The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1895-12-07

tiently.
Jane would never CONSENT he ejacu-
lated
Why need she ever know? Since the
matter has gone 50 far, why not carry it
out TO the end Z"
GU must do as you think best" he
said. III a shame-faced. undertone; Il
shall remain silent"
CHAPTER MIL
The fourteenth wedding day
had come. Mrs. Knox had insisted upon
me ceremony taking place at very
early hour, ostensibly to avoid the heat.
but IN reality to allow of the Colonel and
MS bride leaving the station before The
detachment could arrive But, early as
II was TO be, Jane was dressed an hour
TOO soon. and stood before the mirror In
the draWlng-room surveying herself with
pardonable pride in her appearance
Jane gazed on wistfulIy in the glass.
She was glad that she was 50 fair. that
even II she had no other dowry she could
III least bring her husband the gift Of
beauty. She prayed that in his eyes at
least she might never seem less lovabIe
and lovely, that he might never repent
having chosen her above all others 10
be his wife. And as she gazed. some one
came in through the open window. and
beside her glowing. smiling face in the
mirror was reflected the figure of Jacob
Lynn.
AT first thrill Of instructive terror ran
through her, as she met his fierce blue
eyes, and she shrunk away from the pas
sion expressed in his haggard face. But
the next moment truer feeling moved
her. and she was only conscious of a
great compassion for his sorrow.
why did YOU come, jacob" she asked.
her voice full of tender, womanlv com
miseration. as she turned toward him.
W ny did | Gomez" he returned with n
bitter laugh. Because | wanted To- see
with my own eyes whether Jane Knox
was rs false. as untrue rs they tell mel"
False, untrue" she echoed. palng.
Even |, with my unhappily suspicious
nature, never dreamed of this" he went
Oh. ruthlessly. Il thought You might
write and throw me over perhaps: but
how could | believe that you. whom
thought pnrer and more perfect than any
other in the world, either man or woman.
would steal a march upon me so. and 10
avoid Il disa greeahie explanation with
me, would get married in my absence
You need not have been afraid Of mo,
Jenny he added in softer tone.
Il afraid OF YOU. Why should | be?
You gave m" up-you returned my letter
torn in half without n word" she re-
turned.
II returned your letter, it is true?" he
answered, more quietly. But it was not
torn, and at the bottom of the page |
wrote my answer that ! could not give
you up. | wrote again--'
And | never had the letter."
at was your mother who did it. She
was always dead against me-" jacob
Lynn replied.
the clatter Of plates and glasses in the op-
postn room, where her mother-her moth
or who had deceived her So and brought
her TO this degradatioh-was putting the
finishing touches 10 the simple wedding
brca kfast
And 50 you were to have married our
Colonel Jenny. DO you remember how
long ago | thought you two We're court
ing: You denied it then, but after al
it came 10 pass. 1t is difficult to deceive
a lover, and You are so pretty. | could
not expect to keep you al to myself with
out a rival
Slowly her gaze wandered over him,
from his rakishly good-IoOkug face. with
its bright blue eyes and amber mustachc
to his tall figure towering above her
Acknowledging that he was handsomrr
and more soldier-likc than any one she
had ever known, Jane felt that she would
rather die than become his wife
II rode as hard a. | could gallon al
the way" he explained. 1T was only nj
the last camp We heard the news that
the Colonel was to be married to-day:
and then. when I heard who it was he
meant to marry, | understood why the
marriage had been kept 50 quiet | got
leave to come on At once. without telling
anyone my reasons for wishing to be here
and here | am
At this juncture Mrs Knox looked in
4: the door, which was half ajar.
The Sergeant, unconscious that they
had an on-lookcr, went on:
Il am glad that 1 managed to arrive
in time. Suppose | had come just as the
marriage was over, what dreadful
blow il would have been
Still the girl did not answer. She
wanted him to say straight out what he
expected Of her; then she could better
realize the extent Of her misfortune.
Yet | am not fit to come in here. all
hot and dusty, and You looking 50 dainty.
like an angel Jenny timidly touching
a fold Of her white -own-''will YOU wear
such pretty things for me-"
Give me time to think. she pleaded
In any case there Will be no wedding
to-day. and YOU can come again"
And with this promise he was salts
fed. and left her
II seemed hours to her; but in reality
only twenty minutes elapsed from the
time that she saw her father ride away
10 the time he came back with Colonel
PriuSep. Then she heard the latter tell
her father not To follow, and a second
later he STROBE in alone to where she was
waiting for him. She went toward him
with q little cry OF relief. and laid her
head upon his breast For awhile She
rested there. content To be folded in his
arms and comforted by his very prox-
unity, though the next moment she
should he constrained to leave his side
forever. At last she poured ont all her
story-how her mother had deceived
them both in making them believe that
Jacob Lynn had given her up-how IN,
had come back an hour before and claim
ed her still
When she ended her recital, stephen
Prinsep made no comment; and looking
MP anNiously TO discover what he thought.
Jane saw in his face an a!l-pervading
sadness that was indicative of neither
horror nor surprise. Could il be possible
that this was no new story to him? \
terrible suspicion crossed her mind that
he must have been cognzant of the plot
10 deceive her from the first
You knew it before. Stephen-befor
to-day" She cried, in q tone Of convic-
ton.
And he did not attempt a self-defense.
His only mode OF justification was ny
shielding himself behind her mother, and
that was 3 meanuess 10 which he could
not descend. Rather than that she must
believe the very worst.
Jenny, is your love for me all gomez
he asked her earnestly. and the sudden
flash that crimSoued the fair young face
was a sufficient answer 10 the question.
For better. for worse. she had given him
her heart, and had no power TO repos-
sos herself 81 Tho r-iIfi,sr .-,E .1|J---