The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1873-03-06
Hugh's Vendetta.
A Story in Four Chapters.
BY CHRISTIAN REID.
AUTHOR OF "VALERIE AYLNER, - HHoRroN HoUsE,
"AABEL LEE, . ETC., ETC.
CHAPTER III.


t IContinued.l
/ When Margaret woke the nez
: morning, she found herself alone
e the rooms bright fire burning o
/, the hearth, and cloudy apology 70
+ daylight streaming in. It require
:, several minutes for her to remembe
: where she was; but then it all cam
a back with rush, and, rising, sh
walked across the floor, and Dire,
q back the blind of the window. ]
had ceased to rain; but the terribl
: rayages of the storm were evident OF
4 every side, and she could not hell
2 thinking that the waters of the del
uge, abating from the face of th,
earth, may have presented much sucl
! seeming as the scene on which7sh
gazed- As she still looked, she saw
TyrTell striding along through mut
and water toward the house; and
turning when he entered, she asket
at once where he had been.
"To find some means of getting
you home" he answered. '1t wal
rather difficult, for the rain last nigh
seems to have inundated the brains
of all Ridgeford, and vehicles are IL
great demand for the people escaping
from the neighborhood of the food
A carriage will be here in few min
utes, however
He looked SO pale and haggard, as
the morning light streamed over biz
face, that she was suddenly stricker
with remorse to think how he ha6
been working for her while she slept
"How has the rain of last night af
fected you, Mr.. Tyrrell?" she asked.
"It has made something very like
a ruined man of me" he answered
"But think very httle-too little
perhaps-of that. I have only my
self to care for, you know; and, when
one stands alone, no blow of Fortune
can be very severe.
Margaret was not by any means
sure of this, but she did not contra
dict him. She only glanced up with
a smile, and said:
"Shall I not make you some tea!
You look SO tired"
His face frightened as by flash.
Eyes" he said, eagerly. "Yes, if you
will be 30 kind" I
So she set to work in. her CHEEKY
way-a way that had frightened her
own home like sunbeam for twenty.
two years-and soon had the tea
ready-such tea as Mr.. Tyrrell was
notin the habit, nor, indeed, capable
OF, making for himself He took il
from her hand rs if it had been the
veritable nectar of the gods; and, in
truth, the poor fellow needed it badly.
He had taken a more powerful stimu-
lant at an earlier hour, but to revive
iaded energies and tired faculties,
there is no power in brandy to equal
that which turks in one strong cup
drawn from the fragrant Chinese
herb.
Before they had finished their i'm
prOnq't,t collation-for Margaret sat
down to bear him company, not SO
& much because she wanted any thing,
7 as because she knew by instinct that
I the sight of her was pleasant to hi,
q eyes-the carriage, which had been
ordered, drove up to the door. Miss
] Churchill rose and put on her water
0 proof, drawing the hood over her
hatless head, and then, since this
I completed her preparations for de
parture, turned to Tyrren.
''How can thank you for all your
kndness?" she said to him, in low
voice. "What would have become Of
me if you had not found and shelter
ed me! Believe me, I shall never
1 forget it. It"-she hesitated a mo-
ment, then went on, with crimson
| cheek-'.it has, if possible, made me
regret still more deeply the manner
J in which you were received when you
came on your errand Of kindness to
our house a month ago"
"You should know better than to
| talk like this" he said, reproachfully.
i ''Kindness-kindness to you! It has
been the greatest happiness that Fate
ever gave to me, and one on the mem
ory of which I shall live for months
and years to come" He had taken
| by this time, the small, ungloved
hand which she offered him, and,
holding it now, gazed with passion
ate wistfulness into her face. "Mar-
garet," he said, hoarsely, ''for the
last time, the very last time, let me
ask is there, can there be, no hope
for me?"
| She looked at him, and he read his
answer in her sorrowful eyes. Then,
after minute:
"Why do you imbitter our parting
like this!" she asked, sadly. "You
know we are not likely to ever meet
again. Why not let us say farewell
as friends-or, if not as friends, at
least as acquaintances who have met
and liked each other sincerely"
"Then we are not even friends?"
"How can we be?' she asked, still
sadly. "Do friends live as far apart
as we must ever do? OMr. Tyrrell!
her voice broke down here into
something like wai-'1et me go.
For Gods sake do not prolong this
hopeless pain!"
';Painl Is it pain to yoas9" he
cried, quick to catch the new accent