The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-12-05 00:00:00

A SECRET FOR YEARS.

CHAPTER XXXII'.
LINA'S LOVER.

ALL who live in this world of joy and sorrow will
tell how Life and Death walk hand in hand; how, in
the selfsame moment of time, one will smile with
rapture on the birth of a new-found joy, while
another will lie sorrowing over a grief too hard to be
borne.
While George Ingestre was weeping such tears as
only men can weep over the death of their first-born,
his young cousin Ingram Ingestre stood before the
baroness in her small breakfast-parlour, and manfully
Spoke of the love he bore her daughter.
"I am not a rich man, madame; but I am a
gentleman, and by birth fit to ask a duke's daughter
to be my wife. True, you know me only in the
capacity of a music-master; but I opine that a man,
to get his living, must not despise honest work, no
matter how derogatory the world may think it. I
have not disdained labour in any shape; I have
Worked and toiled as few men work and toil, for an
Object that—that is taken from me now—the old
house and lands of my father. That is gone; but the
love of your child has taken its place, and for her,
Madame, I will serve as Jacob did for Rachel. I do
not ask you to give her to me now."
"But, sir—my good sir "—put in the poor lady,
completely bewildered, it seemed, by the unexpected
announcement—" I have every reason to believe my
daughter's affections are engaged."
Ingram started for an instant, and then smiled.
"You refer to that—to Count de Resiment. I
aaked her myself if it were so, and she distinctly
denied it. She said she hated him."
"Then, Mr. Ingram, you have spoken to my child
Ott this subject?"
"Three weeks ago I came down here on purpose to
see you, madame. You were out when I called, and
I returned through. Redfern Park. I met your daugh-
ter there, prudence forsook me, and I told Lina my
-errand. I told her that I loved her!"
At this the baroness looked angry.
" Lina was wrong not to acquaint me with the
fact, I think. And what reply did she make to you,
Sir?
"None, madame. I believe I alarmed her. Still
I had hope enough left to address you as I have done
on the subject. All I wish is for your permission to
address myself more fully to her than I have done as
Yet."
Madame reflected for a moment or two, and then
glanced up at the flushed, eager face of the young
Man. She saw at a glance he was terribly in earnest,
and not to be put off with excuses.
"Mr. Ingram," she said, at last, "there are two
People I must confer with before I can return you a
definite answer: one is my daughter—the other, a
dear friend. Only this I have to say until you have
Ilay decision—that my child shall never be thwarted
by me in the disposal of her heart. She shall give it
Where she likes and to whom she likes. If she chooses
to marry you, poor as you are, she shall do so, for her
Ilaoney will put you beyond want. If she does not
love you, why, then, I must trust to your honour not
to speak to her again on the subject. Come here at
this time to-morrow morning, and I will tell you my
decision. I have a great regard for you, Mr.
Ingram ; but it is not you that I should choose Lina
to marry..
Ile made no reply. He only bowed over the lady's
eXtended hand, and then left the room, in the same
Ilaceremonious manner in which he had entered it—
;lamely, through the glass window opening upon the
lawn.
Lina was at her bedroom window, peeping out
from among the clustering roses and grape-vine
leaves. •
She saw him enter the breakfast-parlour ; she
'Waited at the window until she saw him leave it.
She guessed his errand quickly, and, by the stern,
Calm face he carried with him to the gate, she guessed
!,erY nearly the result of it. Without an instant's
'Llaought, she snatched a rosebud off a stem hang-
ing close above her head, and threw it down upon
him.
Re looked up as it dropped before his feet, and
,Bavii the arch, smiling face of Lina looking from be-
tween the leaves. She was filled to overflowing with
gratified vanity, and its refulgence was mirrored in
'the joyous smile she shed down upon him.
That smile and that little rosebud sealed your fate,
Lina!
The strong man you were only playing with took
loth into his heart, and treasured them as the only
food wherewith his hunger could be fed.
,fle went away with a lightened heart, believing
na loved him. And while that youug lady was
l'eflecting upon the consequences of her rash action,
*le. heard the baroness's voice calling her to come
downstairs.
"Coming, dear one; coming," she cried, and ran
down into the garden, whence madame's voi:e had
ascended. .

The dew sparkled here as it did in Sandbanks
'Wood ; the birds twittered, mned,
ad-
ie bees hummed merrily round about them. All
Vas life and summer beauty, while Madame Bern-
Stein, sitting on a rustic garden seat, held Lina
eeSide her, and spoke of the lover who had just de-
Darted.
"And now, Lina, my own, tell me truly if you love
This young man ? "
"Oh, mamma, dear—l don't think so."
" And you have no wish to marry him?"
, 'None in the world." And she laughed a gay little
'augh.
Madame heaved a sigh of relief.
" I am very glad to hear it, darling, because I
theuld not have been very happy to see you a poor
11„.1a,n's wife. And now I want to know one other
Has the count ever asked you to be his
Wife?
Lina turned scarlet, then white.
" No," she answered, in a steady voice—" no;
Lie has never spoken to me of anything of the
"Inc
cannot understand that man, Lina, at all. He
13aYs you marked attention; he allows every one to
elasider him as your fiancé, and yet lie does not
-qeelare himself to either you or me. I must put a
top to it. H it were not that his brother remains
'4 a visit to us until the end of the month, I
" Oh, mamma, pray do nothing—say nothing,"
Lina. "He is here, a guest in our house; pray
'4O not bring n-tv name into any disagreeable affair.
Ile 'will be so angry!" And the girl looked terror-
Stricken at the thought.
"Of course, I shall do nothing of the sort, Lina.
s±uY Ido not like the way he goes on. I shall speak
:7 Dr. Creusa. Oh, here he comes. Good morning,
`4oetor. Don't go, Lina—l want your arm."
The doctor bowed, and kissed the hand madame
"Leld out to him.
"I have just come from Redfern," he said; and
°IIIY Lina noticed the wild glitter of his fearful
was passing through the park, and a servant
the house, whom I cured of a slight fever in the
village a week or two ago, called me in."
_Re stopped, and the baroness asked eagerly who
was ill at Redfern—what did Mr. Ingestre want?
" Mr. Ingestre wanted nothing. They called me to
°ea 'what help I could give to his son and heir, who
Vas lying in the hall—dead."
Madame shrieked. Lina clasped her hands.
"Dead 1" they echoed.
"Ile was murdered in the woods last night—shot
through and through?,
The baroness sank down into the seat speechless
ith tenor, and Lina asked in a husky voice when
tuld by whom the deed was done.
t, "That is a mystery, as yet," was the reply. "Some
I.lllle last night; but by whom, no one can tell, yet.
rather fear the 'shock of this news may affect my
Patient, madame ; therefore, with your leave, I will
g° into the house now, and break it to him. He has
llot left his room yet?"
No; he is there," said Lina, hardly above her
.reath.
The girl was shivering horribly; she seemed even
tile're alarmed than her mother.
Dead! shot! oh, mamma, who did it ? "
tut the mother had but one cry on her lips.
oh(' Ohl, George! oh, George! this is God's judgment
You. Even as you have wounded others, so He
as
woulv'ed you Oh, poor father—God eornfor.t
;on!, "

, the flowers bloc

CHAPTER XXXIV.
u• ON THE SCENT OF BLCOD.
a fte r, the family vau7t had closed over the
to
fil'lan,g heir of Redfern Manor: closed, and no ,u
18 sudden and awful death arrived at!
h. Three other watchers were in the wood beside.
t,0111101!if- They all heard the report. of a.
,gun, but
it as a signal that Ross was leaving the wood to
iiVairu home, as it was his custom to let them know
intention in that manner. But the boy's gun
he,as found loaded where he fell, and the shot they
hard was the one a fiendish hand had levelled at his
eart.
1'
t6up, - gamekeeper said he thought the time was be-
,
U twelve and one—certainly, not later—when he
'rd the shot fired.
cov.„°t a footstep of the murderer had yet been dis-
aeti,ted, but it was well known the police were
thf,-"'elY, and yet most secretly, at work throughout
-800unty, endeavouring to find traces of him.
thr lisPicion pointed at no one man. Neither of the
thaefe keepers had seen or heard a soul in the wood
tight ; but then they were not with their young
, and confessed, on examination, that he might
taara e been assailed by poachers and they remain igno-
t °f the fact.
'the
VOO, y Were all hiding up in various parts of the
the Uf to watch only for those who might lay down
tiirieBB, and not to come to a hand-to-hand conflict
depredators.
aster Ross might have shown himself, and en-
Q?nored to punish the man with his fists."
lilter)orn, the head gamekeeper, thought it not un-
IliWt). from what his young master had said that
these ~ but he, Groom, warned him against this, .as
%e low low blffckguards liked to "row." a gentleman
eai.o. they could. "Let him deal with 'em,'.', he had
And then they parted, never to meet again.
"e three keepers were all steady-. respectable men.