Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1898-06-15
CHATTER NNu

This is what happened to Dallas. In
the afternoon, he was sitting in his
own rooms indting letter to the beloved
OF his heart, the door opened suddenly
and veiled lady entered with some lit
tie noise. There was no need for her to
remove her veil to make Dallas aware
that his visitor was Lady Dangerfeld.
What is the matter?' he cried, spring
Ing to his feet.
His lordship knows all. l have left
home forever. and have come to you"
Dallas grew white under the bronze
with which the sun had dyed him. He
went through a moment long and compre-
hensive that of the drowning man.
His love lost forever, himself saddled with
a virago whom he had certainly never
loved and whom he abhorred to-day, his
position ruined, his life done for-this was
the tax on .he pleasant and fashionable
amusement of making love to ones neigh
bor's wife.
He stood staring at her: his face, al
ways expressive of the emotion of the
moment, wore a horror-struck expression,
which could scarcely be flattering to her
ladyship under the circumstances. She
flew al him with bitter reproaches. That
was the way with a man! s. woman sacri-
feed everything for him, and then, the
moment things went wrong, he wanted to
cry off.
Dallas leaned against the chimney piece.
gnawing his under lip, and incapable. in
this desperate situation, of saying any
thing. He only felt an unutterable hor-
ror, sckening sense of lost life, OF
ruin, misery, wretchedness.
"What does he know? How does he
know" he gasped at length.
81 gave that wretch Amelie warning
last night. and she went to him after
luncheon to-day. and he came straight TO
me and made the most violent scene. 1t
seems she found one of your letters and
kept 1.-THE fiend!'
Dallas racked his brain to remember
what he could ever have written to her
ladyship. He did not believe himself fool
enough to have sent her really COM
promising letter.
"What was in the letter." he asked.
81 don't know. He would not let me
see it; but he threatened me; and 1 told
him should leave him, and have"
But you can't stay hereY' cried Dali
has. with more energy than he had yet
displayed ANY moment some on may
come in and see you."
What do careT" cried her ladyship
violently, bursting into passion of sobs..
You have got me into this, and you must
get me out of 1t.
Dallas felt himself a brute. He ought
to sOothe the grief of this distracted lady;
the circumstances required expressions
of tenderness on his part, and he felt
nothing but anger, inpatience and general
despair. He must move heaven and earth
to get her away from his rooms-to pre-
vail on her, if possible, to go back home;
but it was hopeless, knowing her moods
as well as he did, to say a word until she
had calmed down little. And, perhaps,
after all, the worst would happen, and
he would have to take and keep her for
ever What in the world had he even
seen in her? And then he thought agon-
izingly of the girl he loved, whom he
looked upon as an angel, and who would
now perhaps be lost to him forever. The
door opened again-very quietly this
time; Dallas had not heard the slight pre-
liminary tap-and Mrs. Trevanion came
In. She was well in the room before she
saw Lady Dangerfield crouched in a low
chair. sobbing violently. Then she
paused. looked at Dallas pale, distracted
face, and grasped, in part at least, the sit
nation. She prepared to retreat, and
made beckoning sign to him, which he
obeyed.
What on earth does this mean?' she
asked, looking at him with frightened
eyes MY dear boy, how can you be SO
imprudent"
"Imprudentw he gasped. 81 expect 1
am about ruined!'
He leaned against the framework of the
door, looking the picture of despair.
"She has left Dangerield and come to
me-says he knows everything; and what
In the name of heaven am l going to do
with her?'
THAT is nonsense!" said Mrs. Trevan-
ion, sharply "She must be mad. She
cannot stay with you. Does she want to
ruin you?"
Il suppose So" uttered Dallas, despair
ingly.
We must get her away from here
somehow" said Mrs. Trevanion, who was
as anxious about Dallas as she would
have been had her own son been placed
in similar predicament.
81 don't know how" he answered.
when she is in one of her tempers, she
won't listen to reason"
II shall go and talk to her." said Mrs.
Trevanion. with determination.
"Impossibler' cried Dallas, in smoth-
cred voice. "She would never forgive
me. Besides, awful this business is, l
can't shirk it,"
GU HluSl 30 away uHu iedNe ueE "
me-"
Dallas was so much in the habit of do
ing what his friend told him, that, in spite
of dreadful misgivings, he obeyed he'.
and when the street door closed upon him
Mrs. TrevaniOn went to interview Lady
Dangerfield, feeling about as uncomforta-
bic as she had ever done in her Gfe.
Mrs Trevanion's manner is so quiet,
and her tone so cool that they have a
mcsmeric effect on Lady Dangerheld;
and every word is so true that it goes
home She stands with her face averted
from the speaker. and a new light begins
to dawn upon her. After all. she has
committed this cscapade i'll fit of pas
sion: his lordSh;p has been very angry,
Int he said nothing about leaving her or
turning ner out or the house; she left II
IN an access of passion; he is not to know
where she has been. unless Mrs. Trevan
ion betrays her, and that with pang OF
rage) she is not likely to do, for Dallas
sake. But her head is not cool enough &c
reason, so she simply does what the i'm
pulse of temper prompts.
Il have not the least intention of sacri
fcing anything for Mr.. Broke" she said,
contemptuously, behaving, figuratively
speaking, like the ostrich, who puts its
head in the sand. 81 came to say some
thing to him, and he ran away like cur,
so l can't say it. But / suppose" with
sarcasm, "if you can come and see him
there is no reason why l should not do
the same"