Ladysmith news. [volume] (Ladysmith, Wis.) 1906-1907, 1907-02-02
CHAPTER Xxx.

mere anu InGt6, lOuuu II ot53eeAiA' 'N-A@'
having once arrived at the fact that
one man was wandering about France
with one aspect aud many names, ad-
dresses. and accents, they had little
difficulty in arriving at least at the
conclusion that for one reason or other
that person desired to eyade pursuit
Apart from that one device Alexis mad
adopted no precautiOn, and when II
was detected the device itself served
10 expose his track. They came upon
him, but they came a day too late. he
had passed out of human jurisdiction,
and there was nothing left but to OBJ
serve the last formalities of the law,
to take possession of the valuables the
dead man had left behind him, and to
go once more in pursuit Of their sep
arate business and desires. The news
was known in England long before the
trial Of Aloysius.
The freed man. relieved at last OF
the incubus which had weighed so
long upon him, could scarcely suffer
further. The disgrace he had endeaV-
ored to avert had fallen but no man
Or woman coupled him with it, and he
went back to his country house and
dwelt there in a slowly growing peace.
Little by little the dead past buried
it's dead, the minutes falling like
grains of sand, until the sorrows
which had been were obliterated. At
times a gust of memory blew the
CHASTITY thing bare again, but the hand
Of time gently rearranged the burial
mound, and the gusts grew rarer and
more rare.
When, in the afternoon of that new
er-to-be-forgotten day on which Alloy
sius was liberated, Belle had been ur-
gently summoned by her husband to
take charge Of Lillian and to convey
her home, the two women Wept in
each others arms, and the younger
said enough to convince her friend that
she looked on the man whose ad-
dresses she had declined with pas
sion of regret that she 11d lent him
an extra load to carry, in addition to
the burden of sorrow he had borne.
The thought of the man to whom she
had promised to ally herself was
dreadful to her. The murderoUs hand
had fouled hers; the treacnerous, ~
ing lips had touched her own. There
was a deep pollution in these memo
ries. And it was for him-for him!-
that she had declined the man who
now seemed to her godlike in his SELF
abnegation and in the strength in
which he had. endured
Lillian had retired to rest, worn out
with weeping, and lay still holding
Bellies hand in her own long after she
had fallen into the slumber Of eXhaus-
ton. She still sobbed in her sleep
like a child that has been frightened
or chidden undeservedly and the
faithful little Irish lady sat there hour
after hour, whilst the autumn dark
ness gathered and the chill Of the au-
tumn night came up with the mist that
foated from the river.
At last she heard the whistle of the
approaching train, and, gently detach-
ing her hand, stole silently downstairs
to await her husband, to bring the
drowsy fire to a cheerful brightness,
to warm Billery's slippers, and to set
his favorite armchair, pipe and an
ample jar of tobacco near at hand.
When all was ready she stood listen
ing for his fOOtstep, and was at the
door when he was yet a score of yards
away Billery kissed her dutifully on
arrival, and when he had adjusted the
fastenings of the door went along the
little hall with her, with an arm about
her waist And when Billery had lit
the midnight pipe and had poured out
the flowing midnight bowl Of cocoa,
he suffered his proud wife to kneel be-
fore him to unlace his boots, and to
draw them from his feet, and to sub
stitute for them pair of slippers
toasted to a turn.
All this being done, Belle slipped be-
hind his chair, and resting on the
UClCh VI IL, NOILICAAl D1CtC1IASo CAAC bItlN oEOS
on top of Billery's head, she began to
talk to him.
Hamilton" she said, 1--WE heard We
declare often that every good woman
is matchmaker.
81 hope" said Billery, in return,
chat you've heard me say one or two
much more original things than that"
But We have said it," Belle retorted,
"and We believe it, don't ye?"
II have said it, replied Billery, "and
I believe it."
Hamilton began Belle, with more
hesitation of manner than she COM
monty showed, there's things a wife
may say to her husband she couldn
possibly say to anybody else.''
Lots of 'em," Billery answered,
lightly, blowing the fragrant cloud
from before him and waving it with
his hand.
"The poor darlin' gyurl that's lying
asleep upstairs" said Belle, has found
her heart at last. It's broken, me dear,
but it's mendable, and I'm goin' to try
| to helm to mend it."