Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1897-08-06

said. instead of friend. You won your
way Aither by false pretenscs, and you
have for all these months worked and
schemed for but one end. You appear to
forget that in questioning my wife's honor
you also question mine, and know per-
fectly well how to preserve that. think"
he went on hOtly, "it is unnecessary to say
any more. You will make your arrange
ments to leave my house this evening, and
you will receive your salary UP to date, or,
II you insist upon it, for the quarter due
in place of the usual notice."
She drew herself up; the color came
slowly back to her face.
As lady," she said, II repudiate any
| such course. don't want your money,
And permit me to tell you that you have
no proof that wrote that letter, no right
to accuse me of doing so. If choose. I
can make you prove your assertion, and
drag your own and Your wife's name
through the mire of worse scandal than
You suspect"
II think" he said calmly, "you may
do your worst. But as l do not care to
listen to threats, allow me to conclude this
interview. You will leave here tonight y
He opened the door, She turned away,
flashing one viperish, malignant glance
at me.
Your time is coming, my lady," she
said. Your lover will cost you as dear
as he has cost others, brave it how you
may
White as death. painting like a hunted
hare, sank back in my seat, my eyes
turned in faint appeal to Sir Raiph's face.
He came and stood short distance
from me; but ! slYddered as met that
stern, rebuking look.
Il have done this" he said, "for your
sake; but do not fancy am deceived.
A hundred things have sprung to light and
recollection. Had you been honest with
me from the first, l would never have
married you. l thought you came to me
heart-whole. and all the timc-all these
years-it has been lic--a lie you have
acted more or less indifferently. l loved
you SO, and not oncc-not ouce-have YOU
been my wife in heart. DO not speak,
as uttered some faint disclaimer. "For
heavens sake. do not pcrjure yourself
more! have tried To believe in YOU, even
through all this last most miserable year
but from to-day it seems impossible. 1t is
no longer Il thing l know and hold to my.
self; it has passed into the keeping OF
Others
"lndeed," l said, weeping. ''you wrong
me! 1t is hard to visit Il g1lish error up
on me now. have done my duty to yor
in every sense of the word. Long, long
ago l repented that folly"
'lou may have repented it," he said
stcrny, but that did not prevent youl
indulging in it still. Your bushes. you
agitation, your very looks and health, III
speak to me now as so many proofs o1
what have been blind to so long"
, why do You blame me?" cried. in mo
mentary Indignation at his injustice
why, if You suspected all this. did yo,
1 throw us tosether-invite him here, max,
it $3.50 much harder? And why don
| you speak to him? 1t is not fair to In.
the blame on my shoulders. 1t is'--breall
ing down again with childish sob-"it i
too much for me to bear"
/, would you have me put my shame int
| words:' he asked passionately. "NlaA
$ myself the butt of his ridicule: Do yo
/ know me so little, that you ask it: Goo
heaven, don't YOU know-can't YOU fee
! there are things that ii man were t
: speak of, he could not live by his wife
: side another hour! Could be guilty o
g the dishonor of limiting to your-yol
b lover-that l know him to be so unlcs
t proof and confirmation were at hand!
o and that" turning away, with short. bi
n ter laugh. that you have managed t
t hide very skilfully.''
4 His words stung me to the quicl
Fierce. wrathful. desperate. rose to m
$ feet, and said such words as even to m
g own ears sounded terrible.
d had broken down at last: the struggl
u had been too severe; but even amidst tn
fury of the tempest something seemed ris
e ing and surging and fighting its way III
n ward, closing my throat in spasm a
t pain, struggling like living creature wit
f my life, and tiinging me at last eXhauste
/: and almost senseless to the ground, o
G which l lay like dead and senscles
}. thing.
l. ITO be continued.)
A Royal Road to Camping Out.