Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1904-05-20

a lauy! Ne Saspeu, "hot 10 NeA
name"
Mrs. Hastings"
"Sylphide here? How dared she
Gomez"
Ere he could command himself sufi-
ciently to articulate a word, Claire rose
from her chair.
"You see," she said, with cutting dis
! dain, "the poor woman has been neglect
! ed for two weeks, and she has come to
find you" Then, MS she staggered to-
wards an inner door, she cried:
"She will not even wait until l am
deadw
AS she passed out of sight he came to
his senses with a start. He turned to
find himself face to face with Sylphide.
What are you thinking Off" he said
"Why are you here-here in my wife's
very apartment
The rigidity of her features relaxed,
the spell was broken, and in low, tense
tone that thrilled with indignant reproach
she replied:
your wife, do you say! All, you use
that word as though you had been mar
ried as many years as you have known
her days. But, my good sir, you have
but one wife, as your child has but one
mOther-and am shev'
"Sylphide," he faltered, advancing q
step, but pausing abruptly as though her
accusing eyes distilled some baleful infu-
ence; "Sylphide, why are you here7
What nave you come to DOR
why am I hereY came the sharp re-
n hat l.. awe -
weeks since l have seen either you or my
son? l am here to satisfy myself that
have not been forgotten. Since l have
been separated from .you," she continued
piteously, IL have become as one mad !;
the strangest fancies have taken posses
sion Of me. l imagine that you have
abandoned me forever, that shall never
see you again; iend 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 have left
in lifew
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 overpower
me, l must be 30 placed that can see
you, speak to you"
"Impossiblev he interposed, firmly.
While Claire lives 1 must not i will
not, see you'll"
lit is true, then" she panted;" nv
suspicious are correct. Your paternaI
solicitude is all farce; you have clever
ly disembarrassed yourself of me in order
to marry a woman who, in all probabil-
ity, is no more an invalid than amp
In the very desperation Of despair.
Courtlandt glanced from right to left, i'm
potently hoping to find some proof of a
convincing nature that would satisfy this
most obdurate Of doubters; as luck would
have 1t, Fate stepped in at the eleventh
hour, and discovered to his wandering
eye web-like bit of lace which Claire
had repeatedly pressed to her lips, while
she occupied the chair beside which II
had fallen unnoticed. Darting upon it.
Courtlandt held 1t aloft by the two cor.
ners before Sylphide's eyes.
Take back those wordsw 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 copiure Won
nave pity upon her; let her die in
peace"
She crept a step or two toward, him
and laid her hand upon his wrist.
so, Lucian," she faltered humblv
your house Is closed to me-? And Won
Will not come to me? And may not see
my child" AO' 'ee
NO, sylphide. You ought to know bv
this time that the word of a Courlandt
is lnvlolable; had rather die than breal,
IT, so long as Claire shall live. will
tulhll the sacred duty that tn. ti,,s %
husband mposes-while Claire lives Won
snail remain an utter stranger to me.
i5ut when God in his mercy has called
the poor sufferer home to him, then we
VIII return to you, Leon and I. and ws
VIII never more leave you. swear Il I"
+, ~ Is well, she rejoined, pressing her
ups Tor one instant upon his hand ana
vhen reiinquishing It as one replac.. a
dead hand upon the pulseless breast. "It
10 We'll l know what your plighted word
means. will wait" "'N
one slowly gathered her dark wrans
about her and prepared to depart. hnt
as though the place exerted an irre,;et;,
9ie speii, she turned to one Of the win.
dows and adjusting the Stats of the blind
looked out upon the sun-lit garden with
the lawn beyond. with
am somewhat more at peace with
myself she murmured. "she Is really
very III, and Lucian feels more pitv tSnn
iove for her in her sufferings. Stil ~ Il
Is OF paramount Importance that 7 should
Know Know everything that takes pace in ths
mouse! l stand alone, forlorn; with ever
mans an hand against me. | must bave |,
Irlena at court, here on this very sno,,
= wiz Know from hour to hour how faro.
.nis highway robber who has dan-;,,os -"