The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-10-21

dar tha IS.h of Anrii, Old style, during the
| week preceding Easter Sunday: Cisra 'e,1
very nervous as the time approaoneu, ano al'
tho more so that she found heIseil IN s'a,e
1 of nerniexity and isolation, owing to the AL
| sence of ali tidiDgs whatever touching Ger
vase. she was distressed beyond measure to
! 6nd tb at Ed ward Rogers, who was now almost
| a daiIy yiaitor at the Hall, seemed to gain an
| increasing influence over her father. The old
| man had been much shaken by his recent ais
| tresses, and his mind was less vigorous than In
| former years. She could not help being
! aware that his intellectual powers were en-
| feebled, and that he readily sucoumbed to the
plausible fattery OF the unprincipiea man wno
! was using every artifice to renstate himself In
| his confidence. Since the day when the
former had alluded to the rumnr of SacheVe-
! rill's rendezvous with Dora lownsneno IN
Derbysbire she had carefully abstained from
| ever naming her lover even to her father and
| still less had she suffered it to be profaned by
| his rival without some such silent protest as
| instantly quitting tho apartment. Sne Spent
| much of her time in her own bower occupied
| in her translation of the biographies which
/ sire h9d- cot,t+ieBeea- Gervase, taxing
espeCial care never to walk abroad dnrinR the
I hours when Edward Rogers was at Harving-
ton lest she should be entrapped into tete a
| ete with Him
| One morning in April, about week before
| the assize day as che sat at her embroidery in
| Dame Mary's apartment, the latter observed
casually
can recall, TO furnish us with tidingss of the
| tria next Tuesday. It would be madness Tor
| your father 20 risk his liberty by going into
the city. He hath no longer the strengtn or
| activity for suoh freak in days of yQre,
| and he could never obtain license from tour
| Justices to do it openly"
| "There surely must be some one among your
| tenants" uuoth Clara, "who could watch the
| proceedings without danger of suspicion and
| bring us early news of the result l would l
were 3 man, to venture on It, Even maiden
| though be, I am half inclined to risk the con-
sequences. if ocly to gain sight OF my dear
| Father when he standeth arraigned before the
judge. and to see his holy oountenanoe once
more"
"Mr Edward Rogers" returned Dame Mary
calmly. "hath personally no inclination TO be
| present ut the trial, for he feareth that his
justices to snbpe na him o witness, bnt not
| withstanding, he hath offered, if you were
| willing to accept of his services, to escort
you into Worcester under some Disguise, and
place You in the court to hear the cause"
Never! will never consent to trust my
self in his compsnionshp," rejoihed Clara in
my beloved child" replied the Dame,
pardon my having told you what he said,
) for know You are little disposed to believe
in his changed disposition and penitenoe; but
, have observed him closely, and albeit less
, confident at first than your dear father, L see
no good reason to distrast his motives. He
never speaks of you but with marked reve-
r renee and all his converse showeth a deep
, sense of religion aud hatred for his former
courses"
The girl bent down her head as il intent up
8 on her task, and uttered not word.
I "'Tis strange that we have had no tidings of
4 Mr.. Sscheverll for many weeks" pursued
D Dame Yate after b long pause. II fear els trne
that Mistress Townshond aud he are together
i in Derbyshire. IT'S certain she is there, for
o Sanire Dobyps of Kidderminster told my
r tenant that his wife bad gone with her to
his mothers at Ashbourne. If he should
= prove tickle to his God you cannot hope be
will he true to his earthly love-"
t II trust him to bo true to both,' said Clara
in determined voice, while raising her mead
bar lin birh n W,ll Isl
r ble) upon her hostess. "Dear Dame Mary,
4 how can you be mistrustfulf Pray say no
more about him; cannot otherwise command
Q myself" Saying this, she rose qnietIyi and
r LAYING aside her WORK, left the room.
: Dame Yate felt deeply panied at what had
passed, aud would have followed her, but
= TOR the entrance of cid Mistress Finch who
came to tell her that her brother aud Ed
8 ward Rogers seeking her. The latter
= came t. press his plan of conducting Clara 90
e the ass'z,s. Gverrtug that he had arranged
with friends in Worcester to eacort her into
court. Dame Mary, who now deemed 1t nhad
y visabie to press the matter farther, utterly
discouraged the proposal on Lne pea Sn a.
o Clara had not health or strength for suca al
r undertaking.
d CIara's face showed signs of the sutfern e
which she was striving to conceal. She neVe
u again alluded to what had passed betwee
It Dame Mary aud herself, but WAS more sllen
.. and reserved in her society. When Eu"ar
!" Rogers was present she avoided him as muc
n as possible, and nswered him with studio
O. but courteous coldneRs.
~ There WAS a post-oflce at Kidderminster, bit
n, tho letters were kept until applied for, an
5e thus Dame Yate usually received them whe
I'd her tenants went in thither on a market ida
and called for them. Edward Rogers, being
,u the habit of passing through Ktddermiuste
re had undertaken this duty, but no letter hi
az ever come to hand fox Clara. There was
much uncertainty and irregnnlarity in the CO
tn veyance of letters in those days, that no o
in could venture predict the hour of their d
livery. Clara had lot been informed
th Rogers offer to act letter-bearer, and
no mar ct days had invariably called at the hou
ly. | OF one of Dame Yates farmers to ask wheth
ere he had brought her any communication tr'
so the post. Sac usually only saw the farme
of wife, who simply told her that her gDodm
MT had brou ght noue. One day she found Da1
he. Yate reading a letter delivered to her by
ess ward Rogers, and then she discovered that
emit was in the habit of calling for them IS
Of passed through kidderminsJer. She utter
ind no remark, but her suspicious were at OF
ixt aroused, and she determined to 90 herself
ant the Off So and to make Inquiries whether "a
ter letters had been received with her Rddre
For She selected day when Edward Rogers
no accompanied her father To Rushock, n
sed started oil by path across the fields, folio
ath ing the lneandering course OF brook Viii