The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1863-08-14
ELLIN0R WILKINS
Oh THE
HIDDEN SECRET.
CHAPTER VIII.

y
~ lave sAii, eveL whou size would lin lave
died. And the anefn on came ~hen she len her
room. MIS- N,nto would g.sdly have maze fes
tisa - Ler recovery, AID have had her conve, 81
into the unused orssing-room. Hut III nor
begged that ste m'g't To taken into the library
into Tie echool-roOni--atyw here. Noui ~ she,
looking on re 10 Of the house IN the lwet-sar.
den, which 81 bad felt in oil her illness ss ghAst.
ly pressure, lying With sight ~ those very win.
do~s through which the morning sun slream.d
right upon her bsd--lks tho accusing angel, bring
Ing oil bid zen tliig- g. light.
Aud when Fl inor ~ss better STILL whom the
Bate choir d been sent UP fr her use by some
kindly oh maid out OF Hsmlsy, shc still Pc
iii ned that II miSt. ~ kapt on the avn or Town
slde q tie house, away from the hower-ssrton.
One day she al.uos, scr,a AIMED when, g. she was
gong T. tie front or, sle saw Dixon ssnd,us
ready 70 draw her instead Of Fletcher, the srrvaut
Who usually went. But she checked all defnon-
siration OF feeling, shtorgi II was tie trss time
abe had seen him s.Hco he ani she and one more
lad worked their hearts out in hard boduy Ia
Dor.
lie looked 40 stern and 81 Cross. Zoo, which
size bad never seen him before
As soon IS they we're out OF immediate sight q
the windows size asked INN 10 atop, forcing herself
70 speak 70 him.
"DiSon, you look very poorly" sho said, tremb-
"Ayr' sad he, 1--WE did ns think much Of
II ~ the time, did We, Miss Nsiyf Blu. u will
be the death OF us TN thinking. ], has aged
me about biz All my hry years AfoFe were
hut - forenoon Of Glide pay TO thss night
hesstsr, too. tcpuld sbsAr good deal, but meAs.
ter cuts through Ne stsble-ysrd, and past me,
wfout word. q. II wa. poison, or q sinking
toumsh IL 10 thst ss Is worst, Mss Nelly, H
Is"
And che poor man brushed the tear from HE
eyes with tie la Il his witherei. flrrowed hand.
E,linor caught the Infection, aud cried gbt-
sobbed like q child. even while she held OUT her
little white thin hand to his grasp for A. soon ~
he saw her emotion he vas pentent for what he had
said
a. nar Ill -. k.,k -
- say.
"D xon 7" said she, at length, " you must not
mind h-you mustiry not to mind u. see he does
not like 10 be reminded ofthat, even b. seeing me.
lie tries never 10 BE- alone with me. Ny poor old
xop. Il has spoiled my life for me for don,
think te loves me any more"
She sobbed as If her hear would break and
nov u w~ Dixon'- turn 10 he comforter.
All, dear, my es,iug he loves you above
every thing It's only he capv abesr the sight OF liza
a. Is but natural. And II he dunnot fsncy being
alone With you, there's always one - does, and Wat
Is comfort ~ the worst o'tmes. And dont ye fret
about what said . minute as;o. were pnt out he
cause measter al but pushed me out ofLis way tnis
morn. ng, without mover word. But were On old
fool tor selling ye Aud I've really forgotten why
sold Fletcher I'D drag ye tit about to-day. The
gardener Ia beginning Tor to wonder as you didn't
want 70 see the ais and teddi ng-out things
you were % particular about In May. Aud !
thought III JUS, have word ~ ye, ami shen
you'd let me we'd 20 tcgether just once round the
flower garden, just TO cay you'vs BEEN You know.
aud to give them chaps b. Of praise. You'l only
ia,. ~ look on the beds my pretty, and IL must b.
done, sometime. So come aong"
He beyau " pull resolutely IN the direction OF hs
hover gA'Gcn. EllnUr bit hor lips to keep In the
cry ofrspusnAnce that rose 10 item. As Dixon
stopped TO uIltc$ The door, he sad
"IIs not H. dasss, nothing Ike Il. have wsitsi
nll hoerd ylu were better but ivs In Tor Ienny
IN fJr pound W. Is all; and fox may TAI; and
ess your lltto brave h. at. you'll stand dcA Tor
your fathers SAKE, aud 81 VAL l, though do
II "a 10 out "a han
As II TO keep ne OF, and ! only gong
70 speak TO LIN about Clippers knees: thong b
r.! own had wondered many day when WAS
~ have the good-morrrw master never missed sin
he were . boy till Well and now you've seen
the beds, and can say they looked mighty pretty,
and is done AL .. you wished and we're got out
again, sni breathing freshsr MIR than yon sun
baked hole, with it's Ling flowers, not hall 90
wholesome to snGh at ~ sood stable dung"
So the good man chartered OHIO, without the
purpose Of giving Ellinor time u recover herself
aud partly to drown his o~u cares, Which lay
heavier 90 his heart than he could say. But he
shousht himself rewarded by Fillmore thanks, aud
| warm pressure OF his hard hand ss she got on, a.
the front door, and babe him good by.
Tie break 10 her days Of weary morotopy was
tho letters she CONSTANTLY received from M. Cor
bet. And yet here again lIrked tic sting. He
| was oil astonighmeat aud indignation At Mr. Dun
| s'er's dssI pearance, or rather digit ~ Anoii,s
And now that ste WAS growing stronger, he did Mt
scrupls to express curiosity respecting the detsila
| never doubling tut that she was Ierfsctly &C.
| quainted with much that he wanted TO know o..
slough he had too much d lcacy 10 question her
on tho point which was tho most important o,
all in bis eyes, namely, how isr ID had affected
| Mr. Wilkins worldly prospects, FOR the report
. prevalent In Hamley mad reached London. that Mr..
| Dunster had made away with, OF carried Of trus,
property to . considerable extent, for al which Mr.
wilkins would ot course be llabe.
II was hard work Tor Ralph Curbet 10 keep from
l seekng direct iniormSt.on on tlis head from Mr..
Ness, or indeei from Ar. wilkins himself But he
| restrained himself, knowing that In August he
should b. able to make ell these inq !r es person
| Ally. BsfJie the md ofthc Long Vacation he had
hoped 20 marry Y .Iuor that a. tho time hi d
| had bseu planned by then when they had met In
the early spring before her illnrss AID al! this
fortune happened But now, ~ he wrote 70 lis
father, nothing cou d b. definitely srrsn,,d until
| he had pad visit 10 Hanley aud seen the Stale
| of sffs,rs.
| Accordingly, one Saturday IA August he came TO
Ford Bank, tnis time - visitor 10 = nor y ho ne,
| instead OF to his Old quarters at Mr.. Nsss's,
The house WAS si!, .s II asleep IN the iull heat
OF the ATE nuon suu ~ Mr.. Corr et drove IN.
The window blinds were down; the front door wis
open, great stands II he'll tropa AID roses, and
grrAnlums soo Just within tie shadow OF the hall.
but through Al tue silence his sppr ash seen ed 70
| excite no coIumo,ion. lie tLought 1t strange that
| lac had not beea watched f,r that E.inor did no,
| come running out to meet him, this, she SLOWED
| Fl,tLer 10 One down And attend 10 his luggage
| and uah,red him mt tie library Just like sny
| common visitor, any morni gcsller, lie stlfen, d
| hlnseH up III munehts n ilgntnt colIuess of
n'nntr. b1t II vaAishel in an instant when, on
the door Icing opeatd, he saw linor stand NJ
| holding ~ tue iAo.e, looking for hr apptarau, .
wth Almost painting anAisty. He thought OF moth.
| ins then but her evident weskusSr, her chsnysd
looks, ior whlch no account OF Ltr II IS had Or a.
p,IeI lam. For she was deadly whse. lips aud eli;
ana heI dark eyes seemed unnAtur.lly enlarged,
While the cav,s IN which they wsrs set were
| strangely dee, aud hollow Her hair no h.d