Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-06-14
MARF }&AMMttfk kFF0N>S ROMANCE
Bv JOHN STRANGE WINTER.

r
with all her heart she had told Alan
when the news of Edward Conway's
rescue first reached her. But now that
she had come face to face with the ter
rible and awful tragedy which would
end, God alone knew how, she did not
dare to speak AS she sat there, trying
to force the egg and the delicate strips
of bacon bit by bit down her throat,
she recalled the very first time that she
had ever seen him-how he had refused
with absolute scorn to inquire into her
character, how he had told her that
honesty was the dominant note OF her
life; that she had many times given
herself away by being too honest, by
not being able to tell, at the right mo-
ment, the harmless. necessary lie.
And if l tell the truth I must needs
confess that she was at this juncture
afraid to tell him-afraid to own that
she had shared his life and love while
the barrier Of a great secret lay be-
tween them. She told herself that it
would have been so easy to carry the
news straight to him then that day
when her Mortified eyes had first fallen
upon that announcement in the papers
which was headed, "Survivors OF the
Arikhama. 1t was not easy then;
now it was almost impossible. She felt
that she could not face the look of sur
prise in his eyes: she felt that if every
thing came out. and he should ask
her to stay with him, he could no
longer ask it as favor. So more and
more she realized the need Of keeping
it all dead secret. of hiding from Ed
ward Conway as long as she could and
of trusting to blind chance and Provi-
dence to free her-to free her this time
beyond all shadow of doubt.
There were still some trivial arrange
ments for Alan to make when they had
finished breakfast, gratuities to be Civ
en-, one or two little bills to be paid
and the landlords account to be settled
in full She could hear him in the little
room across the passage explaining to
mine host that he had no doubt as to
the honesty Of the bill-it was no use
his going over the items; that he had
not the least idea how many whiskies
and sodas he had had, and that if be
had no objection he would prefer to set
tie the account without any further ar
guments Then she heard the landlord
protest that he wanted them to come
back again. and therefore he was par.
ticularly anxious that Mr.. Stacey should
60 thoroughly into the bill, so that if
there was anything to which he object
ed he might meet him at once.
my friend" said Alan, ''you will
never make your fortune. Here you
have entertained us to the best of your
ability You have satisfied both my
wife and myself, and we are extremely
obliged to you for all the trouble and
pains that you have been at to give US
a good time am quite satisfied that
the bill is all right and that there is not
single item in it to which any reason
able man could raise any objection. "
Then she heard the chink Of money
and, from the silence that followed,
guessed that the landlord was employed
in the serious business of receipting the
bill. She wondered how many more ho-
tel bills would be made out, paid and
receipted for their sojourn together:
She wondered if Edward Conway found
her, and she decided to stay with Alan
If Alan did not wish her to 60 away
She wondered what people in London
would say; how they would take it
She supposed that in that case Edward
Conway would make it the business Of
his life to follow them round and ex-
plain to every one the exact position in
which they were placed. Would it be
better to tell everybody Would the
story get into the papers? Would it be
blazoned from one end of the world to
the other that Alan Stacey's wife had
story as romantic as any of the thrill
ing pages which had come from his pen?
She bethought her, in her distress
and anxiety. of silly game called
consequences, a game in which the
last clause is. And the world said. "
What would the world say to them-to
her? She did not know; she did not
dare to think. Only she felt resolved
that so long as she could keep the secret
she would do so.
"And you will come back again.
sir2" she heard the boniface say.
"Yes, l expect we shall come back
again the next time l have got spell
of hard work on and want to get out Of
London. 1t is difficult to work in Lon
don." she heard Alan answer; sit is
difficult to keep free of interruptions
and so on. We have enjoyed ourselves
very much. l can assure you.
Then she heard heavy football en-
tering the house Her anxious, strained
ears told her whose steps they were
They passed her door to the sanded bar,
and then she heard Edward Conway's
voice saying "You have lady here
that is passing under the name of Sta
cey. Which is her room2'
Then there was a rush across the
passage, and Alan Stacey burst into the
room and caught her in his arms.
"My poor child" he said, 81 have
been dreading this for weeks and weeks
The blow has fallen at last.
And by some instinct Mary knew not
only that he had known the truth all
along. but that he had been the first of
the two to hear it.