| Show XA ea 7 ZY HARLA 7 kiy 1 international PRESS association CHAIM B nt XIT 1 7 ILI you have the kindness to ring f that hell again 4 harriet and in f whether mrs I 1 quila I 1 V t withers has hasi i clurn ed ep fretted the conva convalesce lesec t it Is after six 0 clock and I 1 I 1 am faint tor for want vant of nourishment the duteous dependent obeyed then slipped from the room to push investigations upon a plan of I 1 b awu wn in a quarter of an hour she le appeared with an agitated yet important countenance that arrested her ter cousin a regards what Is ita lt where la Is he de banded ampa bently you have heart hear I 1 something tell me ine at once what it Is laa harriet collapsed as gracefully as her sinews and stays a would allow into a kneeling heap upon the floii at his feet my beloved cousin my dear deceived angell angel I 1 have hae heard nothing that surprised me I 1 dared not of it to you before now agonizing as was my solicitude you would hano bavo driven me from you in anger had I 1 whispered a word of what has been the town gossip for months to which you only were blinded by your noble yom oil generous your superhuman confidence la in your betra be ers I 1 see that you are partially part lilly prepared for the blow as ile he grew pale and tried without to interrupt tier her drace brace yourself for what 3 vou oil must know my poor III used dar darling lingl your brother and your wife have eloped to europe surope in company for one I 1 tile the husband staggered under tinder the shock ilia eyes closed suddenly as at a flash of lightning arid and ills ilia features wele distorted ns as in a of mot moi tat tal pain then all that was true and dignified in the man rallied to repel the insult to tie tic two tao he had trusted and loved 11 1 I do not believe it he said distinctly and with deliberate emphasis lou ou are the dupe of some sl in derer my good woman edward Wl theis Is the soul of integrity and my wife altes a virtue Is incorruptible who told you this absurd tale mrs withers stated to you that she was going to drive alone this afternoon did she ahe not nota harriet forget the pathetic in the malicious triumph as she proceeded to prove her rival s guilt ou heard her say it laconically and still on the defensive yet john says she tailed called by the of i I 1 flee to take up tip mr air eldward withers and that they drove in company to lie he wharf where lay an ocean steam r i ile he saw them go on board arm in irm and although he waited on tho the pier as long as the vessel was in sight they did not return 1 I will see the man ma myself self crossing the room with a firmer step than had bad been his since ills his illness mr withers rang the bell and summoned summon pd tile tho coachman ills his evidence tallied exactly with harriet 9 and she flat feied herself that the inquisitor s manner was a shade loss less confident when the witness was dismissed you have said that this disappearance was no no matter of sui prise to 3 you ou and added something about vulgar gossip I 1 wish a full fill explanation lie he said still magisterially thus bidden harriet told tier her tale tae before their gettlin to the city in the autumn she ind had reasons of anxiety iel atle to the intimacy between mr liard withers and ills his beautiful sister in law not tile tho unsuspecting virgin was vias cageful that she eho doubted doubled then tile the good faith find and right intentions of either but slip she feared I st mis lis withers Wl thera part alit aliby tir fir the younger brother might tender lender her negligent of her husband s happiness and comfort the li winter kinter festivities had brought the two wo into a peculiarly unfortunate po for the growth of domestic virtues lr rind and eminently con conducive duche to the progress of the fital attachment which now beyond the possibility of a doubt although one of the family and kno known n to be wedded to their in she elle had not been able to debei busy bodies from al sly and overt mention of the scandal in her hearing she had on en such occasions taken the liberty of rebul ing the offender and maintain ing in her humble way inay the honor of her benefactors name dut but she could not silence a city full of tongues and they had wagged magged fast and loudly of the husbands indiscreet confidence in the parties and their sha Bh ameles nieles treachery ile he checked her when she u would hai have e dilated upon this division of her sub eject wt I 1 will A III ila have e tic no hearsay evidence what have you oil seen seena nota not as it presently appealed beau because e she had seen so BO little but so much du duets ets v vocal ocal and instrumental a I 1 I 1 had ad been the ho vehicles of living antei duio lund hind squeezing geanine sighs and her blood had often boiled furiously furious iv in beholding the outrageous maneuvers practiced in tho the very sight of their tru trusting eting victim her eyes in passing from their smiles of evil import their and caresses to the erene face bent over the chessboard board or wrape in innocent slumber had aldei over overflowed floA ed A with ith tears and glow ted led with indignation dut but all this was vas as nothing compared with va it 6 my sensations on the morning indof of the day in which chich you made your our will III chancing to enter your dressling dressing room on m my way ay to your our bedside I 1 surprised mrs NA athers and mr edward NN athers standing together her head alpon his bosom his arms upholding ler her while he whispered loving words in tier her ear lie kissed her at the very ery moment of 0 my silent entrance with this remark we have too much to live and to hope for to nurse un tin healthy and feats frais I 1 could testify to tile hie language ta in a court of justice ant and ant am positive that his reference was aas to bour our possible sible recovery no more the mischief makei was seared out of her ter gloomy exultation by the altered face turned toward har please excuse me front from going down to dinnee today I 1 am very weady and shall spend tile the evening alone pur sued withers with a pitiful show of hla his old and pompous stylo style lie ile arose as aa a further signal that she must go when she threw herself before him and clasped his knees lenathan I 1 the beady eyes strained in elci tic lating appeal do not banish tile ine front from you ou in this our extremity nicol ho who inho should be near you to sus tain and weep with vou on but your poor devoted harriet she whose life has haa but one end the hope that she might serve and aid ou oil but one reward rennard our smile and so much of your ofir love as iou may eco fit it to bestow upon so 1 worthless ort liless an object hut but in the honest sorrow that bo bowed A ed the listeners proud spirit to break ing tier her factitious transports tian sports met no response tes beyond impatience the cajolery that had flat flatterer terel the in orthy worthy complacency of his prosperous days 11 rang di discordantly upon his present mood lie he wanted pit from no one he said to and in hla his rejection of hers there was a touch of resentment the concio consequence quence of tier her ing denunciation of constance ile he might come to hale hae her himself coon just now lie almost abhorred the one on I 1 who had opened his eyes to hla his own oan shame chame you mean vi well ell I 1 dire dare sa harriet he said in his harshest tone but you arf are injudicious and your offers of sympathy arp are unwelcome I 1 am suie sine that I 1 friall shortly receive a satisfactory explanation of this nis ms affair As to our gossiping friends I 1 can only regret that your associates have not been chosen more wisely now ou oil can go she made no further resistance but hers was one of the chamber doors that unclosed unclog ed stealthily when at mid night the rattle of a latchkey latch pitch key sounded through the front hall and was followed by the entrance of the two sup slip posed voyagers there were more wakeful eves under tinder that root that night than the master recited of and a bevy of curious gazers peered from the obscurity of the third scoty into the entry where mr air withers had ordered ohp th gas to be kept burning all night I 1 on see v we e are expected said edward ednard to ills his companion con panion mr met them at th the e head of the staircase clad in dieg di essing sing gown govin and slippers ali ah heie QU ou are how did vou get bacha the obliging captain hailed a fishing acht and put us on board answered his brother have ou been uneasy about us its I 1 only lest you might be carried some distance out before vou fell fel I 1 in with a returning vessel nou ou look ve very ry tired constance I 1 shall not let hor her go with you again hdward unless ou promise to take better care of hei tell him just hot ho it happened connie laughed adward ard and the con ference was vas over they placed their parts well all of them muttered I 1 hamet tat i let stealing back to her sleepless pillow but aut the need not hope to gag people now that the scandal has taken wind murder will out her sagacity was proved by the ap pe aranco in the next day a issue of an exten extensively givel cli dilated journal of a con spi clous article headed scandal in high life setting forth the elopement per steamer to europe of the junior partner in a well known ban bank ing house with inith the beautiful wife of ills his brother the senior partner of the aforesaid firm the intimacy of the fugitives the chronicle went ment on to say had been much talked of all win ter ler in the brilliant circle to which they belonged the deserted husband wab a citizen whom all delighted to honor tor for hla his business talents his probity in public life and his private liate virtues this affliction falls upon him with nith the more crushing crashing severity from the circumstance that he ha been for some months an invalid lie he has the sincere sm sympathy pathy of the entire community the editor of the humane sheet at al belt not unused to eating his ON own n words never penned a more humble and explicit retraction of the error into which through th rouea r fault of ours we ne have haie fallen thin aced his columns the following morning ile he could hardly liae have espre expressed ed himself wore more had edward ednard withers toise ln sew hipped him instead of threatening to do it and to bring an action for libel as well nell Con stame ted in bed at her husband huband s inquest on oil the dav succeed ing the departure the pop I 1 ular ailin above aboe ref tired to lay as usual b bv mr withers plate when he went nent doann downstairs stairs folded with what was as known to its constant leaders as the naughty tv corner outer outermost nioRt ila hariet was engaged in contacting her cousin a cup of foaming cho chocolate colato when ahen he opened his sheet but she both saw and aal heard the paper rustle like a paper bough before a sooim then gro grow w suddenly and unnaturally still NN hen mr withers lom lowered ered it there was nothing in voice or expression to betray to his brother that ought was amiss when the meal was vas over he repaired to his N ife s room taking with ith him the newspaper which h haa bau not as nas s his custom offered to pus to ed vard without ft a word vord he be spread it befort the pale woman whose haggard countenance teri ance should have hae moved hm him to delay accusation and ite irence cc ono one swift glance took in the import or of th tb cruel article and she burled buried tier her face in the pillow with a cry that destroyed what faint remnant of hope might have lingered in his bosom my sin has found me out A heavy hc ivy hand was laid upon tier her arm T this 1 s la el childish d I 1 d 1 constance n ta v e a and n d y you 0 u vie si also sur clo ni s h have a shown w n y yourself 0 s f to 0 he e n no 0 c child 1 i i 1 d in craft nothing short of our ou dould have persuaded me that much contain pl in this paragraph aph la Is true that ou have abused m confidence sullied my name and made mada me the object of universal contempt ou and and my brother broth crt TU hi gilb TI lB 1 I 1 |
