Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1896-07-09
R5sr Vanbrueh's Wife. !;
BY ADElINE SERGEANT 4
BY ADEl.INE SERGEANT.
lContlnued.l

timidly. :.
He made no answer for minute OF
two. then he broke out with passion
ate note OF self-defense In ms VOICE
which struck sort Of dismay 70 Fran
ces' heart. ,a 7
"Wby should / go? Why should |
trouble myself? She has poisoned my
life for years why should ! seek hef
IOw?"
,sbe is your wife, said Frances.
He laughed bitterly. Such wiLe az
abe has been! Cold, unloying, sus-
nieloug of me and mine--not dlsioyal
in the worst sense, but disloyal as iar
as faith in me was concerned. she mas
alienated me from my friends, taken
NV son from me caused me to go into
exile. robbed me OF all my JOY III ne
do you think II Is natural Tor me 70
hasten to her side when she conde-
sends to ask me-"
He spoke SO fiercely that she recoileo.
81 thought you loved her she said III
a low voice. but with courage that
amazed herself. :,
"You are right, ! did love her once.
"And she is ill--very ILL., You coui
not refuse to 10 to her when she sehus
for you at such a time
81 have had messages before ana
found nothing really amiss
Messages from LancelotT she askea
quickly
mo" almost reluctantly Not from
Lancelot-- from old Josef her servant.
He was very fond OF sending for me
once"
Before Lancelot went there? 1t is
a different thing, Lancelot's sending,
is It not?'
Il suppose SO, he said heavily
Yes, different thing
and you must go?'
He sighed and stood looking at her,
But the anger had died out OF his
face.
Il don't know why | said all this
to you" he said, at last, you are too
young 10 hear Of troubles like mine.
| do not often speak Of them.
"You said once that | was your
friend. said Lady Frances, tremulous-
ly. You could not make better use
of your friend than by letting her share
some of your troubles. could your
1T Is very kind Of you 70 say so,
he answered in calmer tone Then
you tell me to go?"
surely, she said, with fash of
her great eyes, YOU do not need tell
ing
Col yanbrugh took the snub very
quietly Perhaps he felt that he de-
served it,
"Good-by. Lady Frances | will
catch the next train,
You are not angry with me for
what | said? oh, please don't be
angry ] was impertinent to speak in
that way
Indeed, YOU We're not, he said,
warmly, You are perfectly right and
l was wrong II was but a momentary
impulse to rebel My place is with my
wife when she is weak and Ill and
sends for me-
Frances looked up into his dark face
with something of usefulness
And II she has injured you YOU
viii forgive" She whispered
Her hand had been given to him in
token OF farewell lie held It still
aud laid his left hand across it, as he
replied.
q will forgive"
Then ne left her and went toward
the house
Little Lady Frances. as her friends
still called her, stood quite still for
few minutes and then went up to an
old gray sun-dial and spent some time
in apparently examining Il But when
sue left il the face at the dial was
marked by vet spot that had not
been there before
Col Nanbrugh accepted Lady Ste
venage's ofer of dog-eart to the sta
ton and also sent At once a telegram
to his son. Il am coming For
Lancelot this intimation would be SUI
hcient. he hoped that It would BE suf-
tlcient for his Wife,
II NuHlN lOL NC - Ut ~ SHY hHit TX
had ceased to love her. The yiu love
was there. but Il aehed like an old
wound He had been very patient and
Veneua had tried his patience sorely
lie had gone through long succession
of varying forms of pain, his pride hits
temper his paternal love, had ,tl hcen
wounded again and again by Neuetias
refusal 10 trust him her determined
belief that his motives were all evil
II had sometimes seemed to him MS Il
another power had heen at work upon
her mind AS II all her thoughts oi
him were poisoned Y some other sug-
gestons I'M II some one perpetually
poured evil thoughts 81 him into her
ear. But he HAD never been able te
make up his mind as TO whether that
other person existed Or who 1t might
possibly ~
lie had some reason to think little
III limitations ~ illness TIL former
times Josef NAN summoned him again
and again, PERHAPS In order 10 give tire