Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1894-09-14
BETRAYED;
OH
A DARK MARRIAGE
MORN.
A Romance of LOUe, Intrigue cnd
Crime.
BY MRS. ALICE P. CARRISTON.
CHATTER XvGII.-tConlinucdO


A slight shade of paleness passed over
the lovely face OF the yOang woman, and
q SLIGHT frowu contracted her forehead
Bv an effort, vh ch in better cause
would have been sublime, she quickly
III stored the rsng weakness, and, cold
ly pointing out to her husband the draped
door by which he had entered, said
"Very we'll, conce i yourself there"
"You will never forgive me-"
You know little of women, my dear, ii
you do not know that jealousy is one of
the crimes that they not only pardon
but love"
"NIy God, am not jealous"
"Call it yourself what you will, bat
station yourself there"
"And you a.o sincere in wishing me to
do so?"
Il beg you to do so! Retire in the in
terval, leave the door open, and when
YOU hear Eugene enter the hall, return.
Nor said the Senator, after moments
hesitation: since ! have gone so far -
end he sighed deeply-"I do not wish 10
lelve myself the least preteXt for d,strCst.
If leave YOU before he comes, ] am cap
able Of faucyin0--
THAT might secretly warn him. Is II
moi so? Moth NJ moro natural. Remain
here, then. Cnly take MP book; ior our
conversation, under the circumstances, can
not be lively"
lie sat down.
But" he unused "wbat mystery can
there b0 between you two?"
"You shall see," she said, with heI
sphinx-like smile.
The Senator mechanically took up
book
She stirred up the fire in the CRATE, and
reflected.
As she liked terror, danger and dramatic
incidents to blend with her jntrigucs, she
should have Teen content; for at that
moment shame, ruin aud death, We @ at
her door,
But, to tell the truth, it was too muc
for h,r; and when she looked, in the
midst of the silence which surrounded
her, at the true character and scope OF
the perlls which env rOned Der, she
thought her brain would fail aud Eer
heart break.
Size was not mistaken as TO the origin
of the letter. Tn shameful work had
been planued by the private secretary.
To 10 him Justice, however, be had not
SUSPECTED the forc5 of the blow he was
dealing.
of course be did rot really telieve in
the lady 5 yiltue for dming the perpetual
surveillance he had never relaxed, he had
not failed TO see the cVict nature Of the
intercourse be, cen Ia. enc and Cora.
But il must rot he forgotten that ne
was himself in love with ms. Elliston,
and that he dreaned of securing for him.
self the succe sjou TO his master place.
lie had lei matIers 90 ON Thus long be-
cause he had Lot seen how he could very
well stop them without making an enemy
Of Cora, and that h9 jld not wish to do;
for, notV outstanding her intimacy with
Cleveland, he still loved her, so far as
such a creature is capable Of loving; and
then there was the vast wealth that would
lie hers at / er husbands death, and OF
this he was per ectly willing to assume
the Char>e.
But being in Washington, and ramem-
bering what be had seen Just before leav-
ing the house in New York, his jealorsy
and hatred of the rival who now had the
field all to himself, got the better of him,
and he determined TO act. To awaken the
di,trust of the Senator toward Eugene so
as 10 cause his doors to lie closed against
him. and to hasten tie ladys coming 10
Washington, was however, all he medl-
tated at tn Il time.
He wrote the letter. dated it q day
ahead, sent it to q confidential frend IN
New York to lie remaled, and so 1t reached
the Senator hand.
But. like most Nillainies of the kind,
this ANONYMOUS mis,iye was a more fatal
and murd rous weapon than its base au-
thor imagined
The Senator'S young wife then mused
while stirring the fire, casting ftom time
TO time furive glance at tho clock.
Eugene would soon arrive. How could
she wan him?
In the present state of their relations it
was not impossible that the very hret
words of Eugene might Immediately di-
vulge heir secret, and once betrayed there
was hot only for her personal dishOnor-
a scandalous fall, poverty, retirement
but for her husband or her lOyer-per-
haps for BOTH death!
When The door bell rang, announcing
Eugeres approach, all of these thoughts
crowded into Cora 5 brain like a legion OF
phantOms.
But she rallied her courage by des-
perate eff 1t and strained ali her faculties
TO the execution of the plan she had hast
ily conceived, which was her last hope.
And one word, one ees ure, one mistake,
or one carelessness of her lover might
overthrow it in a secOad!
A moment later the door was OPENED
by a servant, announcing Mr.. Cleveland.
Without speaking she signed to her hus-
band to ain lis hiding place.
The Senator, who had risen at the
sound of the bell, seemed st'll TO beSl-
tate. { III Struggling his shoulders, as if in
disdnu of himself. retired behind the
cmtain which faced the door.
Eufene eu'ercd the room carelessly,
aud dvanced tOwarl t. fireplace, whore
Cora was seate !. his sall ng lips half
orensd TO speak. when lie was struck 10y
the ptcul eNpr,s ion on COraH lace,
and the words wclc rozcn on his lips
This ,oOk, fixed rpou bin from his en-
trance, had a s'range, weird III cnSlty,
viii Il, witho't eXlre si0g anything,
made him fear everything. Eut he was
becoming accustomed to trying situa-
tiors. and was IS wary and prudent as he
was intrepid. He &c sed to amlle, did
not sreaH, but waited.
Rails NJ her right and, she made a
gesture utim II tha' he must preserve
silence
Either she is mad, he said to him.
self. "or there is some gre1t peril."
A searching glance into her eyes III.
creased bis alarm, and sudden and
heretofore unknoHn feeling of dread
soi ed him nd almost stilled the bea ing
OF his heat.
CHAPTI:I; XIX.
TIE oErE't PASSED.
" Tia the rap 4 cf"' ptlon 81 her6enlus
and Of her love, Cora Z hoton felt that