Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-07

his face blanched. 1t was not the smart
little figure of Ford, the lady's maid, but
the tall, slender, graceful one OF Miriam,
his wife.
OF Miriam! 1t was terrible and bitter
blow, and smote through Sir James heart
like a sharp sword. For short time he
stood overwhelmed. mo.ionless, and then
little by little, like a man in a bad dream,
the past rose in a grim vista before him.
His mothers story of General Conray's
visit, the dead lover, supposed to be slain
| BY the man she had loved! ON! 1t was hor-
| rible. too horrible-this was the shy. limo.
cent girl, so fair, so modest, that he had
| gathered to his breast! The woman receiv-
| ing letters addressed to her maid, and max
ing excuses to remain at home, and then
stealing out in secret from her husbands
house to meet her lover. To meet q soldier
a private soldier-and Sir James clenched
| his hands in Jealous rage, and the blood
| flew with hot passion to his head.
What should he do? He raised his glass
| again; the two on the loch-side were ap-
preaching each other now-Miriam dressed
in some dark costume, and wearing the
sables he had given her in Paris, was ad-
vancing slowly but the man eagerly and
hastily was going forward. Then they met;
met with outstretched hands-both hands
and stood there Handicapped, looking into
each others eyesi
A curse broke from Sir James lips; .
curse SO loud and bitter that it seemed to
rend the mans heart in twain. Still he
watched them They turned, they walked
together side by side, by the waters of the
darkening loch. Then they stopped and
again their hands clasped. After awhile
they walked on once more, going in the
direction from which the man had come, and
away from Kintore.
Sir james turned also Step by step, he
on the rugged hillside, they by the Loeb, the
three went on. They went nearly as far as
the village OF S.rathloe; close to the Glen
of Strathloe, and then they stopped and
the man took her in his arms and pressed
her to his breast. Their lips met, and then
the pale stern watcher turned away.
1t was all over, it had needed but this A
hatred for the woman whom he believed had
betrayed him. Hatred, stronger for the
very love he had borne her. The wife of
his bosom, the love of his heart! He
laughed aloud in his great bitterness and
misery. He remembered little things as he
strobe back fercely to Kintore; renIem-
bered the money Miriam had borrowed of
him before their marriage, no doubt to
give to her paramount. Oh! the black
bitterness of it, the shame! He had kissed
her before he had gone out, and she had
kissing another man. Her lips were foul tor
evermore; the lying lips that had seemed
so sweet and fair. Sir James felt almost
like a madman; the blood surged to his
head and the veins on his throat swelled.
He walked at great pace, but he took no
heed of the ground. The world had sud-
denly become desolate to him; worse than
desolate, filled with disgrace and shame.
He reached Kintore, and as he entered
the hall his mother, who had been watching
for him, went out to meet him.
and pale, Il have something to say to you
come in here" and she drew him by his
arm into the breakfast room.
"James," she continued, "vour wife is
not in the house; she went out, feel con-
vinced, for some secret purpose, it is your
duty"
He pulled his arm roughly from her hand.
81 do not need you to tell me-" he said
| darkly, and then, without another word, he
left her, left her and went up stairs to his
dressing-room, and sat there in his misery
| alone.
''He has found her out" thought Lady
MacKennon, with somber satisfaction; "she
has piaSee WIN !. nfe '00 ipns
But now let Us 90 back for brief while
| to the two who had met by the loch; to the
| two who had once loved each other so we'll;
| but those lives had been rent apart by sin
| and crime. Miriam had gone to meet Hugh
Ferrars with a sinking heart; had gone,
| feeling that to do SO was to certain extent
| wronging the generous man who completely
| trusted her. But it was for the last time,
| she told herself, and then she must think of
Joan; must save Hugh Ferrars if she could.
| So she had given the signal-the last
| signal-and had gone down to the lone loch-
| side There was not living creature to be
| seen, where the water Tapped on the shore
along wide expanse, but one She saw
the tall figure standing, and her heart beat
| fast and her breath came short. Then he
approached her, and they met with clasped
hands almost in silence. 1t was Hugh
Ferrars who spoke first
Il thank you for granting my last re-
quest" ne said.
"And you are going at once, Hugh?" said
| Miriam, eagerly looking up in his face.
'sYou will make no delay, but leave Eng
land at once"
81 am going at once" he answered,
slowly.
"I have brought the money" continued
! Miriam. Two hundred pounds. That
will take you abroad; and if you want any
| more"
ct do not want any more, dear, nor that l"
| SalQ f1uSn Will uStrduSc!RcutlcucSSy
as Miriam paused and hesitated.
'.But Hugh, you must require money-do
| take there it is do not refuse"
| "T cannot take it. I have as much Is
shall require"
"But how can that be? Oh! Hugh, I
have suffered such agonies of fear since
General Conray came; poor, poor Joan, is it
not terrible thing that her mind should
have wandered as it did?"
81 cannot pity her; but for her, we might
have been happy now, instead Of about-to
| part forever"
"Still it is very sad," said Miriam, and
her eyes filled with tears.
.'Sad for us; she wrecked our lives, and
left us nothing but misery-at least, she
left ME nothing"
"But, but this may change; you are going
to begin new life in q new land, let us
hope it will be brighter one."
''No!' said Hugh Ferrars. briefly and
bitterly.
"Ohi yes, We must hope" continued
Miriam, pleadingly. 'Let US walk on Q
little, Hugh, and tell me of your plans?"
| II have none"
s'But you know where you are going?"
"No, not even that"
ooh, Hugh, please do not talk thus; I
should go to Australia if were you and
take some land there"
"Yes," said Hugh Ferrars, with melan-
choly smile.
He was pale and worn, and his singularly
handsome features seemed sharpe ned, and
Miriam looked up in his face with her heart
full of pity, and with an unconscious wave
of the old tenderness and love swelling in
her heart.
He seemed to understand this, for he took