Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1876-07-27


way to Duguesclin's statute. and win
There was no opportunity for explana-
ton, Counsel must be taken as to how
and when the matter should be laid before
Mrs. Arden. SO those whom it most
concerned finished the walk almost In ST..
lence. Grace and Mrs. Arden talking Tor
all. But May, though terribly frightened.
was unutterably happy, even In the face OF
the storm she foresaw at home. It'll to-
morrow, daring.' whispered the young
painter, as he pressed her hand at the inn
door, and she answered him with her eyes.
'To-morrowr said Mrs. Arden to the
two girls. You'd better pack how. l do
hate tourists-it seems to me one only
leaves England to tall out Of the Smiths in
to the Browns
Brown is an excellent name. mamma =
said she who had turned up her nose at
that OF Ireton. It's one of the oldest Of all
"a graEd old Saxon name
oh. dear ! thought Mrs. Arden, she's
already reached the point Of reconciling
herself TO the sound of Mrs. Brown. May,
my dear, here's a letter for YOU
May kissed Grace and Mrs. Arden more
warmly than usual, and escaped into her
own room. As to the letter she saw it was
only from home, and was In no hurry to
open it. Her own head was full enough OF
news TO need no more. But she opened IL
at last and read as follows:-
My DEAREST MAY don't know how
to break the sad news. Iou must come
notc. Your father Is very ill-how shall
write il? We are ruined. When married
Redlands was what they called mortgaged
over aud overland then there had to be
borrowing-and that horrid county elec.
tion-and OF course we had to keep up the
old position ef the Cravens in the country,
for your sake, my dear. SO your father
acted for the best-he tried TO put things
straight by investing in mines aud things,
aud now It's all gone. We shall be beg
gdrs. and he will sink under the blow. My
darIln: May. 1t depends upon you TO save
your father from ruin. from beggary, from
broken mind-perhaps from-l can't
write the word. All the directors have
turned out To be cheats and swindlers, and
your father, who never knew anything
about ledgers-how should he. indeed. be-
ing Craven OF Redlands has got mircd
up tcith them, and all because he tried 10 be
a good father TO you. | mplore you. my
darling. come back and be good-it Is our
only chance. May! come back, and don't
ssy word 10 a soul, not even To Grace
Arden. Your loving, heart broken
MOTHER.
Y. S.-Sir Marmaduke Ireton is expected
at WhItelsnds any day
Mary let the letter fall. She had just en-
gagged herself 10 a nobody-a wandering
painter, whom she was learning to love
with all her heart and soul-and now!
Poor girl She had faults enough and to
spare. bat none that were inconsistent
with her bright. frank honest eyes. Self
will does not OF necessity mean scltishness,
or waywardncss in prosperity An incapac-
ity for self-devotion in the hour of need
But there are limits to the endurance OF a
martyr. Had her mothers letter arrived
week ago, she might have made face
and swallowed Whitclands, Sir Marina
duke and all had IL arrived an hour ago.
she might have found it possible To crush
her silent heart; bat now her heart had
spoken out; 1t was no longer her own 10
crush or resume. TO sell hcrselt-to be
falthess TO lOve-to revoke her pruni Sc
to act like jill and cOuquettc-to set
herself TO snare the purse OF IA stranger.
and Ia break the heart of him she loved
that was treason to her whole nature. But
then to ruin those who had. as her own
mother had told her. ruined themselves
and even incurred dishoner Tor her, 10 let
the chance OF an hour be the cause OF their
destruction; To let the face Of her father
and mother upbraid her for seltishness.
all her DAYS 10 think of a rev love be-
fore she thought OF them-that was worse
than mere treason TO nature; IL would be
mean and vile. Even If this hatful Sir
Marmaduke proved beyond the reach of
her aim she, must not dream of the love
of poor man, She threw herself undress-
ed, upon her bed and let opposing i'm
pulse ight over her, and draw her now
this way, now that, while she hardly con-
scious OF the battle. At last h er eyes clos
ed in a miserable mockerv of sleep; and
when she woke, the tune OF "Auld Robin
Gray" was rambling In her ears.
Grace was by her bedside; and then the
whole horror of the situation rose up before
her. TRACE" she exclaimed Il must 90
at once-my father Is very ILL.,"
Which meant Il must do what seems
10 be right, come what may. | should
not deserve the love OF a good man. III sac
rificed my fathers welfare. his life. per-
haps his good name, even for him" Mrs.
Arden and Grace pressed her with sym
pathetic questions, but she would only an
swer." My father is I'LL must go home" "
She looked i'll enough herself; but she
would not delay her journey for any hour,
nor would she let her friends see her buck
farther 81. Malo. But she managed 10
steal last moment TO scribble one little
pencil note for the gdrc0n TO deliver 10
the man whose love she had accepted
only few hours-or was il years?-ago.
PLEASE forgive me-" she wrote; don't
think i'll OF me-since last night has hap
peBed what can't eXplain-must part
u forever. Forget me-you have not
known me long-and | will try. God
bless you and make you happy. MAY"
Ii was overland she was on her way
home to catch the owner of Whitlands. Ii
was a horrible journey; it was like long
funeral. wherein she was following her
self to the grave.
We may hope that she obtained grain
Of comfort when. arrived at home. her
mother embraced her warmly and said
My darling May! You save us still
know you Will
"And papa?"
"He is better since we got your tele-
gram to say you were coming home.
But oh, how pale you look. May"
'I'm only tired. And
.'Sir Marmaduke' He comes home the
day after Tomorrow, so the hOusekesper
says. l wrote to ask him TO dinuer the
day after"
Well, there was a reprieve. She learn
ed the whole misfortune that had fallen
on Redlands, and It was even worse than
she mad already been told. She spent her
days of grace IN nerving herself to the loss
Of her self-respect by preparing her eyes
and complexion for sale, and in burying
what lay in the depth Of her heart, out OI
her own sight, and. so far as might be,
out OF mind.
This was Wednesday. Thursday was
passed in combating Il hope that man
will hate me-" and the temptation, land
will take good care that he shall" But
she crushed the hope and conquered the
temptation. Friday came. and brought
the news, in the shape Of an acceptance o.
"Mr. and Mrs.Craven's kind invitation.
that Sir MarmadUke IretOn was already al
Whitelands. Saturday came.
Six O'Clock came, ard she heard the
sound OF carriage wheels in the drive
Her heart grew havy and cold as she
decked herself for the first interview witt
her intended victim 1t was with bit.
| ter, involuntary pleasure, ifthere is room
| for such word. that her glass reflected
pale cheeks and fevered eyes. She knew
! not till then how far away her whole hear
| had gone. Her mother came into heI
| room.
4 a, -