Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1903-06-06
A PARDONABLE DECEPTION,
By LADY GILBERT.


and that he thought I was n poo
nurse. and I thought If this man 4.
going to love me, why. shall not al
low the dross Of the world, which is
unfortunately mine, to hinder him.
kept my dreadful secret, and long be
fore he was fit to leave the hospital hi
had asked me to be his wife and hat
accepted him."
"You-you didn't mind at all about
his being-lame?"
Mind It? Yes, I did. loved him
the more for 1t. Loved him the better
because. though brave and distin
guished, he was no longer fit for ser
vice. He had the vaguest ideas of how
We were to live. We had very little
money between us when We went on
board ship to return to England, fol-
my handbook was buried deep in the
bottom Of my trunk, and / did not
dare to display more money than Just
as much rs I had earned by my labors
In the hospital. l urged him not to
think about money, as was a capital
manager and knew how to make a
little 60 long way. was exceedingly
happy, knowing all that I was able
to do for him, vet found myself in a
serious dilemma. The question was
How could I break the news that
had deceived him?
II had been humored to the top OF
my bent in marrying man who loved
me for myself, In ignorance that I pos.
sessed fortune. He must be strange
man. indeed, 1 thought, If later on,
when the truth came to his knowledge,
he were to prove displeased or disap.
pointed. But the fact remained that l
had married him under false pretences,
and felt ashamed of 1t.
II felt also unwilling to hasten the
inevitable moment which should see
me even in seeming lose the enviable
position Of woman who has been
sought by the man she loves for love
and love alone; and so the long voyage
that seemed all too short passed with,
out my having said one word to en-.
tighten him as to the future of ease
and luxury which I had provided for
him.
while he took his convalescent nap
on deck in the afternoons paced up
and down thinking out my difficulty
The time was coming when I must
have my mind made up as to what
steps I was to take, for I had resolved
not to allow my whim or mistake to
cost him one day of less comfort than
l was able to bestow on him. At last
hit on a plan. You know Beatrix.
She is my dearest friend, so much
so that she might have kept me from
the hospital experience. If only she had
not always been so bent on marrying
me- to some one of her acquaintance.
I wrote to her and posted the letter
at convenient moment to travel by
a faster going vessel than our own.
The letter ran somewhat like this:
"'My Dear Beatrix: am travelling
to England with my husband, a dig
tinguished and at present invalid sol.
der, who is under the impression that
he has married penniless nurse. You
can help me to break the truth to him
gracefully. I know your husband is
spending. the summer in his yacht
Will you take possession of my house
and invite me and my husband to
spend some weeks with you? I shall
rely on you to act well the hostess,
and when I see you will tell you
the sequel
1.-THE result Of this stroke Of genius
was an invitation from Beatrix, which
awaited us when We arrived ut our
hotel.
HE was a little unwilling at first
but overruled all his objections, and
as soon as possible we We're estab'
lished rs the guests of Beatrix here in
our own comfortable home.
"Of course 1 found my way to my
wardrobe, and it was sweet to see my
husbands surprise when he saw me
dressed for dinner. I had put on the
first pretty gown found, 1t happened
to be white satin. and naturally II
made change in my appearance.
"This is charming, Mary he said
but, my dear
II knew what he meant. 'BeatriS
had some Of my old frocks in charge,
I said. 'Ysu know am a lady
"'That I always knew he said
gravely, but 1 saw by the slight cloud
on his face that he feared I had @
taste for expensive things which be
could not give me.
"'You were good not to ask any one
to meet u.s. said to Beatrix at table
Max is hardly ready for society as yet.
"I guessed you would not care fol-
house party at present. she said, 'ol
else should have gratified some
friends who are anxious to see you
"Quiet. happy days went past. L
was delightful to see Max enjoy hi
comforts, to hear him admirine our sur
roundings Of park and woodland, o.
commenting the good taste of Beatri,
in the arrangements of her house.
"Once I ventiired to say to him
Wouldn't 1t be nice If you and I ha(
a home like this. all to ourselves, ever!
bit our own? q D..
"'Don't let us covet our neighbors
goods he answered playfully.
1--WE had been here six weeks an,
the time had flown. Every morning
when I arose made half resolution
to tell him the truth before that da.
wore out, and yet somehow nice on
portunity never seemed to offer itself
Dear Beatrix was very patient, and
knew that her sense Of humor enable,
her to enjoy a situation which man.
would have thought bore. Still
she warned me that her yachting hus
band would soon be on the return wav
and that her own home would CLAIM
her. AS the leaves began to turn vel
low on the trees I pondered my oil
emma and acknowledged that ha
only deepened my difficulties by m
cunning plot.
ut had come to this, that I feare
nothing except lowering myself in m
husbands estimation by confessin
TINT I Ind deliberately dpceivod him,