The Eddy current., 1899-04-22

ana htreaking my hair with gray be-
fore had reached the prime Of life.
when we returned she came across
my path again, and necessity compcll-
ed her 10 conhde a secret 10 me. when
/ learned by Il how shamofully she
had been treated. believed had rnls-
Judged her cruelty. aud was only eager
70 offer reparatlon In my powe-. I
felt that no sacrifice or oxertlon
could make would atone for the irre-
parable wrong done her by one OF my
name. and"
Your brother Arthur. you moan.
ho had"
"IIo had forced her-an ignorant
thoughtleas girl OF sixtoen-to marry
ham secretly when she was staying
with an invalid aunt IN London"
"Of sixtoon" she exclaimed eager.
ly. "You mean that she-she was
your brothers wife before lot you
all-all that time she was with o..
your brothers wlfo?'
"Yos, yes, AZ hrst the excitement
and adventure had pleased her but
later on. whom she came 10 know Ar
thurs true character and mode OF his
llfo-how he had squandored his for
tune, was Stunned by honest mon and
respectable women-whon her uncle.
who had heard some rumor OF child
ish attachment between the pair. In
formed her that, II she exchanged an
other word with Arthur he would not
only alter his will and leave her pen
niless, but would expcl her from hls
home, hor complacency changed 10 q
state of misery and almost unbearahle
suspense, which by degrees taught her
to hate the cause OF her selfish ter
ror, and made his existence a post
tive nightmare 10 hor
AT last, after stormy interview
Arthur consented 10 enlgrats 20 Aus
tralia, plodglng his word 20 remain
there until the General should die. and
Edith's Inheritance bU quite safe.
He sailed, but aftcr time tlrlng
OF Colonial life. broke his solemn
promise, and a month after our arrly-
al at Colworth he tuinod up at South
ampton. and Edith In her terror OF
discovery conndod ler secret TO me.
implored me TO help her and induce
my brother to return TO Australia nj
once.
II promised 20 Loip her by oyery
means In my power wrote at once TO
my brother. begging him to leave; but
he refused point blank until he had
had at least ono interview with his
Wife whom. With nll his faults. | be-
lieve he truly loved. as his conduct
within the last seven years has amply
proved. Seeing he was not TO be shak-
en-, We arranged that the meeting
should take place at Colworth. where
there would be less chance OF detec.
tion. II was IN valn. I begged Edith
10 lei you share the secret; she was
innoxible on that point, Her motive
for that reserve at tho time I thought
trivial and unreasonable; but I have
since fathomed the terrible ovcrween-
Ing vanity and heartlessness OF the
woman, and car now understand it
perfectly. She was jealous OF you. my
darling; that | should have 20 quick.
ly recovered from her wanton attack
was n stab her vanity resented Bit
teriy; she saw more clearly than /
could see mysof-dull fooll-how
thoroughly happy I was. how dear YOU
were 10 me; and 80 she set about.
with thousand namoless. almost In
tangible wilos and artlhces. TO wreck
the happiness OF man who was shell.
tering and protecting her. fighting 10
preserve her fortune and honor. with
broken. hali-stlhed hints and inun-
does, she gave me 10 understand that
would have been her choice had
spoken long ago. before my brother
tried by every means IN power 10 wean
me from your influence. 10 force on
me the fact that ] had made a tremen-
dous sacrifice In marrying you, that
my chivalrOus and tender bearing to-
wards you awoke IN her feelings that
made hor own wretched fate almost
unhearable, and at the same time. |
presume, from what I've heard. that
you, my poor darling, did not escape
her"
Paul, that time when you left me
alone with her, when you went TO Lon
DON"
"To meet her husband -yes7"
"She told me-not az once. gou
know, but by degrees lt-lt took
three days. paul-that you-you had
loved her passlonately for years, that
you had proposed 90 her a few DAYS
before you met me. that. even after
her first refusal. you had followed her
about London. trying 20 make her
change her mind. and that, falling
that you-you had rushed back 10 Ire
land IN wrath aud despair and-and
married ME"
"she told you that-the iade?"
Not boldly, as / tell you now but
with little hints and jokes. half laugh.
ing sighs that we're almost worse"
MY poor brotherl Well. my darl-
Ing, the end came You followed as
that night, and saw the meeting be.
tween husband and wife"
Paul, PAUL. You mean Il was not
you ! saw holding her Ia your arma