The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-05-28
under THE CLOUD.
d. ]. :. v1IIIAMsos

on Will uoNoE " noPRy ottu Cou-
tented 90 long - that rlramains here"
.sThen shall remain discontinued, for
I have no Intention Of altering present
arrangements.
cit is killing you By ipches," she
declared.
FOR q moment he looked startled.
at am in any danger, the doctor will
probably warn me Of It. You are my
housekeeper, not my medical adviser"
81 am your own brothers widow, the
trusted companion Of the last ten years.
Till Ellen Warde came we never had q
disagreement. It is my loyalty to you
that makes me brave your disr 'casure by
saying what think"
You have done what you believe to
be your duty, dare say. Let that
eontent you.p
Further than that. / have done no
good By speaking
"You have certainly not shaken my
resolution in the very slightest. Miss
Warde Is my niece by adoption, II not
BY blood. did not act unadvisedly
or without due consideration when !
( brought her TO my house."
But surely you will never trust her
after what has happened 2"
will trust her implicitly" he said,
more with the air of one who was making
S q vow to himself than In defiance OF the
warning given.
Well, you know best, OF course. You
have known the young lady longer and
you know her much better than l, and
probably you have some good reason 10
believe her to be truthful and more trust
worthy than late events would imply |;
you have some knowledge Of her past
her home life-and can Judge"
!" Be siIenti" he cried, In an angry
quavering voice, " Leave the poor girl In
peace. At least she never harmed you"
II spoke for your sake" she observed.
"Then for my sake be silent for the
future" he said, with cynical smile.
These discussions do me no good and
give me unnecessary pain. Pray spare
me any more"
" 1t is as you wish, Of course"
She had said all that she had intended;
and. even II she had contemplated any
further innuendoes, it would have been
impossible to speak them then, for the
door opened and Elaine entered
She entered as che did always now,
with q tremulous haIf-deprecating smile,
as though she doubted her welcome, yet
felt it would look ungracious were she
TO stay away.
4 " Where have you been, Ellenp I
have missed you," he said. gently.
II ] had only known, could have
come before. was doing nothing-that
IL, nothing Of consequence.
Come and sit beside me. How cold
your hands are! Have you no fire in
your bedroom p
She never asked for fire." put in
the housekeeper tartly.
Then give her one without the ask
dng. ! shall be seriously angry II 1t lie
mot kept up regularly
" / did not feel the cold at all. It Is
only now when l come into the warm
room that realize 1t was perhaps a little
chilly said Elaine.
Mr.. Bowyer watched her with some.
thing Of the old tenderness and concern.
he had before? He thought not; and
yet even in his thoughts he did not feel
quite sure Of himself He felt that he
was breaking up, and that in year or
two all this turmoil would be at an end.
AT his age nothing need matter much.
What q fool he was to carel
Shall fetch you cup of tea 2" asked
Mrs. Priolo, breaking into his reverie.
Ellen will bring it to me to-day
won't you, child9"
She sprung up eagerly to do his bid
ing, but Mrs. Priolo blocked the door
way and prevented her from going out.
You have forgotten" she said,
imeaningly. 1t is who prepare every
thing for Mr.. Bowyer now"
Ellen flushed up and hesitated, but the
invalid enforced his wish with q testi-
mess which neither could disregard.
Mrs. Priolo sat apart and watched the
girls preparation in stolid quietude,
declining the tea that was offered to her
with q hastiness that Ellen felt to be
insulting, although she would not ap-
pear to notice it. Mr.. Bowyer's cup and
saucer were placed on a small table near
him.
Ellen resumed her seat, and began to
talk OF a book that they had been, lately
reading; but Mr.. Bowyer's answers were
strangely brief, and not always to the
point His resolution was wavering-
indeed had entirely given way. Again
and again he told himself that it was
more than improbable that second at
tempt would be made on his life SO soon,
and in such circumstances, yet he could
not bring himself to drink what she had
given him.,
[5.l s 1