Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-01-19
LOVER AND COMRADE.
Marriage Olga North Dans Sister,
Dads DarIin'" against WILL" Etc Etc
CHAPTER vH.-(Continued.l

lieved that the dreaded ordeal was over,
sank back into her chair again and Won
dered vaguely what Godfrey and Mrs.
Fenwick would say TO her.
TheyF all make it pretty hot for me,
/ expect, she told herself Mother viii
scold and the girls sheer; but don't care
not very much, at least. / could never
have looked Jim again in the face if
hadn't done It."
She listened vaguely while the coroner
made his speech to the jury, and pointed
out how amply the evidence of the last
witness corroborated Sir Felix's story.
And then the jury consulted together for
a moment and verdict of "willful muir
der against some person or persons un-
known was returned !; the coroner left his
seat and shook hands heartily with Sir
Felix, and the doors were thrown open,
as, amid the buzz of excited voices, the
crowd swept out into the street.
Sir Felix came up to Sadie and held
out his hand.
accept my best thanks, Miss Fen
wick he said, in his lazy courteous
fashion, "and my sincere regrets for the
inconvenience which this unfortunate af-
fair must have caused you. / can assure
you that if it had not been absolutely
necessary to establish my alibi l should
never. have mentioned our meeting. am
most grateful to you for extricating me
from my most unpleasant positions; but
pray believe that unless you had volun-
tarily offered your evidence, / should
never have compelled it, unless, indeed
ne shrugged his shoulders-"it had been
to save my neck"
Sadie looked up at him in surprise.
what? You knew me them" she asked.
Sir Felix smiled. Eyes, / knew you"
he answered. II was standing at the
hotel door that afternoon as you passed.
/ asked the boots your name, and | rec
ognized you immediately we met One
does not easily forget face like yours"
he added
Sadie colored brilliantly, and was glad
that the vicar joined them just then,
passed his hand through her arm, and led
her away.
The month which followed the inquest
was terribly long and sad to Sadie. She
was in dire disgrace, and was made to feel
it. She had to endure her step-mother's
reproaches and anger, the sneers and
gibes of her sisters, and when it became
known that her engagement was broken
off, the condolences and the curiosity of
her friends. Gossip was busy with her
name, and she and her innocent escapade
formed fruitful topic of conversation
at every afternoon tea; so that when she
went abroad people looked at her curious
ly, as if they expected to see some change
in her, and appeared on the whole little
disappointed that she looked as pretty
and appeared in as good spirits as usual.
But Sadie was much too proud to
swear her heart upon her sleeve" and
though she grieved bitterly over Geoff-
rey's desertion, she scorned to show it,
or to acknowledge how keenly she had
felt the blow to her pride. Indeed, after
the first sharpness of the sting had
passed away, Sadie was surprised to find
how soon she was reconciled to the
change in her life, and how little she re-
GREETED the loss.
shrewdly.
But if Sadie was sick at heart, Geoff-
rey's frame of mind was also far from
being enviable For the first time in his
life he was thoroughly dissatisfied with
and ashamed of himself, for he was con-
scious that he had lost not only Sadie's
that which was much more serious mat
ter-his own elf-respect as well. A let
ter which he received from Jim Westcot
early in March did not help to restore his
self com 9lacency; for in it jim, who had
heard from his father a full account of
the circumstances. expressed his opinion
of Geoffrey's conduct in candid, if most
unfattering terms. And the worst of it
&I,o4
Jim was right, and that he himself-he
whose Judgment was never at fault-had
made a great mistake for once. He had
allowed anger and jealousy to warp his
better feelings, fear of ridicule and gossip
TO lead him into counseling a course
which he knew to be inconsistent with
honor; and the result was that he had
lost not only Sadie-Sadie, whom he
loved next best to himself-but he had
incurred the scorn and ridicule of his
friends into the bargain. For, as the
real cause of the rupture was only known
to himself and Sadie, every one put it
down to Cheviot's well known jealousy of
Jim Westcot, and more than one candid
friend told him he had acted like cad,
and that pretty Sadie was well rid of
such lover.
Godfrey took refuge in dignifed sulks
and declined to discuss the subject with
any one; but secretly he repented his
conduct, and longed for the reconciliation
for which he was too proud to ask, and
which, if he had offered, Sadie would GER
tainly not have accepted. They might be
friends again, but never lovers, she told
herself-that was over for ever now
Sir Felix had left Sunniford shortly
after the inquest, but it was rumored
that he would return in the spring and
reside at the grange. Now that the cloud
which had Swallowed his life had passed
away, and the wife who had deserted and
disgraced him was lying in a quiet cor
ner of the churchyard and would trouble
him no more, there was no longer any
reason why he should not return to his
home and heyin life afresh and assllme