Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1896-04-02
CHAPTER Continued.
husband and Wife.

tinU no excuse Oh lHe tllihe Will WHICH
no charged her. She sat silent for sew.
or,l minutes, with her head turned
away. until he spoke again,
81 am willing 10 believe" he said
calmly. that that period OF hate and
anger has passed by. ! am not at all
AFRAID that you will try again to at.
+en,nt my life You are a clever
woman and you know that ii would be
foolish to try such thing second
time. ! am not afraid of you. And
have come here on purpose to ask you
IN share my house with me once more.
She turned her still CHASTITY face
upon him.
Il cannot think" she said, why, after
all that, you should want me back,
You are still my wife," he said
Something in the words seemed 10
soften her. Her eyes filled with tears.
you said deliberate treachery just
1ow she murmuTed. cat least 1t was
not altogether that. 1t was a moment
Of wild, unbridled passion when | Of
fered YOU that deadly drink-and |
was heartily glad that you recovered
from its effects
AS | have said, | am quite willing
to believe it. And perhaps" with an
odd smile-''the world would say that
We were quits, for | had wounded you
before accidentally"
You have been generally credited
With wounding me purposely," said
Yenetia.
Yes. a word from You would have
cleared my character OIL that sore, but
you never spoke that word"
ut was the only way l had of pun
ishing you for your enmity to my peo-
ple"
Had YOU not punished me enough?"
said Roger, bitterly Il should say
that YOU have done your best to make
life hell for me ever since. To es-
cape from gossip and idle curiosity |
went abroad | have had no home, no
pleasant domestic life for the last
twelve years. | was separated from
my boy and when | return and try to
make friends with him you ALLEVIATE
his affections from me- poison his
mind, do your best to ruin my reputa-
tion in the eyes Of the world?"
You want people to know that we
are respectable, as they call it. And
"ou want Lance back. Does it strike
you that YOU have not said that you
want me?"
q have said | wanted my wife"
Yes, but not because you care for
her OF course, under the circum-
stances, that would be impossible.
ONLY because her absence damages
your position. Some woman has been
talking to you about it; who is she?"
The question came with the rapidity
Of a lightning flash. Col. Vanbrugh
drew up his head stifily.
That is folly yenetia."
ooh. no. it is not. Some woman has
been advising you, telling you that you
ought to live with your wife, and so on,
understand. Is she pretty? ! see
YOU won't answer, so won't trouble
you with questions, but I shall find out
one Of these days No, Roger, I will
not come back to live with you. | will
not bet Lancelot 60 back either.
have not forgiven you and I do not
mean to forgive. I loved my brother
Leon and my countrymen more dearly
than ever 7 loved you"
That also have known said Col.
Vanbrueh.
y may forgive You when | am dy-
ing ! may even ask you to forgive me
cannot tell. The priests say that
we must forgive upon our deathbeds
or We cannot hope to be forgiven. Let
vs. wait till then It may not be very
Jar away"
Venst - said her husband, in plain
words what have you to forgive? II
seems to me that have far more to
pardon than Yourself"
You hated my people" she an
swercd You would not let me help
N al Ven suspected them and me Of
Utong-doing Yon spied upon me; You
brought the police npon my brothers
b Indirectly. II not directly, you
caused his death Have 7 not enough
'rgive2"
strange. wild Eight glittered in her
h'He greer eyes. For the first time
Roger vanbrugh wondered to himself
whether or no his wife was absolutely
But there remained nothing
nora p be said. and he rose from his
air
havc"
Aad hoped that we should have
'aana a better way Of arranging mat
ts
Thn you were foolish" she an
red colby. FOR we could never
cgcther in reace. Our DISPOSE
Re absolutely incompatible"
Il seems. said Roger, with a
Well, | shall 90 abroad again
ampt .o make home for myself
.0 ION has failed. If ever YOU
to wy me You will have to send
me ! will keep you informed from
70 time Of places where may be
onH
Aa5 he went away with even a
heart than that which he had
44ht with him D1lf Nenetia threw