The record-union., 1898-03-06

the feather, and flung it, into the fire.
like Your lecturing me. Dering!"
she cried. 1t reminds me of old days.
But of course / didn't know l hate
cruelty with all my heart and soul,
though don't profess much else in the
way or morals or merit"
Major Jardine smiled quite kindly at
her. She was. he, saw, in some ways.
after all, hanged-always emotional.
and now and then strangely tender. in
spite of an outward hardness of man
ner.
Thank You, NY dear he said
And he left her with happier smile
on her lips than he had thought &c see
there.
Dering had made up his mind But
his resolution, over ouixotic perhaps.
failed TO bring the least peace TO MS
soul
He took advantage of Cicelys depart
ure from home to visit friend. 10 run
down to her seaside home ard have an
interview With Lord Overton Ii was
naturally of most painful character.
To the poor old man, elated at the
thoughts of his daughters happiness.
and more than little pleased at hay
ing a prospective son-in-law with half
a million OF money, Dering's announce
ment was almost stupefying.
1T will kill the child,'' groaned LORD
overton. twisting himself about in his
chair. And, my dear Dering your
sense of honor is absurdly overdone
You had a liaison with this woman
Well and good-many men have done
the same, and have married charming
girls and forgotten ali about it. Why
are you TO make new and far fetched
standard of morals? It's ridiculous.
It's preposterousi It's cruel.'
Il always swore to her-to Mrs. Live
sey-hundreds of times, that / would
marry her if her husband died .
because. till she knew me, she was a
woman cf spotless character. Had /
been one of several, it would, of course.
have been another story altogether. But
spoiled her life and made her hps-
band treat her like the brute he was.
Besides, she is now absolutely in need IT
the necessaries of life. Lord Overton.
believe me, | am broken hearted. .
Cicely is the whole world to me. But
! cannot help myself
He looked out over Cicely's garden.
where the snowdrops We're cleaning out
from the dark earth, and the celandines
twinkled like little fairy lamps. He tried
to fix every detail of the scene indelibiy
in his mind-the grass plot where the
starlings were eating, the high laures-
tinus hedge, the groups of pines. the
sea-blue to-day as the far away Medi-
terranean. He felt that he was a dying
man, bidding farewell to the place that
he most tenderly loved.
Toward the close of the interview the
two came to the conclusion that the true
facts must be kept from Cicely. She
was only to be told that Major Jardine
had been engaged years ago to a wo-
man he had lost sight of, and who had
suddenly reappeared, and that he felt
himself bound to marry her, though he
was in utter destair at breaking faith
with Cicely
Dering returned that evening to Lon
don. and wrote a long letter to his be-
trothed Her short answer came by re-
turn of post, written in shaky, uneaven
lines:
If you say this is right. it must be.
But l shall always be miserable as long
as ever l live. Perhaps God will let
me die soon. Don't ever write to me
again. 1 could not bear it,
1t was not for some weeks after this
that Major Jardine told Mrs. Livesey.
to whom he had now formally engaged
of this brief betrothal TO Lady
Cicely Brunei and of it's ending. She
appeared moved at first, then affected
to treat the matter lightly, and lavishing
more and more affection upon Dering.
He seemed like man partially stunned.
The caresSes, the moods, the occasional
tears of his future wife We're all received
by him with a calm philosophy that
greatly eXaSperated her. although she
tried hard to conceal her vexation. What
was hardest of all was his apparent in
difference to the change and improve
ment in her appearance. She had grown
much less thin and haggard. and since
her engagement to rich man she had
felt herself justified in ordering several
really lovely, though simple, gowns
which she hoped would please his eye.
But now he never seemed even to notice
what she wore. When he walked in one
she was dressed in one of these
works of art-a gray cashmere, with
steel embroideries and soft frills of old
lace. After a short conversation about
future plans and house furnishings,
Mrs. Livesey remarked abruptly:
Il saw that girl Lady Cicely, yester-s
day evening in the Row"
Major Jardine started and an express
sion that was not fattering to Maud
came over his face. But he answered
coldly.
Indeed. 1 wasn't aware that she
was in London
"Yes-she is. And 1 had a good hard
stare at her Dering,"
''Yes?" He had moved his chair a
little further from hers.
Mrs. Livesey knelt down beside him.
He bit his lip, feeling that it was al
most impossible to avoid thrusting her
away. He did not notice how much.
softer and prettier her face was than il
had been at their first meeting Hereyes
had almost the old liquid look that he
had once found enchanting, and her
mouth quivered.
'Dering-she is misera BILE. can't for
get her face And she is so awful,
young
Major Jardine flushed. Almost with
brutality he pushed Maud away ana
rose from his chair.
For Gods sake don't so on like
that" he cried. What the hi do you
mean by saying these things? As if /
didn't know!"
He had walked toward the door.
Forgive me- he said ccldly "My
temper seems to have got worse with
age.
"Dering, you must not look like that
Give me up.' cried Mrs. Livesey, he;
face shining strangely.
His face softened It's no use youl
talking like this, Maud. One thing only