The Story-Teller.

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume X, Issue 972, 30 December 1891, Page 4

The Story-Teller.

W A RUNAWAY HUSBAND, W . ■ ' • j 9a: .. " . ! {Continued?) '<- ■— Colonel Endecott was engaged to dine with an old friend at his club that evening, but somehow his wife's changed looks nnd strange manner haunted him, anr l , excusing himself, ho went home We let himself m with his latchkey, ami, aFt<*r a passing glance at the drawing-room, went quietly up to his wife's room. Surdy there .was a sound of low gobs from vritlun ? ,Ho turned the handle gently and as lie- entered the room Stella sprang up with one band held. behind her and the other trying to cnver a sheet of paper on which she had evidently been writing, Tfura was a look m tier lovely eyes that fairly frightened hei husband ''Stella/ he said almost aternly, 1 what is it 1 What are arc you doing V And as she continued speechless,; and J trembling, he passed on arm swiftly about her; and taking one hand m his; firmly opened it. He grasped a'li'tle :f- bottlu marked** Laudanum/ and with a cry like a worn:" led animal she fell fact" downward on, ihe floor, and did RotJ epeolc, while- Colonel Endecott gazed nlently from the plnal to the ] Fhec-t oF paper, on which vras written m pencil a few unsteady words, ' Dar - ling when yon read this try to forgiveI don't know what else — « lie stooped j jind raised her ttndeirly, yet trembling himself. . -.;';''. Stella/ said he m tones she dared rib disol>p|, 'tell me all the truth. I?einenil»er, child, how I love yon.' So m toDeg of moving pathos the girl told %. her miserable tale. Rt 'Child/ said Colonel Endecott, eagrr|y«' then you w,ere never actually his £ wife. You" parted from him at the £' reg^jfar's?' ■^ ' Obj^yes, yes/ said she, blushing. ; ' Stelja, yon are not his wife ; you never 'were. The villain had a wife ulivc. then, He only married you to have a hold upon you by which to extort, money. Oh. if yon had. only told me ! Curiously enough, I was mixed op with a similar case, m Paris, m which he had married another girl ; but we were able to prove the marriage nail. To avoid a scandal he was not prosecuted, and he reckons on the same reason for keeping others quiet. The girl's Brother was an old chum of mine, and between us we managed to hush it up. The scoundrel only lives on blackmail I believe 5 bnt J will take care he shall mot show his face - again m London. Bat oh* my darling, why didn't you trust me ? To think, if I had been ten minutes later, you would \i-, have been lost to me for ever ! ' NAnd yon forgive me all, Hugh ? ' she ed, still wistful, My child, I have nothing to forgive 10 you are still here. Don't you know I couldn't live without my Stsa?' /,;.'.,' ■' "THE END,.- • .... ■'"'•■ "•- •"• %l. *...■*' ' ' : *" " . "