Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1899-04-12

taxable start she made on seeing him IL
known to him.
Il didn't know you had returned" says
she, awkwardly, yet made q courageous
enort to appear A. natural as usual.
b.
1T is very late to say good-morning." !"
says abe, with q poor little attempt at q
laugh. but still advancing and holding out
her hand.
''Too later replied he. ignoring the
hand. Joyce, as IL struck by some cruel
blow, draws back a step or two.
You are not tired. hope?" says Dy-
sart, courteously.
"Oh. no." She feels stifled, choked. A
desire to get to the door and escape-lose
sight of him forever-is the one strong
longing that possesses her; but to move
requires strength, and she feels that her
limbs are trembling.
1T was long drive however. And the
| storm was severe. l fear you must have
suffered in some way"
Il have not suffered" says she, In .
| dull, emotionless way.
"No?"
There is q considerable pause, and then:
mo! 1t is true! 1t is I only who have
suffered" says Dysart, with an uncon-
trOllable abandonment to the misery that
is destroying him. 81 alone"
You mean something" says Joyce. 1t
IL by terrible effort that she speaks. She
feels thoroughly unnerved-unstrung.
Conscious that the nervous shaking of her
hands will betray her, she clasps them be-
hind her tightly. ''You meant something
just now when you refused to take my
hand. But what? WhatY'
You said 1t was too late" replies he.
"And 1-agreed with you."
THAT was not it!' says she, feverishly.
'There was more-much more! Tell me"
-passionately-"what you meant. Why
would you not touch me? What am I to
understand-?
THAT from henceforth you are free
from the persecution of my love-" says
Dysart, deliberately. Il was mad ever
to hope that you could care for me-stili-
l did hope. That has been my undoing.
But now
"WelT' demands she, family. Her
1, whole being seems stunned. Something
of all this she has anticipated. but the
reality is far worse than any anticipation
had been. She had seen him in her
Thoughts, angry, indignant, miserable, but
that he should thus coldly set her aside
bid her an everlasting adieu-make mp his
mind deliberately to forget her-this had
never occurred to her as being even prob
able.
"Now you are to understand that the
idiotic farce played between us two the
day before yesterday Is at an end. The
curtain Is down. 1t is over. 1t was q
failure-neither you nor I nor the public
will ever hear of it again"
.sIs this-because l did not come home
last evening in the rain and storm P Some
small spark of courage has come back to
her now. She lifts her head and looks at
him.
"Ohi be honest with me herein our
Hast hour togetherv' cries he. vehemently.
I:You have cheated me all through; be true
ITO yourself for once. Why pretend 1t Is
my fault that we part? Yesterday i'm
piored you not to 60 for that drive with
him, and yet-you went. What was L
or my love for you-in comparison with Q
Few hours drive with that scoundrelT
"It was only the drive I thought Of"
bays she, piteously. "I-there was moth.
ling else, indeed. And you: if'-raisins
Iher hand to her throat-'if You had not
spoken 30 roughly-so@"
IL "R0n0Wg says OyoaEts tuHuluB AHoA0
|her a. il Disguised. To him, In his pres
ent furious mood, her grief, her fear, her
khrinkings, are all 80 many movements in
} the game of coquette, at which she Is q
bast mistress. "Will you think me fool
Ito the endY says he. "See here" turn
Ing his angry eyes to hers. II don't care
What you say. know you now. Too
Hate indeed-but still know you'll To the
very core you are one mass of deceit"
Il, She holds out her hands to him in lit
lie dumb fashion. Her tongue seems froz-
en-. But he repulses this last attempt at
reconciliation.
att IL no GOOD. None! have no belief
lin Won left, 80 you can no longer cajole me.
III know that I am nothing to you. Moth
ling! IT," drawing q deep breath through
his closed teeth, 'if thousand years
were to 20 by I should still be nothing to
Won II he were near. give It up. The
battle was too strong for me. l am de
feated, lost. ruined"
"You have SO arranged It," says she, in
,ov tome. singularly clear. The violence
NJ bis agitation had subdued hers, and
rendered her comparatively calm.
"You must permit me to contradict you
The arrangement is all your own"
"Was 1t so great a crime to stay last
night at Falling?"
sThere Is no crime anywhere. That you
.hould have made q decision between two
men Is not a crime.
"Nol I acknowledge made decision
but"
"When did you make itr'
last evening; and though you-
"Ohi no excuses" says he, with
frown. do you think desire themT' be
hesftates for a minute or 10, and now
turns to her abruptly. Are You ensaseo
to him finally ?"
"No."
so intense AZ to almost enlarge Into dlsDe'
lief. "You refused him. thenr
"No," says she, again. Her heart seems
70 die within her. oh, the sense OF shame
J that overpowers her. A sudden Wild. ~
-,b,. hatred of Beauclerk takes her Into
nossession. Why, why, had he not gwen
her the choice Of saying yes, instead OF
+, no. to that last question:
cYon mean-that he" He stops DEAD
abort as IL not knowing how to proceec'
Then. suddenly, his wrath breaks 10TH
"And for that scoundrel, that fellow WIN.
ont a heart, you have sacrihced tne oes.
oT vou-your own heart! For him. wnose
Word IL as light a. his oath, you nv. nsvs
anne behind you q love that wouio Gs n.ss
surrounded you to your dying DAY. Hovs
b..ve,.i What are women mace o.
H. He sobers himself at once, as II
.n,;tten nv some sharp remembrance, mo
pale with shame and remorse, .ooH - "A.
.'Of course" says he, 1T 10 ony one S.r.d
UiVA~s Aud II n nlat0 70 me