The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1869-01-14

II
ished and overpowered as myself by the
unexpected turn things had taken, and
with admirable celebrity disappeared from
| the dock
Some four years afterward I received a
| very pressing invitation from my old E on
| friend, Charlie Forester, asking me ia
| run down to his place in Devonshire, and
spend a few days there. Master Charlie,
| whose lines had fallen in exceedingly
pleasant places, and who at twenty-one
had come into a very nice estate and some
| five thousand pounds annually, after tan
talizihg all the marriageable girls in the
| county by refusing to go to the balls and
croquet parties, with invitations for which
he was pertinaciously pestered from morn
ing till night, had finally taken himself
abroad, no one knew whittier, and there
remained between four and five years
When he returned home again he brought
| a wife with him, proceeding on his part
which excited general discomfort and dis
appreciation But Charlie cared very
little what the county folks thought
about him. He was passionately fond of
his wife, and consequently devoted to
home, while he occupied his time in
regulating the affairs of his estate, and
improving the breed of pigs. In short,
he found within the limits of his park
fence all the amusement and society he re
Quired His attachment for his wife wac
not surprising, for she was indeed most
lovely and charming woman, full ofintel-
| ligence and good sense, and in every way
| fitted to preside over a household. When
she and Charlie first met at Pau, she was
| the governess in an English family that
was staying there the courtship lasted
but a few days; and one fine morning
they met by appointment. and walking to-
gether to the church, were married be-
fore breakfast. Violet Danvers had no
idea of the position, pecuniary or other
wise that attached to Charlie, but her life
had been full of troubles, and all she
knew was that he had been very kind and
goO1 to her.
Friends and relations, she had none,
| she said and then, as she rested her head
against his breast and looked up into his
eyes, Charlie felt that Heaven had sent
her for him to love and cherish. He told
her of his past life, and his wanderings in
distant countries, and sought to engage her
confidence in return; but she always
seemed to avoid all reference to her own
past, and would hurriedly turn the conver-
sation into quite another channel. Charlie
| was not of suspicious nature, and had
far too much love and confidence in his
wife to fancy that she was concealing any
thing from him.
And SO Violet came to her new home
to the old home in which generations of
Forresters had lived and died.
1t was not so very long after they had
taken ND their abode at "The Lions" that
L. received the invitation before alluded
| TO; and as the long vacation had already
commenced, and my pecuniary resources
were not in condition to stand a trip
even to the seaside, l thought the best
thing | could do was to accept the hospi-
| tality that my old frieni offered to me-
| A few days more saw me comfortably in
stalled at "The Lions" thoroughly enjoy.
| ing the fresh air and strong exercise that
| followed, in pleasing contrast to the heat
ed atmosphere Of close courts and con
tinuous sitting in dingy chambers.
found Mrs Forester most charming and
amusing companion, though | could not
| help being struck by an air of constraint
and reserve that at times settled upon her
A very brief acquaintance satisfied me
that there was some mystery attaching tC
her which she dared not reveal.
| One morning at breakfast, Charlie, after
reading letter he had just received by
the post, informed us that it was from al
old Paris friend of his whom he had me,
in his traveller days, and who, in pursu
ance of loDg-standing invitation, haC
written to say that he proposed coming
on visit to 1.-THE Lions" and would
without waiting for reply, put in an ap
pearance that very evening. Charlie was
| delighted at the prospect OF seeing his ole
/ ax.I -, Of oil
over the farm he informed me that the
name of the coming guest was Murray
and that he was blessed with great dea
more ready wit than ready cash.
Though he is bit of an adventure
in his way" said Charlie, he is a capita
fellow, and the best company in the
world"
1t was very late when the expected
| guest arrived. Mrs. Forester had retired
to bed some time before. AS for Charli,
and myself, we kept the newcomer com
pany while he supped, and when he hae
done ample justice to the good things be
fore him, it being already in the small
hours, bed was voted and carried unani
mOusly. l was very sleepy, and beyon'
uttering mere commonplace or two hat
taken little or no notice of the stranger
but when he came across the room ant
held out his hand, which oddly enough
was encased in a light-colored glove o
some sort, to bid me goodnight, as look
ed him full in the face, he seemed to star
for a moment. Although his features
were hidden by heavy mustache anC
huge beard, there was something abou
them that appeared familiar to me. Wher'
on earth could | have seen him before
When got up stairs into my bedroom
puzzled my brain with inquiries, but al
in vain | CO Id connect the face witt
nothing, and nothing with the face, AM
with that l got angry with myself ant
with that l went to sleep.
The next morning awoke early, an,
feeling strong inclination for walk be
fore breakfast, tumbled headlong into m
cold tub, and in very short time afte
had completed my toilette" and was on
in glorious fresh air. An hours stro
brought me back to the window of tn
i breakfast-room, which opened into tn
garden, and with the appetite of tiger
} was on the point of entering, when m
| step was arrested by the sound of Mr.
+ Forrcster's voice, tremulous with emotion
exclaiming, "Say it is not true for pity
sake, say it is not true"
e What could this mean? Being of
s curious turn-my conduct may have bee
disgraceful, but hereafter / hope to stan
/; excused for it, moved into a positio
5 where could see into the breakfast-rool
without being seen, and hear all that wa
: said. In an armchair by the table, be
: face buried in her hands, and her elbow
3 resting on her knees, Mrs. Forester WIS
o rocking herself to and fro in way this
4 showed. her to be laboring under dee
a emotion. Close to her, in a strangel