The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-04-01
p III.

Sir Roy Fairfax's iucensed brow would have
been appalling to most people, but Mary
Owenson did not finch, standing there with
her little babe pressed close to her breast
She was a pretty, slender young woman,
rather wan and pale, but possessing a certain
grace. like the u~ncultured birch tree OF the
woods. and her dress, of some coarse WOODEN
material, half hidden by a red shawl draWn
over her head, was s~ingularly picturesque.
81 knew it couldn't be so, Sir Roy, cour-
tesying TREMENDOUSLY as she spoke. WHATS
a hare, or a partridge to you, sir, as has WOODS
and covers full of 'em. compared to my mans
ife-for he'll die, sir, him ae was always lVln'
in tbe fresh air, if you shut him up IN a jail.
IL wasn't that he meant to do any harm, sir,
| but them Radical ale-hCuse meetlns, sir, why
thev'd lead anybody astrGy! He'll be safe
not to do it again, sir-IIl pawn my word 1or
that"
He aoM be safe, if there be safety in bolts
and bars" said Sir Roy. "The sentence OF
he law has been passed upon him-he must
abide the consequences of his " act:"
0Rut youT interfere, Sir Royl" cried Mary
Owenson, with a white, startled 1ace' IN;
Sir Row. for the sake of your own bright
lady and the bonnie babe that's coming to
risd the old Hall, don't let them take the
I bread out of my mouth aud this little ones!
We haven't done no i'll to the laWl And the
old grandmother that nurscd my lGdy's "
mother when she was a chlldl You Houidnt
/ Sen0 OlO EISD6IA . ~ ~
rabbit or so, or maybe 8 bird, as would never
sfMary," said Sir Roy, quietly, "whst is the
use of making a scene like this, n giving
me unnecessary snnoyance2 Your HUSBAND
knew what he was doing, and he IS no ch1d
to be left off from the consequences. VI
course l shall not interfere"
Mary Owenson rushed forward with a low,
gaspy cry, and fell literally at Sir Roy's feet,
threw her arms around his knees, while the
ittle babe, cast recklessly from her arms,
crept over the carpet, catching at its gay
roses and cooling as it Wentl ,
sYou can't mean it, walled poor Mary; 1T
isn't him you're punishin' alone-its me and
the little onel You wouldn't see US starYe,
Sir RoyI Tllnot let 60 your feet, Sir boy, TIL
YOU promise. I'll not rise till 1 have it from
your own lipsl"
Her voice gradually raised; it bad reached
an agonized shrek. Sir Roy pulled the BELL
rope with an angry jerk.
tsBulworth," he said to the man who an
| swered the peal, 'let the servants come and
carry this screaming idiot away"
But Mary OwensOn was not screaming now.
| Apparently the force Of her entreaties had
exhausted her, and she lay q~uiet-qulet and
m~otionless on the floor, as the servants gent
Iv lifted he and carried her away. BuIWorth
himself came back after the little child, who
| sat cooing en- TIE carpet as if the whole scene
had been a farce gotten up for It's especial
benefit.
deposited his tiny bundle in the housekeep-
er's room, sit do seem hardl But, Sir Roy,
he's like a block of iron-you can't move him
when once he's set his foot down. There,
there. Mary OWenson, dr.nk a drop o vine as
Mrs. Locksley's holdin' to your lps-itu do
you good"
But Mary pushed the glass away with a
hand that the housekeeper could feel was as
cold as stone.
"Notin this house, " she said, in a strangely
altered voice, sit would choke me. Give me
the child, and let me go!"
'eYou'd better rest a while, first" pleaded
NJ. Locksley, kindly. it's a kind o a faint
you've been in" Fl,
can walk well enough-Oply let me get out Of
the shadow Of this house ]"
And no entreaties on the part of the kind
hearted servants could dlssuade her from
her purpose. She passed slowly down
through the strawberries, carrying her IN
FAINT in her arms, with her hln drooplHg, on
her breast, and not a yestige OF color II htr
face.
Sir Rov Fairfax watched her from his libra
nv window, with q curious smile upon his
perfectly sculptured lips.
zone or two such lessons as this will have
q better effect upon these troublesome
poachers," he thought, ethan all the empty
threats in the world. 1t was time. They
He raso and entered his wife's apartment.
Lady Fairfax was sitting with a book in her
hand. Sac glanced up as he closed the door
behind him.
81 thought I heard some one scream,
Row" she said anxiously. "What was the
matter?"
at was only Owenson's wife; naturally she
is a little annoyed at the idea of her Lord and
master being immured in the Varrick jail for
six months" answered Sir Roy, lightly.
t'But you are not in earnest, Roy" exclalm-
ed Lady Fairfax, with her brown eyes wide
open. .,u,-
should l not be in earnestg The man has IN
Cured the penalty of the law; there Is no
reason that be should be allowed to escape
it,"
''But it is Owen OwensonI"
Every well; 1 don't see what difference
that makes"
SRoy," pleaded Lady Fairfax, "you will in
terest yourself in the mans behalf-yeu will
never allow him to be imprisoned for so long
a time"
aMarian," said her husband, "you are q lit
tie enthusiast, but you mustn't let old Els
peth's smooth tongue convince you that black
is white and white is black. Nobody can in
fringe the law of the land without suffering
but his wife, Roy, and the poor little
child"
ssThey'n do well enough" said Sir Roy, in
differently. General laws must bear hard on
particular cases, Of Counsel Why, Marian,
my darling, You are cryingi"
Lady Fairfax rose, with her fair cheek
flushed, and her soft eyes glstenlng aid
luminous with tears.
ROY" she cried, clay aside for an instant
the merciless eXecutioner, the rigorous mag
~istrate, and be a man, feeling for his fellow
menl For my sake, Roy, let this poor fellow
go unframed"
tsMy little wife is unreasonable now" said
Sir ROy, IN q voice whose velvet smoothness
concealed his iron purpose, as a cleaning sur
face of water hides the cruel point of a rock
beneath. ''You are no judge of the ~exigencies
of a case like this. 1 would do much for your
sake. Marian, but I ann step aside from
the plain path of duty"
'sBut it is not duty, Roy, it eannOt be!
DUTY is not vindicatiYe-it is not u~nfeeIngi"
'sWhat can a little petted bird like you know
about these moOted points laughed Sir Roy,
patting his Wife's cheek. ''Here is your pony
carriage now-and you are not ready No."
as he caught the wistful look IN Lady FAIR
fax's cye, "the question is laid OF ne table
once for all; il is useless to dice rs it fur
Their !"
'FYou will not spare him 2"
q" 1Cu not spare him !"
And when Sir Roy spoke in that tone, his
wife knew that he was past all melting or
moyingl
1t was a few weeks after this that Mrs. Whar-
ton came in to brush out her lady's abundant
brown hair, and dress it for the late dinner at
the Hall.
ssHave you heard what has happened, my
lady?" she asked, with the privileged familiar
ity of an old servant,
1'tNo," said Lady Fairfax, languldly, as she
turned the pages of her book. els it any
thing particular"
"WelI. nv lady," answered Wharton, de-
lighted to be able to impart a piece of freshly
] CLEANED news, "Margery, the sculiery maid,
has lust come up from Owenson's cottage,
and she says they're in a dreadful way tbere!'
"What is the matter2" asked Lady Fairfax
moving her head so suddenly that the half
plated braid was jerked out of Wharton't
hands.
"Oh, my ladyl" cried the maid, 81 beg yoUl
pardon-1 hope 1 didn't hurt you"
"No, no it was nsthing; tell me what you
were going to say"
FrYes, my lsdy-well, you zee they've beer
havin' the typhoid fever in Varrick, and some
way it got into the jail-snd Owen Owenson,
the poacher, my lady, you knew-he was one
of the first as took it, snd he's dead!"
"Deadl is he7 Poor Mary" cried Lady
| Fairfax with genuine cOmmiSeratIon.