The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-12-21

r,o,,.h .e.e icaped Into her eyes. he,
,ns growing hard as she united III.
1.-Two mora letters. one bearing .
,olsn postmark. rewarded her efforts. th,,
Ie,. lace downward, but its seal had
~. look. She snatched 1t up, tore
ene cover, and between the folds al
- 'no.oseu paper found q tress Of gold
-o. na,r. one perused the note breathless
~ the handwriting was her own, r. com
menced: Dear Ralph" and ended an -.
same page; even now she felt its curtre.a
1t was dated some six month. h.oL 80.
French watering place Still. the hair
the hair? The room began TO swim oh.
reeied. but an arm supported her and
looking up. she found herself in the pres.
ence OF Lord Lyndhurst
he did not speak,
sne drew away and faced him desperately.
noiolng out the lock of hair Whose ia
tnls! she demanded hoarsely.
Yours" he answered
Mine! But how7"
les; does 1t seem strange In a husband
10 keep ringlet of his wife's hair? 7
mink 1t stranger that you do not appear to
recognize it. cut the curl of mysalf
last year when you were delirtous from
Fever. There was some. talk of shaving
your head and wished this. since hair
changes color often after such attacks "a
remind me of what it was like the day I
met you hrst under the elms-you recol-
iect!-1n your avenue"
mere was curiously low tone in his
voice. ne did not appear to mark the trav-
enne dress. the disordered table. or even
the shattered casket. Lady Lyndhurst
snivered. After a pause he continued: II
put 1t there where l keep the most valued
things possess: some communications with
wnicn her majesty has honored me. nv
star the cross got over that Burmah trou
Ole; and-yes-those two letters, one where
In you accept me as husband, and the other
before us, the one you wrote from Brit
tany when our child died"
Lady Lyndhurst had grown pale. her very
Ups were white; she sank into q chair
the tress slipping from her nerveless hand
HIS lordship stopped slowly and picked II
up.
fear" he went on, "you will think
this sad travesty of THE Rape Of tho
LOCK. wonder what Pope would have
made of his poem with an old fellow like
me for hero!"
Lady Lyndhurst sat silent, but many
things came back to her as he spoke; little
acts of sacrifice, Of unrecognized. I'M
requited tenderness; he was old. too-no.
not 80 very, very old. and years had brought
MIN honor-what would they bring her? She
closed her eyes, but the hot tears forced
them open again.
The Honorable Cecil Templeton was say
ing to himself just then that you never
know where you are with a woman-a cer-
tain person was making exactly the same
remark.
Her husband turned. aside. and as he did
caught uvhN
the dressing case She saw him take it up.
read the superscription. and then, adjust
ing MS glasses, bring 1t nearer the light
Her voice seemed lost. but something should
be said lest he should read that letter
In her presence; moreover. she distinctly
recoliected that she had spelled the word
mlsapprehend' wrongly-it was very
humiiiating. All she could think of, how
ever, was the pitifully inadequate remark.
You have come from the house earlier
than usual. Lord Lyndhurst"
He looked round courteously. Eyes" he
replied. Il do not think that l 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. l shall lose office"
The voice was calm, but her quick ear
detected it's manned infection. She pressed
Hef HdHu against ner neart. She under
stood now, with the sympathy of awaken
ing love and remorse, the weight of sthe
blow he had received, the passion with
which he had striven for his party the
absolute unselfshness of his labors even
the pathos of his belief that in it's policy
alone lay England's hope amid the wreck
and ruin of disjointed times. And this was
the hour she had chosen for betrayal.
He was bending nearer the light. break
ing the wax
Lord Enthusiastically she gasped.
For Gods sake don't read that! It was
written under "a misrepresentation
His lordship did not appear surprised. He
trified with the lampshade. apparently, and
In moment the feeble flame went out
leaving the room lit only by the hickerinx
CLEAN from the tiny hearth fire. Holding the
letter aloft he said-his voice resonant as
1t had been that night in the house when
he fought losing fight with a gallaptry
that put younger men to shame: This was
not intended to be read until after"
mo; but oh. there need be no after |
if-you will only forgive me!''
Lady Lyndhurst never knew how it ham
pened but in an instant she was sobbine on |
her husbands breast, sobbing out confused |
tangle of childish words, and conscious that |
every sob only frightened the clasp of the |
loyal arms around her.
And so. by the grace Of God and the force |
of circumstances, the Honorable Cecil Tenn
oleton travelled alone.-Black and White.