Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1899-04-27

! r"~"d for IT, do not ask your for
: - HtSS. | only say that | have al
I lowed myself 10 fall victim to cir
/ cunStances that have offered me a
/ temptation beyond any | have ever
known. shall never pardon my own
I weakness. GoCd-uieht."
! II went forward and drew aside the
I poriicre that shroud'd the entrance
! 10 the hall As | passed out | lifted
my eyes an instant To his
You have not promised 10 stay
| suggested. wiStfully.
Il never intended anything else" he
replied. with marked self-disgust II
allowed you g remain under the mis-
conception for my own selfish ends"
"But-misconception? Il persisted
Did you not say gocd-byeT'
Intending only TO convey its literal
me aiming. God be with you" " he re-
turned. And now, again, and ever
again, goodbye"
l echoed the word and passed on my
way, At ne first bend in the stair
case | looked hind me. The portiere
still drawn aside and | saw
dark. almost indistinguishable figure
still standing Leneath its folds.
The next day | found myself aban-
doned 10 my nn society until quite
late in the afternoon. / was scarcely
dressed when Franklin brought me n
message from Madam TO the effect
that, as she nd certain matters 10 oc-
cupy her attention during the day.
might dispose of my time as ! chose
until five O'Clock. when she begged
that | would come TO her boudoir for
.r.ta
ed me that, as both his master and
mistress preferred to have breakfast
and luncheon served to them in their
own rooms. | might choose between
following their example or having
those meals in solitary state In the
great dining room.
Naturally l preferred the former
method, AM spent quiet day, with
my thoughts for my only companions.
Just before our usual luncheon-hour !
was attracted to the window by lne
sound OF wheels on the gravel. |
looked out and saw n groom waiting
with the empty dog cart before The
main entrance A few moments later
Darracott came down the steps and
got into the vehicle. The groom was
dismissed, and Darracott drove away
alone.
Half an hour later the sound Of
returning wheels took me again to the
window. What was my surprise to
see that Darracott was no longer alone
in the cart; that he had brought COM
panion with him. and that that com
panion was none other than David
Spencer, | put two and two together,
and the result was a conclusion that
stress OF circumstance had been re-
medal OF disruption, and that the
need for the physician had resulted
in the recall of the friend.
When Franklin appeared for the pur-
pose OF serving my luncheon, | felt
that my participation In the occur
rences of the past night warranted me
In putting question to him.
"Is Mrs. Mayberry's daughter
worse" | asked, that DIR. Spencer has
been sent fori'
There was CLEAN OF malignant
satisfaction In the old mans face nv
he replied in the affirmative.
The servants We're not SO utterly
mistaken In their suspicious, Frank
lin." hazarded.
mo. miss" he answered. 81 could
not have believed il OF Mrs. May
berry"
"She is greatly to be pitied, poor wo-
man. | said.
'She is greatly to blame for all that
has happened, the weak old fooll'' he
calculated harshly. "If she hadn't
thought to make her daughter
lady" lie broke of, evidently re-
membering that II was not his place
to discuss events even with 40 familiar
n member of the household as /.
So impatient was | for my interview
with Madam that IL seemed to me five
o'clock would never come. l knew
that DIR. Spencer was s,.ll I'm the house.
for | had been on the alert for his
departure. and was convinced that ID
had not taken place. But when my
little travelling clock finally struck five
silvery chimes, and I was about to
leave my room, Franklin reappeared
with request from his master that
/ would give him n few moments In.
tervicw in the morning room. des-
patched "A message to Madam to inform
her why my attendance upon her would
be somewhat delayed. and with beat
ing heart and wondering spirit de-
scended the wide staircase TO Mr.
Chester's sanctum.
Naturally | was somewhat embar-
rassed at the thought OF again meeting
the man to whom ! had 10 lately re-
vealed my most sacred feelings. But
his non-chalance and matter -of-fact re-
ceptlon OF me soon put me ut ease and
banished my wretched self-consclous
ness. He saluted me pleasantly and
naturally, with some of that dangerous
ly provocative emotional disturbance
which had characterised his manner
.t..l.G
to n seat, standing meanwhile himself.
Miss Lothrop," he began, 81 had
long interview with my mother this
morning, ono result of which has been
our mutual conclusion that you should
bc Informed Of every detail necessary,
to thorough understanding OF the"
wretched circumstances which sur.
round the unhappy fate OF the woman
whom you helped TO succor last night
and who must, unwclcomc as the ne
cessity is, spend the rest OF those
days whose term threatens to be very
short beneath this roof. My mother
desires herself to relate TO you the mis-
erable history. and l am selilshly VIII
ing to allow her to do so When you
shall have heard II, you shpu decide
whether or no you wish TO Thnaln In
no tainted IA household as this. IL Is
asking much, perhaps too much. OF n
pure young girl. such ns you are. to
request you TO do 10. but | would neith'
or ask nor allow 10 but for the strong
conviction l have TINT your presence
and companionship have become ne
cessity to my mother which i feel
that she cannot afford TO dispense with.
She is sadly broken and distressed by
this fresh disaster that has befnllen
us, and I dread Its consequences upon
her. For her snke ] would permit-rc-
quest, indecd--a sacrifice which other
wise I would not tolerate; for TO de-
sire you to live I'm a house polluted by
the presence OF the woman who IN
legally my wife In to require nothing
else than the actual sacrifice OF your
girllsh innocence and purity"
He paused moment. turning rest
lessly away from me and lingering In
mn embarrassed fashion n Japanese
idol that stood upon the mnntclpiece.
Before ] could frame reply he went
on.
Miss Lothrop. you have In your
heart accused me Of injustice ana
coldncss even of cruelty. towards my
mother | cannot bear that you should
listen to her history and mine without
first correcting the false impression
which you labor. and preparing you 20
do better Justice to man who has
nctunl faults enough 10 stnggcr under
without being burdencd with short
comings which do not belong to him.
May I bore you with Few words cx-