The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-02-08
CHAPTER XIV

CHAPTER XIV.
81 tell you your presence here is an
understandable intrusion IL you do not
leave my apartment of your own free
will, | shall be compelled to have you
ejected"'
1t was the third day since Polling left
Ethel, and this was his wife's greeting.
He had had long battle with himself:
but duty had been triumphant, and his
mind once made up he was not to be dis
couraged by a few bitter words.
THAT is not necessary. OF course |
will leave you; but you will not refuse
10 answer me enc or two questions
frsti"
ASK your questions then. and. if 1
choose to answer them, l will. If don't
choose. I will not. But, for heavens
sake. get over them quickly"
"Will you tell me something of our
child, Pauline?" he asked.
She sprung up with a look of desper-
ate fright on her face.
How dare you come here to brow
beat me like this?' she exclaimed, We
hemently; and then she sank back on the
couch again. But, after a pause, she
said quietly enough: You have touched
my one weak point. OF course you have
10 hear what there is to tell. Ny baby
was born a weakly little thing. | had
hard work TO keep body and soul together
n those first days after my fathers
ieath | knew from the first she could
not live long. She died when she was
three months Old
Il wish she had lived"
why do you wish such mad thing
rs that:"
Because. if it had not been for See
ing her grave, / should have gone on
searching for you until | found you"
.-Ah. And if voc had found me then,
if you had come to Mallingford quietly
and said. Pauline. you are my wife;
come with me- do you know what |
would have done? | would have killed
you, I would kill you even now, if your
death would undo any of the harm you
have worked me- But it is all over. and
the next thing you will hear is that /
have killed myself
why do you hate me so bitterly,
Pauline?' he asked; and he studied her
attentivcly while she answered.:
Because you have been by evil
genius ever since l became your WIFE
II udQ HOL 4cl O0. NY llAc
have been as happy and pleasant as
other women's lives are. No sooner did
know that l was my uncle's heiress than
my happiness was destroyed by hearing
that / was to inherit only on the condi-
ton that l did not marry without my
guardians consent Thanks to you, this
condition was already broken; and my
six years of possession have been en-
hr he ainfv IN
mind that you were alive somewhere
and would surely find NE some day.
| and deprive me of all that l had risked
so much to obtain"
Polling sighed heavily and took up his
| hat.
You will let me come and see you
again.
why? You do not care for me in
the least Why should you take so much
trouble to be civil to meY
You are my wife. No amount of dis
| like or shortcomings on your part alters
that fact. We have been very unfortu-
nate in the past. l can see you are I'M
happy; and. in an indirect way. | am
| the cause of your unhappiness. l would
give great deal TO make things brighter
| for you. * you would let me-"
i one was lOuCntu ny the cdTueSlucSS
! Of his manner and tone.
You are very good" she said: "and
: am sorry | behaved so badly to you"
She stood silent for a few moments,
Polling watching her quietly; while they
so stood the clock on the mantelpiece
struck r.
You must go now" she told him
hurriedly. II have an appointment to
ride with some friends. Come again at
| this time tomorrow"
He did not attempt any outward dis
! play of affection. but passed down the
stairs. He met Babette half way down.
with whom does your mistress ride
today he asked.
with the Baroness lie Belette"-a
woman we'll known for the pertinacity
with which she had chung to the extreme
edge of respectable society for the last
five years. ''They have a wager as to
who will ride the greatest distance on a
horse belonging to Monsieur Crevin
| which has always refused to carry q
lady"
Polling went on with q little unac-
knowledged anxiety in his heart. He
would 20 back and try to dissuade Pau
line from this mad freak, but that he
knew 1t would be useless; and any show
of authority on his part just now might
perhaps undo the little good he believed
he had accomplished.
He drove straight back 70 the hotel,
and sat with his chin resting on his
hands at the little table in the window
of his room. He was In strange state
of mingled hope and dread. He did not
know what he wished; he only knew that
he meant TO do what he conceived to be
his duty; the rest he must leave in higher
hands
While thus musiug over the past, he
was brought back to the present by the
sight of his wife cantering by in com
pany with several others; and, following
them, he noticed fidgety chestnut horse
with a side-saddle on, which was being
led by groom. Pauline looked up and
|. bowed gravely: he returned the greeting
How handsome she looked How wei
she sat her horse! How proud he might
have been of her If she had never allow
J ed the love of riches to crowd the WON
anliness out of her heart. He leaned
! | forward and watched her as far as hs
could see from the window.
sEaA
An hour later Polling was stoopins
over his wife's poor crushed body in on
) of the little chatlets in the Bots de Bou
? lo0na She had bean thrown and tram