The Portland daily press., 1898-04-19

graVeiy, and [ trusted Won, Today
ha ~ IT'S. discovered my confidence ill-placed. 2"
:, =, , nnus' s l1e once again. she cried
noai SCI enaS oniy orce, and 1 will show
terly without foundation. 5
l took another turn nm o,7 down, thu
drawing room, my hands clasped behind
my back, my gaze fixed unon the Garnet
was still undecided.
With sudden impulse she rushed for
waTa, anu llinSlng her arms about my
neck kissed me, next second h,,rrti mo- into
tears and burying her face unoS nv
shoulder. My hand urconscionslv strokea
her hair, and, bending, pressed INV Inns
upon her soft cheek.
Then she knew that 1 had forgiven, and
holding back her sobs with difficulty
raised her 1aoe, and kissing me passion
ately thanked me IN low broken voice,
assuring me that should never regret
the step had taken.
During half an hour we remained TO-
gether she full of love and confidence. I
admiring and hopeful. l was glad had
not acted rashly nor left her as | had in
tended, and as we went in to dinner arm
in arm we laughed together, joyous in
each others love.
After we had eaten,I smoked a cigarette
and fingered as long as possible, happy
with nv we'll beloved, then kissing her
fondly was compelled to take hanson
to Berkeley Square, promising her to
return at the earliest possible moment,
and expressing confidence that our love
would last always
The Earl, grumbling at my tardy arrival
was busy in his library with o number of
Important dispatches relating to our
affairs in the East. When he had ex-
pressed displeasure that had not been
waiting to receive him he added:
"But there, suppose now you are mar
ried, Decides, your wife is exacting-they
always are. She likes you to dine with
her, eh?"
dine at homo"
"Ah. thought so," snapped the shrewd
old Minister. GA good dinner and your
wife's smiles were of more consequence to
you than England's prestige with the
Sultan, eh?'
l made no answer to this sarcasm, but
began busying myself with the cores
pondence, packing it away in the dis
patch-bag and sealing it for delivery to
Hammerton, the messenger, who was
waiting in an adjoining room ready to
t axe it to Constantinople.
Not until eleven o'clock was able to
get away frcm Berkeley Square, and
leaving the aged statesman alone, deeply
immersed in the puzzllng applications for
advice of all sorts from her Majesty's rep.
resentatives at the various Courts of
Europe. I drove back to Phillimore Gar
dens.
on arrival home my first question of
Juckes was whether Ella was in the
drawing room.
"No, sir. Madam is out, sir.''
"Outi When did she go out?
'tAbout an hour after you had left sir,
replied the man. ''She has gone into the
country, believe.
"Into the country9 What makes you
think so2''
"Because she put on her travelling
dress. and took two trunks with her," he
answered .sRoberts, her maid, says she
packed the boxes herself three days ago."
"Did she say where Eshe was going?"
inquired breathlessly.
"No, sir. She left no message with
anvone.''
En- tering the drawing room with my
overcoat still on noticed, lying upon her
little rosewood escritoire, note addressed
to me.
read its contents. There were only few
hurriedly scrawled words-a brief and
formal farewell.
"You cannot trust me-" she wrote,
therefore we are best apart. Do not at
tempt to follow me, for you cannot find
me. Do not think ill of me- for even if
I have wronged and deceived you, have
uoF6EbH6l6sS pt'eu your lFltuu.
1t commenced formally, without any
endearing term. and concluded abruptly
with the two words ''your Wife,"
For IA few moments I stood with 1t in
my hand, staring at it in blank amaze
ment. Then it occurred to me that in
that very escritoire she kept all her cor
respondence, and it was more than proba-
lbe that 1 might learn the truth from
some OF the letters therein contained.
endeavored to open it, but it was, as
usual, locked. She had taken the key.
In my sudden excitement 1 called to
.Juckes to bring hammer, and with a
few sharp blows broke open the sloping
leather-covered top. finding number OF
letters addressed in unfamiliar handwrit-
ing.
One, larger than the rest. crumpled,
dirty, and worn, as if it had reposed in
someone's pocket for long period, took
out and eagerly opened beneath the soft
shaded lamp.
my Godl'' cried aloud, scarcely able
to believe my own eyes, when next in
slant I realized the terrible truth. "My
Godl had never suspected thisl"
(To be Continued.