Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1907-04-12
CHAPTER XVII.

geD"' .-,.onge aversion to seeing him.
yatts' i only a whim," Jean said, hur-
IL we must humor her."
@1y came night it was, when they
IA', LING y alone in the tiny dining
ff' s ssa+ lack suddenly poured out the
,,1r' nc, able story into jeans ears :;
f52' 49, Of that ball; of how he had
be s ,.,rod into driving over to see Mr..
lien I''- lbo had never sent for him; of
837S'-, Horrible things he had heard about
]. , ,ls - and. lastly, of how he had come
aaIs' IN fha summer house, with Bev-
3ol I pocIfort at her feet kissing her
'l1 o,- Yourself in my place, and judge
I3 ;,1rad Do not view things as they
q Ir or YOU will be harder upon me
,S nv Deserve" he said, as he leaned
JUL ,or, aching brow on his hand.
5s >, Will, iii not be hard upon you at all,
Tob0 Jean said, very gently; "for
% @..t I should have been misled as you
5r snoh apparently strong circum-
WV, .4,i evidence. [ am glad you have
S.G ,,o mt to me. and I only wish Au-
.,r had done the same, for then we
:,5+ have arrived at the truth
.T,5ar is it YOU mean"' Jack asked,
,.,4nr ND at her, eagerly.
- mean that [ now am convinced that
r.1io i right. and that there was some
S ,r,t c9nnivcd against you both at that
IN have no definite proof, only a
-.r,on's intuition to work upon, but that
y,n he enough. This must be sifted,
lard John, sifted to the very dregs. l
~, van both" she continued, tears dim
vino her eyes. You have been more
+5,r GOOD to me. and now that Audrey's
-otbar is gone | feel l must be friend,
.3.tar and mother in one. You will see
b.r am right, and that you and my
5.,r one were both the victims of some
rnsniracv. On the face Of it the whole
affair is absurd. Don't you love each
otbar better than all the world? I shall
rr+p to Willie and tell him all my
doubts"
And the result of that letter was to
mr Willie Fullerton on the track of
/ Murray whom Jean seemed convinced
oud throw some light on the subject.
4 week had gone, and Audrey was
ronderfuIIy better; it was her first real
d9r of convalescence, and Jean was sit
tine with her. reading. Downstairs Jack
VAS irving to comfort himself, when sud-
denly a familiar voice accosted him, and
he found himself shaking hands with
Marshall. Marshall, grown older, and
boxing very wan in her simple black for
Der beloved mistress. 1t somehow COM
hrtel Jack to see her; she seemed to
bring back a little of the sweet influence
that had surrounded Constance Fraser.
She had come direct from seeing Mr..
Fullerton, who had briefly told her all,
and she now asked to see Audrey at once.
LET me nurse her, my lord" she en-
treated her, my dear's own child. Will
you 60 up and tell her I'm here, my lord?
Perhaps Id best not go straight without
saving"
Jacks face flushed; he hesitated; then
he rose and went out of the room. He
could not bring himself to tell Marshall
be was forbidden his wife's presence.
He went steadily upstairs and stood
outside the door, The handle was turn
ed, and from within came the sound of
faint low voice. He meant to have call
ed Jean but the sound OF that voice
stopped him.
1t was Audrey speaking, His heart
beat violently, then turned as cold as
iron in his breast. She was speaking of
him, but how bitterly! Each word seem
ii to 90 through him like a knife. Jean
had been pleading his cause, but he only
heard Audrey's answer.
L refuse to see him, Jean; I refuse Il
near his name mentioned again. les,
yes l know you think me a foolish
enid, a fretfuI invalid; but I am more
than this. l may not be very old in
years, but I have suffered as much as
any woman of fifty. Do you forget all
Ne wrote in that awful letter? Oh, Jean !!
jean, You don't know how his words
nave struck home! He says I have
EfonSed him-I, who-who-who--
her voice grew choked for a moment,
Out she socn mastered her emotion. ''No,
Jean; there can be no friendship or kind
y leeLnS between us. AS he has judged
Ie' 50 let me live; my pride and my
N0u0r VIII support me without him. |
i trust | shall never see him again; /
SAaII be happier when l know he is far
away lie said he was going on a tour
VI, y. the world. Why does he not start?
why does he add to his former cruelty
'E staying here?
,, audrey, you are unjust, you are IN
As Yourself; you judge your husband
-o>' cruelty. If you could only know
u" he has suffered"
audrey broke in with a hard, bitter
r.. L see he has won your heart, Jean.
"1y we will say no more, except that l
III, 4ra. and that if Lord John has any
..-4e left he will not force himself upon
IT, nut so at once"
"0~ Jack heard no more he did not
,- -,", ta2J the hard, contemptuous tone
..04enty broke with a little gasping sob;
= 0I0 not see the thin, small hands cover
L waite, lovely face; he did not know
- .s' Jean had slipped from her chair
=. was holding Audrey's weeping form
u, .sSPed IN her arms. No, he knew none
-, '-.S, Tor he had gone straight down
.1-'S he had picked up his hat and III
y and opening the door, he had walk
~ ~, out into the wind and rain, looking
y. to the right nor the left, turning
- oaoS deliberately on all that he held
ea'esc in life.
Before Tho ao,--, huo1-on Willie