The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-12-02
Yours" he answered.
"Minel But how 2"

Yours" he answered.
mine! But how?"
"Yes; does 1t seem strange in a hus-
band to keep a ringlet of his wife's
hair? / think II stranger that you do
not appear to recognize IL. 1 cut the
curl off myself last year when you were
delirious from fever. There was some
talk of shaving your head, and I
wished this, since hair changes color
often after such attacks, to remind me
of what 1t was like the day / met you
first under the elms-you recollect?-in
your avenue"
There was a curiously low tone in
his voice; he did not appear to mark
the travelling dress, the dsorderly
table, or even the shattered casket.
Lady Lyndhurst shivered. After a
pause he continues: II put ii there
where I keep the most valued things
I possess; some communications with
which her majesty has honored me, my
star, the cross got over that Burmah
trouble; and-yes-those two letters,
one wherein you accept me as husband,
and the other before us, the one you
wrote from Brittany when our child
died"
her very lips were white: she sank into
q chair, the tress slipping from her
nerveless hand. His lordship stopped
slowly and picked it up.
II fear" he went on, you will think
this a sad travesty of The Rape of the
Lock- l wonder what Pope would
have made of his poem with an old
fellow like me for hero!"
c;1,
things came back to her as he spoke
little acts of sacrifice, of unrecognized
unrequited tenderness; he was old
too-no, not so very, very old, and
years had brought him honor-what
would they bring her? She closed her
eyes, but the hot tears forced them
open again.
The Honorable Cecil Templeton was
saying to himself just then that you
never know where you are with a wo-
mana certain person was making ex-
actly the same remark.
Her husband turned aside, and as
he did so his eye caught the white
envelope on the dressing case. She
saw him take it up, read the super
scription. and then, adjusting his
| glasses, bring it nearer the light. Her
voice seemed lost, but something must
be said lest he should read that letter
in her presence; morever, she distinct
| ly recollected that she had spelled the
word "misapprehend" wrongly-it was
very humiliating. All she could think
| of, however, was the pitifully made
| quate remark: You have come from
the house earlier than usual, Lord
| Lyndhurst?"
He looked round courteously. "Yes,
he replied, "I do not think that / shall
| be so late at the house for some time
as I have been lately. Ah!-we go out
you see, on that Indian policy question
and, of course shall lose office"
The voice was calm but her quick
ear detected its MANNED infection. She
| pressed her hand against her heart
She understood now, with the sympa.
thy of awakening love and remorse
the weight of the blow he had received
the passion with which he had striver
for his party, the absolute unselfsh
ness of his labors, even the pathos o.
his belief that in it's policy alone lay
Englands hope amid the wreck anC
ruin of disjointed times. And this wal
the hour she had chosen for betrayal
He was bending nearer the light
breaking the wax.
Lord urst!-Ralph!" sh
gasped. For Gods sake don't rea,
that! 1t was written under "a mis-
apprehension"
His lordship did not appear sur
prised. He trifed with the lampshade
apparently, and in a moment tn
feeble flame went out, leaving the room
lit only by the flickering gleam from
the tiny hearth fire. Holding the let
ter aloft, he said-his voice resonant a
it had been that night in the hous
when he fought a losing fight with
gallantry that put younger men L
shame: This was not intended to b
read until after"
mo; but oh, there need be no after
if-you will only forgive mel"
Lady Lyndhurst never knew how /
happened, but in an instant she wa
sobbing on her husbands breast, sob
bing out confused tangle of childisl
words, and conscious that every so
only frightened the clasp of the loya
arms around her.
And so, by the grace of God and tn
force of circumstances, the Honorabl
Cecil Templeton travelled alone
Black and White.