Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1905-01-19
Wben the Mist
Cleared
BY Kate NJ. CIcary
Copyright, 1904. by Kate NJ. cI.Ary

armed. And she felt helpIeSsly furious
20 realize that she had grown cold and
white the instant he stood before her
She had been crossing to the parlor
from the dining room after luncheon
when Roy Cameron had come along
the hall
"Isabelr' he exclaimed his voice low
and significant. "Isabelw
She was more beautiful than the girl
he had wooed She had bloomed out In
the atmosphere of luxury and in the
assured social position that had come
TO her with her marriage. And he
found this new charm immensely at
tractive He rejoiced that the hand
she gave him an instant trembled In
his own. But his eyes, that dwelt as II
in fascination upon her face, were dark
with unutterable reproach.
Her first words were piteously defen-
sive.
1T was all in the papers," she fal
tered. Every one believed 1t. Your
own mother accepted the news Of your
death as true"
II wish to God that it had beenr' he
said passionately. when later l read
| OF your marriage-well, l hated those
who pulled the Spanish knife out of my
sidem
She shuddered, her sweet lips paling.
But you look quite well; quite like
! your old self" she said anxiously.
'Oh, got over that hurt all right.
It's the other l can't get over. Put on
| your hat and come down on the beach,
Isabel-that Is, If your husband doesn't
object" he added, with a slight sarcas-
| tic curl of his handsome lip.
She drew herself up proudly.
MY husband" she said coldly, "ob-
! Jects to nothing that 1 do. l Will go
with you for u short walk"
And she told herself the while she
flung on her golf cape and crushed
little scarlet Tam O Shanter down on
her dark hair with hands that still
shook that this was the only time she
would speak with him alone. She
owed him an explanation. and he
should have it, He must not be per
mitted to construe her emotion at sight
Of him into belief that she still har-
bored a romantic attachment toward
him.
Towering cliffs hid them from the
sprawling, fashionable town. The roar
of the surf came up to them in a low,
booming, thunderous monotone. Ahead,
behind, over the vistas of sand and
vast surges of the ocean, hung n fog,
dense, illusory, silvery, mysterious. In
Its riffs phantom ships were visible,
dipping and courtesying on their noise
less course.
Its all very harmonious" said Roy
Cameron grimly. Might have been
made to order as a setting for our lit
tie comedy. eh? Nothing around us
but vague obscurity and we three
the most hopeless of all the ghosts that
walk
"We-three?" she repeated, not COM
pretending
You and land the ghost OF our
vanished happiness he said.
"Oh" she murmured. Then for a
little while they walked on in silence.
Isabel" he asked suddenly, bending
forward to look into her averted face.
why did you marry that rich man|
Her wifely pride rose instantly in
arms ut the insnuation.
You speak as though Robert Graeme
were rich man only she said in
dignautly. He is a good mana wise |
and honorable man"
But you did not love him." Cameron |
went OH mercieSsy. And you were |
engaged to me"
They told me you were dead In the |
Philippines." she burst out harassed |
and eager TO have the talk over. MY |
brother Frank was in tremendous mon |
etary difficulties There was disgrace |
of some sort ahead for him Mother |
was breaking her heart over the whole i
matter And then-then Robert asked
me TO be his wife. | knew he could |
fx up everything. Besides, | was very
fond of him. / always admired him
very much" she ended detiantly.
"Ah"' he said quietly-too quietly.
THAT was the way, was itF'
They had walked rapidly. quite ont
stripping all the others sauntering in
the same direction. Isabel was breath
less from haS.c. The hulk of an old
boat drawn high on the beach offered
shelter from the rising wind and the
too insistent ClamOr Of the waves.
Mrs Graeme sat down on an embank-
ment of sand some children had made
in the shadow of the boat.
81 shall rest a few minutes. Then
we will 90 back" she said
She was wholly unprepared for the
violence with which he broke into
speech
Back! You would go back to him?
When 1t Ia /, Isabel, who have the
best, first real right to you! II II
were not for that accursed blunder
about my death you would have been
waiting for me still"
White. stricken, shocked, she sat
there while he raved on. She had new
or imagined such madness nor such
for 1t was all Of himself he
spoke-all for himself he cared He
would miss her so. He had great pos
sibillties which only she could inspire.
If she would only go away for awhile
let Graeme get a divorce for deser-
ton. Then they could be married and
leave this part Of the world. He knew
Of good opening in Havana. His
love should make recompense 10 her
she found her voice there.
"Love" she repeated. Love" And
he quailed little before the grave
scorn in her eyes.
You would have me break my
pledged VOWS, degrade my loyalty,
bankrupt my life-for whatT She
paused, shaken by the revulsion Of
feeling that overwhelmed her Was
this her ideal loverf Was this man
peevlsh, passionate, wearisomely per
sistent-the hero she had enshrined in
her hearth
"Oh, hush"' she said brokenly.
''HuSh"'