| Show a t A D nt LIFE I 1 E ft F by MARION HARLAN international PRESS association CH CHAPTER A PTER X CONTINUED I 1 i it was early in marca when constance perceived or tended she perceived t marked alberat on in the demeanor of t her e r brother in law he vai was not less kind 1 d and his fraternal attentions were rendered freely and cordially as ever but he was less gay and was addicted to 0 fits of abstraction profound al though apparently alpar atly not sad while his labrence lab sence from the family circle with out apology became so common that it ceased to provoke harriets harriet a f frivolous riv olous wonder and to disappoint mr withers constance had never complained of or remarked upon this but her mind waa tossed night and day upon a tu tide of conjectures she would fain have termed apprehensions rath bain than hopes up to this date she had believed her love and her misery to be unshared and unsuspected by him had reiterated in her flimsy self deception thanksgivings choked by tears that she was the only sufferer from her wretch ed tolly folly did she grow suddenly crupl ind base the moment when the thought that at the error was mutual awoke altures ap tures the remembrance of the sut af ferine he must also taste had not the ower to still was the salve to her self aspect supplied by the discovery that her ier divinity was a fallible man impo lent ent to resist the subtle temptation that E nad ad overcome her prejudices and sense of right worth the price paid tor for it A new terror more sweet than any joy fhe had ever known soon laid hold f t her it was idle to ignore the fact 4 that edward furtively but persistent ly sought a private interview with her aishe might disregard his beseeching glances affect to misunderstand his signals and his uttered hints might seek in constant ministrations to her tersely ausband s wants and whims to guard herself and to forget these omens of a beating hearing crisis crisi but she comprehended pis designs marked with a thrill that was the opposite to pain his chagrin at his failure and the augmented rest ersness of his mien betokening per and daire what was to be th and nd of this pursuit and her evasion ot c it t when her own heart was the temp ler er s strongest ally she dared not ear him say that she was dear to him tin as he had long been to her know ing as she did that she ought to spurn him from her at the remotest approach 0 to o this theme she was never able to asay ay with an honest purpose that bho slit was likely to do it it if she doubted his intentions she doubted herself yet more it was by no connivance of hers that tie be gained his point she was taking her usual afternoon drive one day alone when she was aroused from a raver e by the slower motion of the carriage to observe that the coachman had turned into a business thorough fare instead of taking the most direct aute oute homeward john she called through uie the front 1 window where are you goings what brought you here mr edward told me to call for him i at 4 0 clock ma am I 1 thought he lie had spoken to you about it was the ra ful rejoinder there was no immediate reply sil 1714 he checked his horses to inquire will I 1 go back mama no go on she threw herself upon the back seat again with throbbing pulses and a eeling feeling that she had spoken the sen sell tence which was to decide her fate tor for time and for fr eternity heaven help me to stand fast the tongue essayed to ay and while the heart was melting into tenderness and vibrating with ex pc tation it lacked ten minutes of the appoint ed hour when they reached the office but edward stood upon the door step hat and cloves on it is good in you to submit so quietly to xo my meddling he began by the time he was seated but I 1 have some thing to say to QU ou a story to tell which I 1 can keep no longer you must have bave seen although you have seemed not to do so how I 1 have dogged your steps tor for some weeks past in the hope bof of stealing an opportunity for contes confes sion slon I 1 have sometimes ventured to believe that your woman s wit and woman s heart had penetrated my se cret that what entered so largely into my thoughts and motives made up so go much of my I 1 te fe could not remain hi hil hii I den from your eyes I 1 wanted to tell you of it long ago dear connie but the recollection of what was due to oL another nother withheld me while I 1 was yer uncertain that my love ione was returned I 1 had so 1 atle reason tor for hope although hope has never flagged mine is a san sail guine nature ou I 1 now that I 1 hesi bated to speak openly now that I 1 can feel eel firm ground under my feet my happiness Is mixed with much alloy I 1 must either take tale from one who is a hopeless io invalid the able t and ando moat most lovely nursa nurse that ever man had con damn him whose claim the v world orla would declare to be super or to mine to loneliness and sorrow or consent to a season of dreary waiting before I 1 caa ball my darling my own do you wo der that thoughts such as these hae haie preyed upon my sp rf rits ts racked me with anxiety even in the blessed ho hoir ir at f assurance nat my devotion was wis not CHAPTER XI IS rap d artl art cula leula tion had given con stance no time tor for reply but her ex cit ement equaled his as she bent her ve led face upon her hands and lis Is bened in dumb alarm at the ema emo t ons rising to meet his avowal of love AL and nd long ng to her what would have so 1163 ii in coherent to a th rd person was and fervent he knew her as his mate and would not give her up asserted his rights with mith a master s authority while his heart ached at thought of 0 the woe noe in store for her nominal possessor I 1 have startled you by my mence he continued taking the hand that lay upon her up lip I 1 feared lest this his announcement might seem abrupt but ut the steamer sails at five live 0 clock and I 1 last night obtained evelyn s per mission to bring aou ou to see hr har off bhe she owes you a debt of gratitude lur feodr ar sisterly are of my mv lonely and graceless eless self she loves you learly lil already ready as you will her when you have one glimpse of her face you re blinded me of her the first day of our meeting I 1 have traveled with her and her sick father tor for three months aad and at parting more than hinted at my at tach ment with candor that would have driven me to desperation had t been less mournful she declared her dri intention not to marry while her father paved he needs my constant care she he said without it he would die in v week he will ap pr be better the kindest service you can do me as the wisest you can do i Is to forget me I 1 have been steadily disobedient to her adai ice I 1 told heras her as much when I 1 found out by chance two months ago that she was in the city she was very resolute tor for a time often refusing to see me when I 1 called and again begging me even with tears to dismiss all a idea of making her my wife it is now a fortnight since her father unexpectedly announced his determination to return to europe and in the anticipation of our second parting acknowledged that my love was nas returned our engagement would be an unsatisfactory one to most people but she is the earthly un im person atlon of the angel of patience and I 1 tan surely wait a few months or even years for a gift so precious her ather lather is afflicted by a complication of bisor ders the most serious being an organic affection of the heart she Is the on y living child it would be sheer barbar ity to separate them and w with ith an in valid s obstinacy acy he will not hear of taking up h bis I 1 a abode in his daughters house should she marry my poor evelyn my gentle love she Is a martyr r and I 1 can do so 1 atle to lighten her burden is very and constance must speak too pre occupied by his own eions to note her thic thle t c articulation and studiously averted face edward took up the word warmly hard what could be harder for both of us usa phe she interrupted him by an empet bous gesture you are talking wild ly wicked wickedly lyt think what you would suffer it if you loved without hope of re he ile absolutely laughed As if that could be affection full and fervent is mine holds a witch hazel that never errs in pointing to the fount of answer ing love why connie we were made tor for one another eva and I 1 was no scalding drop of bitterness to be spared from her cup 9 whose then was the fatal mistake which had opened the sluices of that other fountain that was drowning her soul with cruel hu milia tion and anguish 7 drive us near to the steamer as you can john ca called lIed edward from his window and in the appreciation of the truth that the sharpest ordeal was yet before her and fearfully near at hand constance submitted to be handed from the carriage to the wharf through a bewildering haze she saw the noisy crowd the smoke stack of the monstrous vessel stumbled along the gangway connecting it with the I 1 0 P vl A d uv 13 q nely ti 11 the n p of edward s arm and regained s hearing and consciousness of brain when she stood in a handsome saloon a small hand warm as hers was icy fluttering in her grasp and a pair of dark thoughtful eyes fixed upon her face you were very good to come said a low voice fraught with emotion yet steady allow me to present mv father mr mrs withers fathel father she looked up and spoke the lady and arid her father arose from his divan sup porting himself upon a cane and sa mrs withers with stately polite ness both were high bred but it was not evelyn s beauty that had won her lover her ees and mouth were hr only really good features Cons constance knew herself to be the handsomer of the two but the on added 0 to o the hopelessness of her ill fated love the qualities that had knit to this girl a heart that of the man who had seen the beauties of two hemispheres which had kept him true to her and her alone alth ugh apro ed by ab ence dia coura gement and the wiles of scores of other women lay beyond her power of analysis and counter charms she began to underhand under tand how it had come to pass when she had commanded omm her wits its so far as to talk five in with edward s betrothed owned rel that had she met her as new acquaint ances generally meet she would have been arres seibly attracted by her win ning an I 1 the countenance that united so much sweetness with sense and sp r t there was time now for I 1 atle bayon I 1 the kindly commonplaces s bitable to their meeting in a p place and their prospective parting and even these constance abridged ostensibly ind the others deemed cons dera tely that the last prec ous moments with chiq affianced might be all edward without verbal pretext she arose from her place bes de evelyn and passed around to mr s side ariga engaging ang him in converse on about bia his voy oy ge go and destination the atmosphere was a degree less stifling there if she moved smiled and talked mechanically it matte mattei ed nothing now that the pen et rating ea ees es she most dreaded never left their resting place upon the visage of which they were taking a long tare fare well there was little to be ampre bended fron from fro n the rich man s restless re gards which wandered incessantly from her to the betrothed couple his gray eyebrows contracting with pain or mental disquiet as he did so had evelyn been tree free to maintain her usual watch upon him she would have taken alarm at these increasing symptoms of distress and the livid hue settling up on his complexion constance did not notice these until simultaneously with the clanging clang ng of the bell overhead and the rapid rush of feet toward the shore he threw both hands outward with the aimless clutch of a sightless man and fil against her as she sat by him on the sofa the utmost contusion confusion reigned in the sa oon tor for a few moments exclaim I 1 ons inquiries and orders loud varied aried and useless then edwards edward a strong voice recommended in string ent erit terms that the room be cleared of all except the immediate attendants of the sufferer including a gentleman who had introduced himself as a phy bician the spasm passed into a swoon so deathly and protracted that con stance was ready to believe the pa tient was beyond the reach of earthly aid notwithstanding the doctor 8 as bertion that he would probably revive and even evelyn murmured once when edward would have confirmed the heering assurance it may be I 1 slope hope so but I 1 never saw him quite so ill before finally life fought its way back inch by inch to the worp worn heart tl e fingers relaxed from their rigid clinch the lip i were less purple and the ees ekes were un closed feebly upon the anxious group when he could move edward and the tho physician supported him to his state room folio follo ved bi evelyn constance left to herself had leisure to observe vo what had not until now drawn her at antion the bustle of embarkation haa eased but through the almost desert d saloon sounded the measured throb of the powerful eng nes as they urged the boat through the water she threw open a window and looked out the they y were already far down the bay the spires of the cit lessening in the dis tance and the vessel under full head way she met edward at the state room door with the startling intelli gence for an instant he lo 10 looked 0 ked as aghast as herself then he recovered his self possession with nith a smile she must compose herself and trust him to extricate them both from the predicament in which his thoughtlessness had pla ed them the worst that could befall them was a few hours delay in returning home he would see the captain forthwith and request him to signal the first homeward bound pilot boat or other vessel they might espy as he bade hel re fumed d s beamed emed t to aa afi the result ofphy affa r patiently li I 1 am afraid your brother may be alarmed at our continued absence was her on ly remark he ile w 11 understand at once what has his happened when john goes home with the news new that he drove us down to see the steamer off replied edward con fi dently we shall have a merry merr laugh tomorrow at breakfast over our adventure so long as you are not un happy or angry with me I 1 am conr Cor for table tabIe on the score of elnathan Ei nathan s dis pleasure TO BE nn CONTINUED |
