The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1869-02-27
What she had in her mind that she quite
lazzled me.

'he said. ~ feel sure, that very won.
tertul thing is going to happen Toto
ne" And then she got out of the car
Rage and went straight into the house.
/, stayed in the carriage waiting. The
lVer murmured away. Young men who
lad come for few days fishing strolled
about talking of the river, the weather
md the weight OF the salmon. Half an
1our passed, and then Lady Margaret
anne back with a face, the odd excitement
II which she could not conceal
"Go to your own home, now, Mary, 1t
8 too late for anything else" So l drove
70 our entrace gate, when Lady Margaret
got out, and walked straight across the
park toward the Court only saying,
"Thank you, dear; good night" looked
after her. felt as If there was something
vrorg. l did not like the unnaturally
trong interest my perfect Lady Margaret
lad shown in this beautiful stranger. l
lisliked her whole manner so much-I
cit it to be so tihaccountable that | kept
III about it secret from my mother
Days and weeks passed. Lady Marga.
ret had sent two medical men, at different
times, to see the sick man, but no entreat.
es of Mrs. Bond, nor Of her husband
'ould make him see either Of them. Mrs.
Bond said that he must die Lady Mar.
garet sent all manner of dainties to tAe
inn from the Court, which the sick man
appeared to relish exceedingly.
This man then became the chief interest
OF our lives. He would sit in his arm
chair by the riverside, refusing to speak to
any one except Lady Margaret. All eyes
and mouths were open to watch and re-
port proceedings. Lady Margaret was with
him daily-once, twice day and when
he was worse for few days, she remained
and waited on him like a servant.
how things grew worse until they as,
sumed unpleasant dimensions, / need not
say But Lady Margaret's perfection first
grew dim, and then withered away. AT
last my mother cautioned me that it was a
matter on which / had better not speak
and then wept bitter tears.
Down, down, down, in popular opinion,
went Lady Margaret. The whole country
heard, talked, wondered and, for the most
part, condemned. At last my mother
spoke to her.
0yes," she said, standing up in our
morning room. II know people dislike
my hhfluB lhh6u W BlCk-huAbluEs ANU
she laughed hard laugh, such as we had
never heard from her before Then she
stopped suddenly and wiped her eyes,
which we're full Of tears. 81 cannot help
it." she said. al must 60 there. cannot
keep away 1t would kill the poor crea,
ture if l did"
"Indeed, indeed, you ought" pleaded
my mother.
" / can't" she repeated, almost angrily {;
will you believe me if l say cont"
Then she walked out Of the room. But
in another moment she came back again.
She kissed my mother, looking with sad,
entreating eyes into her face. "You will
always stand by me-" she said. "The
Royds have always been faithful to the
Court. You will always make Mary think
well of me 2" Then she broke out in great
excitement-"But, in the name of Heaven,
what have done? Are we never to visit
the sick, or comfort the afflicted" My
mother did not tspeak. But l, in an excess
Of girlish excitement, cried out, 90, Lady
Margaret, that is not the question. 1t is so
dreadful, because people say you are in
love with that horrid man." and then a
fit of crying overcame me, and l dropped
upon my face on the sofa cushion, sobbing
violently.
as 1t as bad as that?" she asked, with a
trembling voice and scared face. But
donot cry, my darling. You are good,
brave girl Thank you for telling me.
Yet do not call that sick man 'horrid, it is
not true; and cannot cease to care for
him. But, perhaps, ought to take him
away, if people say such things"
She looked at my mother like one in a
dream. ...- ....
"Give it all up, Lady Margaret. Send
the man to some consumptive hospital.
Give him what you please,-but not your
good name. You can hardly exaggerate
what people say"
She made no answer to this speech of
my mothers, only going out of the house
| quietly. But the next evening as / was
walking past the Deer Pool, l turned home
quickly, for there, in the shade, sat Lady
Margaret, with that mans hand in hers,
his head on her shoulder, and every now
and then she kissed his broad, white fore,
head, till he looked up at her with face
so bright with thankful love, that l fled
away, and got back to my mothers arms,
and told her all had seen.
eve viii 60 away for time" she said
"Try not to think of 1t, Mary"
But my idol was broken; and the bur.
den ofunbelief nearly broke my heart.
Things grew 80 bad, that even good old
simple-minded Mrs Bond spoke TO her al
last, and said that it was unseemly for one
in her station to nurse asick man Of whom
she knew nothing, and whose name even
was unknown. But Lady Margaret only
replied that she should never desert the
sick lodger, and that she would never lei
any one take her place by his bedside
either by day or night.
But Immediately after Mrs. Bonds ex
postulation new thing happened. The
Kempton carriage, which was hired for al
occasions by everybody, arrived at thu
"CroWn and Salmon" and took the sicl
lodger to the railway station. There wa
Lady Margaret she took their places, and
unattended, they went away together
Martin, her maid, had gone to London OF
a previous train,
A solemn sort of mourning fell on al
hearts now. We felt shamed In her shame
But we loved her still. .l. as
Lady Margaret never wrote to any one
Dub mdIbIu COIItbpOuubu WIN VIC uOuSt
Keeper. Mrs Bent used to bring us thes
letters to read.
at is all just as it used to be-" sh
wrote. "She nurses him like any hire,
woman; and he evidently loves he
fondly."
Martin spoke of the sick man as MI
Lisle.
Then she wrote again, al am COMM
home. Lady Margaret sends me bach
Ny lady has scarcely left Mr.. Lisle's roor
day or night for a week. He is bette
now, and they are going to the sea. e1
, pect her attendance on him must have eS
cited some surprise, though people speal
Of them as being related, and ] favor th
! idea. But, quite Unexpectedly, Cap
: Granby-who Is the heir has arrived
} Lady Margaret seems to be on good term
! with him, though some high words | knov
they have had. He says he will take pal
! of the nursing Of Mr.. Lisle,"
So Martin came back, and In for
nights time Lady Margaret wrote to Mr.
, Bent that her sick friend was dead. Sh
I, inclosed a note to Mr.. Browning, th
. clergyman, saying she would have th
funeral at Kempton, and that the bod
B was to be placed in the Caryll vault.
Nothing could exceed the anger Of a
Kempton at this news Of the funeral th'
| .-ynN - ba The va11lt Wac o1enad wit