The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-11-20 00:00:00

ATHERSTONE GRANGE.

BY TEE AUTHOR OF

"Allan Thornton," Effie Baird," " Almost a
Criminal," "Leonard's Legacy," 4-c.

CHAPTER XLIX.
DONE IN THE DARKNESS.

• He had got a hurt
0' th' inside of a deadlier sort. —BUTLER.
WREN Feryl made her appearance the next morning at
breal, fast all traces of last night's indisposition were
completely gone.
She had been out in the grounds for nearly an
hour, she told them, and entered the breikfast room,
with a fresh, brilliant colour on her cheeks, a sparkling
light in her eyes, that looked like innocent gladness,
and her voice sounded merrily as she came bounding
in, a large bunch of wild flowers in one hand, and a
half-opened rosebud in the other, which she playfully
fastened in Noel's coat.
"You don't deserve it, sir," she whispered, drawing
away her hand with a pretended petulance as he
strove to imprison it for a moment in his own.
"What have I done ?"
" It, should be, what have you not done," she ye-
torte 1. "I thought you would have found me our,
Sluggard that you are."
But Noel denied the imputation vigorously. He had
been out of doors even before her, only his walk had
taken an opposite direction.
"I had no idea that you would be recovered suf-
ficiently to come down, even," he said; "much less
thet there was a chance of meeting you. Ah, my
darling, can you believe it possible that I should avoid
You?"
She looked earnestly, almost imploringly, he
Imagined, before answering.
"No o," she replied, hesitatingly; and then, with a
Sudden burst, "Ah, Noel, will it be always so? Do
yen love me so much that nothing would ever make
You look upon me with aversion ?"
"Aversion !" repeated Noel, amazed.
Put such an idea into your thoughts ?"
" Nothing—a stupid fancy, I suppose," Beryl
answered, lightly. "I am very fanciful, you know,
and—come," she added, abruptly, "my walk has given
me qu'te a dairy-maid's appetite. Don't heed my
absurd nonsense, Noel. I have no doubts really where
You are concerned."
And she looked up into his face with a strange,
Yearning tenderness, almost pitiful to see, but
the next moment it had given place to an expression
More like her usual self; and presently she was
laughing and chattering as merrily as the rest of
them.
"What a heap of letters !" she cried, as a little heap
of missives was placed beside her on the table.
" None for you, sir," she went on, addressing Noel.
"They'll be at the rectory, I suppose. A whole pile
for uncle," handing them over to Mr. Atherstone.
"And mine may as well wait for Mr. Carson. They
are all business letters, I can see. Only one for you,
Lillian ; but worth more than all the rest put together. I
imagine," she added, with a meaning smile that
brought the blood to Lily's face in a moment.
She took the leteer from Beryl's outstretched hand,
and uttered a little cry of terror at the same
time.
"What is the matter r asked Beryl, as they looked
Op in surprise.
"There is blood upon it!" cried the girl, in terrified
accents. Ard look! Ah, it is from your hand,
Beryl !"
For a moment Beryl sat as though stunned, while
Noel turned to her anxiously.
"Oh, It is nothing," she answered, at last, recover-
ing herself with an effort, and forcing a smile on her
almost bloodless lips. "A mere scratch I gave
Myself with a pair of scissors that I took out for cut-
ting the dowers."
" Lily is a sad coward at the s,ght of blood," re-
marked her father. "How did you contrive to do it,
my dear ?"
"I foolishly put the scissors loose into my pocket,"
explained Beryl, "and putting my hand in for them,
stu:.,k the points into my palm. It really was very
Blight, and when I covered the wound up with court
plaister I thought no more about it. I suppose in
stretching my arm out across the table the cut re-
opened. No, you really shan't, Noel," she exclaimed,
almost angrily, and snatching her hand away from
him. "I tell you it is to hing—certainly it is not
Worth making a fuss about."
"I don't think it is so very trivial," said N. el,
gravely. "You must have lost a quantity of blood
from such a cut, and certainly ought to have had it
'properly dressed."
In which opinion they all coincided, when, re-
luctantly enough, Beryl was persuaded to let her
hurt be seem.
"As if it was worth a second thought," the pouted.
"It is neither as deep as a well, nor as wide as a
church door; and I am certainly not going to place
Myself under medical treatment for it."
"I can't understand how on earth you managed to do
it in the manner you describe," observed the rector,
With a puzzled look. One would imagine that it
would be a deep, jagged wound if you thrust your
hand down on the points of a pair of scissors. Now,
this is long, and cleanly divided, more like the cut of
a knife."
"And yet it was done in the precise manner in
'which I stated," quietly replied Beryl. " Ilowever,
there has been a great deal more discussion ote r it
than so simple a matter deserves. I'll go and get my
hand properly bandaged—put it in a sling, if you
like; but for heaven's sake, let us say no more about
She spoke petulantly, and walk-ed towards the door,
Noel accompanying her to the door, Noel accompany-
ing her so far, while Lilly read her letter, despite the
ominous stain upon its envelope, with mantling blushes,
for Beryl had guessed rightly in supposing it to be
from Graham Carson.
Not that there was anything particularly fresh in
the letter, for Graham told his betrothed nothing
More of the doubts and perplexities which beset his
mind—and just at this time they were very many—
and avoiding all mention of the Grange and its
mistress.
That mistress had dismissed her escort in the hall,
and hurried upstairs to Mrs. nalton's room, exhibiting
her bleeding hand, and explaining the cause.
Mrs. Dalton made no observation, but carefully
dressed the injury, and Beryl returned to the lower
apartments. She bad been some time absent, and
found them all in a state of intense excitement.
"What has happened ?" she cried, her features sud-
denly paling, and a wild, hunted look coming into her
eyes —an expression they often wore now. 'ls any-
thing wrong ?"
"Murder I" replied the rector, in a voice that shook
with agitation, while the scared looks of the others
showed that they shared the same.
"Murder !" exclaimed Beryl, catching at the back
of a chair to support herself. "Who.—who is
murdered?"
Neel sprang to her side, with a warning glance at
his father.
" We have only just heard of it," he said, hurriedly,
"or you would not have been to'd so abruptly."
"Who is it that is murdered?" she asked again,
With the same wild, terrified glance.
"The boy Blogg," returned Noel. "At least, if not
actually murdered, he has been terribly wounded."
" Wounded ? How ?"
"No cue seems to know at present," said Mr. Ather-
stone. "He cannot speak to give you information on
tee point."
"lie —he is not—dead—then ?" faltered Beryl.
"No ; but from all I can hear it is only a question
of a few hours. He has been stabbed in two places—
the lungs andebout the temple. The last blow was
evicteatly intended to destroy life altogether, and
though it has not quite succeeded, the poor lad is de-
prived of consciousness."
" How very shocking!" exclaimed Beryl, who
was mote composed now. "Is it known who has done
it?"
And she looked eagerly at her uncle, who shook his

"What his

head.
"it seems a complete mystery, so far as I can
gather," he replied. " And the strangest part of the
affair is, that it took place very near the house."
"Near this house?"
"Yes. If you had extended your walk in the
direction of the shrubbery this morning you might
have been the first to discover him, for it was there
he was found."
" Ah, don't!" cried Beryl, covering her eyes with
her hands, as though to shut out the scene. "I.
cannot bear even to imagine so horrible a scene. It
is too dreadful ! Who can have done it ?
" Whoever it was never intended the poor fellow to
speak again," said the rector, sadly. "It was sup-
posed at first that he might have been prowling about
titer no good purpose, and met with, an accident;
but there can be no doubt it was intended for a
deliberate murder; the weapon proved that."
"The weapon! Surely they have not found that ?"
almost with a scream exclaimed Beryl; and they
looked at her in no small surprise.
"No," answered Mr. Atherstone, after a blight
pause; "but the doctor says it must have been a long
thin instrument, from the shape of the wounds,"
"Hush, father !" broke in Noel, alarmed at the grow-
ing pallor of Beryl's face. "She is not strong enough
to bear such details."
"No, no, never mind," she interposed. "It was
only the suddenness that unnerved me. Are you
going to see him ?"
"Yes—not that I can do the poor fellow any good,
if he is, as they say, insensible. Still, I suppose I
must go."
"If—if there should be any—the slightest chance
of his recovery, you will let me know, will you not ?"
Beryl said, following him out to the door.
"Yes, of course I shall bring back word with me."
" Ah, but I don't mean that," she went on, her
colour coming and going alternately, while she looked
away over the rector's should r with a fixed avoidance
of his gaze. " I---I take more than a common interest
in the boy, you know! indeed, if I might, I should
like to g ) down with you, and see him."
"No, no; you must not do that," said the rotor.
" Ah, I thought you would say so. But at any
rate let me know, the instant you can, whether there