The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-10-23


dor and a heavy fall.
open, imbecile!" Rosine cried Wild
ly.
Madame, madame!"
The frightened agent flung wide the
door. and Rosine dropped on her knees
beside the inanimate body of her mis-
tress
Neither terror nor anguish can long
suspend the intense consciousness of
such temperament as Mrs. NoeIs.
with a strange regard her haggard
eyes stared up presently at Roslne and
! the concierge. whom the agent had
| hurriedly summoned.
II was tired and I tainted" she muir
INJURED mpatiently to their eager ques-
! tions.
| Pardon, madame screamed!"
Mrs Noel frowned and closed her
! eyes again.
"A fancy! I was half asleep-a bad
! dream"
! She sat upright resoutely in her
| chair where they had placed her and
smiled a pretty, perfunctory smile.
"A woman's nerves are not to be ex-
| planned, are they. Madame la Con-
| cicrge?" she said to that stout person.
| aga. who was yet hreathless from her
| run up two flights of stairs. You have
a handsome apartment here under your
| care"
II hone madame will not allow her
| fright to prejudice her against it?"
81 will try to forget it. and the apart
| mcnt pleases me, especially the smaller
salon, which would make a charming
! boudor"
| Madame la Comtesse always sat
| there. 1t was furnished according to
| her orders"
she was fair. 1 dare say, to choose
so much blue?"
Fair as a lly."
why did she leave"
she died. madame"
."Ah. yes. Suddenly?'.
"Of heart disease, poor lovely angel!
But madame has doubtless heard the
story"
Partly, IL" Mrs. Noel rose, shiv-
ering. "Will you give me your arm to
my carriage, monseiru" she said to
the agent
Despite protestations that she could
not yet be strong enough for such eXer-
tion, she walked downstairs.
why should l ask her name" shs
repeated to herself with every feeble
step. II dreamed, perhaps. or, if this
|
avengar of innocent blood. / am a
timid woman. ] am afraid"
She entered the brOugham, while Ro-
sine listened to the agents regrets
concerning madame's irdsposition.
"Madame!" the maid exclaimed as
they drove away, "it is a small world
is it not? Even this great Paris? The
young comtesse who died in that apart
ment two years ago was the wife of the
Comte RufSlti, who. Marie writes me-
is staying in the house in Scotland
| where Mile. Laura now visits"
During a long moment life seemed
slipping from Mrs. Noel's hold. But
she clung fast to it.
Now she did know why she had been
permitted to behold that vision of a
tragedy over which the grave had
closed.
God meant her to save her child. Not
would she fail His marvellous mercy
not though her flesh shuddered and her
blood grew cold with horror Of what
had be and terror of what might be.
Rosine, whose keen eyes little es-
capped, was well aware that her fragile
looking mistress was capable of endur-
ance beyond tha power of far more
vigorous physique. She, however, Ven-
turcd u rcmonstrance when, after an
hours reyose and a cup of tea, Mrs.
Noel prepared to keep an engagement
at the oDera--a remOnstrance which
was in vain.
Mrs. NCLI was rather late and very
pale when she entered the log of her
friends, vet no one guessed that more
allied her than fatigue. Why should
| 1baEp does nj ~
bzst with sOrrowful soul or failing
body? And this woman played her
role neither for fame nor for daily
bread, but for that child~love which
Gods law had ordained to be the core
of every woman's heart.
There was an outburst of rlischiev-
Gus amusement when she spoke of her
letters from Scotland, and the reports
of Laura's conquest.
| Laura has made q brilliant begin
ming, which you must expect to prove
an end also if Rufski is in earnest! He
is the most irresistible of fortuna-hunt-
ers"
why Laura deserves something
better"
"Oh, my dear, he is a good fellow
too, and he has established a record
as q devoted husband"
III is a widowcr?"
"Since two years. She was a Scotch
beauty and heress when he married
her, but her fortune vanished in that
big Glasgow bank failure soon after
their marriage. RufslSi, like all Rus
slams, is an incurable gambler and in
variably hard up Yet he bore his
disappointment herOically, remained
charming to his vie, and seemed quite
overwhelmed by her sudden DEATH"
She died suddenly"
He found her lying dead of heart
disease one evening when he returned
from his club. You are shiverng, my
dear Wrap this cloak about those
pretty shoulders"
Mrs, Noel did not sleep we'll that
night.
Surely never woman faced a situa-
tion 50 terrible or so hopeless of human
help.
Friends and kinsfolk wonld think her
mad did she proclaim an accusation OF
murder founded on such flimsy fabric
of a dream, And dared she call that
------------------