The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1873-12-04

''At last! repeated Noel; "only TO
know that I have shared your roof,
and eaten your bread. 1 wonder it
didn't choke me. I wish it had. 1
wish
II ask you to hear me, Caperne,
said Julian. "After that, load me
with your curses, if you will; but hear
me first. Look at me! Am I not
old before my time-a broken man?
Heaven is my witness that have suf-
fered enough to satisfy even you
You think I did q wanton and cruel
thing in the days gone by. 1t was
wicked but not wanton. I have nev-
er loved as I did then. But even
when I dared to win her, I was in
debt, Noel, and knew not where to
turn for money. had been wild.
"You see 1 confess all. I could
make nothing of my profession;
things grew worse with me, and at
last I was arrested. The only terms
on which my friends would help me
were that should marry the woman,
who was a good wife to a bad hus-
band as long as she lived. Think of
it. What could I do? What hope
was there for that other engagement?
I wrote to her," said Mr.. Dudley,
quickly, seeing the gathering wrath
in Noel's face, "and told all, but I got
no answer"
"She never had your letter." said
Noel.
81 will pass over the rest briefly"
said Dudley. Il gave up the profess
ion that never had been more than a
name. With my wife's fortune, there
was no need of it. When I heard of
your sorrow, Noel, which was my
sorrow too-a darker one than yours
4 thought my heart must break.
We left England, and wandered about
the Continent for years, till my wife
grew homesick, and I bought this
place. Have patience a little longer.
L knew who you were of course when
you heaped Goals of fire on my head,
and were brought here hurt. Iknew
also that, if you found me out, moth
ing would induce you to stay in the
house. I told my mother the story
in part only mother, mind; bade
her keep you ignorant of the name as
long as possible, and went to Scot
land. They told me you were going
away last week, or I would not have
come home"
'The work was DONE" said Noel,
grimly. Il had found you out; your
presence was not needed to teach me
whose guest I had beer"
':Hear me out, Caperne," !" said Dud-
ley. Il have had a hope; I have
prayed for it to come true. I hoped
that in time you might take happiness
from my hands, as you once took sor-
row. Noel. 1 am humble enough; let
me have your pardon"
Noel laughed, a hard, metallic
laugh, with no mirth in it. Il vowed
a VOW on my sisters grave, Mr.. Dud-
ley. I owe you a double debt now;
the wreck of my own life as well as
that other one. Ask forgiveness
elsewhere
He opened the door and passed
out into the shrubbery, where he had
walked so often with Lucy He put
up his hand over his eyes, for her
face met him at every turn as he had
seen it last, when she said that he
frightened her. There was little
path leading from the shrubbery into
Corven Wood, and Noel took it. He
went away far into the wood, and
threw himself down in that very spot
where first the childish accents of ap
peal had reached him; and the little
Cor ran brawling by, the mill-wheel
sang in the distance, and all the
wood was full of pleasant sounds
Imagination plays strange tricks
with a man at such times as these
He heard the babbling of the river
and the mill-wheel, and the birds, but
palmer than any of them there rang
through his brain one sentence, spo-
ken by voice which he must never
listen to again, "Mr. Caperne, have
you forgiven?'
No, he had not forgiven; he coulG
not forgive. In that evil hour Noe
? said hard things of the fate that hac
brought him hither; the fate he onct
thought so wonderfully happy. HI
did not fully know yet the heavines'
of the blow that had fallen upon him
! he was like a man stunned and ONLY
! half conscious; shrinking from thu
" examination into his hurt, which ye
7 he was aware must come. He knew
$ now what was that ghostly resemb
, lance which had so troubled him a
first, both in Tony's boyish features
, and afterwards in Lucy's face as sh,
bent over the violets. At tina
D thought Mr.. Caperne sprang up tt
leave the wood which he might neve
see more; he went away along tn
, path to the bridge under which tn
stream ran sullen and dark-ther
he paused to look round, and he said
with his eyes far away beyond Corvel
Wood, "Never again-never!"
q VII.
Five years since Noel Capern
found Julian Dudley's name on tn
y bit of music; five years since he la,
= on the grass, reviling the pleasan
q music of the wood, which Jared upol