The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-05-05
OOA 7 ItINI II IT'D, IOU
Chapter XXXIV.-
OUTCAST.

her lips with a coauettish air, and on
setting it down her dark bright eyes
again met my inquiring glance.
Well" she exclaimed. us it not
strange that you, of all men, should be
in Skerstymone?"
81 came to seek you, II said, looking
earnestly into her pretty face.
''Bor what reasonY'
because by your aid alone can l re-
gain my lost happiness, l answered in
deep earnestness. "Once, before you left
London, you made certain allegations
against Ella; but you failed to substan-
tiate them, or to fulfill your promise in
exchange for your passport"
"Yes, l remember. -
s'She is now my wife, and have come
to hear the truth from your own lips,
Sonia. 5"
tHas-has she actually dared to marry
you"
YES" 1 answered.
''She has dared, because she loves me. :"
She remand silent, with knit brows,
for long time engrossed in thought
Then briefly l told her, after her depart
ure, we had married, and related how
suspicion had been aroused within me by
her clandestine meetings with Cecil Bing-
ham, her flight, and my subsequent dis
covery of her true position.
Then you are aware who she really is, :"
she observed slowly at last. "That she
has dared to enter into a matrimonial al
lance with you is certainly astounding.
Indeed it is incredible. -
"Whyf" I inquired in surprise
"There are the strongest reasons why she
should never have become your wife," she
replied mbiguously.
''She lives apart from me. She has re-
turned to her house in Paris, said.
''Ah 1T is BEST" she answered mechan-
iaslly. cit is best for both of you
but we love one another, and although
she fears to tell me the truth regarding
all this mystery that has enveloped her
tor SO long, you, nevertheless, are in a
position to explain everything. Therefore
1 have come TO you. You were my wifes
friend Sonia" went on. Tell me why
she has acted with all this secrecy
''Her friend!'' she echoed blankly. eyes
you are right she sighed. sit was
strange friendship, ours; she, Grand
Duchess against whom never a word of
scandal had been uttered, and I-well, I
was notorious. The people in Vienna and
Paris pointed at me in the streets, and
fashionable women copied my manners
and my DRESS Yet there was, nay there
still is, strong tie between us, a tie
that can never be severed"
"Tell me of it, urged, when, paus-
ing, she turned her pale agitated face
away from me towards the small grimy
window that overlooked the great sunlit
s'sppe.
eriemy, and told you SO. l feared that be-
cEuse of her position she would never mar
ri Sou. Yet it seems she wac really in
e}fnest, therefore l now withdraw that
allegation. She evidently loves you"
Eyes, but we are living apart because
s11 fears the revelat ion Of some terrible
sefret if she acknowledges me as her hus-
bahd,"
hese-to learn of her past!'' she
orltd in hoarse hollow voice. as if the
srHth had suddenly dawned upon her.
nodded graVely in the affirmative,
] tten told her of our meeting in Paris,
arSi her refusal to make any satisfactory
ext ianation.
fec lively at last. 81 enyied her because
scle was so supremely happy in your love
YET it now seems as if [, degraded out
Gag that am, have even more happiness
and, freedom
6 You were once her FRIENDSHIP visited
you every day. You can be her friend
nos; and by telling me the truth, bring
JOY. Ind confidence to both of us. You can
mals our lives happy, if you only will"
80" she answered coldly, her face
hard and set. There was a cruel look in
her eyes. why should II Why should
sGive for the happiness of one to whom
ole all my grief and despair"
'.kdrely no misfortune of yours is due
to h.N?" protested quickly,
misfortune l'' she walled, her eyes
flashing. "Wo1ld you not call theloss
Of tE-S man yoa love, misfortune" Then,
in dssieter tones she added with a sigh:
An You don't know, Godfrey, how in
tens~sy bitter my strange adventurous life
has ceen. You believe, no doubt, that a
ypf1T N nj n1 -orto not Ill
1 thought SO once. But I tell yon that in
LonGon loved one man, the only man I
ever met that 1 could marry. had re-
nour.sea my past, and sought to lead a
new life, when l knew that lie cared for
me, Etud was preparing to make me his
wife But she, the Grand Duchess who
trtcA ID you so cleverly came between us,
and Ne were parted. Then l came here
to Ressiaa sought solace among my former
COMPANIONS, the scum of the goals and
ghe0os, and have now descended in de-
spite of what l am. By her, the woman
you fisk me to free from terrible thral.
dom. have been thrust back into hope
lesshlss. and have lost forever the one
chan9e I had of joy and love-"
Than, covering her handsome face with
her lands, she burst into torrent of
tears
"Came, - said, rising, and strokipg
her soft silky hair. Her arms were upon
tHo UHUlc, duu SIlo uAu buried ler head
in thS1n, sobbing as if her heart would
Ereak
'ICoSAe, do not give way" urged.
''Whe was the man you loved?''
Ik 1t concerns no one but myself she
II nffSured. Gwen she has never had
proof that we loved one another. Yet to
her i due all this grief that has fallen
upon me"
Raising her head, she strove to suppress
her emotion, as her brilliant tear. believed
eyes sxed themselves steadily upon mine.
II nay perhaps be able to assist you,'
l saifs. 81 did on former OCCASION
ms" she answered. in voice of in
tense borrow. 81 have now grown care
less of myself, careless of life, careless of
everything since l left London With the
man | loved SO truly l could have been
happy always, yet she knew my past,
and would allow me no chance to redeem
myself 1t is but what 1 deserve, I sup
pose, therefore must suffer. But can you
wonder that, hating the world as l do.
i entertain a certain grim satisfaction in
being leader of this ragged ruffianly
band of frontier treelances?"
mo" I answered, echoing her sigh;
81 am scaE1ely surprised vet | cannot