Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1894-07-05

I
FORGIVE,
Three days after the little dinner in
Half-Moon street, Mrs. Walsingham
sat at her solitary breakfast table rath-
er later than usual, dawdling over the
morning papers, and wondering dreari-
" what she should do with the summer
lay before her. She had seen nothing
If Gilbert Sinclair since the dinner,
and had endured an agony OF self-tor-
nent in the interval. His name APP
peared in one Of the morning journals
among the guests at distinguished
countess ball on the previous evening,
Ind in the list of names above Mr.. Sin
clair she found those of Lord Clan
yarde and his daughter. There had
oeen time when Gilbert set his face
against all fashionable entertainments,
voting them the abomination of DESC
alton. He had changed of late, and
vent everywhere, raising fond hopes
n the breasts of anxious mothers with
arge bro DIS OF marriageable daugh-
.er5 waiting for their promotion.
Mrs. Walsingham sat for some time
ooking vacantly at the Ing list of
names, and thinking OF the man she
owed Ycs, she loved him. She knew
mis- nature by heart; knew how nearly
that obstinate, selfish nature verged
upon brutality, and Lowell him never
snele.s. Something in the force of his
character exercised a charm over her
own imperfect disposition She had
believed in the strength OF his affec-
ton for herself, which had been shown
N passionate, undisciplined kind Of
manner that blinded her to the shall
owness of the sentiment. She had been
intensely proud of her power over this
rough Hercules, all the more proud of
his subjugation, because of that half
hidden brutishness which she had
long ago OWNED in him. She liked
aim for what he was, and scarcely
wished him to be better than he was.
She only wanted him IT, be true to her.
When he had asked her, years ago, to
be his wife, she had frankly told him the
story of her youth and marriage. Her
husband was five and twenty years her
senior, a man with q constitution
broken by nea 'ly half century of
hard living, and she looked forward
hopefully to a speedy release from a
union that had been hateful to her.
She had believed that it would be pos
;ib.e to retain Gilbert's affection until
the time when that release should
come without sacrifice to her reputa-
ton. Had she not believed and hoped
this, it is impossible to say what guilty
sacrifice she might have been willing
to make rather than lose the man she
loved. She had hoped to keep him
dangling on, governed by her womanly
TACT, faithful slave, until the Colonel,
who led a stormy kind of existence
about the Continent, haunting German
gambling tables, should be good enough
to depart this life. But the Colonel
was long time exhausting his bat
tered constitution, and the howery
chain in which Mrs Walsingham held
her captive had faded considerably
with the passage OF years.
A loud double knock startled the
lady from her reverie. Who could
such an early visitor be! Gilbert him
self, perhaps. He had one of those
exceptional constitutions to which ia
tigue is a stranger, and would be no
later astir to-day for last nights ball.
Her heart futtered hopefully, but sunk
again with the familiar anguish of dis
appointment as the door was opened
and low, deferential voice made it
self heard in the hall. These courte-
Gus tones did not belong to Gilbert
Sinclair.
A card was brought to her presently,
with James Wyatt's name upon it, and
ION special business, with many apollo
gies, written in pencil below the name,
| in tho GOlipifOp'g nant hand
shall | show the gentleman to the
drawing-room, ma'am, or will you see
him here?" asked the servant.
ASK him to come in here. What
special business can Mr.. Wyatt have
we me?" she wondered.
The solicitor came into the room as
she asked herself this question, look
ing very fresh and bright, in his care
full morning costume, with dollhouse
flower in the button-hole of his per-
fectly fitting coat. He was m ore care
full of his toilet than many handsOmer
men, and knew how far the elegance of
his figure and the perfection of his
dress went to atone for his plain face.
"My dear Mrs. Walsingham, he be-
gan, Il owe you thousand apologies
Tor this unreasonable intrusion. If |
did not think the nature of my business
would excuse"
There is nothing to be excused.
You find me guilty of very late
breakfast, that is all. Why should you
not call at half-past ten as well as at
half-past two? 1t was very kind of you
to come at all.
"Ihold it one of my dearest privileges
to be received by you, " he replied, with
certain grave tenderness. There
are some men who do not know when
they are happy, Mrs. Walsingham. 1
am not one of those"
She looked at him with surprise
that was half scornful
spray spare me the pretty speeches
which make you SO popular with other
women, she said. you spoke of bust
ness just now. Did you really mean
business"
Not in a legal sense. My errand
this morning is of rather delicate ma
ture. / would not for the world dis
tress or offend you by any unwarranted
allusion to your domestic relations, but
believe am the bearer of news which
can scarcely have reached you yet by