The Iola register., 1901-02-08

that he was on the eve of battle, but
the war spirit was dead within him;
he had the feeling of being con-
quered.
"why did you have me meet you
here?" he demanded.
"To prove your love for me. Row
land" she replied, and the smile which
accompanied her words was the cold
est he had ever seen on her face. and
yet II but for its remote kinship to
former smiles of hers he adored it.
"Younever doubted my love, Jeanne;
that is a certainty"
"Then have had you come that we
may agree on n plan OF action" she
said. She nestled nearer to him and
took one of his cold hands and
pressed IL.
"I missed the money, too, Jeanne?"
"Oh, did your Well, may as well
confess that this meeting is an after
thought, and I do think, if you care
for me, that you ought to appreciate
that"
"You intended, then, to desert me?"
Eyes, that was the intention forced
on me-"
"Foroed on youP"
"Yes, l cannot go on at Lyndhurst
as IL is. You knew when 1 became
your wife that l could not remain
stationary-not progress. When L
married you ii was clearly understood
that / was to be able to crafty GER
| tain desires that l frankly confessed
had always had firm hold on me.
Well, your recent speculations have
reduced us to Lyndhurst and a trivial
income"
"But it will be secure" he reJuined,
desperately.
"Oh, l don't doubt its security Row
land, dear, but it is hardly more than
these two hands and my brain used
to earn. Oh, you can see what | mean!
l am simply an ambitious woman.
want things. | want power, and | am
| going to get my desires through you,
dear husband, or we must part COM
pany. love you as much as any wom-
an could love a man, but my ambition
is at least half OF me, and it will drag
me away from you IL you don't come
20 my assistance"
thing in my power to crafty you.
know | have violated part of our
matrimonial contract, but | could not
help things taking such an unexpect-
ed turn"
She stroked his hand caressingly
and raised it to her warm, red lips.
Listen to me-" she began. laying
her head on his broad shoulder. II
want to tell you something you do not
know then | shall propose plan.
Iou remember that DR.. Fleming, the
famous English expert on heart
troubles. came to see Blanche a month
ago-the day before he returned to
London"
"Yes, | remember that" said tho
major. wonderingly.
well, perhaps il was because he
thought l looked as II | could keep a
secret--and some one ought to know
the truth-that he made an important
disclosure to me. He was deeply con-
cerned after he had examined Blanche
and sent for me to meet him in the liz
brary. He then told me, and his face
was actually pale, for he seemed to
like her, that she had the most fatal
case of 'aortic aneurism' he called it
an acute disease of the heart--that
he had ever met with in all his eN-
perience."
MY God, you can't be serious!" ex-
claimed the major. "She looks so
well-and yet, | remember, she is TAX
ing his medicines"
"Dr, Fleming explained that to all
outward appearances she would be,
even to the end. MS healthy looking
ns a perfectly sound person. He says
she cannot possibly live longer than
two years. and that it is most like ly
that she will drop off sooner-at any
moment. The least excitement or un-
usual eXertion may kill her instantly"
"Does Blanche know Of her condi-
tion?" asked the major, almost for
getting his own troubles in his vast
sympathy for his ward.
mo: oh. no! DR.. Fleming said that
the knowledge of it would only prey
on her mind and hasten the end. He
was afraid to tell You; he said men
were apt to show so much concern over
matters of that kind that patients
would suspect the truth. | promised
him faithfully not to hint it to soul,
so you must never mention it or let
her suspect you are anxious about
her"
Can nothing be done?"
absolutely nothing; the medicine
she is taking is just what she needs,
and he even advised me not to have
her consult any other doctor. pre-
sumo, considering the fact that he is
such great authority. his wishes,
even on that score, ought to be re.
spected."
Il presume So" responded the ma
jor; "but isn't it awful?" Then he
came back to his own affairs almost
with a start. He frowned and sat
silently looking at the fire. 1t was as
II he were wondering what connection
this disclosure could have with his
wife's strange flight He gently ex-