The Portland daily press., 1898-11-04
1897, BY WILLIAM LIE oUEUx.

to wiring her secret from Ter; the secret OF
Zertho's influence. No, he should never
know. 1t was terrible, horrible; It's very
thought appalled, her. 10 save her father
| from exposure, disgrace, and something
worse she was compelled to renounce her
| love. sacrifice herself. and marry the man
she despised and hated.
"I have promised to marry the Prin CO
! d'A uzac because l am compelled. she
| said briefly, in low, firm voice.
"What renders 1T imperatiyer" he de-
manded, his face dark and serious.
| "My own decision," she answered,
struggling to remain calm.
"You have decided, then, to.iiscard my
love-" he said, fiercely. "You prefer
being the wife of Prince rather than of
struggling barrisuer. Well, perhaps,
after all, your choice is but natural
81 do not prefer" she declared, passion
ately. Cannot you see. George, that
there are circumstances which compel me
to act as 1 am acting? Heaven knows, l
have suffered enough because you are the
only man can love- g4
''1heD why not remain mine, darling,
he said more tenderly, with q slight pres
sure of her hand as he gazed with intense
earnestness into her tear-d1mmed eyes.
1--WE love one another, therefore Ewhy
should both our lives be wrecked?'
because it is imperatives" she an
swered, glOomily. ga&
"But what motive can you have in thus
running your future, and casting aside all
chance of happiness?'' he inquired, puz-
zled.
'tIt is to secure my future. not to ruin
it, that have promised to marry the
Prince she answered.
"And for no ultsrior motiveP"
eyes" she faltered, "there is still an
other reason"
"What is it? Tell me-"
mo, George" she answered in low,
hoarse voice. "Do not ask me, for can
never tell you-never.
.'You have hidden motive which you
refuse to explain he observed resent
fully. 81 have placed faith in you; sure
| ly you can trust me, Lame !"
| with everything save, that.
"Why?' =.
sit is secret which cannot disclose. !"
"Not even to me?"
| mo, not even to you,' she answered.
| pale to the lips. 81 dare noti'
He remained silent in perplexity A
bevy of bright-faced girls passed them
in high spirits, counting as they went by
the coin they had won at the tables.
Lame turned her face from them to hide
her emotion, and stood mosionless, lean
ing still upon the balustrade. Inc sun
! was sinking behind the great dark rocK
whereon was perched Monaco, and the
mountains were already purple In the
mystic light Of evening.
| ~ssWhy are you SO determined that we
should separate, darling? he asked In a
| low panied voice, bending down towards
her averted face. Surely, your Prince can
never love as devotedly as have doner'
1 "Ahl George" she cried. with o tender
passion in her glance, as she again turned
to him, "do not tempt me- 1t Is my
duty, and have given pledge. have
never loved Prince Zertho. and never
shall. Mine will be a marriage of com.
\ So ou< be oh nj
| farewell to hope and happiness. to life
and love, for shall become Princess
d'Auzac and lose you forever.
s.As Princess you may obtain many OF
the.pleasures of life. Far more than If
| you were my wife, he observed, in a
hollow tons. as if speaking to himself.
"No. no" she protested. "Ihe very
name il to me synonymous of all that is
hateful. All! you do not know, George,
the terrible thoughts that seem to goad
me to madness. Often l find myself re-
hecting whether death would not be pre-
ferable to the life to which am now con-
demned Yet am held to it immutably,
forced against my will to become this
mans wife, in order that the teri ible
secret. which must never be disclosed.
may still remain where 1t is, locked In the
breast of the one man who, by its knoW!.
edge, holds me irrevocably In his power. !"
sThen you fear this Prince Ter sho?" he
said SLOWLY, Will utoP cmpudeAo. soAO
seemed quite unlike the laughing. happy
girl he had known at home in their quiet
rural village. Her strange attitude of
abject detection and despair held him
stupefied.
Eyes" she answered hoarsely, after a
long pause, 81 dare not disobey him.
"From your words it would seem that
your crime is of such a terrible nature
that you dare not risk exposure. Is that
soP'' he haZarded in hard voice, scarcely
raised above a whisper.
"My orimel" size cried, all colour in
stantly dying out of her handsome face,
while in her clear. grey eyes was strange
expression as If she were haunted by some
fsarsome spectre in the past. Fer white
lips quivered her hands tremSled "What
do you meanp" she gasped. "What do
you know of my crime?"
Next instant she started, hor lips held
tight together as she drew herself up I'M
steadily with sudden movement.
She knew that she had involuntariiy
betrayed herself to the man she loved.
To be continued.