The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1898-06-24

81 do not understand-you say such
hard, cruel things" she moaned.
Hard and cruel" repeated her hus-
band, with bitter contempt; did ever
a woman live SO cruel as your"
II am not cruel" she replied. II
have been driven mad"
There was such infinite sadness in
the young voice, such dreary despair in
the young face, that he was touched
in spite Of his anger and contempt.
Tell me-" he said, what made you
do this thing-this cruel, ungenerous,
unwomanly deed?"
She thought he referred to her con-
duct in following him, and they SEEM
ed to her hard words.
What made me do It? You will
only despise and hate me the more il
/ tell YOU" she replied.
Frankly speaking, Hildred, nothing
that you can say to me will make the
matter worse, but it may certainly be
made better. Tell me the plain truth"
Yes, will tell YOU" she replied.
Il see that all good understanding Is
| at du Gnu reIWeen us.
THAT is certain" he said, with en-
phasis; with my consent you shall
never enter my doors again"
Have 1 acted so very wrong?" she
asked, sadly.
"Wrong?" he exclaimed contemptu-
ously. 1--WE will waive that, Hildred.
You have done that which l will never
pardon. Now tell me why you did 1t.
You may speak the truth to me; you
bear my name. I will shield you from
all harm. No one knows but myself"
"Then she did not see me?" said Hill
dred, drearily.
| "No-and you may be thankful for
II" answered the earl, severely. "She
did not see you. You may speak quite
frankly-no one knows anything about
it except myself. Now tell me-"
What have to tell your" she said
II did it; followed you here be-
cause-oh, how hard it is to tell!-be-
cause l was jealous Of her. thought
that you were both ridiculing me, that
you would tell her that you had been
from ruin, but that you did not love
me, you did not care for me, you dis
liked me, you hated me, you longed
to be free from me-my accursed
money was all you wanted-that you
would never like me. And | fancied
she would pity you in that soft, caress-
ing voice of hers-pity you for being
burdened with wife you did not love
l believed that you would tell her thai
I was Jealous of her, that then both oil
you would laugh at me-"
The passion of her words had dead.
ened all sense of shame. She had for.
gotten that which her jealousy hac
prompted her to do, and remembered
only her great, bitter wrongs. She was
no longer a heroine-only a passion,
ate, injured, deeply loving woman
She rose to the occasion.
The earl was impressed more thar
be would have cared to own.
81 could not bear it," she contin
ued, passionately. II should have don,
worse than this, am sure, If it coulC
have been done. was mad. will
tell you all. l was mad because haC
learned to love you with all tn,
strength of my heart and soul. 1 coulC
not bear that you should jest abou
me with careless words; it was a.
though you stabbed me for pleasure.
you love me?" he Intercepted, in
credulously.
The dark shawl fell from her, ant
she stood erect before him in all tn,
dignity of her pale, passionate beauty
Her amber dress and her rubie
cleaned in the starlight; the queenl!
head was held aloft; she no longe
pleaded and wept; the memory of he
passionate love and her bitter wrong
filled her with angry sride.
Geo be Continued)