The Saint Paul globe., 1899-03-26
me- WAS it a dream, or did you really say
you were going away forever?'

"a! d. LOU are all have on earth to care for.
nave loved You since the first moment we
met, and L always shall love you till death
parts us; say you believe me- dearest''
believe you,'' L reply in utter blissful
Satlsfactlon; "only, you have been so cold and
unkind lately. Anthony. You have not been
10 see me for weeks. When met you at
otner places. you seemed to avoid US. II
thought I must have offended you somehow,
though l could not think how, and 1 have
been so very unhappy"
You have never offended me-" he declares,
Vehemently; you couldn't vex anyone; you
are absolutely perfect, and 1 adore YOU
SO L have caught you at last, have I, oh
NINE enemy, Sir Lancelot, knight without
reproach!,' cries mocking voice at side,
ana Sir Harry, with a face distorted with
rage, forces himself into sight. This is your
revenge, suppose, fer my fault of long ago.
by Heaven, L will take mine without
further delay"
H Hold" cries Sir Anthony, in a hoarse
voice, whilst his face is absolutely colorless
as marble statue; Il stoop to ask your for
bcarance, Sir Harry. Give me but this one
night, and you shall dictate your own terms.
II you won't spare me, spare her-this inno-
cent girl, who dreams not of wrong
why should 1 spare her?" retorts Sir
Harry, bittery-'she who has refused me
and scorned my love-and for what? Learn,
Miss Modesty, Miss Conceit that you have
rejected my love and stolen that of a married
man! How do you like that? What will the
world say when your little romance is public
property? You will regret then, madam that
you did not smile upon me-"
That shall never do. be your stroy true
of false" [ reply, proudly; "and, as yet,
have only your word for it, and that is less
than nothing
If my word is nothing in your opinion
perhaps your sweethearts may be accepted
cries Sir Harry, with fiendish triumph. ASK
him to deny it. Pooh. look at his face-isn't
that proof post;ve?'
Co. says Sir Anthony, in a deadly cold.
stern voice, and the other quails perceptibly
You nave done your worst; 1 have still
mil Ia n 6n
story? And shall I summon the rest of the
household to hear it not?"
There is not the least occasion for saying
any more about it, says Sir Harry, sullenly.
I'm sorry let my temper carry me away
but it is hard to see the only girl I've ever
really cared for stolen from me by dog in
the manger."
Co.. repeats Sir Anthony. and the other
sinks away like a whipped hound
Then there is a long, long silence only
broken by Sir Anthonys labored breathing
and the breaking ot my own heart
What was it that Sir Harry said?
That Sir Anthony is a married mani
Oh! impossible!-t cannot be true
And yet-and yet-if he would only DENY it
if he had only hurled the lie back in the
others teeth, if he did not stand so sternly.
so silently, apart. with the look on his face
OF one who has received his death blow.
why don't you curse me?" he asks, pres
emily, in low, fierce voice. "Why don't Vol
call me coward and traitor, since 1 have
come into your life like thief in the night
and robbed it of it's sweetness?'
What he said, then-is it true?" ask
family.
Yes; it is true!"
But you have something to tell me-"
whisper gently laying my hand upon his
arm. You are more to be pitied than
blamed. Your story is sad one and L must
hear everything. Poor Anthony! 1 under
stand many things that were dark be-
fore"
II will tell you ALL" he replies, in an un
steady voice, and you shall be the iudee
between US.
Years ago, when 1 was a boy of
twenty-five, the possessor of an enormous
fortune, without one single person to control
or guide me, fell into the hands of an ad-
venturess-a woman some years older than
myself, but clever, beautiful, fascinating
She was, at the time of our meeting, play
ing subordinate part a the Opera Comuue
Paris and, like young fool, | fell as 7 sim
posed, in love with her, managed to strike
up an acquaintance and was ass wax in her
hands; and at the end of a short acouaint
nee l found myself engaged to be married
to her.
After the ceremony was over we started
on a long, rambling tour through Europe We
reached Venice just lat the Carnival time
and there it was we met-or rather T met
for the first time Sir Harry Grasmore
He was then a good-looking man of about
thirty years of age, and being, as I said. a
young fool, when he attached himself almost
exclusively to our party, I believed that it
my companionship he sought
Il did not dream that there was anvtbine
between him and Nita-I believed her when
she said that she never admired blonde men
and that she sorry we had ever met Sir
Harry Grasmore.
Poor girl!"-With a sgh-"she has had
reason to be sorry for it since. But I must
proceed with this the most painful. part of
my story.
''One day 1 received a telegram. purporting
to be from an old friend of mine, who had