The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1893-10-21

would be 20 spoil our welcome, ] an
! afraid. y,
I Gcralda answers only by a per
4 picked look; she j. little vcXci. but
Z not at ali alarmed. lndecd. "a shc
tells herself with a little grateful
( glow, she has nothing to fear now.
As the door opens, Lady Conway
comes forward To greet them with 9
I face Of such fIncrcal gloom that Ger.
aida Is conscious of an irrevercnt de
sire 10 laugh--a desire that passes
/ quickly a. she reads the anger in her
/ hui bands eyes.
lie scrupulously abstains from
holding ont hand in friendly greet
ing. but just inclincs his head us h.
says coldly--
"You wished to see us here, Lady
Conway
Yes" Lady Conway's lips twitch,
her black eyes wander rcstlessly
round; she holds her thin hands
tightly locked. as though she were
keeping strong restraint upon her.
self. Has Elsie taken the children
with hcr2 Neither she nor they
must hear what have TO say.
Arthur shrugs his shoulders slight
~ and draws forward a chair for his
wife.
"You are tired. Geralda, he says
abruptly; land Lady Conway seems
disposed to keep US some little time. "
.'Oh, mol will not keep you
long" Lady Conway interrupts a
tigerish ylcam in her eyes. My
story il as brief as 1t must be ter
riblc to you. sent for you 10 put
you on your guard to warn you that
Claude Berenger still lives
TO Lady Conway's surprise Geralda
does not shrink from her husband.
or seem TO fear his wrath; on the
contrary she clings 10 him. a. though
mutely besceching his protection
against some danger of which he is
aware. A dismayed fancy that GER
aida may have told him all crosses
the woman's mind, and takes half
the sweetness from her triumph; but
the ugly doubt is dispelled by his
first contemptuous words.
Speak less cnigmatically. if you
please. Lady Conway; and before
you expect me to take much interest
in Claude Berenger's existence cX-
plain who ne may be. -"
Arthur II is hardly an articu-
late word that breaks in that wild
despairing cry from Geralda Mac
donald's white lips There is a
CHASTITY horror in her darkcning
eyes. and the hand that rests on
Arthur's arm tightens TO a despair
ing clutch.
Lady Conway feel, that this is The
one supreme triumphant hour OF her
life. She constrains herself however
TO reprcss all signs OF JOY, and says,
in q horror stricken tone
You amale-nay, you shock ana
alarm me. Arthur. is il possible
that, before she went through the
ceremony with you Miss Blake did
not inform you OF the terrible facts Of
her past life ~
Arthur moistens his Dry lips AMI
does his best to overcome the ugly
dread tina. Expresses him the dread
inspired not br Lady Conway's malig-
nan; words. but by the deadly ,e.'ror
in his wite's eyes. His face is pale
and grizzly set, as he turns to her
and "a :, with a strange gentleness-
'tieralda. come away"
But Geralda does not stir. and
.ady Conway exclaims. with an out
ourst of savage fury
.'She shall not go. nor shall YOU.
until ny story is told Ii i one that
concerns me and Elsie. and every
decent woman who is allied 10 you.
or who may chance TO stay beneath
your roof. almost a much as il con-
Germs you or her You say you have
never heard Claude Berenger'S
jname?" -
l. I.I have not" Arthur answers.
with emphatic haughtiness.
Geralda turns suddenly aud clasps
his arm with both feverish trcm bling
hands, while she cries. in eager
broken tones
Arthur, dear Arthur. DO not say
that She knows all. Why should we
deny-why should we. Arthur"
drawing back, with shrill little
scream OF agony. as she meets the
blank uucomprehending horror OF
her husbands glance. Arthur,
why do you look at me like that-as
though had told you nothing, as
though YOU did not know? Oh,
heaven help me. Am | mad or are
your
She staggers back against the wall,
white aud CHASTITY, stunned by the
shock Of such "a blow as she did not
think fate had it in power to deal.
But Arthur does not follow or ques-
ton, or try to help her: he stands
rigid in the center OF the room
Lady Conway breaks the silence
with cruel laugh.
Things are worse than imagined.
then? | thought your love had led
you to condone an error in your
wife's past My poor Arthur. am
afraid you have q bitter disenchant-
mcnt in store! You have never heard
( Claude Berenger's name. you say
Will Mrs. Arthur Macdonald say the
4