The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-05-23

the quiet trees, was or a pale yellow nue.
and the sun was setting family In haze.
Coming rain seemed near; IL would iah
probably with the fall OF night.
(which way shall we go? asked.
Toward the lake. Marian, II you like.
she answered.
You seem unaccountably fond. Laura.
OF that dismal lake"
mo; not of the lake. but Of the scenery
about it. The sand and heath and the
fir trees are the only objects i can dis
cover I'm all this large place. to remind
me of Limmer1dge. But we Will walk
In some other direction. II you prefer IL.
II have no favorite walks at Black
water park my love. One is the same as
another 10 me. Let us go TO the lake
We may find IL cooler IN the open space
| than we find IL here"
| We walked through the shadowy pian-
tation In silence The heaviness In the
| evening air oppressed us both ana when
| we reached the boa thouse we were glad
to sit down and rest inside.
A white fog hung low over the lake
The dense brown line OF the trees on the
| opposite bank appeared above II. IKE
dwarf floating In the sky. The sandy
| ground. shelving downward from where
| we sat, was lost mysteriously In the out
ward layers OF the fog The silence was
! horrible. No rustling OF the leaVes-no
! birds note I'm the wood-no cry Of water
]
| Even the croaking Of the frogs had
ceased tonight.
1T was very desolate and gloomy said
| Laura But we can be more alone here
than anywhere else.
She spoke quietly. and looked AT the
wilderness Of sand and mist with steady.
/ thoughtful eyes. | could see that ner
! mind was too much occupied to feel the
dreary impressions from without. which
! had fastened themselves already on mine
| II promised Marian. 10 tell you the
| truth about my married life. instead or
leaving you any longer 10 guess II Tor
yourself" she began. THAT secret Is
the first I have ever had from you. love.
and I am determined IL shall be the last
was silent. as you know. for your sake
| and perhaps a little for my own sake
| as we'll IL Is very hard for woman
| 10 confess that the man 10 whom she
has given her whole life is the man. Of
all others. who cares the least for the
gift IL you were married yourself,
Maran-and especially If YOU were hap
PLY married-you would feel for me as no
single woman can feel, however kind and
true she may be-
What answer could I make? could
only take her hand. and look at her with
my whole heart as we'll as my eyes would
| let me.
How often" she went on. IT have
| 10 call your poverty how often YOU have
! made me mock-speeches OF congratu!a-
tion on my health! Oh. Marian never
laugh again.
Thank God for your poverty-it has
| made you your own mistress. and has
| saved you from the lot that has fallen
| on me-"
| A sad beginning on the lips OF young
| wife,-sad i'm its quiet plain-spoken truth.
The few days we had passed together at
Blackwater Park had been many enough
TO show me-to show any one-what her
| husband had married her for.
| You shall not be distressed she
said, by hearing how soon my disap-
| polntments and my trials began-or even
| by knowing what they We're. Ii is bad
enough 10 have them on my memory III
| | tell you how he received the first, and
| last attempt at remonstrance that I ever
made. you will know how he has always
| treated me. as we'll as If | had described
II i'm so many words. IL was one day at
Rome when we had ridden out together
TO the tomb of Cecilia Metella The sky
was calm aud lovely-and the grand old
ruin looked beautiful-and the remem-
brance that a husbands love had raised
IL In the old time to a wfe's memory
and made me feel more tenderly and more
anxiously toward my husband than had
ever felt yet. Would you build such 2
tomb for me- Percival?' asked him. 'Yol
/ "
were married: and yet. since that time
| | could get no further Marian, he was
not even looking Al me! pulled down my
veil. thinking II best not to let him see
that the tears were I'm my eyes. | fan
cied he had not paid any attention TO me
but he had. He said Come away, and
laughed to himself as he helped me on tc
my horse lie mounted his own horse
and laughed again "a We rode away. If
do build you tomb, he said, 1T will be
done with your own money. i wonder
whether Cecilia Metella had a Torture
and paid for hers. / made no reply-how
could !. when | was crying behind my
veil? 'Ah. you light-complexioned womer
are all sulky,' he said. What do you
want? compliments and soft speeches
Well I'm in a good humor this morning
Consider the compliments paid. and tn,
speeches said Men little know, wher
they say hard things 10 us. how well We
remember them. and how much harm
they do us. 1t would have been better fol
me IL had gone on crying but his con
tempt dried up my tears, and hardened
nv heart From that time, Marian. 7 new
er checked myself again In thinking o.
Walter Hartright. 1 let the memory o.
those happy DAYS. when We were so fonC
OF each other I'm secret. come back anc
comfort me. what else had to look e
for consolation? II we had been togeth
er. you would have helped me to bette
but toll me IL I was wrong, without an!
excuse"
I was obliged TO turn my face from her
Don't ask mel" l said Have | suffer
cd as YOU have suffered? What right have
| TO decide?"
II used TO think OF him" she rarsued
dropping her voice, and moving closer L
me "I used TO think OF him, when Per
cival left me alone at night. 10 go anon,
the opera people. | used to fancy what
might have been. IL IL had pleased God q
bless me with poverty, and IL ] had beel
his wife. I used TO sec myself I'm my nea
cheap gown. sitting at home and waitin,
for him. while he was earning our brea'
sitting at home and working for him
and loving him all the better because
had to work for him-seeing him come II
tired. and taking of his hat and coat 10
him--and. Marian. pleasing him with III
tie dishes at dinner that had learned 4
make for his sake. OH | hope he Is nev
or lonely enough and sad enough To thin
OF me and see me- as | have thought o
him and seen him.
As she said those melancholy words Al