Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1898-08-13
CHAPTER 1ll.-(Continued.)

next day after my faintness ut the Opera
he offered to leave me ut home. There
was a great dinner party at General
Somebody's. could hardly believe In
my good fortune. I exerted myself to be
bright and lively ill he had gone; then l
went to bed. How thankful l was! 1t
was like rcprievc! But see now how
wrong ] was TO give way TO passing sen.
sntions Of weakness. His going out alone
led TO his rcjoining his bachelor friends.
his old fast set. These rcproached him
with having an invisible wife. a useless
companion. as single men will rally their
married friends. lie assumed the charac-
ter of the careless husband, the man who
had made n marriage de convenience. and
had merely been keeping up appearances.
Well. his boon companions took him ut
his word. There were the old racketings
orgies.
"Then he began TO have craze for
theater going. As began to recover my
strength. asked him 70 take me to see
to see"-Nfrs. Drew shivcred-" new &C.
trcss people were rnving about. That
very night he brought me a box for the
thcater. ] think I never admired any.
thing or anybody so much as did that
woman. She was delicate ind small, but
her majesty Of movement. her grace. her
passion. the deep. grave sweetness of her
voice. accounted for all the public cnthu.
siasm. One Of my husba nd's friends. who
came into the box and devoted himself
to me with curious sort Of apoloactic re.
spect. assured me. while Reginald was out
Of the box, that Il was settled fact that
Miss Elvin would shortly become Duchess
OF Perth. Ten days later my infatuated
AL o ssA s,1n ii. Al.
tress."
II have come to tell you," said the rec.
tor. that the man you excuse with such
extraordinary gencrosity-a man who
broke his marriage vow Us lightly a. he
would snap thrcad--a man who ruined
two women for passing whim-is dead"
said the rector. "Hcaven IL Just! You,
the injured one, nrc mfc from the bitter
future which awaits the wrctchcd woman
who tempted your husband"
"Whatw Mrs. Drew looked ut him with
piercing inquiry. "Tell NEAL. ! Gun
bear it--indeed I can!'
The rector hcsitatcd. He had not In.
tended to place the woman's letter In the
hands Of Captain Drcw's lawful wife.
But he had felt 30 indignant while LII.
Ian was defending her dead husband
sin-had felt species Of impatient won.
der how II was that ood.for.nothing Eel.
lows, without conscience. without q
trace Of moral stamina, were loved, pet.
ted. forgiven, and after death apotheosis.
ed by their wOmcnfolk, while honest and
good men were 70 often worried. teased,
snubbed. and, when gone, considered o
good riddancc-that his courage suddenly
rose, and. before he quite realised the step
he had taken. he had silently handed Mrs.
Drew her rival's letter.
THAT will explain all." he said; then,
with Gualm. he walked away from LII.
Han and stood looking out at the window,
II seemed an agc that he listened 10 the
rustIinR Of the himsy letter paper. Mrs,
Drew must be reading the letter again
and again.
This In most important," she said. ut
y terrible! What will they do-starveY
IN, Mr.. Raws0n, he can never for one
moment have expected this-havc dream
ed OF bis dying! 1t IL no horriblc" she
said, lowering her voice and laying her
humid upon his sleeve. "Y0u understand
II seems NO unnatural that Lilith should
have brother and sistcrs--his children,
not milne! And those poor thinRs-why.
am their stepmother! Yet I am notch.
what o confusion!"
MY dear, pray do not let 10 disgrace
ourselves BY such q discussion" nut IN
the rector, In dismay. "I'hcy have not the
faintest shadow Of claim upon you-less
than Hasar and Ishmael had upon
"Stop!" said Mrs. Drew decidedly,
That Bible story could not have been
told after the life Of the Master. I have
lived after Him. have to follow Him IN
my poor little way through anguish. az.
ony and death. But We all deserve q
suher. and He did not. Oh. Mr.. Raw.
sou, don't think should not enjoy hat.
Ing those people! That very fact IL the
reason must watch my conduct toward
them 40 ] would watch q suspected DER.
son."
~ am not going to allow Jon % be Guix.
Otto and ng'headed-yes. Wrong. head.
cd" said the rector, surprised. and still
more In dismay. "You must do nothiua
without consulting me. and probably your
father"
"rhere Is Lilithw cried Mrs. Drew
sOh. my Lilith! How little she knows
6seams- Now. Mr.. Rawson, I have
never yet spoken to Lilith about her faith,
er, nor do ! intend to; but I intend q
place the situation before her, and I tell
you l shall be guided by her ims.essiops
You are prejudiced. Don't deny II; you
must be; your duty as my trustee Is to set
that am righted. Rut Lilith-oh, she
has such simple upright soul! She goes
straight on through obstacles, II only she
feels justified. There 10 her step in the
passage.
Lilith opened the door, shut II, and then
stood there In her riding habit.
The rector gave side glance at Mrs
Drew, wondering how she would opel
fire; she did not wait long.
"Lilith, dear, the rector has come Il
tell US that one Of our dearest relatives
by marriage, is dead" she said slowly.
'"They have no claim whatever upoI
your mother, Lilith," began the rector
eagerly. "And have been preaching te
her that she must really not be quixOtic
and shower benefits upon unworthy per
sons"
Have these people no one to help-tC
support thcm?" she asked the rector, II
the rough, abrupt way which people 81
particularly disliked In that ugly girl
the squires grandchild."
THAT ! shall make 1t my business 4
find out" said the rector. "Nor will
leave stone unturned, Lilith, to fine
responsible persons to prevent your moth
or from squandering her savings, as Sc.
she has mind to do"
Then he took his leave, feeling, as b,
rode home, that IL ever man had bun
gled over u delicate piece Of business ht
was that man.
Meanwhile Mrs. Drew had delicatel,
placed the situatiOn-at least, In part-be