El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-06-24
CHAPTER TX.

had ever suggested or seemed to wish
| for a private interview, and the cir
| cumstance disturbed and excited me
more than I liked. When at last,
| after long delay, she came down the
walk, rose instinctively to meet her.
and tried to give to the interview as
| cold and business-like a tone as !
| could command.
What must you think of me, Paul?"
| she began impulsively. But 1 had
| no resource left to me but to ask you
to meet me here. You-you are the
| iously as 1 can-to whom I dare turn
for pity and help in a great danger
| that threatens me, to whom I dare
| trust secret that weighs-oh, so
heavily!upon my life. You once
here, on this spot, told me you loved
me dearly-that-that love is, Of
course, dead now; but to it's memory
how dear and precious to me, you
1 implore you to share my secret and
shall sink All, you will pity and
forgive me when you know all! Hear
me. dear Paul. friend of my youth. I
beseech your
Prudence, loyalty to poor Helen, who
believed In me SO implicitly, distrust
of myself, twenty other considerations
urged me to refuse her request; but her
little hot hands were grasping mine,
her lovely blue eyes full of entreaty
fixed upon my face. I had bent my
head, she whispered her secret into
my ear. 1t was a secret that startled
,al hor T 10
believed possible, that filled me with
indignation and pity, made me prom
Use her my most devoted unconditional
allegiance, and, kneeling by her side,
beg forgiveness for my harsh jadg
ment and cruel words to her a year
before. Poor, poor child, if only
could have guessed!
Up and down the walk I paced for
fully ten minutes battling with my
wrath and agitation, until her anxious
face recalled me to the necessity for
prompt and cautious action; and TAX
ing my place beside her we talked to-
gether for fully half an hour in earnest
whispers and discussed the most
available measures for averting the
threatened danger. When we rose
to part at last, she laid her hand on
my arm with piteous gesture.
81 have trusted you; you will not
betray me? You will give me your
solemn word of honor to tell no one,
not even your wife, for she does not
like me?"
what an idear I burst out i'm
pulsively. "How could you imagine
such a thing, Edie? Why, she is al
ways praising you. admiring your
beauty, your grace, your cleverness,
wondering how I escaped falling in
love with"
I stopped abruptly, coloring furious
ly, whilst a lovely wave of carmine
frightened her cheek. After a pain
fully conscious pause, during which
we did not dare look at one another,
she said softly, Withdrawing her hand,
which 1 had been unwittingly hold
ing
you will find I'm right: she does
not like me, Paul, indeed"
why, Edie?"
How should MISUNDERSTANDING
her rings slowly round and looking
down. II have tried to be nice
to her, to make a friend of her; but
it's Of no use. she will never like me.
I'm sure I can't guess why-can you,
aul?''-with q swift upward glance
into my uneasy face.
OF course I knew then she was and
always had been an unblemished
angel, an innocent and shamefully in
jured girl, that she had never wilful-
ly meant to make sport Of my affec-
lions or Of any other mans. But,
lacking this knowledge, I must con-
fess that glance and that appeal in the
circumstances would have savored to
me of coquetry-of a spirited and dan
gerous kind. Poor child, how little
understood her-how coarse and
merciless had been my judgment!
1--WE never done her any harm that
I know of, I'm sure; and people don't
as a rule find it so very hard to like
me, Paul." she added, with a childish
wistful sigh.
"They don't. heaven knows they
DON'T" I muttered, moving hastily
away.
"Good-by, Paul-good-by, brother I
may call you that?" she whispered.
laying her hand on my arm, OBTAINING
me. ooh, If you had not gone away
If you had not left me-left me-"
flush, hushw 1 broke in thickry,
covering her hot hand with kisses.
We've must not think Of these
things now. Edie.'
Half way across the lawn I met my
wife strolling languidly towards me.
Where have you been?" she asked,
with a slight frown. 81 have been
looking for you everywhere round by
the paddock. stables, garden"
mot around by the cedar walk, my
love-"
"Oh, you were there?"
Yes; smoking a couple of cigars
FIR tho last hour or so SinNe left the