The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-04-08

abruptness straight 10 my heart, my
honor, and my courage, overcame me In
an instant. / tried 10 look AT her, when
she took my hand. but my eyes were dim:
| tried To thank her, but my voice failed
me.
Listen to me-" she said, CONSIDERABLY
avoiding all notice OF my loss OF self-con-
troll Listen 10 me. and let us get IL over
at once. II Is a real true renef To me that
| am not obliged. I'm what have now 10
say, 10 enter into the questionable hard
and cruel question AZ ] think It. OF So
cial inequalities Circumstances which
will try you 10 the quick, spare me the
ungra cious necessity OF paining man
who has lived In friendly intimacy under
the same roof with myself by any humil-
iating reference TO matters or rank ana
station You must leave Idmmeridge
House, Mr.. Hartright before more harm
is done. II is my duty 10 say IT, under pre-
cisey the same serious necessity, III you
were the representative of the oldest ana
wealthiest family I'm England. You must
leave us, not because you are teacher
She waited a moment: turned her face
full on me: and. reaching across the ia
BILE. laid her hand firmly on my arm
Not because YOU are teacher or
Of drawing" she repeated, but because
Laura Fairie is engaged TO be married.
The last word went like bullet 20 my
heart. Ny arm lost all sensation OF the
hand that grasped IL. never moved ana
never spoke. The sharp autumn breeze
that scattered the dead leaves az our
feet. came as cold 20 me, on sudden. as
II nv own mad hopes were dead leaves
too, whirled away by the Wind nke the
rest Hopes, Betrothed. or not betrothed,
she was equally far from me. Would
other men have remembered that In my
place? Not IL they had loVed her az
did.
The pang passed. and nothing out the
dull numbing pain of IL remained;
felt Miss Halcombe's hand asaln, usn, ~
ening its hold on my arm-l ralseu my
head and looked at her Her large olaSk
eyes were rooted on me. Watching tne
white change on my race winch io''
and which she saw.
Crush itl' she said. Here, where
you first saw her. crush IT, Don't shrink
under 1t like woman, lear ou''
The suppressed vehemence with Whch
she spoke: the strength which her viii
concentrated in the look she hxed on NE,
and In the hold on my arm tnat sne
she had not yet acknowledgements
Gated TO mine, steadied me. we ootn
waited for minute In silence; Al .ne
end OF that time, i had 1ustined her gen
erous faith I'm my manhood; i had. OUT
wardly at least, recovered my seit-coh-
troll.
Enough myself, Miss Halcomoe' 10 ask
| your pardon and hers. Enough tnyseli,
! to be guided by your advice. ana 10 prove
you have proved 1t already" she an
! swered, ''by those words. Mr.. Hartrlgh';
! concealment Is at an end between US 4
! cannot affect to hide from you what my
| sister has unconsciously shown to me;
/ You must leave Us for her sake, az Wen
| your necessary intimacy with US, harm,
less as IL has been, God knows, In an
other respects. has unsteadied her ana
better than my own life-I. who have
| learned To believe in that pure, nople. IN
nocent nature as / believe In my renelon
/ know but too well the secret misery Oh
seif-reproach that she has been suffering,
since the first shadow of a teehng uls
loyal 10 her marriage engagement entereo
her heart In spite or her. uon l say a,
IL would be useless to attempt TO say IL
after what has happened-that ner en-
gagement has ever had strong hold on
her affections IL Is an engagement OF
honor not of love-her father sanctioned
IL on his death bed, two years slncs-sne y,
herself neither welcomed IL nor shruMn M
from it-she was content to make IL, III III
Won came. here, she was In the position
OF hundreds of other women, VINO ma
men without being greatly attached u
them or greatly repelled by them anu
who learn TO love them (when they don't
learn to hatcO after marriage, instead OF
before. | hope more earnestly than Worus
can say-and you should nave me me, She the
new thoughts and feelings which nave
disturbed the old calmness ana the o,u
| have
TO be ever removed. Your absence uf
had less belief in your honor ana your
courage and your sense. | should no.
trust to them as ] am trusting ! nom9-yTue G yyue
will help MS all three. 1t Is somethlns
10 know that my first confidence IN you
was not all misplaced. IT Is some.nIns nm,
10 know that YOU will not he less honest,
less manly. less considerate toward tne
pupil whose relation to yourself you nave
had the misfortune to forget. than toward
- IA tlan ntlt Of
peal 10 YOU was not made In vain.
Again the chance reference IN me Wo-
man in white Was there no poss,oiiMs ny
OF speaking Of Miss Fairlie and OF me
without raising the memory OF Anno
Catherick. and setting her between us
like a fatality that II was hopeless 10
''Teil me what apology 7 can make
to Mr Fairle for breaking my engage
ment" | said. Tell me when To go
after that apology Ia accepted. prom
ise implicit obedience to you and to your
"Time is. every way. Of Importance
she answered Mordov heerf nsrt m ana Iee TO- the the
necessity ~ setting the purple room ~
order. The visitor whom we expect OH
Monday"
I could not wait for her 10 he more ex-
plicit. Knowing what | knew now, the
memory OF Miss Fairles look ana man.
ner AZ the breakfast table told me tnat
the expected visitor at Iimmeridge house
was her future husband. ] tried 10 force
n back hut something rose within me !
that moment stronger than my own VIII
and 7 interrupted Miss Halcomhe:
"I.et me 40 today I said. bitterly
'"rhe sooner tho better"
"No. not today she replied. Ihe
only reason YOU can assign to Mr. Fairlie
FOR your departure. before the end OF
your engagement must be that an IN
foreseen necessity compcls YOU 10 ask his
permission 90 return at once to LONDON
You must wait Till tomorrow To tell him
that at the time when the post CONT
I'm. because he will then understand the
sudden change In your plans. by assocl-
nting A with the arrival ~ letter from
London. II is miserable and sickenins
10 descend 10 deceit, even ~ the mos'
harmless Kind. but I know Mr.. Fairne
and ~ YOU once excite his suspicion that
YOU are trifiing with him no VIII refuse
20 release YOU Speak To him on FRIDAY
morning. occupy Yourself afterward toi