The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1896-05-12

Then you don't believe it?" she said
slowly.
believe it! My God, what a ques-
ton from You to me! My queen, my
saint! AS if I'd believe all the world
against you - he broke ont, passionate
ly. I've been a bad lot myself, but do
you think l don't know a good woman
when I find one ?"
you'd believe me against all the
world" she echoed, "but if I joined the
world agains> myself what would you
bell w them"
II don't know what You mean. Don't
jest on such a subject, and, trust me,
I'll make the oma who wrote those
hes smart for it. -.
But they are not lies" said Lillian
Stanhope slowly. 1t is the simple
truth"
He looked at her in utter bewilder-
ment. What did she mean? What was
she talking Of? Was she out of her mind:
You don't seem to understand" she
said quietly. Every word in that let
ter is true
l. tiNA AoS ~ ohy pLb Sll11 JUN
gazing at her. She had crossed over to
the mantelpiece and stood with one ell
bow resting Oh it, her face turned to-
ward him. The sleeve of her morning
wrapper had slipped down, and he could
see the curve Of her round, white arm.
Perhaps he would still have believed her
if she had not suddenly smiled such a
emilia NC ha h,I raror IroaY$ 80 ~ lo~
face.
He did not know what he said-per-
haps he only made some i~narticulate
cry-but he sank into q chair and hid his
face in his hands from that look.
Neither of them spoke. 1t seemed to
him that minutes were merging into
eternity. The ticking of the clock on the
mantelpiece was like the strokes of a
hammer on his brain. His heart seemed
shrinking under the touch of redhot
iron.
Lillian vile! Oh, it was incredible,
impossible, some hideous dream!
He raised his head again to look at
her. Surely a lifetime had passed since
that smile, and yet the clock had only
marked three minutes
II am glad you know, " said his wife.
II was so tired Of pretending to be
good" And she stretched her arms as
n laying down a heavy burden. II
wonder you have never guessed it be-
fore"
Guessed it! IL reverenced you too
much to insult you by a thought"
"You mean virtue was my role, and
it vas for you to play sinner. Oh, you
were too egotistical. You wanted always
to play lead"
"Oh, what did it matter how much I
sinned? I was new good. But you!
You have been a saint in heaven to me. "
"No woman is ver a saint, and, re-
member, I have been your wife five
years. I was good once, but your love
has been a liberal education for me-.
Her whole bearing seemed altered.
The sweet sadness of the mouth had
changed to mockery; her voice rang
clear and hard. Every word struck home
to his soul as nothing had ever done in
the course of his gay, successful life.
"Then I have damned you and my
SELF" he said hoarsely.
Don't talk so primitively. We have
been educated out Of all that now" she
answered. There are hundreds Of
husbands and wives in our own case"
"But this man-Dacre"-he brought
out the words as if they burned his lips.
"You-you cant love him?"
She shrugged her shoulders ,carelessly.
Love? What does it mean? He was
sufficiently amusing. Did you love
Lady Fancourt, Miss Bellair and-but
~why>extend the listT"
II? That is quite another thing. A
man. But he stopped short under the
scorn of her eyes.
What will you do? You can't di.
vorce me. You could never appear in
court with such a record as yours" she
went on. II don't see, myself, why this
should make, any difference to us. We
know the truth about each other now
and can be mutually oomplacent."
The vileness of such words ON her lips
was unbearable to him. BE sprang ur
and caught her by both arms, studying
every line of her face with savage inten-
sity.
Are you going to kill me?" she said,
shrinking a little. II did not take your
confessions SO tragically."
II can't believe it. = can't understand
it," he muttered. "You, who were
worlds above me, to have sunk SO much
beneath mel"
II think we r on q level footing
now" she retorted. "Our sin is Of the
same quality"
But I know myself for the black
guard I am, and you-oh, Lillian, don't
you realize what it is for your"
She shook her head slightly. A sud-
den hatred Of him had sprung up in her,
and instinctively she knew that nothing
she could do OF say would wiring his
heart as did her callous bearing.
He looked at her for an instant with
despairing eyes and then caught her tc
| him as il he would kiss her, but re.
coiled. and, loosing her, dashed roughly
| from the room.-St. Paul's.
Seems 20 He . Long Lived Set.