The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-01-16

Cd. and Che great hotels, looming with
grim majesty ont az the darkness, clos.
cd and suffered.
Ala o'clock tete-a-tete on the beach
oh, tho shame of 1.-THE singing
scandal for her dearest friends 10 revei
LII, liz il ever came TO their earsl The
clock must be wrong, she urged piteous-
II, thinking of the ttlittle half hour
her conscience had been stified into
granting, but a glance at the ieweled
bauble ON her chatelaine by the light OF
. gpluttering fusee confirmed her worst
fears and the integrity of the maligned
timekeeper.
There was no time Co lose. She turn.
ed impatiently toward the town, and
her companion, following with moro
speed han dignity, was wise enough to
attempt no renewal of their perilous
conversation. Through the streets she
ran, breathlessly, to the surprise of the
solitary policeman and sundry feline
wanderers who scuttled noiselessly ont
Of her path. How she longed to be hid
den safely in the corner of her comfort
able carriage, moving drowsily home
ward after some Cinderellal But sea-
side festivities were nearly over, and
there was no excuse for her tardy arriv-
al. She held her head down, fearful Of
being seen on foot in such haste, and
with her attractive companion, whose
sensibility would have been sorely hurt
at the eagerness with which she dis
missed him when the house came in
sight, had he not felt alarmed for his
own reputation as well as the safe GUS
tody of his uncongenial wife's fortune,
and with a hurried wish that all would
be well walked away with am air of re-
lief ere she reached the doorstep.
She rang the bell with a miserable
sensation Of being deserted in her hour
Of need, and Q s~huddering fear crept
over her as she waited outside the house
that looked darkly inhospitabIe with its
fastened shutters and massive door. A
boisterous wind sprang NJ making her
shiver in spite of her warm cloak.
Clouds chased each other across the fair,
round moon. She knocked and rang
again impatiently.
No sound of welcome admission to
warmth and light, only the faint echo
OF her friends footsteps already in the
distance. With the cratic logic of a
spoiled and petted woman who had new
OF seen the contrary side of the world
she blamed him for not having waited
even remotely-until he saw her safe
~ indoors, wondering, IN helpless anger,
that she had ever turned to him for
sympathy.
A loud rat-a-tat, and then another,
rather timid this time, for the closed
door and ~retreating fgurehadgrown hid
eous with awful meaning. What IL her
husband had discovered the secret meet
ing and shut her out ~foreverl She knew
men did such things ON the spur of the
moment, and i'm this case there had been
along and sullen estrangement to justify
any conclusion he might p~ardonably
come to. The thought became more ter
rible every instant as she knocked and
rang frantically without result.
The church clock struck the half
hour, a long, melancholy chime.
Trembling from head o foot, she lean.
ed against the ratings, her eyes heavy
with despair. Where should she 90?
What should she do? The suspicious
questioning of her friends, the astonished
scrutiny of the townspeople, were equal
~ difficult TO face. Like q vision the
awful future flashed through her be-
wildered brain. She saw herself exiled
the streets, a f~orlorn, wretched wom-
an, forsaken by the man she despised in
her real trouble, yearning to make
amends for her past blindness and faint
ly imploring an inexorable fate at the
steadfast door OF the life she should
know no longer.
Barred Quit Oh, Godl Barred out!
In undreamed of agony she pictured
her husbands stern orders and the gos-
in the servants hall. Then, hardly
knowing what she did and choking
with desperate sobs, she turned toward
home that had become SO dear, beat !
ing wildly at the door panels with her
fists and crying aloud like a /.
frightened child:
LET me in! Oh, do let me inr'
Are you mad?" said suddenly d
calm, we'll known voice at her side.
THE maids are on the top floor at the 9
back of the house, and nothing short of :
an earthquake would rouse James. III 8
We're not careful to take my latchkey
when ] go to the club, he would present
with the key of the street. And why
You order the carriage to fetch
orr
He broke off suddenly. The ponderous
door stood open, and he waited for her
TO pass in, but with a quick glance at her
white face and closed eyes caught her
tenderly in his arms as she fell insensi
Die across the threshold. Gently as q
woman he loosened the heavy cloak and
1ook off the little bonnet, disentangling 4
Il from her soft, golden hair with dex-
5erous fingers. Then, probably from a
ignorance of the principles
of first aid, he bent down and kissed the
'weet, tear stained face that rested
peacefully near his heart.
And the wife, coming slowly back to
. new life of perfect love and trust
through the shadow of her former folly. i