Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1903-09-18

ried as many years as you have knJwn
her days. But, my good sir, YOU have
but one wife, as your child has but one
mother-and l am she"
"Sylphide," he faltered, advancing
step, but pausing abruptly as though her
accusing eyes distilled some baleful influ-
ence; "Sylphide, why are you here!
What have you come to do?"
''Why am ] here?' came the sharp re-
tort; "arc you aware that it is two mortal
weeks since / have seen either you or my
son? / am here to satisfy myself that
have not been forgotten6 Since | have
been separated from you," she continued
pDteously, Il have become as one mad;
the strangest fancies have taken posses
sion Of me. / imagine that you have
abandoned me forever, that l shall never
see you again; fend keeps whispering
in my ear that they have stolen your
heart and my child's heart from me.
Heaven help me, | doubt the very sun
shine which is all the warmth l have left
In lifev'
She pressed her hands upon her eyes
for an instant, as though striving to blot
out some hideous prospect; then, remov-
ing them, she concluded in low-toned des-
peration:
''There must be an end to this! When
ever these horrible vagaries oyerpower
me, l must be so placed that can see
you, speak to YOU"
"Impossiblew he interposed, firmly.
while Claire lives l must mott will
not, see you'll"
"It is true, then!" she panied" my
suspicious are correct. Your paternal
solicitude is all a farce; you have clever
ly disembarrassed yourself Of me in order
to marry a woman who, in all probable
ity, is no more an invalid than l am"
In the very desperation of despair,
Courtlandt glanced from right to left, i'm
potently hoping to find some proof Of
convincing nature that would satisfy this
most obdurate Of doubters; as luck would
have it, Fate stepped in at the eleventh
hour, and discovered to his wandering
eye web-lke bit of lace which Clair.
had repeatedly pressed to her lips, while
she occupied the chair beside which it
had fallen unnoticed. Darling upon It,
Courtlandt held it aloft by the two cor
ners before Sylphide's eyes.
"Take back those words!' he cried
"ah do not turn your eyes away! Look
at that STAIN Her blood, her life blood
Let the sight of it dissipate your fears
she will not last long. But l conjure you
have pity upon her; let her die in
peace"
She crept a step or two towards him
and laid her hand upon his wrist.
$50, Lucian," she faltered humbly,
''your house is closed to me? And you
will not come to me? And / may not see
my childW
"No, Sylphide. You ought to know by
this time that the word Of a Courlandt
is invioable; l had rather die than break
it. SO long as Claire shall live, I will
fulfill the sacred duty that the title Of
usband imposes Claire lives, you
shall remain an utter stranger to me.
But when God in his mercy has called
the poor sufferer home to him, then we
will return to you, Leon and l. and we
will never moro leave you. / swear it,"
ct is WELL" she rejoned, pressing her
lips for one instant upon his hand, and
then relinquishing it as one replaces a
dead hand upon the pulseless breast at
is we'll. | know what your plighted word
means. I will wait"
She slowly gathered her dark wraps
about her and prepared to depart; but,
as though the place exerted an irresi:ti-
bic spell, she turned to one Of tho win
dows and adjusting the Stats Of the blind,
looked out upon the sun-lit garden with
the lawn beyond.
II nm somewhat more at peace with
myself" she murnlured "She is really
very i'll, and Iucian feels more pity than
love for her in her sufferngs. Still it
is Of paramount Importance that | should
know everything that takes pace in the
house! | stand alone, forlorn; with every
mans hand against me. | must have
friend ut court, here on this very spotl
| will know from hour to hour how fares
this highway robber who has deprived me
of name and love. and trampled my moth
erhood beneath her feet. Should she be-
tray the slightest symptoms Of improve
mcnt, | must know it before others sus-
pect it, so that I may take her fate into
my own hands. But whom shall l Sc
cureY'
The words expired in startled whis-
per. A quick step smotc Che piazza, and
a pair of eyes, set close to the blind,
cleaned through the open Stats into her
own. Had fate sent her al accomplice?
.Us