Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-07-29
CHAPTER V

glft, but the talking was soon entirely on Humphreys side as they walked along. He told her of the latest move ments of the world of fashion-a sub- jeet which she would willingly have discussed to the exclusion of anything more personal-and his measured Ian guage helped to still her disquieted heart and brain. Had not her own sad ness been what it was she must have observed his embarrassment. At last he abruptly changed the subject.
 I am glad you are pleased with my little present, , he said "The truth Is that I brought 1t to propitiate 'ee and to get you to help me out of mighty difficulty"
 It was inconeeiyable to Phyllis that this independent bachelor-Whom she admired in some respects-could have q difficulty.
 Phyllis, I'll tell you my secret at once, for l have a monstrous secret to confde before can ask your counsel The case is, then, that I am married. Yes, have privately married dear young belle, and if you knew her, and I hope you will, you would say every thing in her praise But she is not quite the one that my father would have chosen for me-you know the paternal idea as well as land have kept it secret. There will be terrible TOW no doubt, but think that with your help I may get over it. If you would only do me this good turn-when have told my father, mean-say that you never could have married me, you know, or something of that sort-'pon my life it will help to smooth the way nightly. 1 am so anxious to win him round to my point of view and not to cause any estrangement. "
 What Phyllis replied she scarcely knew, or how she counseled him as to his unexpected situation. Yet the relief that his announcement brought her was perceptible To have confided her trou- ble in return was what her aching heart longed 60 do, and had Humphrey been a woman she would instantly have poured ont her tale. But to him she feared to confess, and there was Q real reason for silence till a sufficient time had elapsed to allow her lover and his eemrade to get out of harms way.
 As soon as she reached home again she sought solitary place and spent the time ill half regretting that she had not gone away and i'll dreaming over the meetings with Matthaus Tina from their beginning to their end. In his own country, among his own countrywomen, he would possibly soon forget her, even to her very name.
 Her listIessness was such that she did not go out of the house for several days. There came a morning which broke ill fog and mist, behind which the dawn could be discerned in greenish gray, and the outlines of the tents and the rows ot horses at the ropes The smoke from the canteen fires dropped heavily.
 The spot at the bottom of the garden where she had been accustomed to climb the wall to meet Matthaus was the only inch of English ground in which she took any interest, and in spite ot the disagreeable haze prevailing she walked out there tIll SllO lCuNiASt NAY known corner. Every blade of grass was weighted with little liquid globes, and slugs and snails had erept out upon the plots She could hear the usual faint noises from the camp, and in the other direction the trot of farmers on the road to Weymouth, for is was market day She observed that her frequent visits to this corner had quite trodden down the grass in the angle of the wall and lett marks of garden soil on the stepping stones by which she had mounted to LOOK over the top. Seldom having gone there till dusk, she had not considered that her traces might be visible by day. Fer hans it was these which had revealed her trysts to her father.
 While she paused in melancholy fe- gard she fancied that the customary sounds from the tents were changing their character. Indifferent as Phyllls was to camp doings now, she mounted by the steps to the old place. What she beheld at first awed and perolexed her-