Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1907-06-06
By EFFlE a. ROWLANDS

| 81 DdU. MISS luWdIl. II is NuilC llipoS-
sble for me to get to Cronstadt yet
Does Audrey know you are not going
with us?"
Il have not seen her this morning" was
| the answer, given with much evident
pain.
Jean clasped her hands suddenly. Then
her worst fears were realized, and some
thing more mad, indeed. happened; some
thing, too, very terrible, to work such
change as this.
Lord John" she said, invountarly,
''you must please forgive me, but is your
business so important that you are COM
PEELED to attend to it rather than accom-
pany your wife on such a journey as
| this?"
Miss Thwait," he said as well as he
could speak, 1.-The business l am going on
touches that which is dearer to me than
| life-my honor! l am sure that you at
| least would not wish me to neglect any
thing with which that is concerned
Il will answer for Audrey as for my
SELF Jean said, hurriedly. ''if your honor
is concerned, Lord John. no other reason
is needed but is there nothing can do?''
Give this letter to Audrey, Miss
Thwait," his voice quivered as he spoke
| his wife's name. 1T is a sacred trust,
one that l would not give to every one :;
but | know you are her friend. you will
comprehend and sympathize with what l
am going to do
Stay Lord John; you must hear me ~
Jeans gray eyes were full of tears. Il
love Audrey better than anything on
earth. | do not ask to know the reason.
but see, alas . only too well, that some
| thing has arisen between her and you. |
ask you now. and it is my love for her
| that urges the question, will you not see
| her yourself before you start on this
| journey will you not smooth away the
quarrel? She is in trouble-wil you not
| take her to your arms?"
1T is impossible" he said quickly but
with such determination in his voice as
made Jean shudder, and sent thrill of
exquisite torture through Audrey's aching
heart, as she, at that moment, opened the
door in time to catch Jeans last words
and her husbands reply.
By and by, when they were speeding to
Dover Jean and Willie Fullerton-who.
when he found Jack did not join them,
insisted on going-in a corner talking
earnestly, Audrey drew out her husbands
| letter.
"Audrey-In future, after the events
Of last night, it will be impossible for us
to live together. This, l take it, will be
| as much your wish as mine. To continue
to live as we have been doing would be
a mockery of marriage, a disgrace to our
race, a dishonor to our name. This, then,
is what | propose to do. There shall be
no divorce; the pride and honor of the
Marlborough family protest against such
course. After all, you are very young.
mere child; you may have erred through
ignorance, but be that so or not, from
henceforth you can never be my wife in
aught but name. My wife must be above
Suspicion-pure, sweet, true-not a girl
who, before scarcely six months of her
marriage have gone, encourages a man
for whom she openly expresses horror and
contempt.
"As for Beverley Rochfort, before many
hours are over-unless he be a cur, which
| I take him to be-he will have answered
to me for his own part in this affair.
| Audrey, | am trying to write kindly: |
am trying to remember your youth and
the many disadvantages that have been
yours since the first. and you-if you
have Justice and honesty in your heart
you will recognize that l am not treating
you harshly. Your future is my care.
| This morning | have made my WILL |
leave you all the money | possess, to-
| gether with Minister, in Blankshire, the
property my father has just settled upon
me. Whether | live or die, | wish you
to make your home at Minister. l should
like to think Miss Thwat was with you.
Your money will be transmitted through
nv lawyers. | intend to start at once
on tour of the world, giving the cOndi-
ton of my health as reason for thus
relinquishing my parliamentary career.
shall be absent, perhaps, two years, and
| leave it in your hands to judge whether
at the end of that time your conduct has
been such as to permit me to occupy the
same house as yourself, and appear be-
fore the world in my proper position as
your husband
JOHN GLENDURWOOD."
When Dover was reached telegram
was brought to Jean.
For Lady John Glendurwood," the
waiter said, inquiringy. rs that right
madame?"
Quite right"
Jean hesitated only a moment, and tore
If omen. She gave little sound of sor-
row as she read. 1t was from Marshall
poor, faithful Marshall-and ran thus
Mrs. Fraser died this morning. Her
last wish was that you should not travel
here. but that she should be carried home
and buried in England. |, therefore, beg
your ladyship to obey this wish. | have
telegraphed for my poor mistress lawyers
SUSAN MARSHALL"
Poor little Audrey. Robbed already OF
the mother she had longed for so much
loved so dearly, and possessed so short q
while!