Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1906-10-23

there is no reason why our meeting
should be painful. 1t is better that we
Should have a quiet talk than that we
should part again in anger and bitter
ness - e.,
She caught his hand in both of hers.
Still she said nothing. Her large eyes
gazed up at him as if she sought to
read in his face the thoughts he might
not utter, the memories he might not
recall. Her lips distended. He saw her
mouth twitching ut the corners.
.'Nanette," he said again, though his
voice was not well under control and
something rose in his throat and stifed
him. Il appeal to you not to give way
toto emotion. You may-become i'll
arain-and 1 would never forgive my
self"
Still clinging to his hand, she sank on
her knees by mis- side. But there was
no wiz burst OF tears. Her sorrow
was too Gesp for such kindly aid.
"Stephen," she whispered family, Il
cannot ask YOU TO forget, but you have
spoken OF forgiveness. Can you for
give:"
He bent over and would have raised
her. She chung to him with such en-
ergy that lie dosisted.
My poor wife" he murmured, 'Who
am | that l ,,houlI deny tAat which l
hope TO o'tain from my Crcator?'
But" she painted in that unncryinS
whisper, Il treated you so vilely. l
left you to join the man you had
foa-ht to save ne. I deserted my hus-
band and my child for the sake of the
money he bctuclthel TO me. In the
lust of wealth | Stroye to crush you
out OF my heart. And now that God
has humbled me ! must humble my
self. Stephen, | am not your wife.
obtained Il divOrce'-
"Nanette." he cried, Il cannot bear
to see you kneelinS at my feet. 1 ask
no revelations | forgive you any
wrong you may have done me fully
and freely, as l hope to be forgiven
She yielded to his pleading and al
lowed him to raise her. For an instant
she was clasped to his breast.
"It would be happiness to die in YOU
arms, Stephen she said wildly. Il d'
not deserve it, l know, but heaven i:
merciful."
The dreadful idea possessed him tha
in her weak state this passionate wisl
might be granted.
''Nanette," he cried, you must con
troll yourself. If you will not promis
to sit down and talk quietly l will
leave YOU"
, She obeyed him instantly.
Il don't care how much you scol
me-" she said, ''but you must not g
away. 1 meant to see you before LEI
Penzance. l came here that night.
looked through the window. l saw m
daughter and her adopted sister lister
ing to you and weeping because of
mothers shame Then must have los
my senses. ran away. 1 remembe
nothing else until l woke up to fin
Constance caring for me-in you
house,
He tried to break in upon the ren
of her thought. This was by no mean
the line he had intended to pursue. Hi
hone was to soothe and calm her,
part from her in amity and withou
giving her cause to deplore loss c
dignity.
a. am only too pleased that when il
ness overlook you you were committe
to my care and to Constance. Poo
girl! She thought you were dead"
did you tell her that?"
''No but allowed it to be assumed
which is the same thing.
"Nhen cid she know the truth?'
in the hotel-after you left IL
room. | had to say something. 1t W;
-better-for you-that l should sa
you were my wife"
$50 even in that trying moment yc
strove to shield me from unjust susI
cions. Stephen, how could have acte
toward you as l did?'
Again he endeavored to lead her
talk of the future rather than the pas
There is one great surprise in sto
for you.'' he said. But it is a pleasal
one in every way. Enid is Mr.. Trail
daughter
Il am glad" she said simply. 81
not understand, but you must tell Il
another time Just now l can thil
only of you and of myself. You mu
listen, Stephen. l will do all that "
demand. hide myself anywhere, b
you must know everything. When V
parted, when deserted you to nurse
dying man, l was foolish and willf'
but not wholly abandoned. Nor have
ever been. l was rich enough to grf
ify my whims. and for a time l liv
in Parts. on the Riviera, in Floren
ana in Biarritz. But 1 was alwa
meeting people who knew you, an
although my wealth and perhaps L
good looks kept me in a certain set
felt that our friends invariably to
your side and despised me. That i
bittered me the more. At last your
ther died, and saw some vague ref
ence to your disappearance from so
ETY.. 1 employed agents to trace "
They failed. Then I went to Ameri
and lived on a ranch in Nebrasl
where 1 obtained a divorce from y