CAAPTER LXIII. "MY WIFE!"

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 106, 13 June 1885, Page 4

CAAPTER LXIII. "MY WIFE!"

" I only know some day, some day, Eyes clearer grown tho truth may boo!" 'Some Day," From the glimmering window-pane the last rays of daylight faded. Merrily crackled tho firo. In the room reigned its red shine, warmth, and silence. He —Marc Tracy ! lie her lover — her affianced lover— -Evelyn's ? Tho thought was bewildering. It staggered her. " Well ?" queried hor friend, gently. Was she awako or dreaming? She prossod ono hand to her forohead. Miss Gage laughed softly. " Still dumb ? What a tribute ! I knew you would think him suporbly handsome. Ah - , Volla, »ia trcs chere, don't fall in lovo with my Marc !" Bui in answer to tho niorry warning there came novcr a word. She could not understand, the girl at her feet told horself, feverishly, over and ovor, No, no ! it was all too strange — torriblo. Sho could not grasp it yot. By and by it would all como straight— perhaps — by and by ! But now - if sho could only bo silent now — say no word till sho was alono, had time to think, to arguoit out, to understand. Sho must — oh, aha' must ! "It is almost two years since I first mot him," went on Evelyn, unconscious of the Woavs of deadly anguish hor slow, sweot speech was dealing. "I had had my own share of lovers — moro perhaps, but not ono had ovor touched my heart. Not ono till he camo. In that hour came to mo love and all its glorious sorrow. But ho did not know — haw should ho? Ho did not caro for mo. I do not think ho cared for anyone. He was gay, brilliant, courteous, always the sxmo upright and noblo gentloman. I told you about tho others I met that year. I novcr told you about him . Woll, we drifted apart. There was no vow to bind us, no vow of love. But when ho went my heart went with him Am I wearying you, my girlio?" " No," camo a quiet voice : c< go on !" Sho would hear all ; then she could judge better. " You aro tho only ono I have ever told about it. Of course papa knows of our engagement, but ho is sworn to absoluto secrecy. I havo been so jealous of my joy I could not bear that it should be known by others— not just for a while. Well, as I have said, we lost sight of each othor. One evening, several weeks ago, he came in with papa. Ho was so altered from the boy I had known. Ho had grown thin, and grave, and unsmiling. Again Volla glanced at the face which tho varm light bathed mellowly. He had changed even since she had known him. Tho eyes which looked up at hor from tho cardboard wero sadder than sho had ovor seen them, the mouth beneath tho sweeping dark moustache was set and grave. Tho whole face was full of weariness, undcr which love's vision keen discerned infinite pain and pi?sion. There v, as a long .silence. Vella spoke. " And then ?" she urged. Sho was morbidly, insatiably anxious to know all -all. EvoJ\n laughed, her own low laugh of perfect content. Sho would nofc tell Yolla just what he had said to her about— that othor woman Girlish pride forbade that she should clearly show her friend that in the heart she now eo joyfully claimed sho had taken another's place— that but for the treachery of that other he would never have dreamed of her. Her tranquil brow contracted. No, no ! That was all over and done with now, buried deep out of sight. Why should sho resurrect it ? "And then?" she echoed gayly. "Is not that enough ? Ho came, ho saw, and long before he camo and saw, my king had conquered." And +hen once moro upon them silence fell — fraught with such bright dreams and buoyant hopes for one of those fair women. And for the othor? Ah, heaven help her ! Had ho ceased to love her ? Did ho really caro for Evelyn? Would ho tell her with a jest and a caress of his passing fancy for a child ? Or was it all a miatake, a black, hideous, terrible mistake ? And even if it were, what cculd she do— say ? what would she if she could ? Ah, "life would bo never tho sa'.ne !' } And to the line of tho pool's song her heart kept beating madly. "How quiet you havo grown, Vella! Don't you think he is handsomo ?" Mechanically sho turned, held out the locket. " Indeed he h " sho paid. How tame and poor tho words sounded ! How would Evelyn look if sho spoke out tho truth— if eho paid, "Ho was my lover — perhaps is "? Oh, sho must think first, get away by hor&elf somewhere— anywhere— be alone. Sho rose. " I think I will go to my room," sho said. Evelyn thrust her locket in her bosom and rose too. " You aro not ill?" anxiously. How thankful the girl was for the shadows which screened her fi-om betrayal. •• Oh, no !" quickly, but her voice had in it a world of suppressed misery. " You aro tired, dear. Don't dress for dinner. Wo shall bo alono. After will be time enough to propare for "the ball. My blessed little confidante !" drawing her to her with a sudden affectionate impulse and kissing her warmly. " You must be my bridemaid, Volla." With a mighty effort she crushed back the dissenting cry which leaped to her lips. In the dainty, luxurious chamber reserved for her use she flung herself on the bed, and lay thore thinking, rather striving to think. Bufc after a few minutes she sprang up and began pacing the room. Marc Evelyn's lover ! her lover Evelyn's ! Oh, her head was in a whirl, her brain was burning. Sho might weep. She could not reason. How hot it was ! she felt smothering. Sho must go out, must get into the air, or sho would faint. Hurriedly, with trembling hands, she donned hat and cloak, took her gloves in her hand, crept down the stairs, unfastened the door, and was down the stairs and away. She walked rapidly up Walnut-street — turned more than once. Just how far she had walked, just how long she had been walking, she did not know, when suddenly she found her progress barred. A man passing by in leisurely fashion had started at Bight of her, swung round with alacrity, stood confronting her. Some tipsy gallant, most likely. Intensely annoyed and not ft little disgusted, ehe swerved aside and strove to pass. But the man moved with her. Chestnut-Btreet was brilliantly lighted, but not just now particularly crowded. How dared he, the coward ! With sudden fierce scorn she flung up her beautiful head,

She staggered back, Great Heaven I who was that, and with that look ? Out quavered the rasping voice she knew and dreaded of old. " And so you would elude me again, eh ? — eh? You've done that once too often. Now I've got you, never fear but I'll keep my wife I" And down on hor shuddering wrist came Jonas Claflin's iron hand — hot on hor cheek came his sickening breath— into hers peered his leering blood-shot eye?.