion
ate expectancy. But she did not give
him time to speak.
81 sent for you,' she began, with q
gesture of her hand which forbade him
to approach nearer, because danger
| threatens that / never dreamed of until
this hour. This makes 1t necessary for
me to reveal the truth that am your
Caro- Gallon, your deserted wife.
Stop with gesture of bitter scorn, as
he tried to speak, ii don't do this fo.
your sake, or because | care to save you
from the Consequences of your sins.
No, do 1t only to save a pure and in
nocent girl from a shameful fate. Now
that the truth is told. only for Marie's
sake, remember, shall leave here to-
morrow
"Car1 nv wife listen to me =
He made Il swift step toward her, and
something in his look, in his masterful
tone, made her pause and listen even
against her will.
"Clro.' he went on, with passionate
haste, Il have never had thought Of
making any other woman my wife,
And as for YOUR talk Of my 'deserting
you, and Of my Sins simply don't
know what it means After returning
Irom my visit to my mother, who was
so dangerously i'll, you were gone from.
my home, aud l seemed to have every
psoof that you were false to me. Oh,
Caro- the shame and anguish of it must
have killed me, but that l followed my
mothers advice and sought forgetful-
ness IN foreign lands. Then | received
printed notice OF your death. But I
could not forget, And, oh, Caro-. if you
were true to ne -
"True !" she echoed passionately,
"Oh, Hollis, have | not been only too
true to you | was summoned away from
home soon after YOU lett by false story
of-Oh, see it all now, she Interrupt
ted, suddenly. 1--WE were both the vic
Tins of some cruel plot but who-who
could have been onr enemy y"
"Who indeed p he murnered, clasp.
ing her unreslsting form close in his
arms. Then sudden pallor crossing
his now happy face, he whispered under
breath: "My Goa it could not have
been my mother Yet | remember how
bitterly she refused to be reconciled to
my marriage, or even to see my bride,
, because she had more ambitious plans
for me.
Aloud he said
Come, darling, let us 60 and tell our
mother the happiness Cragmeir has
brought us. She never saw my wife, my
beautiful little Caro-, but as Ora Keath-
ley. ste knows and loves you already as
il daughter
AS the proud old lady listened to
their story, her handsome face grew
white, and she turned aside to hide her
trembling lips.
my sin my sin = she whispered to
herself. "My God never realized be-
fore what an awful one 1t was. But
they don't dream that did it, and
they never shall No, no, they never
SHALL"
) And Caro-, at least, never suspected
that the woman who loved her so we'll
and whom some strange impulse had
led her to seek and know. herself un.