The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1898-01-25
FINALE.


lovely woman. Graves sprang to hii
feet, his face pale and stern, for, in
front of him, was his justly divorced
wife.
You, Bertha, here in my roomsr
He moved over to the bell.
Don't ring it," she walled. 81
watched your servant go out and want.
ed to speak to you, alb, SO badly
"Now, look here, Bertha, you drag.
ged my name in the dust, you nearly
ruined my career, and now, when you
have been justly punished, you come
back. What do you want-money?'
His tones were icy in their GOODNESS,
and the weak, degraded creature before
him shivered as she heard the last
words.
"Cyril-I've no right to come to you,
I know, but the world is SO cold and
wretched to woman, and God alone
knows how low I've fallen. Cannot you
take me back?" She sank into chair
and began to cry silently.
'tTake you back!'' he cried, his eyes
glittering with fury, while with uneven
strides he paced the room "Take you
back and become the laughing stock of
London. What Go and rusticate in
some dreary hole until you left me
again? You forget what you are. I"
The insult dashed fresh life and spirit
into the covering woman.
"And who made me what am?" she
said, with her color rising, and her
breath coming and going rapidly.
"Not !, he replied with sheer.
eff not you, who did? When you first
met me at my fathers rectory, was as
simple minded girl as any in the land.
You made me marry you, did you not?"
Her tone was insistent
We'll, suppose did?' he answered
gloomily.
"You took me to dull house in this
London town, and there you left me.
Night after night you went to your po-
htical meetings and to your house of
commons and gave me what was left of
your time. You fed me and clothed me,
it's true, and there it ended You en-
couraged me to mix in society and never
troubled to protect me as you should
have done, and then, when left you,
more from heart sickness and from a
desire to be loved and petted by some
one than from any other cause, you di-
vorced me and received the condolences
of your friends Bah You are the man
who is responsible for my ruin, and you
only. Money scorn your money, and
never until die will l trouble you
again.
She left the room abruptly, leaving
Graves prey to the most conflicting
emotions. Her Indictment was, he felt,
only too true, and feeling of shame
came over him.
He unlocked his safe and took out his
will and read it slowly through, then
took sheet of paper and wrote rapidly
and replaced both in the safe.
"There!" he said 81 shall never
marry again, and if l die before her
who knows?-it may make difference if
she has the control of money If l could
only have my time over againp
The great debate was over, and Cyril
Graves was its hero. Secure in the self
reliance that thorough knowledge of
his subject gives its possessor, he had
held the house spellbound for over an
hour and sat down amid chorus of APP
proving cheers. In the lobby his friends
crowded around him with hearty con-
CALCULATIONS, and already in his mind S
eye he saw that his days as an obscure
private member were over. The larger
life of leader Of men, with all it's
brilliant possibilities, seemed to lie open
before him, and he gloried in it.
Toquiet down his overstrained nerves
he took his hat and coat, and although
it was long past midnight made his way
to the embankment, a favorite walk of
his when engaged in deep thought.
There was a full moon, and the night
was very still, and, lost in reverie, he
leaned over the balustrade and gazed
idly upon the glistening, silvery river
below him.
The utter peace and quietude of the
scene soothed him, and he was just
about to leave when heavy hand was
"Don't do it, sir. Just think over
it," was muttered in his ear
He turned sharply and found police.
man looking at him with commisera-
ton.
GOOD God, constable, you don't
think I'm going to jump in the river,
do you? Man alive, can't any one walk
on the embankment without doing
that?''
Aren't you Mr.. Graves, the member
for East Bucks, sir?' said the man.
eyes, am. We had hot debate at
The house, and 1 strolled here to cool
down before turning in. How did you
know me?" queried Graves.
Lord bless you, sir, 1 am Bucks
man myself, and stanch supporter of
yours. But don't zee, sir, come here
again like this. 1t ain t safe for we call
it one Of the most risky beats in Lon
Con. We get down here men as are des-
perate for want of food and shelter /
believe half the bodies they fish out of
the river come from along here.
There was such feeling in the mans
tone that Graves was touched and felt in
his pocket for some money.
Suddenly 80 yards up he saw a figure
outlined against the sky, and then dis
appear with loud shrek and splash.
An awful cry of "Helpw echoed
through the still night air.
Good God, sir, woman's gone in,
and can't swim stroke, groaned the
policeman. "What shall we dor"
"Do?'' said Graves. "I'll go in my
self Get on the pier below here, for
the tide will bring us down, and you
may be able to lend hand. "
While he spoke he tore off his boots.
slipped off his coat and trousers and
stood for an instant on the balustrade
looking for the suicide.
"Help, helpl" she shrieked, coming
once more to the surface With a NUT
tered prayer Graves dived into the wa
ter. Coming up, he shook the water
from his head and eyes and with long,
graceful side stroke made for the sink
ing woman.
All his faculties were keenly awake.
He felt that power, life and reputation
itself were nothing to the delight of
saving some despairing creature from a
terrible death. The policeman cheered
him on with hearty shouts, and be
spurted Just in time to clutch the wom-
an nv the hair To his horror he say