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Show ''" '' ' " ' '" " " II II I I II llllllj . ABARTEREDXIFE, INTERNATIONAL PRESS ASSOCIATION ft CHAI TEU IX. (CONTINUBD.) i Opposition was futile, but Constance's Countenance was so downcast at tho .prospect of tho excursion, that Edward mado a pretext, before going out, to I ' call h'cr Into tho ndjolning sittinjT-.room. sittinjT-.room. . "How havo I forfeited my place In your good graces?" ho began, In playfulness, that was lost In earnestness earnest-ness boforo he finished his speech. "I have tried to porsuado myself that your cold avoidance of mo for wcoks pant, .and your reject on of my services when, over It Is possible for you to dlspenso with them, was, In part, nn unfounded fnncy of my own, and partly the result re-sult of your absorption In tho dear duty that has domanrted your time and thoughts. I hnvo begun lately to havo other fears drcat'B lest I had unwittingly un-wittingly wounded or displeased you. Po mo tho Justlco to bollovo that, If this bo so, tho offonso was unconscious." unconsci-ous." "You havo offered none nono whatever!" what-ever!" Interposed Constance, with cold emphaslB. "I am sorry my mannor has give rise to such apprehensions." "That is not spokon like tho frank sister of n month ngo," said Edward, retaining tho hnnd she would have withdrawn. "I will not release you until you tell mo what Is tho shadow upon tho affection that was to mo more doar than any other friendship, and which I dared hopo was much to you. ' Be, for ono instant, yourself, and tell mo nil." She was very pale, but, in desperation, despera-tion, sho tried to laugh. "You must not call mo to nccount for my looks Land actions nowadays, Edward. I think sometimes that I am not quit Bano. I havo gono through much suffering; been the proy of Imaginings that almost al-most deprived mo of reason, besides enduring tho real and present trial. And heaven knows how unready I was for it all! "One word, my dear girl, and my inquisition in-quisition is over. Assure mo honestly and without fear of wounding me, havo you ever, in your most Bccret thought, blamed mo for the casualty which so nearly widowed you? I did try, as you can bear mo witness, to dissuade him whom wo both love from tho experiment experi-ment that cost him so dear. Tho idea hat you may havo doubted this hss pained mo inexpressibly." "Dismiss tho suspicion nt onco and forever!" Constance looked steadily iiitorhis.fnco nnlSBpolc3,eilnily.'(at,Tho' thought has novcr entered my mind, i blamo no ono for my troublo excepting except-ing myself!" ' Deforo sho could divlno his purpose, Edward had put his arm over her phoulder and pressed his lips to hers. "Lot bygones bo bygones!" ho said, brightly and fondly. "Wo havo too much to llvo and to hope for to wnsto tlmo In nursing unhealthy surmises and fears." "Oh!" Tho sharp llttlo Interjection came from tho threshold of the door leading Into the hall, whoro Miss Field was dlcovered In a fine nttltudo of bashful bash-ful apology, faintly flavored with prudish prud-ish consternation. "I did not dream you wero hero. I was on my way to Iny cousin's room!" she continued; In a prodigious flutter of ringlets and shoulders. "I beg a million pardons, I am sure." "You need not beg ono!" said tho undaunted Edward, without releasing Constance. "Connie and I havo been settling a trivial misunderstanding In good boy-and-glrl style havo just 'kissed and mado up,' and wo now mean to bo better friends than over." "Ho1 ho! you are excesslvoly candid, to be sure!" tittered Harriet. "But" -shaking her black curls "Mrs. With-prs With-prs knows men and human naturo too woll to believe qulto nil you say. Wo must not forgot, my dear madam, that men wero deceivers over." "You speak feelingly," said Edward, sarclossly, following d uatanco with his eyo, as sho moved silently toward her husband's chamber. "I shall caution tho lady of my lovo should tho gods ever bestow one upon me not to sip of tho bitter waters of your wisdom." Had ho seen tho glitter of tho round, black orbs that pursued his retiring flguro, ho might havo mado a moro thoughtful exit, his run down the stairs been less swift, tho air he hummed, ns ho went, less gay. Ho had a pleasant drive; Constanco an hour of mingled sweet and bitterness. bitter-ness. It was dlfllcult to bear her part 1 In tho npparont renownl of tho familiar 11 Intercourse of other days, without ro- jt jlaxlng tho sovero guard she had sot il I upon herself from tho moment-sho dls- II' I covered the true nnture of tho sentl- tm I mont she entertained for her husband's m 1 brother. Sho could not help delight- jl 1 lng in his society, in the manifold M I proofs of loving concorn for hor com- jl fort nnd happiness of which uho was tho 1 recipient. Yot, underlying this secret A and fleeting joy, was the ever-present a shame that marked her remembrance M 1 pf hor guilty weakness, and the despalr- I lng knowledge that remorso, duty and rcsolvo had thus far availed nothing to conquer It. She looked Jaded rather than refreshed refresh-ed upon her return, although sho had 1 curtailed tho ride In opposition to Edward's Ed-ward's advice. Wild, rebellious thoughts fought for mnHtery within hor all tho whllo sho was with hltn, tho promptings of nn Insane famlllarltyshe could not cast out. "If I had met him two years ago instead of his brother, and ho had wooed me, tho lovo which Is now my disgrace would havo boon my glory," sho was tempted to repent, again and again. "Yot my fitness to recelvo his affection nnd my need of him aro tho samo lo-dny as they wero then. Is ho tho less my companion soul, the mato God meant for mo, bc-causo, bc-causo, led by other's counsels, I blundered blun-dered Into a loveless connection with another! Which Is tho criminal bond-that bond-that ordained by my Maker, or tho compact com-pact which has had no blessing save tho approval of cold-hearted and mercenary mer-cenary mortals? Outwardly wo must 1 remain ns wo are; but who Is defrauded If I droam of what might havo boon? Jf I I lovo him for what ho Is In himself, not for what ho Is to mo'" Then, shaking off tho spell, sho woiild loathe herself for tho vile suggestions, and pray, in a blind, heathenish wny, to Him who had sent her pain, to sustain sus-tain her under it, to keep her trim falling Into the fouler mlrc of open uo fiance of hor husband's claims upon hor realty In word and act, to hold her fast to tho semblance of right and honor. Parting from Edward at tho outer ontranco with a brief phraso of thanks for his kindness In accompanying hor, sho ran up to her husband's room and opened tho door without knocking. A gentloman, whom she recognized on a prominent city lawyer, stood by the lounge with a paper In his hand. Two young men, apparently clerks, wero withdrawn a llttlo Into the background and a tnblo bearing writing materials was botween them and tho others. "You acknowledge this Instrument to bo your latest will and testament, and 'In token thoreof, havo set hereto your slgnaturo and seal?" tho lawyer was saying as the door swung noiselessly ajar, and Constance stopped, unable to advance or retreat. Mr. Withers glnnced nround when he had given his assent. "Come in, my dear," he said, qulotly. "Wo Bhall soon jOjUirouch this llttlo matter." CHAPTER X. HE dropped Into a chair near tho door, her heart palpitating palpitat-ing with force that beat every drop of blood from her cheeks. Some sud- t -ft $t T9 len and awfitl I M "vk 1 chnnge must have 1 ftP' T taken plnco while ill 9 Bho 'wns out to cnl1 w for tho prospneo of these men. Her frame was chill as with tho shadow of death, but tho ono overpowering thought that smote her was that hor husband's approaching do-cease do-cease was the direct answer of an angry Judgo to hor wicked outcry agnlnst hor fato and longings to escape it. In this grisly shapo was tho freedom to appear for which sho had panted. But- sho know that when tho cago was torn down sho would feel llko a murderess. Sho never forgot tho short-lived" horror of that moment. 4- Mr. Withers dismissed his visitors when tho witnesses had afflxed their names to tho will, and they bowed themselves out, each noting, moro or less furtively, ns ho passed, tho dilated eyes and colorless face of tho wife,' and drawing his own conclusions therefrom. there-from. Sho got up nnd walked totterlngly forward at hor husband's gesture. Ho was no paler than when alio loft him, and smiled moro easily than was his habit, when he noticed tho signs of her extreme alarm. -"I was afraid you would bo frightened If I talked In your hearing of making my will," ho said, encouragingly. "To avoid this, I arranged ar-ranged that Mr. Hall should wait upon mo whllo you woro driving. Ho was behind be-hind his tlmo, and your aro back earllor than I anticipated. I regret tho meeting meet-ing only for your sake. Porhaps It is as woll, however, that I should acquaint you with some of tho provisions of the Instrument you saw In Mr. Hall's hnnd." "Pleaso do not! J cannot bear to hear or speak of It!" protested Constanco, Con-stanco, the tears starting to her oyes. "It all seems so dreadful." "It will not hasten my death ono hour." Mr. Withers wns not qulto ready to pass over without robuko an absurd superstition ho considered unworthy a rational being, oven though tho offender of-fender was his wife. "You shall know this. I mado another will two years slnco, but circumstances havo led mo to regard it as injudicious, if not unfair. un-fair. We buslnes men tiro superior to tho dread of looking forward to tho 'A ona certain event of mortality. W calculate tho . probablo effoot of onr demise, ns wo do otlier changes in tho mercantile and Bocial world. By tho terms of this will, as I was about to remark, my proporty, Wtn tho exception excep-tion of a logncy to Harriet Field, Is divided di-vided equally botween jouraelf and Edward. Ed-ward. And ho, Is, appointed solo executor. ex-ecutor. In the? event of my death ho will bo your nearest oonnf ctlon nnd Baf-est Baf-est adviser. I wish you to remember this. It is hardly, to be expected that you, although a fair Judge of character, should be as conversant with tho qualities qual-ities that fit him to assume these responsibilities, re-sponsibilities, ns I am, who have been his business pnrtner ever since ho was twenty-one." Ho was astonished that his wlfo, Instead In-stead of rendering a submissive verbal acquiescence to his spoken and written writ-ten decree, began to weep bo violently as to hinder horsolf from listening or replying to hlsr speech. She had nover conducted horsclf In this lrrntlonnl fashion boforo In his sight, and ho was naturally exceedingly peipl-xed. Aware that tiny attempt to soothe her would bo awkward work to him he lay quiet for a minute, hoping' the emotion would oxpend Itself without his Interforonce. Finally, ho adjudged it to be but reasonable reas-onable thnt sho Bhould set tho bounds of her grJef at a point romowhat short of hysterics or convulsions, and addressed ad-dressed her with tho most stringent appeal ap-peal he could thlnkof. "Really, Constnnce.your agitation Is oxcltlng mo most unpleasantly. I fear I shall bo feverish ihen tho doctor calls, If this sort of thing Is kept up." Ho did not mean to be unkind or selfish. sel-fish. Ho belloved his health to bo of rBUprbino Importance In her esteem, nnd 'that tho recollection of this would set ' her to rights. The experiment succeeded succeed-ed to a charm. Tio sobbing flow of briny drops wds'Stanched on the instant. "I beg your pnrdpn," stammered Constance, Con-stance, straightening herself up. "I will control myself better hprpafter. It Is time for your cordial. May I pour It out for you?" It wns inovltnblo that the confession sho had meditated, while ho told her of his arrangements for her future, betraying be-traying with a child's artlessncs3 the perfectness of hlB trust In his brother and In herself, tho full outflow of penitence, pen-itence, nnd depreciation, and entreaty tor pardon, of which the tears wero but the typo and promonitlon, should bo checked by tho querulous reference to his personal discomfort. But tho sudden sud-den and disagreeable reaction Induced by It wns hardly an excuso for the hardening hard-ening of her heartland dulling of tho sonslbllltlcs, just now so tender, which filled her mind wltb?sullen resentment ngalnst him who ka'd repelled her confidence. con-fidence. "He will never, understand me. Wo are as antigottlBtlc as oil and water," Bho excused this by thinking. "Tho moro closely I Imitate his ley propriety pro-priety tho better matched we shall be. I was a fool to Imagine anything else." And thus slipped bj the fairest chnnco of reconciliation and real union that was over offered the Ill-assorted pair. With Mr. Withers returning strength overythlng seemed to fall back Into the old trnln. Except that Invitations wero loss frequent as the season waned, and that Edward nnd Constanco passed fewer evenings abroad and more at homo, that Mr. Withers' rode to his ofllco every morning and returned at noon, to spend the rest of, tho day upon the sofa-ln-thQ library exchanging his after 'dinner for an easy chair In tho parlor; tho mqdo of lffo in tho household house-hold varied in no Important respect from what it had been prior to his accident acci-dent (to nn costi.vubo.j |