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Show fftlflflflfl 1 - A BARTERED J1IFE. HK JaEBY MAROON HARLANRSBaglqfc Iflfl INTERNATIONAL PRESS ASSOCIATION Hfflf CHAPTER XII. iflflwi -rcgirt3, g ILL you havo tho jHB " JiMcffifdJK kludnosa to ring 9ibP wwvPtvWI tl,nt bel1 ,iBa,n' 9b- teWAW! quire whotiior MrB- Hnf: .rfPPPvtfmVr Withers has return- HR PxiirS convalescent. "It Is JAVf The duteous dependent- obeyed, then Bflfl 'slipped from tho room to puBh lnves- Bfl ligations upon a plan of her own. , In R a quarter of an hour sho reappeared He with an agitated, yet Important counto- flflf nanco, that arrested her cousin's rc- jflg "What Is It? Whcro Is sho?" ho do- jBfl mondod, lmpa"cntly. "You havo heard He something. Tell me at once what It HB Harriet collapsed as gracefully as her Bfl unpilant sinews and stays would allow HK Into a kneeling heap upon the floor at flfl his feet. "My beloved couslnl My dear, B deceived angel! I havo heard nothing flflf that surprised mo. I dared not speak B -of it to you boforc now, agonizing as flf was my solicitude. You would havo HJf driven me from you In anger had I Bf whispered a word of what has been the fl town gossip for months, to which you BJ 'only were blinded by your noblo, your M generous, your superhuman confldence Bj in your betrayers. I see that you aro BJ partially prepared for the blow," as he Bj grow pale and tried without success BJ to" Interrupt her. "Brace yourself for B -what you must know, my poor, ill used B darling! Your brother and your wifo B !have eloped to Europe in company!" B For one second tho husband stagger- H -ed under tho shock. His eyes closed fl .suddenly, as at a flash of lightning, H 4nd his features were distorted, as in B , a wrench of mortal pain. Then all that B was true and dignified in the man rnl- fl lied to rcpol tho Insult to tho two he fl had trusted and loved. "I do not be- B llcvo It," he said distinctly and with B deliberate emphasis. "You aro the dupe fl sf somo mischievous slanderer, my good fl woman. Edward Withers is tho soul V of integrity, and my wife's vlrtuo is I f Incorruptible. Who told you this rb- V surd tale?" ft -i "Mrs Withers stated to you that sho W was going to drive alone Vb ator-M ator-M fcnar ---- 'noon- did sho Hot?" Harriot forget the m pathetic In the malicious triumph as j -sho proceeded to prove her rival's guilt. "You heard her say it," laconically, and still on tho defensive. "Yet John says she called by the of- flco to take up Mr. Edward Withers, and that they drove In company to the wharf, whcro lay an ocean steamer. steam-er. Ho saw them go on board, arm in arm, and, although ho waited on tho I pier as long as tho vessel was In sight, I they did not return." 1 "I will seo tho man myself " I Crossing tho room with a frmer Btop I than had been hla since his illness. Mr. ' I Withers rang tho bell and summoned I 'tho coachman. His ovld'nco tallied ox- 9 actly wUh Harriet's repor , rnd she flat- I tored herself that tho Inquisitor's man- Tier was a shade less confident when the I . -witness was dismissed. I "You havo said that this dlsappear- I aneo was no matter of surprise to you, H and added something about vulgar gos- 8 sip. I wlBh a full explanation," he said, I still magisterially. Thus bidden, Harriet told her talc. Before their return to the city In tho fl autumn, sho had seasons of anxiety fl relatlvo to tho Intimacy between Mr. fl Edward Withers and his beautiful sls-fl sls-fl tor-In-law. Not, tho Unsuspecting vlr-fl vlr-fl Kin was careful to afllrm, that sho fl doubted then tho good faith and right fl Intentions of either, but sho feared lest I Mrs. WIthors' partiality f ir fio younger B brother' might render her negligent of B her husband's happiness and comfort fl Tho winter festivities had brought tho Bj two Into a peculiarly unfortunate po-fl po-fl sltlon for tho growth of domestic vlr-jB vlr-jB tues, and eminently conduclvo to tho Bj progress of the fatal attachment which jfl was now boyond the possibility of a Bj doubt. Although ono of the family, 'fl and known to bo wedded to their In-S In-S tercets, sho had not been nblo to deter flj busy-bodies from sly and overt montlon fl of tho scandal In her hearing. Sho had, jfl on such occasions, taken the liberty of fl robuking tho offondor, and nyiintnln--X tng, In hor humblo way, tho honor of jfl bof bonofactors' name. But sho could V not silence a city, full of tongues, and flj they had wagged fast and loudly of fl tho husband's Indiscreet confidence in fl tho guilty parties, and their shameless fl trcachory. flj Ho chockod her whon she would have jfl dilated upon this division of her eub-flj eub-flj lect. "I will havo no hearsay evidence jfl What havo you Beon?" flj Pnrrlot demurred, blushlngly, not, as flj t lucsontly appeared, becnura sho had fS teen so llttlo but so much. Duots, jfl -vocal and Instrumental, had been the Bj rvehlcles of living Intercourse hand-Si hand-Si -squeezing, moaning sighs and whispers, flj Her blood had often boiled furiously flj :jn "beholding tho outrageous maneuv- vfl ors practiced In the very sight of their trusting victim. Her eyes, in passing from their smiles of evil import, tholr langulshlngs and caresses to tho serene faco bent ovor tho chess-board, or wrapt in Innocent slumber, had alternately alter-nately overflowed with tears and glowed glow-ed with Indlgnnllpn. "But all this Was as nothing compared com-pared with ray sensations on tho morning morn-ing of the day In which you mado your will. Chancing to onter your dressing-room, on my way to your bedside, ! surprised Mrs. Withers and jylr. Edward Ed-ward Withers standing togolhor, her hoad upon his bosom, his arms upholding uphold-ing her, while ho whispered loving vordB In her ear. Ho kissed her at the very moment of my silent entrance, with this romark: 'We have too much to Hvo and to hope for, to nurse unhealthy un-healthy surmlBes and fears.' I could testify to tho languago in a court of Justico, and am positive that his reference ref-erence was to your possible recovery." "No more!" Tho mischief-maker was scared out of her gloomy exultation by tho altered faco turned toward her. "Pleaso excuse mo from going down to dinner today. I am very weary, and shall spend tho evening alone," pursued pur-sued Mr. Withers, with a pitiful show of his old and pompous stylo. He aroso as a further signal thnt sho must go, whon she threw herself beforo him and clasped his knees. "Elnalhan!" the bendy eyes strained In excruciating appeal, "do not bnnlsh mo from you In this your extremity! Who! Who should be near you to sustain sus-tain and weep with you but your poor devoted Harriot sho whoso llfo has but ono 'end tho hope that sho might servo and aid you; but ono reward, your smile, and so much of your lovo as you may bco lit to bestow upon so worthless an object?" But In tho honest sorrow that bowed tho listener's proud spirit to breaking, break-ing, her factitious transports mot no response beyond weary Impatience. Thu cajolery that had flattered tho unworthy complacency of his prosperous days rang discordantly upon his present mood. He wanted pity from no ono, he said to himself, and, in his rejection of hers, thoro was a touch of resentment, resent-ment, tho consequence of hor unsparing unspar-ing denunciation of Constance. Ho might come to hate her himself soon. Just now ho ulmost abhorred the ono who had opened his eyes to his own ahnmo. "You mean well, I dare say, Harriet," ho said, in his harshest tone, "but you nro Injudicious, and your offers of-fers of sympathy aro unwelcome. I am sure that I shall shortly receive a satisfactory explanation of this mysterious mys-terious affnlr. As to your gossiping friends, I can only regret that your associates havo not been chosen more wisely. Now you can go." She made no further resistance, but hers was ono of tho chamber doors that unclbsed stealthily whon, at midnight, mid-night, tho rattle of a Iatch-koy sounded sound-ed through tho front hall, and was followed fol-lowed by tho entrance of tho two supposed sup-posed voyagers. Thero were more wakeful eyes under that roof that night than the master recked of, and a bovy of curious gazers peered from tho obscurity of tho third story Into tho entry, where Mr. Withers had ordered or-dered tho gas to bo kept burning nil night, "You seo wo aro expected," said Edward Ed-ward to his companion. Mr. WIthors mot them at tho head of tho staircase, clad in dressing-gown and slippers. "Ah, hero you are. How did you get back?" "The obliging captain hnile'd a Ashing Ash-ing yacht and put us on board." answered his brother. "Havo you beon uneasy about us?" "Only lest you might bo carried some distance out before you fell In with a returning vessel. You look very tired, Constance. I shall not lot her go with you again, Edward, unless you promlso to take better caro of her." "Tell him Just how it happened, Connie," laughed Edward, and the conference con-ference was over. "Thoy played tholr parts well all of thorn," muttered Hnrrlot, stealing back to hor sloeplcss pillow. "But thoy need not hope to gogxpeoplo now that tho scandal has taken wind; 'murder will out.' " Her tsagacity was proved by the appearance ap-pearance In tho next day's Issue of an oxtenslvely circulated Journal of a con-spiclous con-spiclous nrtiolo headed "Scandal In High Llfo!" sotting forth tho elopement, elope-ment, per steamer to Europe, of tho Junior partner In a wall-known banking bank-ing house with tho boautlful wlfo of his brother, tho sonlor partner of the aforesaid firm. .Tho intimacy of the fugitives, tho chronlclo wont on to say, had been much tnlkod of all win-tor win-tor In tho brilliant circlo to which thoy bclongod. Tho deserted husband was a citizen whom nil dollghted to Honor for his business talonts, his probity In public llfo, and his private virtues. "This affliction falls upon him with tho more crushing so verity from tho clrcumstauco that ho has beoa for somo months an Invalid. Ho hao tho slricerV'syTnpathy 0f he nttr community -2aA Tho cdftor ofJrthQnunnne uet, . bolt not unusod to eating his own words, novor (penned a more Munble and explicit retraction of tho unluck error into which, through no fault of ours, we hnvoSfallen, than grai ed hla columns tho follpwlnr morning Ho could hardly hnVo pressed nlmself more forclbl'lufll I- hard Withers really horsewhipped him instead of threatening to do It, una to bUng an action for libel as well Constance breakfasti d In bed -U her husband's request, on the day su. eeed-Ing eeed-Ing the Pynsonts departure The popular pop-ular dally, 'afrovo referred to, lay as usual bj Mr. Wither, plate when, fee wept dowg-e&iTft ft'dpd ulut what was known to its Constant rtfaWfl ns tho naughty corner outermost Harriet Har-riet was engaged In concocting Tier cousin's ctijj of' foaming chocolate whon fio opened hla sheet hut she both saw and heard tho paper rustle like a paper bough before a stoim then grow suddenly and unnatural! still. When Mr. Withers lowered it there wna nothing In voice or expression to betray be-tray to his brother that ought was amiss. When tho meal was oer he repaired to his wife's room, taking with him the newspaper which ho ban not, a wns his custom, offered to pass to Edward. Without a -word he spread It beforo tho palo woman whoso haggnrd countenance coun-tenance shouldwline moved him to do-lay do-lay her accusation and sentence Ono Bwlft glanco took In the Import of th cruol nrtlcle, and she burled her faco In tho pillow with aery that destroyed what faint' -remnnnt of hope might havo lingered In his bosom "My sin has found me out1" A heavy handwns laid upon her arm. "This is childish. Constance, and you have shown yourself to bo no child In croft. Nothing short of your own confession would have persuaded mo that much contained In this paragraph Is true, that you have abused my confidence, con-fidence, sullied my name and mado mo tho .object of universal contempt you and and my brother"' tTO 1IB ONHVUBJ,) |