The herald., 1893-10-08


"Why don't you go? Why don't you
gog" he cried, his voice coming out in
mufied gasps. II tell you I'm brute
beast. You'll be sorry sone day you
ever spoke to me. And yet have strug
gled---I have. indeod-but the tempta-
tion's too strong for me- Go away.
Brown, go"
He looked up and met the elder mans
kindly, plying gaze and started upwith
cry.
Don't look at me Like thatl You tor
ture mol Itell you Tin in helll'
Brown put a strong hand ON each of
the young mans shoulders and pushed
him back into his chair.
II am not going yet"
cts no use talking
"But mean to talk. Look here,
Harry, have you ever thought of this
unhappy woman's husbandy"
~ told you had never met him."
"Think of the wrong you are about to
do him. He has never injured you, and
You are going to blast his whole life.
Harry, am a married man. / know
what it is to have a happy home and q
dear wife. Alice and love each other;
we live for each other; we honor one am
other; we are happy. lit seems al
most a sacrilege to imagine such thing
possible of-of Alice, but just let us try
and imagine for moment that-that
she, my wife, learned to love another
man-some handsome young fellow like
yourself--and--nnd that one night re-
turned to find hei--gone"
"Well," esil Hastings hoarsely, what
would you 6c:"
81 should shoot myself" said Brown
simply.
Harry's eyes met his. For moment
they looked at one another in silence.
.'If this other man loves his wife as /
love mine, he win do as | should do.
Harry, dear lad, would you have his
blood upon your head? Oh, my boy,
save yourself this crime!"
There was o long silence. Harry
shrunk back into his chair trembling.
Brown watched him anxiously. The
ticking of the clock was loudly percepti.
BILE in the quiet room.
AT last Harry rose unsteadily to his
feet. His face looked drawn and sunken.
There were tearsin his eyes.
''You have won the day, old man." he
said in a crriousiy toneiess voice. "I'll
go back to Africa"
"Thank Godw said John Brown.
Harry went to his desk, scribbled a
few hasty lines, directed an envelope;
then rang for the servant and gave the
note to him.
''Deliver this at once" he said. ''Take
a cab and drive fast" The man went
off with a bewildered look.
There's a train for Southampton at
o'clock in the morning, Brown. shall
take that. My things are all packed.
I'm quite ready. Are you going home
now?''
'Yes."
Don't go yet. Wait here while
write few letters. II like to have
you here"
John took a chair in silence, and for
more than an hour no sound was heard
in the room but the aggressive ticlingof
the clock and the scratching of Hastings
pen.
The clock struck IL, and Harry laid
down his pen.
"You can go now. Goodby. shall
never see you again. Goodbye
John grasped the young mans hand in
both his own.
.Goodby, dear lad. and God bless
you"
Harry dropped his head down upon
the table with something like sob, and
John went slowly to the door. A piece
of crumbled paper laying at his feet at
tracted his attention. He picked it up
mechanically. 1t was a letter in woln-
ans hand. He was about to throw it
away, but a second glance at the hand
writing caused him to put it qnickly in
his pocket. He closed the door behind
him and went out into the street. walked
rapidly along for some moments; then
stopped under gas lamp and read the
letter through. 1t was very short:
DEAREsT-I shall be ready this evening at 10
o'clock. Come for me. My husband viii be out
till late, so it is quite safe. Oh, how slowly the
hours go until l see you againl How can have
lived all these years without you?
Thatwas all-the letter was unfinished
and unsigned.
1t was nearly 2 o'clock in the morning
when John Brown reached his home.
There were lights in the drawing room.
He went in. Alice was sitting up for
him. She was sitting in luxuriously
armchair, her fair hair falling
loose upon her shoulders, her head bent
over book. She wore loose gown Of
some soft white material. Her cheeks and
lips were white too. She had very
ghostlike lock, seen in the dim light of
the shaded lamp.
She glanced up quickly as her hus-
band entered. Her face looked drawn
and hard. The blue had gone out of her
eyes, leaving them pale and dull.
How late you are, John"
eyes, l have spent very painful even
hg."
Really? How?'
81 went to Harry's room. found that
told you Of had come to
D crisis, and"-
"Well?' as he paused.
"Well, to make long story short,
prevailed on him to give up this unhap-
py woman and go to Africa instead"
"She will thank you, am sure" said
Alice, in a low, hard voice.
81 think she will-some day"
Brown leaned against the nantelpiece
opposite his wife. 1t had been hard
Il T. 4