Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1899-08-30
CHAPTER xxx

when you were looking over the vestry
books Of ClOverfield parish last week you
came upon the entry of a marriage be.
tween John lie Mesurier and Adela
Coombes. which took place fifteen year,
ago In that very church, and which l beg.
ged you TO keep a secret for my sake
That entry referred to the union of this
lady and myself"
"She is your wifeV' exclaims Della.
81 was" says the Sister, sadly.
You are-you ever must be, at least In
my opinion" replies Mr.. lie Mesurier
Fifteen years ago, then, / was staying
at Southampton reading for holy orders
when ! met Adela Coombes, who was q
teacher at a school. She had had the
misfortune TO have a very unhappy home
and"
Here the Sister, who had been strus
Cling between a desire to atone for the
past by humble confession and the nat.
ural feeling of shame which forbids her
making il In the presence Of a stranger
takes the words out of Mr.. lie Mesurier's
mouth.
"John-John! let me tell the story
There is no disgrace too great for such a
woman as l have been. Madam" she
continues. turning toward Della, IT told
you but just now that the blight of my
life had been effected by an unpardona-
bic deceit. The deceit involved an unpar.
donabe imprudence. As young girl
had, IL must be confessed, a most unhappy
home. and TO escape its discomforts,
elopcd from 1t, at the age Of sixteen, with
the mate of a merchant vessel-a man
had only seen some half a dozen times
| was married, and lived with him al
Southampton for a while until he went to
sea again, when his ship was wrecked
and all hands reported lost. I did not
grieve for him-he had been too little to
me; and when l met Mr.. lie Mesurier and
learned that he loved me, l was too elated
to care for anything else. / was support
ing myself then as a teacher in school;
| had entered there under my maiden
name, and l never undeceived John In the
matter, but kept the fact Of my first mar
rlage secret from him. After we had
been acquainted a few months he pro-
posed to me that we should be married
privately. He was his own master, but
he did not wish his family to hear the
news all at once. So we were married at
the little village Of Cloverfeld, and for
awhile We were happy -Quite-Quite hap
py."
II was, heaven knowsv' interpolates LIE
Mesurier, in a voice Of deep feeling.
Then came my awful temptation and
fall. The news reached me in a round
about way that my first husband had
been saved from the wreck, and was do
ing his best to trace me. / suffered the
tortures Of hell, but never told John.
I knew that as soon as he heard 1t, we
should be forced to separate"
My poor Adela"
7 ~ -
self John was interested in mesmerism
at that time. He studied the science
deeply, and l was the patient on whom
he made his chief experiments. I did not
know the extent Of the power he held over
me, and he thought his wife could have
no secrets worthy Of the name from him.
So one day when I was under the tnflu-
ence, he commanded me to speak what
was in my mind. l obeyed him-and he
learned everythingl Then there came a
horrible awakening-and all was over be-
tween u.s."
You went back to your first husbandf'
says Della, who is intensely interested In
the story of her poor friends life.
Nor with a shudder; thank heaven,
that was never required Of me. But he
found me out, or rather his friends die,
and nursed him-he had been fearfully
injured and crippled in the course Of the
hardshps he had, undergoDe-until he
went 10 his rest"
rs he deadY" exclaims lie Mesurier. in
an excited manner.
Adela glances at him reproachfully.
'Yes; years and years ago. And when
that duty was over, / entered upon my
present career, and found the peace l
never knew before"
He is dead. and you never let me
know" says lie Mesurier; land while I
have been spending my life in vain regrets
for what thought to be an irremediable
grief. How could you be so cruelr'
what would have been the use Of dis
turbing your mind afresh, when hoped it
had turned to better things for comfort?
! was not your wife-I never had been
/ never could be, after the shameful de-
ception l had practiced upon you, and the
sin in which ! had knowingly permitted
you to 1--we"
Il do not attempt to say you were
right. Adela; but your fault, however
great arose from love for me. But l, too,
had Injured you, though innocently, and
1t was not fair to debar me the option of
remedying the wrong l did you."
We were so very, very happy togeth-
err she says, through her tears.
And so you will be again. Mr.. Le
hesurier, ! heartily congratulate You on
your good fortune. And you so fully de-
serve IL If 1t had not been for your gen.
erous friendship for me, and sympathy
In ny trials, you would not have been
here to-day to hnd your iong-lost treasure
again. Adela. if you love him still, make
him happy. His life has been a wasted
one for want of you"
oh, John, can you forgive me? Is II
possible you can love me still?" says
Adela
She Is answered by the stealing Of an
arm about her waist. Della rises hastily
and walks to the window. She is rejoic-
Ing with the most unselfish joy over the
newborn happiness Of her friend, and
that heralds it.
AT this juncture knock sounds upon
the door, and Adela has hardly had time
to disengage herself from lie Mesurier's
encircling arm, when the doctor, who has
been called in to attend old Strother, en-
ters the room.
I beg your pardon, Sister, but II you
are at leisure l should like to speak to you
for moment"
You can speak to me with the greatest
confidence here, doctor. This lady and
gentleman are my friends and interested
IN the Fate of your poor patient"
lie has not recovered. I regret to say
that he is deadv'
Dead! The word falls with chilling ef-