The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-08-23

night. How strange you lookt Come
this way--sit down-tell me--you
mustt"
Flat to the wall the listening man
shuddered back as Ferrars leaped
up the stairs, sprang in, set the gas
blazing. and reached out for chair
! ''No-no!" 1t was the same dear
voice, but trembling and somehow
different; it went through Dams
brain with strange thrill. Il could
not rest-I was going straight on
to the theatre to find you" She
paused. Framed there In the door
way so close she seemed to strain
her hands together.
HE is backl" came her whisper.
He is back in England--in London!
He was seen only this afternoon.
He went to my old address, some one
told me. He looked Ill and troubled.
No, no-let me think
Archie I can't can't be your wife
yet. | think of him still must,
whatever he has done, however faith
there. You don't know; you couldn't
understand a woman's heart. oh,
1t would break If l thought he had
come back to realize the love he had
thrown away-come back to find me
another mans promised wife,
wrote that letter Yes, you made
me; but something told me that
true woman would have waited to
know from his own lips that he had
met a woman he loved better. |
have lived in agony, and / wouldn't
tell you you had won my promise
when all seemed so dark and bitter"
"Lottie!" It broke in a moan
from Dams lips. "Lottiel He is
here! Yes; here for love of you!"
He stood there, his shaking arms
put out. All was silence The cry
in her throat seemed to be frozen.
Ferrars, his friend, had reeled back,
and covered away as from a de-
scending death-blow. Only his lips
worked soundlessly as Dan Joyce
took his second step, his finger
pointing, his voice suddenly strong
and calm.
II know. know now What
have you done? What have you
written, to blacken my struggling
life in her eyes? What part was it
you played to-night-you, the actor
AS the last vile resource of man
in extremity? The part that that
paper says you play with such rare
success?"
There was no answer. He waited
for none. He turned his voice going
soft. 'Lottie! The light has come
heaven meant this to happen. An
hour more and l should have lost
you-lost you to this man who has
sunk himself body and soul to win
you away in my absence-this man
who could veil himself in angels uni
form as nurse-as your own self,
to crush me with lie! You never
doubted me; you were blinded, as
| was blinded tonight, by the genius
of william"
you wrote!" came the weak
breath in that pause. Her filmed
eyes looked past at q something too
deep to be understood. "You wrote
twice, saying that you wished to re-
lease me. l was crushed; l had no
one to turn to. And yet-and yet
oh, DAM"
Come to me-" he whispered. ut
is all dawning now. l never wrote
that. My real letters have not
reached you. Look! He has played
many parts, trusting that / should
never come back in time; but to-
night he has played his last. Come
to me, Lotto! Only believe, and
love will bring the light"
Next moment he stood in the grip
of a happiness that paid for all.
Two soft hands had framed his face;
slight breast heaved against his
own; a trembling figure was locked
within his arms, and he knew for
certainty that woman's love, once
given, can never be taken away. In
that sweet pause Ferrars had stolen
from the room-perhaps from the
house, but neither knew it. The
dawn of truth, after that long dark
ness, blotted out all else. Dan Joyce
had come into his Kingdom
Robert Halifax, in Tit-Bits.