ow lying cold and still
beneath the coffin-lid. There was no shadow on the wall, for the lamp
had gone out with the young life for whom it had been kept burning, but
many a shadow lay dark and heavy across his heart.

With the sun-setting a driving rain had come on, and as the November
wind went howling past the window, and the large drops beat against the
casement, he thought of the lonesome little grave on which that rain
was falling; and shuddering, he hid his face in the pillows, asking to
be forgiven, for he knew that all too soon that grave was made, and he
had helped to make it. At last, long after the clock had told the hour
of midnight, he arose, and lighting the lamp which many a weary night
had burned for _her_, he placed it where the shadow would fall upon the
wall as it had done of old. It was no longer a phantom to annoy him,
and soothed by its presence, he fell asleep, dreaming that Mabel had
come back to bring him her forgiveness, but when he essayed to touch
her, she vanished from his sight, and there was nothing left save that
shadow on the wall.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

MRS. GRAHAM'S RETURN.

Mr. and Mrs. Graham had returned to Woodlawn, the former remaining
but a day and night, and then, without once seeing 'Lena, departing
for Europe, where business, either fancied or real, called him.
Often, when lying weary and sick in Havana, had he resolved on
revealing to his wife the secret which he felt was wearing his life
away, but the cowardice of his nature seemed increased by physical
weakness, and from time to time was the disclosure postponed, while
the chain of evidence was fearfully lengthening around poor 'Lena, to
whom Mrs. Graham had transferred the entire weight of her displeasure.

Loving her husband as well as such as she could love, she was ever
ready to forgive when she saw any indications of reform on his part,
and as during all their journey he had never once given her cause for
offense, she began to attribute his former delinquencies wholly to
'Lena; and when he proposed a tour to Europe she readily sanctioned
it, hoping that time and absence would remove from his mind all
thoughts of the beautiful girl, who she thought was her rival.
Still, though she would not confess it, in her heart she did not
believe 'Lena guilty except so far as a desire to attract Mr.
Graham's attention would make her so.

For this belief she had a good and potent reason. The daguerreotype
which had caus