Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1897-06-17

said, instead OF friend. You won your
way hither by false pretenses, 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 holly, ''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,
if 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, Il 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 1 choose,
can make you prove your assertion, and
drag your own and your wife's name
through the mire of a worse scandal than
you suspect"
Il 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"
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 hunted
hare, | sank back in ms seat, my eyes
turned in faint appeal to Sir Ralph's face.
He came and stood short distance
from me; but | shuddered as | met that
stern, rebuking look.
Il have done this" he said, ''for your
sake; but do not fancy l am deceived
A hundred things have sprung to light and
recollection. Had you been honest with
me from the first | would never have
married you. | thought you came to me
heartwhole, and all the time-all these
years-it has been liza lie you have
acted more or less indifferently I loved
you SO, and not once-not once-haye you
been my wife in heart. Do not speak,"
as [ uttered some faint disclaimer. For
heavens sake, do not perjure yourself
morel l have tried to believe in you, even
through all this last most miserable year,
but from to-day it seems impossible. It is
10 longer a thing [ know and hold to N.Y.
self; it has passed into the keeping of
Others.
Indeed | said, weeping, 'you wrong
me! 1t is hard to visit girlish error up
on me now. / have done my duty to you
in every sense of the word. Long, long
ago | repented that folly"
You may have repented it," he said,
stcrnly, ''but that did not prevent your
indulging in it STILL Your bushes, your
agitation, your very looks and health, all
speak to me now as SO many proofs Of
what | have been blind to so long"
why Go you blame me?' cried, in mo-
| mentary indignation at his injustice.
"Why, if you suspected all this, did you
throw us together-invite him here, make
it $3.50 much harder? And why don't
you speak to him? 1t is not fair to lay
the blame on my shoulders 1t is''-break-
ing down again with a childish sob-"it is
too much for me to bear"
Would you have me put my shame into
words:" he asked passionately. 'MaAe
myself the' butt of his ridicu,e? Do you
know me so little, that You ask it! Good
heaven, don't you know-can't you feel
there are things that ii man were to
speak Of, he could not live by his wife's
side another hour? Could l be guilty Of
the ulSHOuOf OIL HlulltS 10 yOuT-yOuT
lover-that I know him to be so unless
proof and confirmation were at hand?-
and that" turning away, with short, Bit
ter laugh, that you have managed to
hide very skillfu,ly."
His words stung me to the quick.
Fierce, wrathful, desperate, rose to my
feet, and said such words as even to my
own ears sounded terrible.
had broken down at last; the struggle
had been too severe; but even amidst the
fury of the tempest something seemed ris-
ing and surging and fighting its way up
| ward, closing my throat in a spasm of
pain, struggling like living creature with
my life, and flinging NE at last exhausted
! and almost senseless to the ground, on
which | lay like a dead and senseless
thing.
ITO no continued