Show 1 0 mies HER GUARD GUARDED ED ca FROM LAST footlights speaking peaking moving before hla hia very eye sand ind yet herdist hempst not dare not tor for her sako sake sto her speak to hor write to tier her the one being V ho he loved for whom ho be had searched to lo beven bevan bears cars dreary years and yet could not claim now flow that chance had I 1 nil thrown her in hla his path again I 1 row ilow could ho know dierso cpr so near and yet never we ce her after all that awful past too after n parting partin gurbich which neither had dreamed was ara or for ever 1 I cannot oh I 1 cannot lot her go without orio he muttered in his passionate agony if sho hall hail only wailed then ull till I 1 camel what may to myself I 1 will see sec her if I 1 watch for weeks to 4 meet her unseen I 1 have wronged her enough ile heaven aven knows knors through my accursed maddening folly and yet oh ob my darling my iny ilow can I 1 0 give ivo up nil all hopel hope I 1 ho he van wandered dared forth hardly taking note of how far or in w what hat direction ho he went until ho he found himself on tho the outskirts of his bis own long deserted neglected property ravens place ilace long since left to the rabbits and solo sole charge of an old kanand man and his wife how could the master bear the pl ico feete every blade bl tile of grass every tree every stone of the hou house re recalled her who had been its mistress or ind and for forth three rea short months too cloudlessly happy to last mado made it a paradise for him yet now ho he stait stalled td a moment and then vaulting lightly over the half broken paling struck into tile tho thick overgrown wooding I 1 I 1 r tho the day hall had passed quietly for robert denhams conil company kiny and it if two of them bore licary heavy hearts no one could have bava guessed it itoney only when niter after a 1 pleasant early tea Cj clifford ifford morion proposed a walk to tile the Mount fano woods viola malcre excused herself she was tired she s said lid and did not care to walk far and when they setoff set oft she stood at tho the garden gate nuil anil watched them up the white while road until they were out of sight quito quite out of sight and then slowly as it if shrinking yet irresistibly dr drawn awn turned her looks the lie other way to ravens riach riace and sighed heavily A all 11 gone to rack and ruin she said lid half aloud and wa walked I 1 k ed slowly slowly towards a gate that led only to the back lane its a terrible pity maam malain aint fiut it said tile fik fat good natured host hostess M behind lier her 11 and even a stran stranger ger like yourself cant help feeling sorry so try but I 1 suppose sir austin abide the place after his the young ind lady Y leaving liim him why lie he has never been bee u down at the hall his cou cousins binIg till thi thia s autumn alI ho was in the the theatre las last t night the actress did not start now nor utter titter a sound but for al a moment no marblo statue could li have ive been more still more colorless then slowly the delicate hands we were rb moved from the little gate and pr pressed M ca against her bosom as elio said carelessly 11 with tho hall party of course oh yes maam mao am in a box with willi lady and another lady ind and that pretty miss courtway Court tho the heiress a sitting by her ho was behind tho ill 0 curtain said the 45 good dame wi with th ill 1 knowing little feminine I 1 laugh augh I 1 that bat hardly needed tile the next words of eipl explanation they do say about that hes courting her do they the actress 1 laughed slightly who knew so BO well ach as he herself what mere gossip that was probably Pro baby lie ho pays tier her no more court than any man of fashion pays to a lovely woman mrs mosa ai very likely so maam you saw her douthe you the lady who threw the first fit bouquet to you yes a lovely face viola open opened ed tho the g alo as sho she spoke adding I 1 1 I shall stroll up the road a little irwill it will do mo me good I 1 think so it will my dear goodbye good bye then the hostess nodded and smiled as the actress passed out and watched tho the graceful figure till it turned aside up a lane ahead ivi why lly said enid WT mrs moss that tj there lere lane leads nowhere only to the back part of the wild neglected ila Ilav yens cna place grounds but she dont know that of catir e exactly what viola iralene Ir alere did know mid and took that lane for no other reason but because that poor heart craved for one glimpse of that well known place if she might inight not dared not see sea him again so near her yet so terribly severed site she wrenched asido aside a loose piece of old paling and crept through tho the gap AN all liow how chanc chancil dl weeds rud and long rank grass and tring tangled led underwood from which her footsteps start startled leti the wild rabbits and birds and the toads and liv lizarda ards it seemed to break her very 11 C 11 it afresh for the story it all told lier her 0 of f lus his wrecked heart and inner life a and nd with will a half frantl frantic ic gesture sho pushed dushl A her way recklessly conw onward ird she be had scarcely dreamed of thier this when hen ill eliat it lark dark night maddened rd with th sh shame ame and misery she elie a girl of sixteen had led fled away before ho be bouli resell the e lome winch had so cri cruelly telly br branded her as an outcast with no right there the slight sound of crushing underwood made her rouse herself in terror something living beside itself Ir herself self was in the wood in the falling shades ot evening and she stood perfectly 5 tul still listening shrinking Q close to a huge old tree tho the next minute a tall man stepped ste p pell out into the open space turned at the cry elle elio could not quite suppress and austin sprang forward 1 violet Vio lct 1 my eifel fel 0 sho was locked in his s arms in a passionate embrace mine all mine only mine again for everl why lid did you leave me lie for what law coald have shut you out f from tom your place in tilis heart if it to robbed abbed ill all else it cougil not steal my lovo and shelter darling 1001 now tho the untainted purity of hei b er womanhood to its strength iosim 7 acain her nature ahr shrank ink in horror from tho the blackness of the tin sin that beset them both tile the dread of which had made her lly fly from him years ago austin tak c let mogol me gol you do not think donot do not cannot mein mean your mad only wife has baa a right hero not mo me your mistress 11 violet how dare you brand yourself with that name were you not my friend com companion panton the love IOTO of my elfo my wife my au all she shrank back as ho he freed her and her voice was hoarse with bitter bahamo and agony your love your all I 1 know but merciful heaven never your wife 0 austin though wo we both believed nothing Mot liing tha then but mistress though guiltless ot of sin bin both of us but now oh austin austin spare aparo mo everi even in this madness of misery that wrings from your dear lips words you cannot do not mcall do not tempt mo to forget the honor which before heaven and you is ia unspotted and mako make mo me what it if now with open cyca I 1 came back to you I 1 should indeed be a degraded being that you would scorn for tho the wea weakness knem that crept in in where tho the violet you loved was stron strong gl 1 ile ho turned from her covering lila his face in the very passion of anguish 1 I was mad madl I 1 never meant that my pure darling heaven knows that I 1 would sooner live on in torture find and bitter separation than do you such foul we must part park then but oil Ar violet lolet promise me that gin eln my hearts life but only just justice to you that if ever anni I 1 am free you will como back tome my wifel you droop answer promise violet Vio letl I 1 sho she arun wrung 0 her hands almost cowering at his feet 1 I cannot for tho the love I 1 bear you youl I 1 she said it would drag you down it would ruin your eifel we must part for fo forc reverl verl violet by hen ven you try mo me too farl I 1 swear i he stopped suddenly and once onca more press cil her to his breast you promise promis C you shall never leave meat me at allf all 1 I 1 will not separate will not give you up lip mic whether alier na as IVI wife fo or ml aa oil oh forgive mo me again I 1 am madden edl hush my own darlin darling 1 hush thee taco for my sake F for or she was weeping keepin 1 wildly on oil his bosom heaving SOW sobs that thai racked her from head to foot and it was many minutes before she could even whisper tile the pro promise m ise he hn had d in truth every tight 0 to demand forgive mei me distill mi still I 1 promise but now now wo we must be as strangers and if i if f a cruel fate brows the actress across your sphere let us meet as if the p past ast had never been becal I 1 r aff I 1 I 1 P va r il r I 1 ap 4 0 v i fi t rast PAST Tr 1 l side by aldo those two came back through 0 the wood and deepening gi gloaming 0 alm ilm to the opening 7 into hito the green lane there both rd for across the bottom ran the hig high h road within a stones throw of alicie they iv apro pr then ho took both her hands in liis his own and stooping laid one grave rave tender dor last kiss on her 1 lips ind and turned away but in tile the moment of that f farewell alewe 11 salute a woman passed across the bottom of the lane looked tip it and ila caught a glimpse of a robe 11 he e knew great ic hall had helen courtnay seen him had the actress seen her too xo no she stood still with bowed boived headband head and eyes blinded with tears waiting for him to leave her and sir austin not daring to trust himself with glan glance cent at the loveil loved for form walked quickly forward to follo follow wand and overtake helen iler her manner he knew would soo soon n betray ll 11 her it if she had indeed seen hirn him with the actress seen that last sorrowful kiss a and d if so ED what would OU she think of ills his pure darling why courtnay you so far alone 1 I might retort the question she said with a flush of III haughty aughty anger no ready smile as usual no touch touching log n the arm lie he offered ile ho knew at once that she had seen all just now and of course gave it but bill one interpretation ile he hl had ad not vanity enough to dream of the jealous pang pane that had barbell barbed her anger oh I 1 strolled out and found myself by chance at ravens havens place he answered lightly she answered not there camo came a ch choking oldrig ili in her throat of pain and indignation dig nation at t what site she deemed his cool insolence and d falsehood rose still more he had made an excuse to absent himself from her party from her only to steal away to meet tills this wretched actress lie he had affected never to have seen irv gave her a coi covert erk keen glance his darling should not long lona remain under the shadow of shame even in the eyes cyca of the one woman at lus ids side in whose looks something just now made a 1 vague Vagues sudden suspicion flash M scathingly across him that possibly in ins his careless easy eagy way lie 11 had ad gone 0 ne too far and let lier her perhaps mistake ids his half foreign gallantry for more serious meaning presently he said gently 11 I 1 am glad I 1 have had the honor of meeting you 0 miss courkli Court courtnay li ay for it is a good distance to the hall and perhaps you might have lost 3 your our way way or met with annoyance boyance no yance uc where are the others 1 I strayed into the wood and missed them somehow she a answered fi coldly but I 1 can und find my way thank you I 1 need not take like you out of yours ito ho would not notice her tone orman or manner ner but simply answered my ity way is yours ell entirely miss courtnay Cour inay ind I 1 know short cuts into tho the park it if you yon will honor me by trusting yourself to my escort soo see over this stilo stile let me assist yoila you ile ho sprang lightly over and held out his hands she bhe bent her head haughtily but her chest heaved her cheeks checks flushed od and her hands bands so trembled as ho bo clasped I 1 item hem that she bo tried to cover nn an agitation that could not but bo be observed there are arc cattle over theraid there she he said 11 only a few quiet cows cowa I 1 azure assure you mibs courtnay kut but lila his mind was made up tip both for her sake find his violets yes hu i he must speak to her eatn painful ful I 1 as ab it atwould would be to hl pride and heart all the soft r rich beauty of tho the evening wila lost upon those two as they walked on almost in they reached at last A gate into Mount fano park alark yet further on passing through a i little to road ad aud and helen stopped abruptly with almost a gas gasp 1 I must rest a minute ef I 1 ant am so tired red and sho she sank down do on tho the covered trunk of an old tree by tho the path stood for a moment looking down on her ills his ns arms folded lightly across bis breast 11 aless courtnay ho said u will you listen to a few words which common justice demand bitter as they are to speak bitter too as it will bo be to earn cam your contempt for a folly a mad folly of eighteen years ago o which has bl ashod my lifland life and worse the lifo life of one most pure and rood good will you yon hear bear me and keep tile tho secret which la Is not all mino helen recalled tho the gossip she bad heard yet startled touched despite herself slowly 11 hilll Il ll sir 4 speak oil 11 thank you yon it is generous ire he sat bat down at her side now and after af tera a pauso pause said of course the moment I 1 joined you this evening I 1 know knew that you had seen mo me in tile the lano lane with the actress valere ali ah lien hear r me dear 31 miss iss court daylo for she lifted her head with a lot hot lush flush and an indignant hash flash of her eyes foria for it abo were what you think her I 1 would not pollute your ears cars by naming her that seven long years ago afo af M o sho she was mistress of ravens raven a place alico both love stul still and forever that wo we are arc both sufferers for ray my accursed youthful folly and terrible ini mistake stake is to our misery but not to her shame and wore were that justice possible she should be my wife before another sun had hadsell hads set etl I 1 11 why not nok then the in why 11 hy is justice not possible heaven help me I 1 am not freel free I 1 am married in arT ledl I 1 married exclaimed dialed helen and I 1 havu have you too for gossip has I 1 fear more than once coupled my namo name with yo yours ursand and all my fault you fi havo favo been too good too kind hind in suffering 0 me ina to seek so much and enjoy the pleasure of your society sought because afaf charm soothed my misery oil oh miss coult nay helen can you for forgive girI me if if the words faltered now lie he clasped her hand and bowed liis his face upon it if I 1 have caused you pain hush hush there is nothing to forgive she sho said gently and if unconsciously consciously y I 1 h have ave over ever soothed one moni moment clit of your sorrow then my seeming 13 useless life lias has lone done some good and 0 on n the strength of that let me help you if I 1 can cani and if you deem it justice to this young actress to explain Cp lain nil all you racin mein rac me in all th that it I 1 lias happened tell in me echo the story war dear generous A cil erous an fn cuil you lighten n tho load it is in its origin no ver very y new story I 1 was only one and twenty 7 i 1 VY gay haht hearted young fellow P enough I 1 loo 00 easily taken by tile the lovely fice face anil witchery of a j I 1 young youn widow I 1 met at a seaside town I 1 in whom I 1 cou could d see no fault thell well in two iwo 11 months I 1 married her lie I 1 I 1 very quietly and took her abroad I 1 that was her desire rc remember she I 1 did not she said wish that tho the relatives of her late husband ur sir for tesque should know of |