The San Francisco call., 1905-04-09

vi Noel, my lord" Rushtor
answered, '.and took the
Il baby with her. Sir Ralph
came for them a half-hour ago. Here
is a letter he left for your lordship. "
Gordon took it mechanically and
read the few curt lines that burned
into his sight like points of pain. II
was the end, then, Annabel had gone.
not TO return-gone with only a hast
lily penciled note for farewell. laid with
refinement Of cruelty on his baby's pill
low! That, and these blunt peremp-
tory lines of her fathers menace.
de found himself at length in the
library, feeling his way blindly to his
chair. What TO do2 Could there be
reconciliation Could she, with her
colo, prudent resolve. her fixed princi-
pies squared mathematically. her
starched life which counted even for
SiVeness a Christ-like sin. retract a
step Of such moment2 He told him
self il was not to be hoped for. her
pride would make her decision irrevo-
cable.
What then? To pursue? Invoke the
law 10 restore his child? Plunge into
publicity to set right his own name
When had he cared for reputation in
the worlds eyesi Dare her fathers
threat? Drag his Wife's name and his
own IN the dust and infamy of the
courts and bare the fostering sore of
his heart 10 the world? Dare ii. and
shut the gate Of society on another wo-
man, too. whose punishment already
would be more than she could bear?
Most Of all cloud his daughters young
years with lasting stain2
he rose and paced the floor his step
hating, fighting out the struggle. Once
ne sat down and wrote, scarce seeing
the lines his pen traced-and rose and
paced the floor again. He took the
black phial from its drawer. but put it
back There was something in him
which in this fierce crisis disdained to
blunt the pain.
After a little while he left the libra
~ and went slowly up the stair to
the little carved white bed. He sank
INTO A chair and hid his face in his
ioioed arms The agonv of child
lessness came down on him Home,
A year ago how fOndly he had desired
il! Yet it had become the Winding
sheet Of his heart,
Mrs Clermont saw him sitting there
as she passed the door. BY Lady Noel-s
command, she had waited to pack some
smaller articles, and was now ready
for departure.
On the lower floor she entered the IL
brary for last survey. Some loose
deck. the ink scare yet dry on them.
Laying them together she slowly de-
clphered the tense, uneven handwrit-
Ing. The lines had been dragged from
the deeps Of Gordons despairing. from
his pert grief that found its natural
vent in verse. Was it what it seemed
his hearts final word TO Annabel2 Or
rather WAS it a last yearning call to
the woman he had dreamed her to be
an adieu 10 his lost ideal of her?
Mrs. ClermOnt's eyes gloated- Two
spots of dull vernilion grew in her
sallOw cheeks. Her hands shook with
the delight Of an inspiration. Bending
over the table she muttered the written
lines:
Fare thee we'll, and if forever
Still forever. fare thee we'll
How carefully sheshad gathered them
all alOng-these garish strands of scan
dal which had come to her hands, How
oeftly her fingers had cast them here
and there in the woof of dislike the
great loom Of London had beer weaV-
ing. This was a thread of bright red
for her TO use. What if the poem were
printed-now. now. with the first rumor
OF the separation? She could fancy
what would be the worlds verdict on
such an address, penned IN the first
hour Of his bereavement, and offered
hand. Publicity would be just the note
20 make the whole strain ring false
1t would recoil upon him in open
disapproval and contempt 1t would
rouse new voices in the clarion-tongued
cl2mOr of abuse that her jubilant ear
had heard swelling through the past
Near-forge a new link in the chain
that would bind him TO disgrace, the
disgrace she believed he had had share
in heaping upon her niece!
The handspring of the woman's
hatred leaped. The world had coupled
their names long ago. when the girl
had first stolen away from the dreary
Goodwin house to the glamor and allure
ments of Drury LaneI And the world
no doubt told the truth. If she could
help to ruin him, line for line. name
and fame-as he had ruined Jane Cler-
mont
In her vision rose the stopped figure
OF William Goodwin, James FOSTER
father. He hated Gordon. she knew
and he had a connection with the Cour-
Ter. the bitterest Of them all.
Fletcher was in the lower hall as
Mrs. Clermont passed out the street
door. He knew the catastrophe that
had befallen. Now has honest old eyes
we're full of grief and perplexity.
II was long past midnight when he
sscended to his masters room. Gordon
had thrown off his clothing and was
stretched on the bed. He was asleep.
As he crizzled Wallets eyes rested on
he recumbent figure he could see that
me foot-the lame one-was un-
covered. Through all the years OF
ais service he had never seen the
member which Gordon's sensitiveness
concealed. He had often wondered Gu
-iouslv what was the nature Of the de-
soru1ify. How did il look2
Fletcher turned awav. took coun-
-erpane from a chair and with face
lver-fed. drew ii over the uncovered
DOT. Then he shaded the candle and
vent out. and as he went tear splash
d down his scanned and weather
beaten cheek.
CHAPTER XVII.
,r, r,.,--*f,,<~ Of the Storm