Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1900-08-02

something familiar, though half for
gotten, in that handsome debonair face |
something in the pose of the tall |
figure whic4 struck her with thrill of |
uneasiness.
The truth came to her at last with |
a keen sharp pain-a feeling of deS
pair; 1t came TO her like fash of
lightning and sne knew the man look
ing so wistfully, so earnestly at her
VS. no other than her husband, Laurie
Darlington.
she did not cry or faint; no deadly
swone came to her aid. She sat still
and endured her agony. Neither rack
nor scaffold ever gave greater torture
than Ethel suffered as the truth flashed
across her. The long calm, the dreary
monotony was broken at last; the
respite was ended. She had borne the
suspense of the long years; now she
had to meet the consequence of her
folly; there could be no more calm
oblivion. He had returned, and the
secret could be one no longer.
While the others talked and laughed,
while the sound of happy voices filled
her ears, she sat still and thought.
One or two, looking at the beautiful,
sad face, wondered what the story
was that was written there
Lady st. Norman saw that Etheps
features were listless no longer, that
look of intent thoughtfulness had
deepened on them.
Ethel was thinking what was TO
come next. Would he claim her, this
husband of hers? Would he dare to
tell the world the shameful story Of
how he had practiced on her youth
how he had duped her, lured her to her
ruin, imposed on her girlish simplicity
ignorance? Would he dare to tell this
story to the world?
If he did claim her, could she be
forced to go to him? No, she thought
not Her father would surely befriend
her unless, knowing what she had
done, he grew angry with her, and cast
her off. She would never go to Laurie
Darlington, even if he had recourse 70
the law, and the law directed her
She would kill herself rather tLan sub
init.
Supposlng that he did not claim |
her-that he only haunted her-how |
was she to bear it? The terrible
reality of what she had done had never |
come home to her until now.
Since the fatal hour of her marriage |
she had never seen him, and the OBJ
livion that seemed to have fallen over |
him made her lot perhaps easier to
bear; but now that she saw him again.
the disgrace. the humiliation, the de-
graduation of her position flashed across
her; at any moment this man, who was
a common forger, might claim her
publicly claim her-as his wife. If
she but knew what he intended to do,
it would be easier to bear.
While her whole soul was raked
with terrible suspense and terrible
anguish, by the torture of shame and
the deadly fear of exposure, she was
Obliged to answer questions-to smile
in reply to remarks made to her. She
could have cried aloud in her anguish.
She could have prayed to the blue
heavens to fall upon and hide her
Yet she was outwardly calm, only the
quivering of the sweet lips, and the
tight clenching of the white hands, be
trayed that she was not as calm as she
She felt that the crisis of her life
had arrived. and she braced herself to
meet It, Gradually she Gained the
trembling nerves.
II must bear my fate" she thought
mo regret. no complaint will be OF
the least use to me. l have borne be-
fore. and l must bear again. Endur-
ance is the great lesson of life"
She must bear it. Let life bring
what it might. it must end. She was
passive in the hands of her fate. When
she reused herself Clarice was laugh
ing at her.
You are in dreamland, Miss st. Nor
man." she said. when you feel dis
posed to return. will you answer papa's
question? He is asking if you would
like to go to the priory. The ruins are
pretty. but not large"
Ethel turned with crimson face to
Lord Leighton.
Il should like very much" she said.
without knowing in the least what she
was saying.
Then they all rose and went away
together. She did not turn round to
look at her husband. She never even
glanced that way. If he intended to
speak to her. he would without doubt
find an opportunity; she would not
Yet she would not have felt in the least
surprised il he had claimed her pub
licly and called her wife.
She walked over the green sward.
the wild flowers clustering beneath her
feet, the green boughs tossing and wav-
ing above her head.
Am | dead to all pain?" she asked
herself. for the stupor of despair that
had overwhelmed her prevented her
feeling the full smart Of her sorrow.
More than once that day-that long
dreary, er-to-be-forgotten day-did
she hear the sound of his voice quite
close 10 her. but she never looked At
a.. f,t.. l