Arizona republican., 1898-11-24
A 6ittle Comedy
 of Errors
(Continued From Yesterday.)

''On. knOW! lntCTruplCtt hl~S Aili-
 ary, with a sharp accent uf pain. that
 sounded like impatirncc. in her voice
 'sThere is no defense for my course;
 was nasty. irrational, unjust, and l de-
 serve to suffer all the consequences. It
 isn't that-it is the evidence of his
 ficlzlencss, his treachery. his deliberate double-dealing- don't you under stand me, Mrs. Maynard? Believe me, 1t was no jealous curiosity on my part. but I could not help seeing
 '1 understand you. my dear Myra, said Mrs. Maynard. calmly, as the dis tressed girl paused here, at a loss for words to continue. ''Yon rightly li- vined that Mir. North was my avowcd suitor; but. happily for me, not yet ac- ceptcd.'
 1T have no right to complain of that" interposed Miss Hilary, her pretty head
 lifted, her eyes bright with girlish pride. 1t is not strange that he should admire you, love you, as his every glance and tone and action revealed that he did; why, he seemed scarcely conscious of my existence, so wholly absorbed was he in you! And to me the strangest part of it all y.'as that he be- trayed TO recollection of the past, no rc;sltnelt toward mo, no conscious ne.f:; that we had ever met before. This o-ined nc. but l accepted it as only .shat ought to expect, and I resolved D go away as soon as l could find any ccasonable prctext for cutting short my -iait here, and hcnceforth bury out of
 ,i.Eht that dead past in which he bore a part. It was only when he looked at
 nc as he did to-day, as a lover might, you know, that saw the depth of his luplicity; and 1 think now that I hate him for being So false to us both.'
 Again there was a little silence, so controlled that no hint would have been given a casual observer of the trarical emotions that were contending in the hearts of these two women. It was Mrs. Maynard that spoke next, in cold, hard, relentless tone:
 I've both have great cause to con- gratulatc ourselves, my dear Myra, on having discovered NIr. North's trr5c character before it was within his pow CT to wreck the lifelong happiness of either. I hesitate to tell you the truth that has recently forced itself upon my belief
 The color died quickly from Miss lfilary's face again: there was . vague alarm expressed in her trembling tonc8 as she responded hurriclily:
 ''Oh. let me linow tie worst. Mrs Maynard! What is he? What has he done?''
 It would De nothing continued Ms. Maynard. bitterly, flor him tn vacillatc between two fancies-to alter nate and hesitate ir his choice between :, yourself and Ee-.'
 ''Oh. dear Mrs. Maynard." came in tones of whispered protest from the listener.
 ''It would be nothing.'' repeated Mrs Maynard in the same hard, bitter tonc that his conscience would rcproach hin for, or that society would seriously condemn; therefore, this phase of his conduct does not materially surprise me. But l am surprised to find that this man, who is habitually so watchful of his own interests, so careful of his own safety, so jealous of his own com fort and happiness, should allow his in- terest in any matter to carry him to the length of becoming a criminal in the eyes of the law"
 "A criminal
 Miss IIilary's white lips repeated tho words brcathlcssly; then for brief space refused to speak again. At last she asked trcrnulously:
 What crime has he cOm-nitted?''
 'Oh, a very gentlemanly one, in- Iced" returned Mrs. Maynard with Iuiet sarcasm. ''It is nothing worse. ny dear Myra, than forgery. I have llrcady told you briefly of the recent yjl1 contest in which I had so srreat eO interest at stake; did not tell you, as eel in duty bound to do nov, that l who it was that forged that will. By his own tacit admission l lnow that it was MT. North
 The calmncss was all gone from voice md manner before these last words were falrly uttered. A woman with ess pride would have broken down Mrs. Maynard sat with lips and tightly interlaced