Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-09-20

He bowed his head in half-surprised
assent.
4 believe you to be so strong, so
capable of self-forgetfulness, she
went on, hurriedly. that, however
dearly you loved, you would not wish
to marry me if by SO doing YOU linked
the hitherto hOnored name with one
upon which disgrace-disgrdce [ say
had come. If it were only for your
sons sake you would draw back and
realize the impossibility of such an
act"
you think better of me-or is it
worse ?-than I deserve" was the quiet
reply In the matter Of my marriage
I should be utterly selfish; it is my
own affair. and I should consult only
myself in the matter Ny son has
equal freedom Of choice"
yet [ remember" she objected
timidly, that you were disturbed at
the idea of his even becoming friendly
with a woman Of whom you knew
nothing derogatOry-only that she was
an actress
"Ah. there I admit I was unpardon-
ably narrow-m minded But I repented
so quickly of my barbarism. going
even at once to an opposite extreme
that I think you might forgive me
that"
THAT I have been an actress you
know: but there is a more serious dis
closure that l have to make yet. Even
l. who have had over two years to
grow accustomed to the idea. still
shudder when I remember that II.
! do y0u UNDERESTIMATE, whom you ask
| to be your wife, have stood up before
a crowded room to answer to the
! charge of murder-the murder of my
own sister,
| Now at any rate she had succeeded
! in arouGing him from the calm OBJ
! stinacy with which he had meant to
! combat every objection she might
raise. For anything like this he was
! not prepared, though he had nerved
himself to hear the confession Of some
thing more than an ordinary fault of
/ youth. He stood up to breathe more
i freely, and pushed the hair from his
i brow. 1t seemed as though space and
/ air were both wanting.
! You are eXaggerating surely" he
said. at length, not because he really
thought so, but that she might add
something to convince him Of the
reality Of what had passed between
! them, for at present it was like a
dream-a terrible dream.
Directly he released her hands, she
raised them to cover her face, not dar-
ing to meet his gaze lest she should
find in it horror or disgust. SO she
answered him now, shrinking away as
though indeed guilty of the sin Of
which she had been accused.
"No; it is true-all true 1t was only
through Mr.. Bowyer's aid that I es-
capped frOm-frOm-"
''Still you are innocent. Elaine! |
feel you must ber' he exclaimed. reso-
lutte to still those hateful. hooking
voices that insisted on making them
selves heard. though ali his love and
loyalty tried to hush them.
Yes, I am innocent" She answered
with a weary, hopeless quietude Of
manner that showed him as nothing
else could have done how the burden
y
had crushed her spirit. Realizing how
strong the evidence had been against
her. how even her benefactOr, who had
really loved her, had not been able to
believe her free from guilt she
scarcely expected any other would
trust her mere word. She gave her
i answer to the question asked with no
! faith in it's convincing power-only
! because some reply was required and
this was the truth. however unlikely
it might seem.
His heart overlooking with compass
sion, Severn knelt down and put his
arms about her.
81 believe in you; I love you all the
! more for what you lave suffered; and,
please Heaven, will clear your name
from that cruel, senseleSS charger he
whispered. fondly. and gradually
drew the bright bowed head OF to his
shoulder, kissing from her eyes all the
tears that fell in the first passiona te
! GladneSS of her relief.
! He loved her still-he would save her
from the danger that had threatened
her so long; and all the bitterness that
! had sprung up in her heart during the
ordeal died away that moment.
/ Let me hear everything from the
very beginning: then I can judge how
best to go to worh-for I swear to you.
Elaine, this mystery shall be solved,
and you shall be your own bright self
again"
Il have thought sometmes-oftener
of late-that 1 did wrong TO run away;
[ should have waited and trusted in
my innocence; but, oh, the agony of it
was, in the first grief at my sisters
death, to stand before all those
strangers, suspected of having caused
it And then, if I had failed to prove
my story
Hush, darling-do not grieve your
self! Perhaps all was for the best;
and, had it not been as it was. we
might never have met. Is it very self
: ish to be glad that you came here,
for whatever cause it happened|
: For answer she chung the closer to
| him.
And so, her head resting on his
breast, his arms about her, a refuge
and very tower Of strength, she told
her story.
: CHAPTER MI
Ada WarringtOn's charm Of manner
had been principally on the surface.
! She had been spoiled child, and had