The Glenwood post., 1906-03-31

| Down on her knees went Constance
at the thought, and she prayed fer
vently to be set right, to have taken
from her all that interfered with her
husbands memory! But even while
she prayed sweet strains seemed to
importune her to listen. and the sad,
haunting eyes of Primus Edes to be
looking into her very soul.
The facts of Mrs. Hamilton's pres
ents to him had Just become known
in the neighborhood, and even reach
ed to the ears of the Rev. Arthur
Hammerly, who had lately been ven.
turing to speculate how soon he might
approach Mrs. Hamilton with some
little attention whose gentle Office 1t
might be to fix her regard upon him
self.
He heard Of the strange infatuation
said to exist in the mind of Mrs. Ham
ilton for humble workman at her
uncle's mill. Mr. Hammerly remem-
bered him. A man Of downcast.
brooding habit. quiet and orderly of
demeanor, but with nothing, it would
seem, to attract the regard of wom-
an like Constance Hamilton.
Stay! Did he not resemble her hus-
band slightly? Certainly he did. Mr..
Hammerly could see it If nobody else
did. If Mrs. Hamilton noticed him in
any way 1t was because Of this.
Mr.. Hammerly called to see her
| that day, and left her with a warmer
pressure of the hand than usual. But
| her thoughts were otherwise occupied
| and she did not notice it.
Thus matters stood. Constance
swayed by strong emotion; two
ment; towering monument some
/ times glistening meath the grudging
| winter sunlight, but oftener merely
| cleaning purely, frostily white, with
| Its full inscription now, Vane Hamil-
ton, and ready for the cemetery when
| spring should open; carping, prosaic
village, with buying and selling and
eating and sleeping going on as it
| will to the end, while just outside its
limits and that of the present an as
| founding event was walking straight
| toward it in the person of tall, hand
some, lght-haired man who alighted.
unhoticed, from the train one after
noon in February.
He was passing by the marble es-
| tablishment of Lisle & Allen when Mr..
| Alien was in the act of courteously
opening the door for lady to pass
| out, and saying:
81 am glad it pleases you, Mrs.
Hamilton"
Yes, it pleases me very well,' said
the lady, in sweetly modulated
voice.
The gentleman in the street had
stopped and was staring past them
| both at the cleaning marble at which
| they were looking. A curious, slightly
humorous glance, followed by a grav-
| er one, came into his face as he no.
ticed the blackclad woman. A slight
| hesitation was manifest in his man
ner. He took step forward and then
halted. The marble cutter was look
ing at him now curiously, and the
lady's glance followed his for an in
stant. Then a shrek was wrung
! from her white lips and her voice rang
out in the wild cry, "Vane Hamilton,
my husband" and she fell, or would
| have done so if Mr.. Allen had not
caught her and placed her in a large
armchair And still he stood there,
though terribly moved, as could be
plainly seen, until Mr.. Allen, whose
mind grasped the situation, said as
quietly as he could, "Your wife has
tainted, Mr.. Hamilton, for l presume
YOU are that gentleman"
81 am" but his eyes turned toward
the name on the monument rather
than to his wifes face.
Your wife thought by your long
absence that you wera dead, and this
was to haye been erected in the
spring." explained Mr.. Allen.
Eyes, supposed so. My absence
was unavoidable" replied Mr.. Hamil.
ton briefly and then he looked fully
at his wife for the first time since
entering. But he did not now ap.
proach her.
| ITO be contipued.)