The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1903-02-05
CUApTER NNII.

This is what happened ~ lalldS. HI
the afternoon. rs he was sitting Ill his
own rooms inditing letter to the beloved
of his heart, the door opened suddenly
and a yelled lady entered with some III
tie noise. There was no need for her to
remove her vdil to make Dallas aware
that his visitor was Lady Dangerheld.
.'What is the matter?' he cried, spring
ing 10 his feet.
Ellis lordship knows all. | have left
home forever, and have come to you.
Dallas grew white under the bronze
with which the sun had dyed him. lie
went through a moment long and compre-
hcnsve as that of the drowning man.
His love lost forever. himself saddied with
81 yirago whom he had certainly never
loved and whom he abhorrcd to-day, MS
position ruined. his life done for-thls was
the tax on the pleasant and fashionable
amusement of making love to ones nelgh-
bor's wife.
He stood staring at her: his face, al
WAYS expressive of the emotion of the
moment. wore a horror-struck expression,
which could scarcely be Hattering to her
ladyship under the circumstances. She
flew at him with bitter reproaches. That
was the way with n man! a woman sacrl-
feed everything for him. and then, the
moment things went wrong, he wanted to
cry off.
Dallas leaned against the chimney piece,
gnawing his under lip, and incapable, In
this desperate situation, of saying any
thing. He only felt an unutterable hor-
ror. II sickening sense of n lost life, of
ruin, misery, wretchedness.
"What does he know? How does he
know" he gasped at length.
81 give that wretch Amele warning
last night and she went to him after
luncheon to-day. and he came straight to
me and made the most violent scene. 1t
seems she found one Of your letters and
kept 1.-THE fend!'
Dallas racked his brain to remember
what he could ever have written to her
ladyship. He did not believe himself fool
enough to have sent her really COM
promising letter.
what was in the letter. he asked.
al don't know. He would not let me
see it: but he threatened me, and told
him | should leave him, and l have"
"But you can't stay here! cried Dial
las. with more energy than he had yet
displayed ANY moment some on may
come in and see you
What do care?" cried her lady ship,
violently, bursting into IA passion Of sobs..
"You have got me into this, and you must
get me out Of it"
Dallas felt himself brute. He ought
10 soothe the grief of this distracted lady;
the circumstances required expressions
of tenderness on his part, and he felt
I. 4; nj
despair. He must move heaven and earth
to get her away from his rooms-to pre-
vail on her. if possible, to 90 back home;
but il was hopeless, knowing her moods
as well as he did. to say Il word until she
had Gained down little. And. perhaps,
after all. the worst would happen, and
he would have to take and keep her for
ever What in the world had he even
seen in her? And then he thought agon-
izingly OF the girl he loved, whom he
looked upon as I'm angel. and who would
now perhaps be lost to him forever. The
door opened again-yery quietly this
time; Dallas had not heard the slight pre-
liminary tap-and Mrs. Trevanion came
In. She was we'll in the room before she
saw Lady Dangerfeld crouched in low
chair, sobbing violently. Then she
paused. looked mt Dallas pale. distracted
face, and grasped. in part at least. the sit
uation She prepared to retreat, and
made a reckoning sign to him. which he
oheycd
What on earth does this mean?" she
asked. looking N him with frightened
eyes. My dear boy, how can you be so
imprudentY"
"lmprudcnt,' Ne gasped. Il expect
am about ruined"
lie leaned against the framework of the
door. looking the picture of despair.
''Shc has left paugerfeld and come to
me-says he knows everything: and what
in the name of heaven am going to do
with herr
That is nonsense!" said Mrs. Trevan-
ion, sharply. she must be mad, She
cannot stay with you. Does she want to
ruin you?"
Il suppose So" uttered Dallas. despair
ingly.
I'VE must get her away from here
somehow" said Mrs. Trevanion, who was
as anxious about Dallas as she would
have been had her own son been placed
in similar predicament.
81 don't know how" he answered.
when she is in one of her tempers, she
won't listen To reason"
j shall 20 and talk to her." said Mrs.
Trevanion, with determination.
Impossible" cried Dallas. In a smoth-
cred voice. "She would never forgive
me- Besides, awful as this business is, |
can't shrk it,
You must so away and leave her to
me-"