The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-04-21

Ellis never forgot how the evening of his
last call, when his card came up to her
she remembered that Mrs. Daunton was
searching at that moment for a book in
the library back of the par1or She noted
that Helen did not come at once away,
as had been her won't She fingered
few minutes over the last touches to her
toilet, for, even though she was distrust-
full, jealous of her lover. she was woman
enough to loose no chain that bound
him. Her heart was fiuttering and her
face was pale as she stepped into her
mothers room and bent to kiss her fore
head, and Mrs. Farrar looked at her
Wistfully, as though half ready to plead
for the honest fellow she had grown to
trust and honor. From Mrs. Daunton
Ellis had wrung the admission that,
some years ago, she had met and known
Mr.. Ormsby. From Jack Ormsby she
Mrs. Daunton in his life, and
her heart was filled with mis-
giving as she went swiftly down
the stairs. turned sharply at the
library door. Just as she expected.
there, peeping through the heavy
meshes Of the portiere, invisible to any
one in the parlor. yet able to study its
occupants at will: there, clutchlng the
siiken folds in her beautiful white hands.
with a face pallid and quivering with
emotion, with great tears trickling down
her cheeks; there, deaf to her coming,
stood Helen Daunton, gazing speIlbound
at the man who had dared to approach
her-Eliis Farrar--in the guise of
lover.
And Jack OTqnsby had vowed that
never until he met her had he known
what it was to love woman. vowed
that his heart had been all her own ever
since the winter of. her fathers death,
ever since the bitter day he had to break
to her the dreadful news, and yet. here
before her eyes. was evidence that this
woman could look upon him only In un-
Controllable emotion. What folly to talk
to her of never having seen Helen Daun-
ton before And even then an idea
flashed upon her. Under some other
name he mus. have known her, and,
though he might deny the name, ne
could not deny the woman. jealous,
doubly jealous, she sought to bring them
face TO face. and, entering the library
quickly, turned the electric light and
would have opened the portiere ana
babe him come to her there, put Heieh
Daunton turned and fed. All Ellis
could afterward extort from her was
that in her unhappy past Jack Ormsby
had befriended her-stood Dy Her IN the
sorest need, and she would be grate1ul
to him to her dying day.
and yet" said Ellis. ever doubtful
and suspicious, ..you refused to see him,
you shrank from him, you would not
meet him. But to this there was no
reply.
EdL iti5 1T was 1liIiS0s y le1N'e ~e-AA
fore he went abroad. And now. with
Christmas near at hand, and her Jeal-
ousy ever wrestling with her better ma
ture, and the respect, even the regard
she felt growing within her Tor this rove
ly woman who was SO devoted to her
mother Ellis Farrar knew not what to
think or say when she noted the uner-
ring signs of Macolrn Leales growing
love and of the evident pleasure, despite
all her gentle reserve, the woman Ieit IN
his society
Even to Helen then the coming Christ
mas tide was bringing that when
women prize and welcome Only Ellis
in all the busy garrison found no COM
fort in the happy season. for the lover
she longed and longed to see was by her
own act banished from her life,
Day after day, as December wore on.
and she noted the faint color that had
come back to her mothers. face. and
even at this altitude, so Tar up toward
the heights Of the Rockies, her mothers
heart gave no symptoms or distress,
Ellis grew thankful for their coming.
even when she heard that Orrnshy had
at last returned and was again IN New
York. Dav by day, as she watched
Mrs. Daunton, all her old fears and
fancies seemed shamed to silence So
gentle, so pure hearted. so full of grace
and loving Kindness she seemed. Some
times it was even on Ellia's lips to
speak an irnpetuous appeal, to throw her.
self on Helen's mercy. proclaim the In
justice, the cruelty Of her jealousy ana
her suspicious. but TO fmplore her to tell