The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-06-30


''You must not be unhappy. Why need
you be, when love you so dearly.
do you really? IL can't believe
It," she protested, without the least
touch of coquetry. Rollo's earnestness
impressed and awed her. The thought
that 1t was wrong did not come into
her shallow little head. More kisses
and assurances of devotion followed.
Leora thought ii very delightful, yet
she doubted. "You will get tired OF
me- Men always talk like that, at
first" and she began to cry. Rollo
repeated his panacea for tears, and
vowed again and again to be true to
her.
But why detail the rest Of the con-
versatlon? The final result was as un-
expected to them as to us. who are
watching and criticising them. At
least, that is what they both declared
afterward! That "afterward!" That,
is a rart of the way which is so hard
for transgressors!
In the meantime our serpent crawled
away with a well-satisfled grin on his
countenance Qf a serpent can be said
to have a countenance). But neither
Rollo nor Leora thought of this in the
intoxication of their joy. AS for Leora,
she was soon packing her trunk (even
at such a crisis she could not find 1t in
her heart to leave her finery behind),
and getting into a fashionable travel
ing gown and telling the servant girl
that she had been called away for a
week or so to see q sick friend. And
Nora might get her brother Mike, the
stable boy, to stay with her until Mr..
Hungerford returned. Yes, Mr.. Bently
-. 4 h.. .fs,f "
Mike took the trunk on wheelbarrow,
but came back in the buggy-alone.
AN sure Mister Bently said. he was
to wait for the train. More like he'll
be afther goin' too" he said to his
sister.
"Hould yer tongue! What is it you do
be sayin of the mishtress?" cried No
ra sharply. Yet all the same, she sus-
pected the true state of affairs And
the next morning retailed her suspic-
ions to the nearest neighbor: who in
turn, mentioned 1t to the next and so
on, until the whole of Corinth were
soon in possession of the main facts,
as well as of much that was imagn-
airy.
The main facts only were impaired
to Mr.. Hungerford on his return. AS
for the fleeing sinners, nothing was
heard from them. They seemed to
have dropped into the earth.
Mrs. Bently's return preceded that
of Mr.. Hungerford. She wondered
why her house was still and shut; as
she had wondered at not hearing from
her husband. And there was no hus-
band there to greet her Doubtless he
had been called away on business. But
to all her inquiries, the neighbors only
returned evasive answers; on stated
that-they had heard some one say
that-they guessed Mr.. Bantly was out
of town! Where he had gone no one
seemed to know He had told some
one that he would be back in week
or So" But everything was so hazy
and uncertain. Baftled, but too proud
to confess her fears to the gaze of the
curious, she waited with uniformed mis-
givings, which she dared not look in
the face. The Hungerfords were both
absent also; and when Nora said that
she expected them back in a few
days" Sara misunderstood and sup
posed that they had gone away to-
gether. And this thought lifted a
nameless weight from her heart. Nora
had lacked the courage to tell her
what the whole town suspected. No.
Nora Some bolder spirits made the
attempt, but confronted by that pale
wife with the scrrowful, brown eyes,
! they weakly broke down and said in
stead, that "Mr. Bently would surely
write. Either he or a letter will come
soon" And the loyal wife answered,
hiding her fears. ''Oh yes, he will
come soon. Perhaps there will be a
letter tonight. And then they went
away and reported that Mrs. Bently
their heads pityingly, and some smiled
And Others went to see her, to see ii
1t was true!
Dey followed day; and night fol-
lowed night. And every night Sara
promised her two little children, as she
undressed them. that-"papa will come
tomorrow" think If Rollo could have
heard her, ortEem, he would have felt
that his punishment was greater than
/ he could bearl
Her pillow was tear-wet and sleep
less. She did not fear an accident sc
much; although she did think of it,
She could not dispossess herself of the
premonition Of worse trouble. And
then she took herself to task for he.
suspicious when Rollo might be inno-
cent. 1t was left for Mr.. Hungerford
to enlighten her. The men of Corinth
were not so reticent as the women and
they had frankly told him what they
knew. Noras story corroborated il
y all.
He became satisfied at length that
the truth was simply that Rollo and
. his wife had gone off together. But