The herald., 1894-12-13

granting, Dut glance at the Jeweled
bauble on her chatelaine by the light of
spluttering fusee confirmed her worst
fears and the integrity of the maligned
timekeeper.
There was no time to lose. She turn.
cd impatiently toward the town, and
her companion. following with more
speed than dignity, was wise enough to
attempt no renewal of their perilous
conversation. Through the streets she
ran, breathlessly, to the surprise of the
solitary policeman and sundry feline
wanderers who scutted noiselessly out
of her path. How she longed to be hid
den safely in the corner of her comfort
able carriage, moving drowsily home
ward after some Cinderella But sea-
side festivities were nearly over, and
there was no excuse for her tardy arriv-
al She held her head down, fearful of
being seen on foot in such haste, and
with her attractive companion, whose
sensibility would have been sorely hurt
at the eagerness with which she dis
missed him when the house came in
sight had he not felt alarmed for his
own reputation as well as the safe GUS
tody Of his uncongenial wife's fortune,
and with buried wish that all would
be we'll walked away with an air of re-
lief ere she reached tho doorstep.
She rang tho bell with miserable
sensation of being deserted in her hour
of need and a shuddering fear crept
over her as she waited outside the house
tln4 looI-o1 1o,-l-1xy i.,b to1, 70,
fastened shutters and massive door, A
boisterous wind sprang up. making her
shiver in spite of her warm cloak.
Clouds chased each other across the fair,
round moon She knocked and rang
again impatiently.
No sound of welcome admission to
warmth and light, only the faint echo
of her friends footsteps already in the
distance. With the erratic logic Of a
spoiled and petted woman who had nev-
er seen the contrary side of the world
she blamed him for not having waited
even remotely-until he saw her safe
ly indoors, wondering, in helpless anger,
that she had ever turned to him for
sympathy
"A lOuu Idb-d-beit, duu tI1H duOlucI,
rather timid this time. for the closed
door and retreating figure had grown hid
eous with awful meaning. What if her
husband had discovered the secret meet
ing and shut her out forever She knew
men did such things on the spur Of the
moment, and in this case there had been
long and sullep estrangement to justify
onnclnc;o,, ha mi irfh hlxy
come to. The thought became more ter
rible every instant as she knocked and
rang frantically without result.
The church clock struck the half
hour, long, melancholy chime.
Trembling from head to foot, she lean
ed against the railings, her eyes heavy
with despair. Where should she go?
What should she do? The suspicious
questioning Of her friends, the astonished
scrutiny OF tho townspeople, We're equal
ly difficult to face. Like vision the
awful future flashed through her be-
w;ldered brain. She saw herself exiled
to the streets, forlorn, wretched wom-
an, forsaken by the man she despised in
her real trouble, yearning to make
amends for her past blindness and faint
ly imploring an inexorable fate at the
steadfast door of the life she should
know no longer
Barred out! Oh, Godl Barred out!
In undreamed of agony she pictured
her husbands stern orders and the gos-
sip in the servants hall. Then, hardly
knowing what she did and choking
with desperate sobs, she turned toward
the home that had become so dear, beat
ing wildly at the door panels with her
clinched fists and crying aloud like
frightened child
"Let me in! Oh, do let me inr'
care you mad?'' said suddenly
calm, we'll known voice at her side.
"The maids are on the top floor at the
back of the house, and nothing short of
an earthquake would rouse James. If
were not careful to take my latchkey
when go to the club, he would present
me with rhe key of the street. And why
didn't ySA order the carriage to fetch
you, orr
He broke off suddenly. The ponderous
door stood open, and he waited for her
to pass in, but with quick glance at her
white face and closed eyes caught her
tenderly in his arms as she fell insensi-
BILE across the threshold. Gently as
woman he loosened the heavy cloak and
took off che little bonnet, disentangling
it from her soft, golden hair with dex-
ferrous fingers. Then, probably from
lamentable ignorance Of the principles
of first aid, he bent down and kissed the
sweet tear stained face that rested
peacefully near his heart.
And the wife, coming slowly back to
new life of perfect love and trust
through the shadow of her former folly,
felt and answered the timid embrace
with clinging arms and tears of joy and
gratitude. London Today.
1t Suited Her.
They were threading their way slow
ly among the gorgeously dressed dunn
h. Ol, .b e%,