The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1910-04-01

suddenly slipped into the recess
where the farmhouse Joined the engine
skylight. She stood still, and he in
stantly ranged himself beside her.
They were quite out of sight of the
others, and of the bridge, and even If
it had been daylight they could not
have been seen except by some one
coming from aft.
II want to speak to you" she said,
in low, steady voice. please listen
quite quietly for some of them may
begin to walk again"
Kralinsky bent his head twice, and
then inclined it towards her, to hear
better what she was going to say.
1T has pleased you to keep up this
comedy for "a hours" she began.
He made a slight movement, which
was natural under the circumstances.
81 do not understand" he said, in
his oily voice. What comedy? | real
ly have no"
Don't go on" she answered, inter-
rupting him sharply Listen to what
l am going to tell you, and then de-
eide what you will do. l don't think
your decision will make very much
difference to me, but it will make
difference to the world and to your
self. l saw you from window when
you brought Mr.. Van Torp to the
hotel in Bayreuth, and | recognized
you at once Since this afternoon
have no doubt left"
81 never saw you till last night"
said Kralinsky, with some little sur
prise in his tone, and with perfect as
surance.
do you really think you can de-
ceive me any longer?" she asked. Il
told you this afternoon that If you
could come back from the dead, and
know the truth, we should probably
forgive each other, though we had
many differences. Shall WEI" She
paused a moment, and by his quick
change of position she saw that he
was much moved. 81 don't mean that
we should ever go back to the old life,
for we were not suited to each
other from the first, you and /.
You wanted to marry me because
was pretty and smart, and l married
you because I wanted to be married,
and you were better looking than
most men, and seemed to have what
| thought was ecessary-fortune and
decent position. No, don't interrupt
me. We soon found out that we did
not care for each other. You went
your way, and 1 went mine. l don't
mean to reproach you, for when I
say you were beginning to be tired of
me did nothing to keep you. l my
self was tired of it already. But what
ever you may have thought, I was
a faithful wife, Mr.. Van Torp had
given me a great deal of money for
my charity, and does still. l can ac-
count for it. never used penny of
it for myself, and never shall; and
he never was, and never will be, any
more than a trusted friend. l don't
know why you chose to disappear
when the man who had your pocket
book was killed and you were said to
be dead. It's not my business, and if
you choose to go on living under an
other name, now that you are rich
again, | shall not betray you, and few
people will recognize you, at least in
England, so long as you wear that
beard But you had it when we were
married, and I knew you at once, and
when l heard you were to be of the
party here, I made up my mind at
once that would accept the invita-
ton and come too, and speak to you
as I'm speaking now. When l be-
lieved you were dead 1 forgave you
everything, though l was glad you
were gone; frankly, did not wish
you alive again, but since you are,
| God forbid that l should wish you
dead. You owe me two things in ex-
change for my forgiveness: First,
yours, if l treated you ungenerously
or unkindly; and, secondly, you ought
to take back every word you ever said
to me about Mr. Van Torp, for there
was not a shadow Of truth in what
you thought. Will you do that? l
ask nothing else"
Indeed | Will, my dear MAUD, SAID
Count Kralinsky, in a voice full Of
emotion.
Lady Maud drew long breath, that
trembled a little as 1t left her heated
lips again. She had done what she
believed most firmly to be right and
it had not been easy. She had not
been surprised by his patient silence
while she had been talking; for she
had felt that it was hers to speak and
his to listen.
THANK you," she said now. Il shall
never go back to what l have said,
and neither of us need ever allude to
old times again during this trip. 1t
will not last long, for'I shsI probably
go home by land from the first port
we touch, and it is not likely that we
shall ever meet again. If we do,
shall behave as If you were Count
Kralinsky, whom have met abroad,
neither more nor less. suppose you
will have conscience enough not to
marry. Perhaps, If thought another
woman's happiness depended on 1t,
would consent to divorce you, but you