The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-03-04
THE HAMBURGER COMPANY.
MARKET STREET.

world, and was not Lancelot Wynne very
| very dear 10 her?
"Then you will be ready to go with me
to the opera tonight. Bertha?" he said, a:
he rose TO depart. II will be here punctu
ally at half-past s O'Clock"
Bertha was ready at the appointed time,
looking more lovely than ever in her even
ing dress.
But LaDcelot came not.
Not off yet?" said her uncle as be
passed through the room. You'll be late,
pussy; 10 is nearly 9 o'clock!'
Nearly 9-can 1t be possible ~ calculated
| Bertha, eagerly, consulting the dial OF her
little ieweled watch. 1t was Lancelot's
own present
The fairy hands pointed inexorably tn
| five minutes to o'clock.
Five. ten, fifteen minutes passed by. and
Bertha rose I'D Indignantly and began to
draw off her gloves.
she exclaimed, mentally. 'Tt is too had
of him TO disappolnt me twice In this
wayl"
Some instinct or some feeling which she
could not define or resist lea her to the
window. She glanced out, and as she did
so caught sight of a man hurrying through
the gloomy archway opposite with slight
girlish figure at his side.
II was Lancelot Wynne
Fired with hot Indignation. Bsrtha
Weaver sat down TO her desk and wrote a
brief. naughty note of final dismissal to
her lover.
From that moment she saw him more
A year passed by. and Bertha Weaver
was sitting. pale and distracted, on the
Esplanade at Eastbourne, when a low,
earnest voice accosted her.
''Bsrthav'
She started as If voice from the tomb
had struck upon her ear. Lancelot Wvnne
was standing at her side, very white. with
compressed lips. and stern, reproachfnl
eyes.
DO not rise, Bertha-do not strive to
avoid me, he said gravely II insist upon
having an explanation-I consider it dine
to me. why have you thus discarded. me
without giving reason or excuse? Why
have you returned my letters unopened
Why do you shun me so persistentIy?
Bertha, demand reasonW
Reason" she repeated. bitterly. swell
since you wish that | shall express in
words. what your own conscience mnst
have long since told you, / simpIy ash
whether your fair friend of the arehwsv
still preserves her high place in yonr re-
gard?"
Her lip curled haughtily, and a scornful
look shone in her brown ewes.
"Ot the archway?" he exclaimed orow
ing paler as he listened. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Weaver-ls it possible that Won saw me-
enter that place? / had hoped. T had he.
iieved that no mortal eye was upon me
then" o'' iio
Il suppose" she rejoined. coldly. SIT is
unfortunate that l should chanee TO he ths
one who was witness of your gniItv
secret" su'i'S
MY secret. Berthaw he exclaimed. mas
sionately had intended never TO have
oreathed this to a living soul. but your
scoIn wrlngs 1T from me. 1t was your Sc.
eret-or rather your brothers."
Bertha listened. apparently deprived of
the power of speech, while tile blood grew
emil around her heart
lie went on:
You dld not know, Bertha, and could
not tell you, that Richard, sick with the
longing to visit his native land once more
nad rasnly yentured here with his young
vile. de was recognized in the street by
one VINO had vowed never TO give up puT-
suing him until he was lodged in prison.
In this emergency your brother came TO
me. contrived to secrete them both for a
day OF two 10 the old ruined build
ing behind the archway. On the
| evening when we were TO 60 TO-
gether to the opera | received tele-
gram that the ship on which / had
engaged passage for them under feigned
name was to sail day earlier than we ex-
pected. Richard dared not leave his hid
Ing place. and Felice. under my escort.
made all the hurried preparations. ~~-t