The Dickinson press., 1893-09-09

some of the famous places OF france
and Italy.
Before e left q received IN lat home"
card from Lady L.aSccllrs. Ora was
anxious To ~. but | persuaded her that
she had better not. | said | had heard
something about Lady l.aScclleS-l was
very vague about ii. but Cora, who
had the greatest confidence in my SILL
pcriur knowledge of the world, yielded
ut oncr.
To say that l was afraid of meeting
Lady l.aScrllcS again would not be
, , u l knew that l was safe. but in
her presence | felt unhappy. She was
the flaming sword stretched between
me and Eden. | loved Cora With all
my heart and soul. and l knew that |
had bitterly wronged her. md that
while the other ON lived il was I'M
possible for me to atone for that
wrong.
In Australia | had brought myself to
forget the past: in England it all came
back to me. and from the hour l saw
my first Wife | VAS eve allie to dis
miss it from my mind.
In the Knowledge that Shn lived and
that she knew that | had married
again. ever the shock of my false
death and burial was forgotten. Do
what would l could not help remcm-
herring that there WAS y woman in
England who knew what Cora'S real
position was. and that woman. Il
daring. hcartless and unscrupulous adj
vrntureSS. was my lawful wife.
Three years later we came to Europe
again. During the three years | had
heard nothing of Lady I.asccllcS. Once
i'll M English society paper Cora had
shown me her name among the list
of guests ut Il grand entertainment. but
l had StudiouSly avoided talking about
her.
Our second visit TO Europe was in
tended to I've Il long one. We spent the
wintn" s.. I.'- -~'.' "".', nf I,r,ncn
II came to England i'll May. about
the commencement of the London seal
son.
While We We're in Italy Cora had told
me something which. though it had nj
first delighted me. afterwards seriously
alarmed me.
She hoped to become IL mother before
tho summer.
4. mother. And the child. l did not
like To think of it. The wickrdncSS of
my conduct in marrying again came
home TO me now us it had never done
before.
My child would be really illcgitimate.
and some day. iii spite of all my care.
its mother might learn the terrible
truth.
Soon after We arrived in London |
began quietly To make inquiries about
Lady l.aScrllrS.
For some time past. l a%Sccr,aincd.
She had not been much i'll society.
1t was understood that she w:ls Srri-
ously i'll. 50 ill that her life was despair
ru of.
Terrible us the truth is. l will con-
fcss it: from the hour that | knew Lady
I.aSrellcS was in danger | only hoped
thing. and that WAS that she might
die in time to saw my unborn child
from Il heritage of shame.
My position was Il fearful one. can
not. perhaps. hope to justify my eager
ness for the death of the woman who
stood between me and happiness. but
ut least | have said enough to make it
understood.
1t was early spring when WI came to
London. | had five months grace
five months in which one woman could
die. and another be saved from
IL shame which might one day, when
she learnt the truth. kill her.
With wicked engrrnrSS inquired
every day how Lady lMSc"lleS was GO
ing on. | managed to make the ac-
%quaintance of Il gentleman who knew
Sir Henry intimately. and he assured
me there was no hope.
One day l opened the Times in the
hotel reading room, and dropped ii with
q little cry of JOY.
Lady LnScclles was dead:
And | was frec-frcc to make my
union with Cora Il legal one-free to
save my unborn child from the conse.
qucnccS of his fathers sin.
How could | break it to Cora? What
should l say to her? Tell her the truth
J l dare not; and so. after some hesita-
| ton, 1 told her that L had Il strange
t fancy-we had been married i'll Aus
tralia-I wanted to be married again in
England.
Cora looked at me in blank surprise,
Il l fastened to rcassurc her. l think
!, ut first she thought l had gone sud.
denly mad.
y 1t was purely n little piece of scnti
Il mcnt OH my part. 1T silounu DC Il very
, quiet wedding. not even IN II church
just before IL registrar. 1t was IN ode
fancy Of mine, that was all, but i
would please me very much if she
WOulu COuSeLt.
o. Like the good, dutiful little woman
that she always was, she did consent
and though l am sure that she Still
looks back upon it as Il piece of sud
den insanity on my part, she wen
:" bravely through the ceremony befor,
tile registrar.
al 1t never once crossed her mind
thank God, that she WAS being legal,
married 10 nc for the first time. ant
l. God forbid that. SHE Should ever lear
L. it.
II In due time Our boy was born, ant
when they laid him in my arms, and
pressed my lips 10 his sweet baby face
Il l thanked God for his mercy i'll sending
light where hitherto all had been dark
ness.
d When our boy was n year old w
II went back to Australia, and now W,
have quite settled down there. 1t /
If our home. and we are happy. Som
1t DAY, when our boy is grown up, w
Il may all come to Europe again together
1t but l hope to die and be buried in Aus
Il tralia. which is now my homo.
1t is this hope which %reconcilcs IN,
g to the fact that another man has takcl
is my place in the family grave ut High
n gate.
L am AFRAID lie VIII nav 10 $40,
there, for it is impossible for me t
take any steps to remove him withou
drawing attention to the fact that
had Il wife when l married Cora.
SO, to all intents and purposes. l an
Q still a dead man in England. but Il
some compensation for that am tn
haDpiest man alive i'll Australia.
s THE END.
Kentucky'x Wonderful ROckin
v Stone.
II The knowing stone at Lexington i
,rtne of the most remarkable freaks o
s. p aturc in the State Of Kentucky. III
great cayrrns alone excepted. In til
rear Of the grounds attached TO tn
lrcme of the late Gov iilmcr is Il hug
ut Eowldcr st;il1ing alone oil The edge =
In SIT AN. Resting directly upon tli
he lNWl,ler is another, weighing ut lea.