Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1894-03-23


others and looked at him with eyes full of
unutterable pain and sorrow. file covered
his face, but he saw these eyes all the
same. He called himself fool and cursed
his nervous mood, " but the specters new
err stirred, and the sad eyes grew sadder-
that was all.
''I'r have done with it ALL he cried,
with reckless laugh. "Im getting SEN
timental. Pouf I'll settle accounts With
a six shooter If can't get rid of these fan
cies any other way. It's too late to bark
back.
The day of the matinee came. The play
was called opal, from the legend of that
beautiful stone that it glows bright while
the love of the wearer for the giver burns
clear and strong and grows dim when
love falters and fails Lesle's stall was
in the last row, and he knew none of the
people near him. His acquaintance in
England were, at present. not many. He
looked carelessly over his programme and
bit his lips for moment, with quick
drawn BREATH his tongue almost whisper
ed the name of the heroine, Margaret. But
the name is common enough. He listened
to the clatter of the people about him
mostly professionals-not because 1t had
any interest for him, but because he hail
ed anything that took his attention away
from ospection-anything that drove
the CHESTS little farther away
The curtain rose; the play began. Les
lie listened Mt first with n lanptlid indiffer-
ence of the blase playgoer. BY and by he
became interested he watched and listen
ed intently; he held his breath when the
hero flung his wife from him and went
out. 1t was the close of the act, and the
people i'm front applauded. all except Will
In the second act the interest deepened;
the man in the stalls with the handsome,
reckless face was inthraIled. The fellow
in the play was haunted: SO was he-Wil-
mot Leslie. He scarcely heard the an
pIause. He never lifted "A hand-how could
heg For this was not "A play, it was reali-
ty. Margaret loves her husband through
alI-through unfaith and desertion and
all his piled M sins against her. BAH II
is a play, a woman's sentimental notions.
Let the author be tried. She would not
keep the opal bright The man wasn't
worth one tear of hers. Let him he cast
out and forgotten. as he deserved
And now came the third and last act
hitting the crime he meditates. and in
! the end in n beautifully written scene
which alone. said the critics afterward
ought to make the fortune of the play
Margaret forgives the man who has so bit
terly wronged her. Wilmot Leslie, white
as death-vet otherwise masking. for
brides sake. the agony in his heart-lis.
tened to the words. every one of which
stabbed him with mortal blows. A play
yes. ONLY a play-but. oh. that there
could be for his wasted. sinful life such a
last act ar this!
The curtain was down and the house
applaudina and calling for the author.
Wilmot Leslie. eager to see the woman
who could write like this. fingered. and
presently Mrs. Clavering appeared at the
wing to bow her thanks. The face flashed
for second upon Leslie's startled gaze
the next his eyes were blinded by scarlet
mst-he saw nothing heard nothing
knew nothing. He CROPPED his way out to
the lobby Some one spoke to him He
gave no answer. He had not heard. He
the streets in the same dazsd way-and
there he flung himself down. with great
ana exceeding bitter cry, Margaret Mar
saret!
"A gentleman, ma am, asks to see you
what name JanetY,' said Alix CLAW
ering' putting aside pile OF morning pa
pers' an OF whlch more or less praised tht
new play though some sald that Marga
ret love was 100 nearly divine TO be pos
slDle I'll real HE
lie SAID you would not know II
ma am. he would not detalh you long,
"otili' suppose he has " NAME well
show him up.
Inc servant retired ana IN minute
opened the door again tall man cam'
IN, just step beyond the threshold, an'
paused there the door closing behind him
MIS- CiaVerlng rose TO her ieet, tfem
ping, paling ana they stood lace TO iac
--aiter seven years-husband ana wlte
Seventy times seven years OF wrong he
! tween them.
, The man spoke first, his head bent, hi
! voice hoarse and broken, the sentences fall
, ing from his lips in disjointed fragments
! II have been in England for montl
self Clavering. No matter-l should no
have troubled you, only He paused
1t might have helped him if he had setl
her face but he did not see it; he dare,
not lift his eyes to hers He went on, will