Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1899-10-19

gether."
Lenore looked at him with wonder in
her face.
"Gladie plotting against us; it cannot
possibly be- She loves me, Cyril.
Then the very bravery Of despair came
to the unhappy woman whose passions
had wrecked her own life.
NAY, 1 do not love you, Lenore.
have never loved you. have hated you
always, because you were more beloved
than I. / have been your enemy always,
never your friend. have loved your
husband, though, with all the strength Of
my soul, and have hated you for taking
him from me-
Hush, Glade; those are dreadful
Words said Lenore.
'.They are true I have loved him al
ways; his love has been the crown, the
bane, the evil, the joy, the curse and the
blessing of my life. II he would have
loved me. I should have been as good,
nay, better than others are; he might
have made an angel of me; am demon
now He scorned me"
Something of the old sisterly love seem
ed to rise in IGNORES heart and plead for
pity for this unhappy woman.
He could not love us both,'' she said,
gently, "and he always loved me.
The words, meant to soothe, lrrltated
her. She laughed terrible laugh.
.Your love has cost something she
said, with the reckless frankness that
was at times one Of her strongest charms.
HE chose you. Now listen what that
choice has cost e-you-himself-a
that poor dead man."
She stopped for one minute IN the hur-
ried passion Of her words, and they never
forgot her as she looked then; it was as
if some evil spirit Of passion had entered
| and taken possession of her.
II never knew what my vengeance
would be, what shape it would assume. l
| dreamed Of it in every form. 1t came TO
| me at last. I will not tell you what
suffered. My hour came. Your husband
| came back to England, to his home here,
in disguise. I knew him. He came TO
see you, to watch you, to feast his eyes
once more on your fair face; and pene-
trated the disguise. | spoke to him;
| Il told him again how well and now
truly I loved him. Again he scorned me.
This is how poor Austin's death came
about I asked that man to let me see
him once more. He told me he was going
back into exile / prayed to him as
lOSL SOUL WOulO pray " ASoNSh, w ~
see him once more. That was on the day
of Anstin's death. I saw him in the
morning, early. He did not promise, but
he did not refuse, and he never told me
that he was going away at noon. l'pray-
cd him to meet me; and that night
meant to kill him. / had small toy
nistol-there it lies-that had belonged to
him. I went out looking everywhere for
him. No one, no warning, told me that
he had gone. I waited in the roads and
the lanes. I saw in the thick, soft gloom
man seated on the wooden garden chair
that had been placed on the cliff road.
7 never dreamed but that it was he; 1T
was the same figure, the same height;
thought he was there waiting for me.
stole behind him in the soft, thick gloom
I did not see his face. | was quite close
to him. could hear him breathe even
then I fired! Shot him through the
heart. and he fell dead on his face
She stopped, for cry of horror came
from Lenore, and Sir Cyril caught her
in his arms.
.sShe has more to hear" said Glade;
| ''fainting will not save her from it..
II am not fainting,' said Lenore; "but
your story is so horrible. it almost kills
me-
81 was sorry that [ had slain him, yet
I never asked heaven to forgive me; it
seemed to me that already | was lost.
have never even thought of a prayer
since" continued Glade. you know all
that happened afterward-Cyril Leslie
Vernon came home, and married you: my
vengeance only slept; the time came when
I could crafty it, and did SO. poison
ed your mind, Lenore; | took away the
pocketbook, with it's diary of love, and
placed, where l knew you must find them,
these records of guilt" She turned sud-
denly ''How you have discovered my
share in this / do not know do not
care 1 am guilty, and l do not care to
hide my guilt. You might have made me
an angel-you have made me Demon
Then Lenore stretched out her tender
arms in loving supplication.
"Oh, Glade, do not harden your heart
you brighten me. Let me help you-I
will
"Hushw she cried; 81 will hear no
words from you. Cyril Leslie Vernon, I
wait your judgment. I am guilty of the
murder of Austin Chandos-will you give
me up to justice or shall 1 go free?''
$50 Free" he answered; and without a
word, without look, she turned from
them.
Holding his wife's hand, they went
back to the room. Sir Cyril took the
scarf and the brooch.
"Come with me, my darling, and see
me burn them he said.
They stood side by side while the hot,
red flames devoured them, then Sir Cyril
turned to his wife
Nov tell me, darling, where you have
been, and what you have done since I
lost YOU
When she had told him they went to
see little Audley, whose delight knew no
bounds, and there was great delight ev-
erywhere when Lady Vernon took her
place once more in her husbands home.
OF that terrible time they never spoke.
Silence was better than words, and they
never discussed it.