The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1906-10-28

then stood for a minute, tWitching her
fingers, and waiting,
The woman who kept the house, and
whom Helen knew personally, opened
the door; the visitor stepped in and
gasped out breathlessly, Where Is
Arthur Her hands shook VIsIbly as
she waited for the reply.
He is not in. Miss Davis, the wo-
man answered.
Where is heg" Helen cried.
Il do not know" was the response
He has gone"
'.Gone!" And the girl started back
catching at her heart. Gone where
Il do not know, Miss Davis
But what''-btgan the other
This will tell you all 1 know said
the woman, as she fumbled in her
apron, and put a scrap OF crumpled
paper into Helen's trembling hands.
The girl seized Il and glanced at il;
then she staggered back against the
wall. CHASTITY pale and almost sinking.
The note, in Arthur's hand, but So
unsteady as 10 be almost iliegible,
ran thus: You viii find in this my
board for the past week. l am com
PEELED to leave HHltown, and 1 shall
not ever return"
And that was all. Helen stared at
il and stared again, and then let it
fan and gazed about her. echoiug. I'm
a hollow voice. And l shall not ever
RETURN
THAT is all 1 can tell YOU about II,
went on the woman. Il have not seen
him since Elizabeth was here yester-
dav morning; he came back late last
IA. H.sar ont
away
Helen sank down upon chair and
buried her face i'm her hands, quite
overwhelmed by the suddenness OF that
discovery. She remained thus Tor
long time. without either sound or
motion. and the woman stood watch
ing her. knowing fun well what was
the matter When Helen looked up
again there was agony written upon
her countenance- "Oh. are you sure
YOU have no idea where l can ind
him?'' she moaned.
NO, Miss Davis" said the woman.
Il was astounded when I got this
note"
But some one must know, Oh, sure
" they must! Some one must have
seen him-or he must have told some
one"
Il think it likely that he took care
not to- was the reply
The thought was a death-knen to
Helen's last hope, and she sank down,
quite overcome; she knew that Arthur
could have had but one motive in
acting as he habitat he meant 10
cut himself off entirely from all his
old life and surroundings. He had no
friends in HHltown, and having lived
all alone. ii would be possible for him
TO do il. Helen remembered Mr..
Towards saying of the night before,
how the sight Of her baseness might
wreck muns life forever, ana the
more she thought Of that the more
II made her tremble- II seemed Il
most more than she could bear to see
this fearful consequence OF her sin.
and To know that it had become a fact
of the outer world. and gone beyond
her power. II seemed quite too cruel
that she should have such a thing on
her conscience, and have II there for
ever. most maddening of ali was that
thought that il had depended upon a
few hours of time.
"Oh, how could 1 have waited
she moaned. Il should have come
last night, / should have stopped the
carriage when l saw him. Oh, IT is
not possible
Perhaps there are no more tragic
words in human speech than too
late" Helen felt just then as II the
right even 10 repentance were taken
from her life. II was her first intro
duction TO that fearful thing or which
Mr.. Howard had told her upon their
first meeting; in the deep loneliness
of her own heart Helen was face to
face just then with Fate. She shrank