Connecticut western news., 1921-08-25


 his advances, but there still remained that undercurrent of feeling for him that she could not comprehend. Fear full lest she betray herself, she dis missed him abruptly, sent for her hus- band to take her home, and made a pitiful attempt to drive all thoughts of Francis Levison from her mind. ! 1 It was well-nigh impossible. Her plans to forget him were completely frustrated when her generous husband, innocently enough, merely thinking to repay Captain LevisOn for his kind at 1 tentiOns to Lady Isabel on the French coast, invited that profligate to East Lynne as a place of shelter where he might be safe from his creditors until something could be arranged. Like a serpent Levison boldly took every occasion to whisper into Lady 1sabePs ears all the meetings that he Spied between her husband and Bar bara Hare. Under a misapprehension that her husband was giving his love to Barbara and frantic with the jeal- ous belief that the two were uniting to deceive her. Lady Isabel finally yielded to Levison's pleadings and eloped with him.
 No sooner had she taken the fatal step than she was filled with remorse. Almost immediately she discovered the true character of this insincere rake for whom she had given up her all. In year he deserted her, leaving her un- born child nameless.
 ! kn hnl tives, she decided to become a gover- ness. When she chanced to hear of the opportunity to return to East Lynne as the governess to her own ! children she could not withstand the temptation, so great was her longing to see them again. It was 8 desperate chance to take, for she might be rec ognized, though illness and the rail- road accident which had killed her child had altered her entirely. Her disguise was complete, as, heartsick. sine rode again along the familiar road toward East Lynne. When the dear old house loomed up before her, its gay and cheerily lighted windows a contrast to her own downcast spirits, she began to wish she had never under taken the project. But for the sake of seeing her own children again she would have turned back. Her fears of being recognized were allayed when she saw that no one suspected for moment that the gray, saddensd and dishgured Madame Vine" was Lady Isabel.
 East Lynne had a new mistress now I-none other than her fancied rival of old, Barbara Hare. Not until she real ized for the first time that Archibald's love could not longer be hers did 1sa- bel feel an intensity of love for him that she had never experienced as his wife. And yet she became almost happy again in winning the affection of her children, though her joy in being with them was tempered with sorrow in caring for delicate little William, her second born, knowing as she did that he could not long be with them.
 Events moved along fast. There came the time when Francis Levison, returning to West Lynne to seek cleo ton to parliament, only to be defeated by Carlyle, was convicted of the crime which had overshadowed Richard Hare for so many years. At Last Lynne, after the death of little Will liam, a sudden Illness came upon Lady Isabel. When she realized that she was failing rapidly she begged upon her deathbed to be allowed to see Ar chibald Carlyle.
 'T could not die without your for giveness," she murmured. Do not turn from mel Bear with me one little minute! Only say you forgive me, and I shall die in peace"
 Isabel! Are you--were you-Mad' anne Vine?"
 "Oh, forgive me for disgracing your home! And forgive me for coming back! I could not stay away from you and my children! The longing for you was killing me. never knew a moments peace after the mad act l ' was guilty of in quitting you. Not an hour had departed when my repent ance set In. Oh, forgive mel My sin } was great, but my punishment was greater"
 ] "Why did you go7"
 "Did you not knowf I grew suspi- : cious of you. I thought you were de
 ceitful, and in my sore jealousy I lis tened to the tempting of him who whis- pered to me of revenge. It was not true, was it2" she feverishly asked. "Can you suggest such thing, know ing me as you did then, as you must have since? Isabel I never was false to you in thought, word or deed. Yes. I forgive you, fully, freely. May God bless you and take you to his rest in heaven"
 She raised her head from the pillow and clung to his arm, lifting her face with its sad yearning. Tenderly he laid her down again and suffered his
 lips to rest on hers.
 Until eternity" he whispered. | Copyright 1919 by the Post Publishing