The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-09-29

mirer, and there YVES just enough will
fulness in Annot to make her like him
all the moro for that very reason. Mrs.
Prescott fostered her dislike to st. Ives;
she quarreled constantly with Annot
about him, and finally forbade Annot to
see him.
The result might have been foreseen.
st. Ives contrived to meet Annot out
somewhere, swore that he loved her too
| we'll to live without her and made her
believe him. Late the following night
a carriage was waiting not fur from
Mrs. Prescott's residence. Anaot crept
softly down from her own room and
| stole out toward it, and they were driven
swiftly away, Annot sobbing in u hys-
terical fright at the step she had taken.
1t had boon understood that they
| should proceed Immediately to tho house
| ola clergyman and be married, but ST,
Ives proposed that they should leave
the city for that purpose, and, as 1t was
| too late to render it probable that they
would easily find q Clergyman, postpone
the ceremony till morning dawned.
1t was far into tho next day before
they stopped at little country hotel
miles from tho city, and Annot, haggard
weeping, was conducted within.
st. Ives ordered breakfast and went
out afterward. as he said, to look for a
minister. Annot waited, still very much
depressed and not feeling ut all as she
had supposed people did who were about
to DO married. Some one knocked.
Blushing guiltily, she opened the door;
but instead of st. Ives and his expected
companion, woman glided into the
room, and throwing back her veil
showed face Of surprising beauty,
and fixed upon the shrinking girl pair
Of dark, burning Italian eyes.
"Who are you? What do you want?'
stammered Annot at last, rallying her
self.
The woman's glance softened.
"You are such q child" she said-"so
young. am very sorry for you."
Sorry for me? I-don't-understan
You" Annot said, wishing that st. Ives
would come, and thinking that this
strange woman must be crazy, and then
with low cry sprang to meet st. Ives,
who had just entered the room, and
stood glaring at the stranger with en-
ragged eyes.
Banging tho door 10 behind him. and
pushing Annot from him almost sav-
agely, be spoke to the woman with the
dark italian eyes
"Have you told herr he asked.
The woman shook her heod.
He laughed bitterly.
You thought it was TOO pleasant
task for me to be deprived of, chr
st. Ives turned sharply toward her.
There's no use in dilly- dallying now,
Annot," he said abruptly. ~ couldn't
deceive you any longer if 1 wanted to.
I think YOU and I won't be married this
morning"
Annot dropped trembling and unoom-
prehensive into chair.
"For the very singular reason" no
went ON. ''that have already one wife.
and she's too much for me-"
The strange woman glided to tho sido
OF the bowildered girl.
II am his wife, dear" she said almost
tenderly. Don't mind, it might have
been worse, you know"
ST. Ives seemed touched by the face of
white despair Annot lifted ut the wo-
mans words.
You're only ten miles from Jaynee-
vile. Annot," he said almost remorse-
fully, land there's stage. believe.
You can go right homo and nobody be
the wiser. Here is money to pay your
way"
Annot rose mechanically, and as she
did SO the bills he hao upon her knee fell
to the floor.
He picked them up and offered them
TO her again, as sho was tying on her
bonnet; but she left the room without
looking at them OF him, and went slowly
out of the hotel, with her veil down, her
head dizzy, and her heart SO heevy it
could hardly throb.
The stage drove up at that moment,
and while it waited she eagerly entered
| it, and took her seat, without CHANGING
toward the single passenger who was
her to lift her eyes.
1t was too much, too much, that that
| face of incredulous surprise should be-
long to Rollin Dracut. But it did. He
caught her Us she fell fafntfng.
She walked from that swoon to burn
ing feveuAand the Inconsistencies of
delirium; and Rollin, supporting her all
the way till they reached home, gath
cred from her craEed lips the whole sod
story, or enough Of it to wiring his heart
and make his own brain whirl.
She lay i'll weeks, and he went every
day 10 see how low she was. Then,
when she was pronounced out OF danger,
he left Jaynesville without seeing her at
all.
Two years after he came back. He