Daily Kennebec journal., 1895-01-28

appeared. The lawn was as silent as
when they had left it, though the
sleep of things had weakened down to
certain precarious slightness; and
round the corner of the house low
line of light showed the dawn.
Now. good-by, dear" said her hus-
band, lightly. You'll let him know
at once?'
''Of course
"And send to me directly after@'
"Yes"
"And now for my walk across the
fields to the hotel These boots are
thin, but l know the old way well
enough. By Jove, wonder what Me.
lanie-"
"Who?"
"Oh-what Melanie will think, 1
was going to say. 1t slipped out. I
didn't mean to hurt your feelings at
all"
'Melanie-who is she?"
''Well-shc's u French lady. You
know, of course. Rosalys, that l thought
you were perhaps dead-and-so this
lady passes as Mrs Durrant."
Rosalys started.
I'm fact, l found her in the east, and
took pity upon her-that's all. Though
if it had happened that you had not
been living now l have got back, l
should have married her at once, of
course"
"Is-she, then, here with you at the
hotel?"
so mol wouldn't bring her on here
till knew how things were"
'"Then where is she?"
81 left her at my rooms in London.
o, it will be all right shall see her
safely back to Paris, and make little
provision for her. Nobody in England
knows anything of her existence"
"When-did you part from her?"
F"Well, of course, at breakfast time"
Rosalys bowed herself against the
doorway. "O-O-what have I done?'
What fool, what weak fool!'' she
moaned. "Go away from me-go away!'l
Jim was almost distressed when he
saw the distortion of her agonized face.
"Now, why should you take on like
this. There's nothing in it. People do
these things Living in prim society
here you don't know how the world
goes on!''
80, but to think it didn't occur to me
| that the sort of man.
| Jim, though anxious, seemed to
awaken to something humorous in the
situation, and vented a momentary
chuclzle. well. it is rather funny that
should have let it out. But still"
Don't make a deep wrong deeper by
cruel levity. Go away."
| you'll be in n better mood to-mor-
row, mark me; and then I'll tell You
all my history. There-Im gone! 1u
reror!"
He disappeared under the trees. Ro-
SAWS, rousing herself, closed the gate
! and fastened the door, and sat down in
one of the hall chairs. her teeth shut
| tight and her little hands clcnched.
When she had passed this mood, and
returned upstairs, she regarded the
| state of her room sadly, and bent again
over her writing-tabie, murmuring: 80
! aow weak how weak was IT,
| But in few minutes she found her
| self nerved to an unexpected and pas
| II
writing her letter to Lord Parkhurst
with great rapidity Sheet after sheet
! she filed, and, having read them over,
| she sealed up the letter and placed it
on the mantelpiece to be given to
! Groom and dispatched by hand as soon
| as the morning was a little further ad-
vanced.
! With cold feet and a burning head
| she flung herself upon the bed just as
| she was, and waited for the day with
out the power to sleep. When she had
lain nearly two hours, and the morning
had crcpt in. and she could hear from
the direction of the stables that the
men were astir. she rang for her maid,
and taking the letter in her hand stood
with it in an attitude of suspense as
the woman entered. The latter looked
full of intelligence.
.Are any of the men about" asked
Rosalys.
Yves ma'am. There have been
such an accident in the Meads this
,ast nipht-about half mile down the
rivcr-and Jones ran up from the
lodoe to call for help quite early; and
Benton and Peters went as soon as they
were dressed A gentleman drowned
--ves-it's Mr.. James Durrant-the son
of the Mr. Durrant who died some
wears ago. He came home only yester-
dav. after having been heard nothing
Of for wears and years. He left Mrs.
Durrant. who they say is French
lady. somewhere in London, but they
have telegraphed and found her, and
she's coming. They say she's quite
distracted The poor gentleman le1t
the Three Lions last night and went
ont to dinner, saying he would walk
home. as it was fine night and not
very far: and it is supposed he took the
old short cut across the moor where
there used to be path when he was
a lad at home. crossing the big river
bv a plank. There is only a rail now,
and he must have tried to get across
upon it, for it was broken in two ana
his body found in the water-weeds just
below"
lis he-dead?"
80 yes. They had great trouble to
get him ont The men have Just come
from carrying him to the hotel IL
will be sad for his poor wife when she
rets there"