The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1898-05-06

tie prescribed a course Of treatment
and we followed it faithfully for three
months.
"Instead Of improving, Florence failed.
"A brother OF my wife, who resided in
ceived wrong bias from the very
beginning, and the possession of
wealth had increased It. And yet, in
thing pleasant and good in him. No
man is altogether hideous when truly
known. and I had not yet &C.
,urately ascertalned the character
If his mysterious relations with
ny we'll beloved. had, dur
ng this interview, caught glimpses
3f the real true woman beneath the
veil Of falsehood and evasion Of the
ruth; had seen wistful look occa-
'sionally in Elias eyes, as though she
were haunted constantly by some ter
rible dread.
Yes, l pitied her. Perhaps. If
waited, the time would come when her
nature would recover from the blight
that had fallen upon it; when the
alien element that had grated itself
upon her true life would be expelled
by those avenging powers that vex and
plague the erring soul, not in mock
cry, but to save it from the death that
cannot die.
The strangeness Of her manner, and
The tragic apprehension Of her words
would, knew, never fade from my
memory, yet half inclined to believe l
lad misjudged her, at length, although
feeling that the world could never be
quite the same for me, drew her slight
form toward me, and imprinting a
.ong, passionate kiss upon her ready
Ups, said:
II will try and think Of you as a
woman who has been wronged, Ella.
4 will wait until you can explain, but
remember that until you relate to me
.ruthfully the whole of the facts there
.an be no love between u.s.
mo love!" she walled in a voice
Of poignant grief. "Is your love for
me so utterly dead, then, that you
should say this?"
NO" I aEawered, caressing her
stroking her wealth of gold-brown
hair fondly as Of Old ri love you still
Ella, yet, speaking caudidly, l cannot
trust you further until you explain
the truth"
But you will be patient, will you
not?" she urged. Remember that
have before me task so difficult that
1t may require all my woman's tact
and cunning to accomplish it. But
will must-succeed; failure will
mean that lose you, my best beloved
Therefore wait, and l will convince
you that l have not lied
Eyes, / will wait" l said, kissing
her once again. Until you have clear.
ed yourself, however, remember that
! cannot love you as l have done"
Very WELL" she answered, her tear.
stained face Frightening. IF such is
your decision, l am content Before
long l will explain all the facts. and
then. feel confident, you, noblest and
dearest, will love me even better than
before"
Il trust l SHALL" l answered with
heartfelt earnestness, taking her small
hand and pressing 1t softly; "for
love you, Ella"
Il care nothing else" she answered
raising her face to mine and smiling
through her tesrs. 81 am happy in
the knowledge that you still think OF
me. You have enemies; yes, many
But there was one that loved you al
ways-aye, and loves you now, and
ever shall love you'll"
For a moment l gazed into the deep
blue depths Of her clear, trusting eyes,
/ still grasping her tiny hand in mine,
but almost at that instant the door
opened and MR.. Laing, fussy, good
natured, and full of sympathy, entered,
and seating hetself, commenced to
chat about the events of that memoir
able morning.
By the discovery Of the duplicate of
Lord Warnham's private seal in the
possession Of my dead companion, II
became impressed upon my mind that
Dudley Ogle, tho man in whom | had
placed implicit trust, had not only
abused my confidence by making love
to Ella, but was spy in the Rus
sian secret servise. Try how l would,
l could see no extenuating circnm-
stances, and as next morning, when
sitting alone in ny London fiat, moody
and disconsolate.I calmly reflected up
on the startling events of the past
few days, l saW plainly from Ella S
attitude when ] had exhibited the
brass stamp thar. Notwithstanding her
declarations to the contrary, she had
seen it before.
1t seemed placed beyond all doubt
that Dudley had acted in conjunction
with certain agents, who had by some
means ascertainsd the very day and
hour that the secret convention would
arrive from Berlin. Then Dudley.
lrmed with the forged duplicate. called
Ipon me. and while we were together
extracted the document from my peck
It and substituted the envelope. Yet
here was the registration mark upon
t, SO clevery initiated as to defy