The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-01-06
CHAPTER XvIII-(Continued-)

CHAPTER XvIII.-(Continued
Agatha was looking at him strange
~. but he did not appear TO notice her.
Lord Netherville took up his nat ana
prepared to leave He took very NJ
tie interest In Miss Garland's love az
fairs. and could not In the least un-
derstand why his cousin should take
them to heart
II know nothing about it: the girl Is
q stranger to me-" he answered light
ly. II was only repeating the gossip
OF the day to amuse your wife Good
bye. Agatha How your grey hair al
tiers you, Rupert" he added. as he iert
the room with the master OF the house.
mo one could possibly mistake US for
each other nowI What pity you got
that knock over the head to spoil your
beauty. You know I always peheVe
that blow was intended for me-
Rupert had gone with his cousin out
side the room Netherville was going
down the staircase. Rupert followed
him down.
by the way" he said. when he got
down to the hall. Il heard something
about those pearls the other day.
those was bringing down to give 10
agatha. you know. / daresay she told
you about them OF course you know
that / was engaged to your wife at
nat time. Rupert"
"Oh, yes, of course. know all about
H." answered Rupert, carelessly.
Il was a good deal cut up at the
time she threw me over; but I've no
doubt she was right. old man. she
chose the best man OF the two 1 am
glad / have been to see her. 1 have
pretty well got over II now. or you
know I shouldn't have come. You don't
owe me any grudge, am sure. And
I hope you will let me be friends with
herr"
My dear fellow, OF course." replied
Carroll. cordially.
He did not go upstairs again after
his cousin had left, but turned into his
own little den on the ground floor. and
throwing himself into an arm chair. he
remained plunged in the most gloomy
and miserable thoughts OF Irene and OF
her probable fate. But II did not oc-
cur to him to think about Agatha up
stairs.
Agatha had got up from her sofa,
she was standing in the middle OF the
room. There was a tempest at her
heart, a tempest half love. half jeal-
ousy, and IT was the jealousy that
caused the love she had vainly striven
to stifie to burn up into fiercer
steadier fame. There was a long mir
ror opposite to her: she saw reflected
I'm 1t the image Of pale. gaunt wom-
an. with shrunken cheeks and hag-
gard eyes.
II have grown hideous," she said
aloud. slowly. perfectly hideous! A
happy woman-a wife vino loves and Is
loved again. keeps her looks and her
youth and her freshness. but / am not
loved, and have lost it all-all, There
Is nothing to win him now. he will
never love mel And this other wom-
an, this Miss Garland. who Is the most
beautiful girl in London-it Is her
whom he loves, Why did he start and
turn round so excitedly when Neither
vile said she was going to marry some
rich man? Why did he cry out that
she must not be allowed to marry him
II she had been a stranger. would his
face have flushed and would his voice
have trembled, as they did? And had
she been only a mere acquaintance OF
the past. should / not have heard hei
name before? No; see 1t all now. II
Is this beautiful Miss Garland. who il
In London now-I always knew thai
the woman he once loved would come
between US again, Once lovedl All.
but he loves her now-nowi Oh. what
am I to do? What am to do?" She
flung herself face downwards upon the
: sofa in a paroxysm of anguish
Jealousy. that horrible fiend that car
torture the soul with superhuman pain
was tearing at her heart. All at oncs
she realized that her husband NIGH
meet this unknown woman at any mo-
ment. and that his love would doubt.
less then be famed into fresh. life BY
a renewal of intercourse with her.
He might even now be planning Il
ace heri How was she to keep him
How guard that frail possession thar
the law had given her for her own, bu
that love had never ratified? Whers
was he now? Had he gone out with
Netherville? Gone away at once, De
haps-to her.
The horror OF the fancy took ava,
her breath. She ran swiftly and softly
downstairs, her light steps making M
noise upon the thick carpet as. sh.
went. She breathed again when sh,
saw that his hat and stick were IL
their place. Then softly she crept Il
the door of his study. She knew n,
must be there. and alone.
She opened the door noiselessly. Ru.
pert sat with his back to her, near tn.
table, his head was laid upon his fold
ed arms. his face was hidden. terri
BILE shock overwhelmed her, he wa:
weeping!
She closed the door very softl,
again. and crept away slowly upstairs
She was very cold. her teeth Chartered
her limbs trembled beneath her.
= 1T Is too late" she said to herself IN
a miserable stified whisper. There I.
nothing to be done. Oh, If could only
die"