Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1895-06-07
)Fl0In Sin to COntritIIon
Lucy Varrilglam's Sacrifice.
The Story Of a HaSty Marriage and
Its Tragic Sequel.
BY ERNST BRUNCKEN,
Author of ''The Biblionlant1c's Crime,
"a Terrible Secret, )" etc., etc.
IHAPIEN AIAAs
RALPH YARRINGHAM's DECISION.

@Tbe hour of decision has come"
lRalph said to himself, when he had re-
ceiyed the news of his mothers death
and the stipu' atons Of her will.
But still he feared that decision.
Fetrayed tormented, humiliated, dis
eraced. as he felt himself to be by his
wife, still his love for her was alive.
But the decision meant that he should
lose her forever.
His life itself would go with her, he
thought
He would not act hastily. Clear, un"
den able proof he must have of her guilt
Then he would act.
What became of her he cared not.
She might drag on her miserable, dishOn-
orcd existence if she liked.
But her partner in guilt must die!
And then-then--
He dared not think out the idea that
suggested itsof
Yes, he would think 1t out. Should
he heap the diSgace of cOwardicc upon
the other dishonors with which he had
been covered?
After he had killed Couns Won Hohen'
fels he would die himself!
What awaited life for one like him
one who had thrown away all he mad
position, fortune, family, the love OF
mother--for what he imag ned the pct
ure of deity, only to discover at last
that his idol, instead of soaring in Olym'
pus, was wallowirg in the mire.
What could he do but die?
Then he considered whether he should
tell his wife of the will at once, or
whether he should wait until the last
fateful interview.
Here was another wound that added
torment to his lacerated heart.
He was not without guilt himself. He
also had lied to her, although it would
have been a small matter to one who
rea ly loved him.
But she loved him not Should he al
low her to stand before him with a re-
proach on her lip, q reprOach to which
he could make no answer?
No. he would give her no advantage
over him. Before sh3 could utter a
word of reproach he would crush her
with the proof of her t. eachery
Toward discovering such proof ne
bent all tho energies of his will and
every resorce of his ingenuity. He even
stopped to spying upon the secret a Us
of his sus) ected wife He would watcn
her from behind tuft of shrubbery,
when she was walking or sitting In the
garden. He even bribcd walters and
chambcrmaids to report to him what MS
wife was doing in his absence, and eS
pecialy whether she saw the Count.
At times he became conscious how
mean and despicab'c part he was act
ing. Then he would laugh hoarSely anC
muttcr to himself:
"What matters it! One who has heddeC
himself in the mile must not expect u
rise with spOtleSS linen!"
Poor Ralph!
The thundcrc oud on the horror
darkencd. but still the storm would no
burst forth.
Notwithstanding her all-consumin;
passion Lucy still preserved prudence
enough not 20 commit TOO nagrahC al
indis retion She had not yet seen he
lover alone a single time, and conse
ouently Palph's enGcavorS to find tht
proof of her infidelity were idle. BE
sides. Count Won Hohcnfels was, if not
cold, at all events cautious lover, an'
not very anxious to come into direct col
lision with the offended husband. ii
truth, the who'e affair had nara.
touched his heart but was mercy 0olt
and frivolous game.
Ralph might. indeed, have made a.
end of all Irritation between his wife ant
Hohenfels by simply leaving the pace
The Count would hardly have followed
them
But he would not think OF such
thing. Could a mere separation iron
the object of her criminal love restor'
her again to her former place in nj
heapt? Could such a separation give hin
back his peace OF mind?
Never! Anges, once fallen, foreVe
belong to the abyss. Love, once drlve
ont. will never return into the desolat
heart ~,
The cloud hung on the horizon. Th
hour would come when the tempes
would break loose, with dire deStructlo
in its train.
It was mere accident that led Mrs
Warringham and the yong diplomats
into a situat on which the impassione
woman longed for, yet dreaded.
It was in the last days of September
Manv of the summer residents in tn
little city of Eisenach had already LEI
for home. Many Cthers were still lingel
ing. for the days were warm and mellow
Dr. Warringham and his wife saw yer
little of each other now In fact, the
never met except at the table The
tbey treated each other with studiet
cold poiteness that did not fail to attraC
the attention of the host of GOSSIP
whose stamping ground every waterin
place is.
The gcssips knew very interestin
story of the Doctor, his wife and tn
Count.
The beautiful American lady, it we
said. had been forced by cruel pare1
to mary the Doctor, who was fabulou
" rich But her heart belonged to I'll
voung German dip omat, whose acquain
ance she had made in the palace OF u
president of the United States
Everybody pitied the cruel fatc OF u
rcantifuI young lady, and pronounce
her husband monster.
The goSsips knew IL ALL an ye
The world always does
Ralph had made q number OF q
cuajntan es among the gentlemen, oo
Of the summer colony and the tow
With these he rode on horseback unae
took extended pedestrian excursions SSd ~ ,
the mountains, and did whatever else
hi