Middletown transcript., 1910-07-30

Edmonston watched Mrs. Rod
ney as, after kissing the boy ten
derly, unassisted by her husband
she climbed out of the carriage.
Wen come for you tonight,
mamma! called the child.
The husband, however, gave
only surly grunt to her cheer.
ful response, first to the lad,
then to him.
Good-by, sweetheart! Good-by,
Burke!
The brute! muttered Edmons-
ton, and drew farther back upon
the platform, that she might not
feel humiliated by the immediate
knowledge that he had witnessed
the singular parting.
It was not till she had pur-
chased her ticket and stepped
out on to the platform to await
the coming train that Edmonston
ventured to approach her. The
flush which her husbands boorish
reply and manner had caused
still suffused her face, but she
advanced with a smile and an out
stretched hand to greet him.
Xenil Edmonston was known
for his brotherIy kindness and
devotion to all women, but it was
with more than his accustomed
chivalry that he took into both
his own the hand that Helen
Rodney offered. Her face paled
slightly, and he felt the hand he
so warmly grasped tremble as
he said:
1t is a long time since we last
met, Helen. How have you been?
There was a world of tender
ness in the voice that questioned.
Sympathy is the open sesame to
the gates Of long pentup emotion. |
Poor, patient, suffering Helen
Rodney could not Withstand it.
The tears flooded her ewes till |
they blinded her sight. The
thunder Of the approaching train
rang in her ears, but above it all
the whispered words:
Forgive me, from Xenil Ed
monston, sounded like the music |
of earlier, happier years.
Carefully shielding her from
observation, he handed her into
q private compartment Of a par
lor car, and with a word of ex-
cuse, left her to find the porter.
Dominated as she was by a
series Of emotions of which self
commiseration was not the least,
the tact and gentleness Of the
man appealed most forcibly to
her gratitude and sense Of ad.
miration. When, later, he re.
turned and took a seat beside
her, she turned her eyes bravely
10 his as she said:
lam very glad of this meeting,
Xenil, though you have discov-
cred the skeleton in my closet.
1 suspected its existence long
ago; for public gossip, though
not remarkable for its veracity,
is not without some foundation
in truth. So, Helen, / have
longed to see you and learn the |
facts from your own lips. l re-
solved, however, not to plan nor
force q meeting, but calmly to
await fate's own good times. I
was sure it would come. Do You
remember our last rendezvous,
before your engagement to Rod
ney was publicly announced? AS
] told you then tell you now
sooner or later our lives must
run together. You laughed at
the idea, though you half recog.
nized your deeper love for me.
] saw that you must learn your
lesson by experience, which
meant marriage with Rodney,
with whom you were dazzled,
infatuated, and thought yourself
irrevocably in love. I knew you
better than you knew yourself.
Helen, dearest, though a cruel
one, is not the lesson learnedP
Are You not ready to cast off the
degrading shackles that bind you
and come to met
A startled, frightened look
came into her eyes, but the in
aignation she should have felt
was absent, although she drew
herself slightly away from him.
There, Helen, don't misunder. /
stand mel am neither liber- {
5ine nor . scoundrel, as you /
Enow, and being Q lawyer, shall Z
.bide by legal measures. To I
,ut the matter plainly and per. t
laps bluntly. I want your per +
to obtain a divorce for y
,ou from Burke Rodney on the d
round Of cruelty. Ithen desire c
0 make you my wife according S
0 civil law, ss you fe now ID il
i0hf If q higher hat Qana kla1 Il