The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-01-09


ways liked TO hear her singing; il re-
minded him of one of the women whom
he bad nearly married-an ideal that
had never been destroyed. Hopetoun
loved TO hear her too, for her voice said
much TO him that she never yet trusted
herself TO speak. When he reflected
that his possession of her hung upon
another woman's word, his impotence
TO affect his own destiny frenzied him.
Inactivity is the hardest thing for
man to bear, and that was what Arnold
IIopetoun was condemned TO. He was
like spectator of a game of cards, who
Is also the stake for which the game is
played. His deepest interests were in
yolyed, and yet he could only watch.
He landed at the Euston platform at
something past five on the following
afternoon, and drove, as on the previous
lay, straight to the Hampstead house.
Mrs. Carstairs-they are IMP"
mo, sir, they are not coming to-day"
"What?" he exclaimed, angrily. do
you mean 10 say their return is post
poned againT'
"Yes, sir. They have not come back
Hopetoun stared at the little servants
racuous face with resentment.
"And when," he inquired, will they
'ye back?"
81 can't say, sir. Would you leave any
nessageg
"No." he said; "no. never mind-I
will write
He turned away in n villainous tenn
Der. This meant he must remain in
.own indefinitely; to run back to Deer
,ourt second time would be too absurd.
Ie said as much in the wire he sent
,eain from the Swiss cottage.
lie told the man to drive him to his
.lub, where he ordered a outlet and n
pint of ciaret, and made pretense OF
dining.
The club was even more tedious than
before. He threw himself into an arm
chair and smoked disconsolately.
AT length, on the principle of any
change being better than none, he got
up and walked home.
1t was half-past IL. He mounted
heavily to his rooms, trying to persuade
himself that he was sleepy at last.
They were in darkness, and he barked
his shins against the furniture, cropping
for the matches.
Presently he found box and lit the
lamp. A final smoke, and then he would
really WOO the elusive god! He drew
forward the tobacco and pipe and
stretched his long legs wearily on the
shabby couch.
After he had flung himself there and
the tobacco was finally aglow he per-
ceived that there were some letters ly-
ing on the mantelpiece. and he debated
mentally whether it was worth while
rising to get them.
Ha! one was from Bella, bearing the
Morecombe postmark! Doubtless he
would know definitely now when she
was bringing her visit TO an end. lie
tore il open, and, drawing n chair up to
| the lamp, commenced to read.
What was this? How shockngly she
always wrote
DEAR ARNOLD: Between us two a per-
| feet frankness has subsisted from first To
last. and feel certain that you are much
| too fair. much too intelligent. to read
| what have to say with any resentment,
| or TO doubt that the avowal causes me The
| greatest distress
c'This," said Hopetoun, inwardly,
sounds like The Complete Letter
| Writer But / wish she'd had it typed
Il can't make it out!")
~ duty is a duty. and cannot shirk
| mine! Arnold, / have awakened to the
truth, for since have been here i have
met one who has shown me that I mis-
| took my own heart" C'Good Lord!'
| gasped her correspondenO-"Mi "MistoolS my
| own heart when J pledged myself to be
| your wife. Loving him as 1 do,
| should be acting wrong to you were I To
| fulfill that misguided promise now. I
| cannot! I cannot deal you a worse misery
than this which you have TO bear TO day
| l cannot accept your marital devotion"--
| {" Marital misspeltl' said Hopetoun)
devotion and give you so poor thing ss
that which remains In my power In ex-
change. DO not ask II of me-" ('Iwcn't,"