Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1912-06-28
CHAPTER lV.-(Continued.)

CHAPTER lV.-(Continued.)
She shook her head sadly, wistful-
| ly. How do know? How can tell?
happier than we-yet within year
from our wedding you you left
me, ran away from me. :. Why?'
We'll We know why, dearest. and
we'll ye know twas love of ye alone
that drove me from ye. Could | let
1t be said ye had a husband who was
incapable of supporting ye? Could |
let it be said that your husband lived
like a leech upon your fortunes?
Faith, didn't l have to go for your
sake?"
No" she dissented with a second
weary shake of her pretty head; Il
think 1t was love of yourself. little,
Terence-that and your pride.
. Why should any Of our world
have guessed you were not the rich
man you fancied yourself when we
were married? Who would have told
them that your landed heritage in
Ireland had turned out profitless? Not
l, my dear"
II know that" he contended stub
later it would have come out, and
they would have said: There she
goes with her fortune-hunter. the ad-
venturer who married her for her
money"
And If SO? What earthly differ
ence could it make to us, sweetheart?
What can gossip matter to us-if you
love me?"
If" he cried, almost angrily. IF!
. All, but no. darling! It's your
self knows there is no If about 1t, that
I'm sick with love OF ye this very
minute-sick and mad for ye :"
Then" she pleaded. with a desper-
ate little break in her Incompatible
voice; and again held out her arms
to him-"then have pity on me, oh, my
dearest one-have pity on me If only
for little while"
And suddenly he had caught her to
him, and she lay in his arms, her
| young strong body nodded to his, her
| lips to his, her eyes half-veiled, the
sweet fragrance of her-too we'll re-
embered-intoXicatin him; lay su-
pine in his embrace, yet held him
strongly to her, and trembled in SYM
pathy with the deep, hurried pounding
of his heart.
In the south the horizon famed
livid to the zenith, revealing a great,
| black wall of cloud that had stolen
up out Of Africa; beneath 1t the sea
! shone momentarily with a sickly silk
en- luster. Then the dense blackness
of the night reigned again, as pro-
found as though impenetrable, eternal.
Later dull growl of thunder rolled
in across the waste. With 1t came the
| first fitful warnings of the impending
wind storm.
"'Twas ye who sang to me, dear
est?"
Who else, you great silly boy?
And when you followed me to
the door, making as much noise as a
young elephant, Terence-I was mind
ed to punish you little, very little,
my dear. So l merely opened mine
and closed 1t sharply"
There was a woman in the hall
81 saw her, dear, and laughed, think.
ing how puzzled you would be.
Was l cruel. my heart? But did not
mean to be. I'd planned this surprise
you know. from the minute l found
our rooms adjoined."
And this letter"-O'Rourke fumbled
in his pocket and got it out-"ye
brought it to me?"
1T came to me in London, dear. two
weeks ago; we were together-Clara
Plinlimmon and lat the Carlton
waiting for her yacht to be put into
commission. Meanwhile she was max
ing up the party for this Mediter
ranean trip. l had no idea
where to send you the letter. Have
you read it?"
Have l had time. sweetheart Of
mine?"
There was an interlude.
N the distance the thunder rolled
and rumbled.
Resolutely the young woman dis
engaged herself and withdrew 70 Q lit
To distance