Show 7 TJ T J ta A 13 wi ne D LIFE J aby HARLAND international PRESS association CH CHAPTER ArITER XII I 1 ILL you have the J kindness to ring that boll bell again harriet and inquire whether mrs withers has returned fretted the convalescent it Is otter after six and I 1 am taint faint tor for want of 0 nourishment the duteous dependent obeyed then slipped from the room to push investigations upon a plan ot of hwn own in a quarter ot of an hour she reappeared with an agitated yet important countenance that arrested her cousins regards what Is it where Is she he demanded impatiently ampa bently you have heard 60 something eom M ething tell me at once what it Is isa 7 harriet collapsed as gracefully as her sinews and stays would allow into a kneeling heap upon the floor at his feet my beloved cousin my dear deceived angel I 1 have heard nothing that surprised me I 1 dared tot not speak of it to you before now agonizing as was my solicitude you would have driven me from you n anger had I 1 whispered a vi word ord of 0 what has been the town gossip tor for months to which you only were blinded by your noble your generous your superhuman confidence in your be I 1 see that you are arc partially prepared for or the blow as he ha grew pale and tried without success to interrupt her brace yourself tor for what you must know my poor III used darling your brother and your wife have eloped to europe in company for one second the husband staggered under the shock his eyes closed i suddenly as at a flash of lightning and his features were distorted as in I 1 I 1 a wrench of mortal pain then all that was true and dignified in the man rallied to repel the insult to the two he had trusted and loved 1 I do not believe it he sold said distinctly and with deliberate emphasis you are the dupe of some mischievous slanderer my good i woman edward withers Is the soul of integrity and my cifes virtue Is incorruptible who told you this absurd tale mrs withers stated to you that she was going to drive alone this afternoon coon did she not harriet forget the pathetic in the malicious triumph as she he proceeded to prove her rivals guilt I 1 you heard her say it laconically and still on the defensive yet john says she called by the of I 1 dice to take up mr edward withers ind that they drove in company to he wharf where lay an ocean steam r he saw them go on board arm in wn irm and although he hb waited on the pier as long as the vessel was in sight they did not return 1 I will see the man myself crossing the room with a firmer step than had bad been his since his illness mr withers rang the bell and summoned the coachman his evidence tallied ex octley with harriets report and she flattered herself that the inquisitors Inqui manner was a shade less confident when the witness was dismissed you have said that this tats disappearance was no matter of surprise to you and added something about vulgar gossip I 1 wish a full explanation he said still magisterially thus bidden harriet told her tale talc before their return to the city in the autumn she had seasons of anxiety relative to the intimacy between alf air edward withers and his beautiful elster in law not the unsuspecting vir virgin was careful to affirm that that she doubted then the good faith and right intentions of either cither but she feared lest mrs withers part allty f fir ar the younger brother might render her negligent of her husbands happiness and comfort the winter festivities had brought the two into a peculiarly unfortunate position tor for the growth of domestic virtues and eminently conducive to the progress of the fatal attachment which was now beyond the possibility of a doubt although one of the family and known to be wedded to their interests te she had not been able to deter busy bodies from sly and overt mention of the scandal in her hearing she had on en such occasions taken the liberty of rebuking the offender and maintaining in her humble way the honor of her benefactors name but she could not silence a city full of tongues and they had wagged fast and loudly of 0 the husbands indiscreet confidence in the guilty parties and their shameless aham elees treachery ile he checked her when she would have dilated upon this di division vison of her subject 1 I will have no hearsay evidence what have you seen harriet demurred blus blushingly bingly not as it presently appeared because she had seen so little but so much duets vocal and instrumental had been the ho vehicles of living intercourse hand band squeezing meaning sighs and whispers her blood had often boiled furiously in beholding the outrageous maneuvers practiced in the very sight of their trusting victim her eyes in passing from their smiles of evil import their languish ings and caresses to the serene taw face bent over the chessboard chess board or wrape in innocent slumber had alternately overflowed with tears and glowed with indignation but all this was as aa nothing compared with my sensations on the morning of the day in which you made your will chancing to enter your dress drese ing room on my way to your bedside I 1 surprised mrs withers and mr edward withers standing together her head bead upon his bosom his arms upholding her while he whispered loving I 1 words in her ear he kissed hissed her at the very moment of 0 my silent entrance with this remark we have too much to lo live and to hope for to nurse unhealthy surmises and fears I 1 could testify to the language sn in a court of justice and am positive that his reference was to your possible recovery no more the mischief maker was seared scared out of her gloomy exultation exaltation by the altered face turned toward her please excuse me from going down to dinner today I 1 am very weary and shall spend the evening alone pursued mr withers with a pitiful show of his old and pompous style ile he arose as a further signal that she must go when she threw herself before him and clasped his big knees El elnathan elzathan the beady eyes strained in excruciating appeal do not banish me from you in this your extremity who who should be near you to sustain and weep with you but your poor devoted harriet she whose life has but one end the hope that she might serve and aid you but one reward your smile and so much of your love as you may see fit to bestow upon so worthless an object dut but in the honest sorrow that bowed the listeners proud spirit to breaking her factitious transports met no response beyond weary impatience the cajolery that had flattered latt ered the rn worthy complacency of his prosperous day rang discordantly upon his present mood ile he wanted pity from no one he said to himself and in his rejection of hers there was a touch of resentment the consequence of her unsparing denunciation of 0 constance he might come to hate her himself eoon coon just now he almost abhorred the one who had opened his big eyes to his bis own shame you mean well I 1 dare say harriet he said in his harshest tone but you are injudicious and your otters of 0 sympathy are unwelcome I 1 am sure that I 1 shall shortly receive a satisfactory explanation of this mysterious affair As to dour your gossiping friends I 1 can only regret that your associates have not been chosen more wisely now you can go she made no further resistance but hers was one of the chamber doors that unclosed stealthily when at midnight the rattle ot of a latchkey latch key sounded through the front hall and was followed by the entrance of the two supposed voyagers there were more wakeful eyes under that root roof that night than the master reeked of and a bevy ot of curious gazers peered from the obscurity of the third s tory story into the entry where mr withers had or ilfred the gas to be kept burning all night you see we are expected said edward to his big companion mr withers met them at the head bead of the staircase clad in dressing gown and slippers ah here you are how did you get back the obliging captain hailed a fishing yacht and put us on board answered his big brother have you been uneasy about us only lest you might be carried some distance out before you tell fell in with a returning vessel you look very tired constance I 1 shall not let her go with you again edward unless you promise to take better care pt her tell him just how it happened connie laughed edward and the conference was over they played their parts well all of them muttered harriet stealing back to her sleepless pillow but they need not hope to gag people now that the escand scand scandal i I 1 has taken wind murder will out her sagacity was proved by the appearance pea pe arance ranee in the next days issue of an extensively circulated journal of a con spacious spi cious article headed scandal in elopement per steamer to europe of the junior partner in a well known banking house with the beautiful wife of his brother the senior partner of the aforesaid firm the intimacy of the fugitives the chronicle went on to say had bad been much talked of all winter in the brilliant circle to which they belonged the deserted husband was a citizen whom all delighted to honor for his big business talents his bis probity in public life and his private virtues this affliction falls upon him with the more crushing severity from the circumstance that he has been tor for some months an invalid ile he has the sincere sympathy of the entire community the editor of the humane sheet albeit not unused to eating his own words never penned a more humble and explicit retract retraction loa of the tha unlucky error into which through an r fault of ours we have fallen than graced his columns the following morning he could hardly have expressed himself more forcibly had edward withers really horsewhipped horse whipped him instead 01 0 threatening to do it and to bring an action tor for libel as well constance breakfasted in bed at her husbands request on the day succeeding the departure the popular dally daily above referred to lay as usual by mr withers plate when he went downstairs down stairs folded with what was waa known to its constant readers as the naughty corner outermost harriet was engaged in concocting concoct ing her cousins cup of foaming chocolate when he opened his bis sheet but she both saw and heard the paper rustle like a paper bough before a storm then grow suddenly and unnaturally still when mr withers lowered it there ther was nothing in ill voice or expression to betray to his brother that ought was amiss when the meal was over he bb repaired to his cifes room taking tah him the newspaper which he bau baa nut nta as WAS his bis customs offered to pass pas to edward without a word he spread it before the pale woman whose haggard countenance should have moved him to delay her accusation and irence one swift glance took in the import imbor t ot of the cruel article and she burled buried her face in the pillow with a cry that destroyed what faint remnant of hope might have lingered in his bosom my sin bin has found me out A heavy hand was laid upon her lier arm this Is childish constance and you have shown yourself to be no child in craft nothing short of your own confession would have persuaded MS me that much contained in tills this paragraph Is true that you have abused my iny confidence fi sullied tny my name and made me the object of universal contempt you and and my brother I 1 TO HS HI toN rinus |