THE FROZEN HEART.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 3314, 20 November 1878, Page 3

THE FROZEN HEART.

: ."•>, „:. V ' BY CONSTANCE STEBHHG. (Concluded.) / " Yes, I succeeded in everything I went for, and so hurried home to you. Are you glad! to see me, Josephine P" . ' " Of course I am, Alexis," " Did you not have 6 .Child' up here ? Mrs Downs spoke to me of it !" he said. A deathly paleness came over his wife's lovely face. Fop a moment she struggled to reply.' Then her answer came in her natural tone. ': ■ ! •.'■ /: "My lace mender brought her little girl with her when she came." : ■•■••" Do you love the child, Josephine?" Alexis asked, noting how pale his wife Tea?, and the nervous shaking of her delicate tand. She started violently at the question. , " She is a pretty .child," she replied, coldly. . .::. .-..'.; :V *' Would you like to adopt her, Josephine ? Do you think her grandmother would part with her?" ' -' ; " No, no, Alexis, do not talk so much of the child. She is well enough where she is, Her grandmother is fond of her, and she does not want for anything. ■;•', '• So Alexis said no more, but his mind was busy, and he wanted to comb to a solution of, the mystery which enveloped his wife. V The next day he was passing through the hall, when his attention was; attracted to a folded paper which lay on; the. floor near the.; door of his wife's .room. Picking it up he unfolded it and read as follows:— " Do not bring Maud. to«day. .Alexis came home last night unexpectedly. , Had he seen U8 together all might have' been discovered; Do not bring her again until you hear from me. I will try to come to yon to-day at four, o'clock if Alexis is away at that time. My love to Maud." This singular note was addressed to " Mrs Jameson, 35 street." ; A long sigh hurst from Alexis* lips as he finished reading the note and put it in his pocket. Then he went to Josephine's room, and telling her he would not be back until six o'clock, left the house. , At four o'clock he stood opposite No. 35 street, disguised in a heavy cloak and low, slouched hat, waiting for his .wife's appearance. He was not disappointed, for as the clock struck the hour she came hurrying on, a thick veil concealing her features, and a heavy cloak enveloped her tall, Blight figure. No. 35 was a small, poor-looking tenement. Josephine rang the bell, and the door was opened by the old woman whom Alexis' had already seen, and Josephine disappeared within the house. ■ Alexis walked over to the window of the house, and on pretence of passing' by, looked within. There was his wife holding in her arms the little Maud, and laughing, kissing and caressing, as though she were a child herself. A pang struck to the heart of the husband, and for the first time ho doubted the fidelity of his lovely young wife. Hisinirtd was made up. Ho would come to the root of the secret, the mystery of his wife's life, the secret sorrows which had changed a gay, laughing girl into a woman with a frozenheart.' He made no allusion to what he had seen when he again met his wife, but tried to be as cold and reserved as she was. This change in him evidently struck Josephine with surprise, and for tho first time since their marriage, Alexis saw a pained, anxious look cross the marble beauty of her perfect face. Sho made no effort, however, to change his manner toward her. ' ; The next day Alexis sent a note to Mrs Jameson, 35 — street, asking her to come at once to Josephine, and signed it with Mrs Downs' name, disguising hia handwriting. He also enjoined on her not to bring Maud. Then he watched until the old lady received the note, and as ho had expected, she left her home at once to obey the supposed order from Mrs Gouveneur. Alexis waited until she was out of sight and then went to the small tenement and opened the door. Maud had been left in charge of a domestic, who had left the room in which the child was playing, on some errand. "Maud, said Aloxis, "do you want to come and gdt some candy ?" At once the child started up, seized her little hat, and, with a merry laugh and a toss of her golden curls prepared to follow him. He took her by tho hand and they left tho house unseen. It was afternoon when ho reached home, and he went immediately to Josephine's room. On entering, what was his horror to sec his wife lying on the floor insensible, clutching in her fingers a note, which Alexis tore from her and read. It was from Mra Jameson, announcing in no guarded terms that Maud had been stolen away, and asking what she should do. Aloxis raised his wife from tho floor and bathed her temple with cologne. His heart was steeled against her, for had she not deceived him ? Few men can pardon deceit in their wives, and Alexis Gouverneur was not one of the few. Soon tho largo, dark eyes opened. Jose* phino f tared wildly around her for a moment and then sank buck with a groan. " I remember," she murmured— " she is gone, forever gone." Alexis asked her no questions, but left tho room in silence. His mind was filled with tho knowledge of her umvorthinoss. He wondered how he could have been so mad as to nmvry her when bljc had refused any explanation of the change which had been wrought in her by her two yeara' residence abroad. For two days Josephine went around the houso like one walking in a dream. Her fece bore witness to tho suffering she was undergoing — her ores were hollow and bloodshot, nnd Alexis know that sho spent hours in weeping. He hoped to compel her to confide her secret to him, but sho made no advance to confidence. ■ • When the third day came he could endure no longer to sec tho terrible suffering, and he went to the house where ho had left the child ntid brought it to his own. Ho left her in the library and went to hia wife's room. :Josephino was lying on the- lpungo,' hen face ghastly palo, and long sighs escaping hei lips. ' ' " ' '■'.-■ ■'„ <:]':■. ) „ ; : Alexis drew a chair to tho sido of the lounge and said, while he smoothed her darl hair back from her forehead— „-■ "Josephine, 1 have been distressed at youi evident Ulness during the pa9t few days, j think your mind is dwelling on something unpleasant, and I propose to givo you sonicthing to interest you and divert youi thoughts. I am going to adopt a child Josephine." ■ . Josephine started to her feot. A convul sivo shudder shook her from head to foot and she burst into a cry which eounded mor< like a wail of agony.' , "No, Aloxfe," she criod, "never, never

Do not bring a child here. I will not .!»ve.itf lam ohHaJessfoff evermore.^ v; ' 1 Shesank heavily^ back again on the lou/^g' as though entutly exhausted with the effo^f to stand.: : „ ; " I have the little girl down 'stairs, and I beg you just to look at her, Josephine. If. you do not like her we will not adopt Her." •' No, no ! I cannot see the diild," she said, hurriedly. ; „, '?But, Josephine, Itoish you to see her. It wittnot take you a moment. I will bring heri up a* once." a' The wife turned away hor head as i£ annoyed at hie persistence, and buried her face in the pillows. When ; Alexis brought the child in the room she did sot iturn to look at her. "Josephine, will you see how you like her appearance? "; Alexis asked. ■" I cannot,?' was the reply, in a heartbroken tone, "let me remain ohildless. I want no chikfc by adoption." " Speak to her,. Maud," Alexis whispered. " Mamma," called tho little childish voice. Josephine sprang from the lounge as if electrified. "My child! my own !' my child !" she ; screamed, and flinging her arms about Maud's neck, burst into a passion of tears. "Alexis," she said, advancingto vrhere her husband stood, when she had become calnier, '. tf . is this the child you wished me to adopt? Your face tells me that you know a little 7 but you do; not all. I have a secret to tell you, Alexis. This little one,'? taking the goldenhaired beauty by the diminutive hand, "is my own child. ■ Will you h'sten to my story, Alexis P or will you turn mo from' you- because I have deceived you fo» two long years ? " . "I will' listen to what you have to say, Josephine," was the reply. , " When I was twenty years of ago," the wife began, "I eloped with my music master. He was not a gentleman, but he was handsome and persuasive. "I was old enough to know better than to take such a rash step, but I took ifc— why, I can hardly tell; Four months after our marriage he was convicted of forgery and sent to prison. I returned, a disgraced woman, to my father's house. But he forgave me, and wo at once removed' to a quiet little village where my child was born, and where I left her with Mrs Jameson. We then went to New York, where no one guessed 1 that Iwas a married woman. Shortly after we took up our residence there news came to us that my husband was dead. I felt so free again. I learned to' love you, Alexis,, though I repelled your attentions, for I was the widow of a convict. Then we heard that it I was a false rumour — that James Payson was : not dead, and I felt broken-hearted. I knew then what it was to love, My father took me at once to Europe to dispel my gloom,: but it increased, for every day I grew to love you more . despairingly, and when at. the end of two years my husband really died— this time no false rumour deceived me—l was like a woman without a heart. Mine seemed frozen within my breast. Grief and shamo had made me the oold, indifferent crcaturo you' found me' on my return. You know how you pursued'mo with attentions, Alexis. My poor father was dead. I had no protector, and burying my secret deep in my breast, I married you. But then I longed for my child, and Mrs Jameson brought her here where E could see her often. My heart unlocked to her . an it could nob to you. I felt I was not worthy your.love. I wanted to kill your affection for me, for I felt so unworthy of it — such a guilty creature with a load of sin, bearing: my soul to tho ground, remorse every day gnawing at my heart — the heart I had thought frozen to misery." : "Do you love me now, Josephine ?" " Alexis ! love you !" her arms were opened, to him for the first time, and for tho first time Alexis Gouvenour knew what a wealth of tenderness lay in his- wife's Fbozkn Hbabt. ■ ■ Db Bbigiit'B I'noarjiODYME.—Theonlyroliable remedy for Indigestion, Nervous andLiver Complaints, and all Functional Derangements. Recommended by tho Faculty, liefuse useless substitutes. Sold by all chemists and storekeepers, in cases at 10s 6d, or in family cases containing one dozen 10s Gd, cases, at £5. Agents — Kempthorn e, Pbosseb &Co. „.■-, 2398 Holiowat's Ointment and Piii.B are the best, cheapest, and tho most popular remedies; at all seasons, and under all circumstancos they may be used with safety and with the certainty of doing good. Eruptions, rashes, and all descriptions of skin diseases, sores, ulcerations, and burns are at once benefited and ultimately cured by ..those healing, soothing, and purifying medicaments. Tho Ointment rubbed upon tho abdomen checks all tendency to irritation in the bowels, and averts diarrheca, and other disorders of the intestines generally prevalent during the summer and fruit seasons. Heat lumps, blotches, pimples, inflammations of the skin, muscular pains, neuralgic affections, and enlarged glands can be effectually overcome by using Holloway's remedies according to tho instructions accompanying every packet.