The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1877-05-31

BAIyOn cnaracteFiStlcRlly cOnnne(
herself in striving to mature sOmt
plan by which she could Keep th;
peace make b r children happy, anC
still not outrage her own conscience
Kathleen occupied herself equally
Enthusiastically in arranging hOG
she could place her conduct Of the las
few days before them all ia such 1
pleasant, pretty light that they wOul,
go on regarding her as the blSmeless
Oswltcning, always tO-be-fOrgiven
idol OF the household that she hal
been from her little childhood. AnC
the Two young men spent their tim,
lin nervous avoidance of each other
in distTust of themselves, their moth
er, and, above all, Of the girl who haC
introduced the element Of discOrG int
their lives.
1t was not happy party that sal
down to dioner at Tue Court thai
evening. Even the Squire remark eC
that there was something wrong, anC
in his grim and uDcouth way made
matters worse by discOursing about
them. Rupert was grave, but moi
gloomy, for his mother had given
him Kathleen's message, and be had
" hSE 81 DElDICr duu u
love her more than ever. AS FOR
Archie, he was neither grave mol
gloomy, but that he was excited and
uncertain his mother saw with pain
and intuition taught her that Ksth-
leen had held some communication
with him in spite Of her promise tC
the contrary.
As for Kathleen, she only volun.
teered one remark, and that was 70
the effect that it was a ''fiDe bright
night, and that the avenues in the
north plantation were always st theil
lOveliest, when the snow was on the
ground, and the moon was up"
Time did not fly any faster when
dinner was over, and the family par
ty had adjourned to the drawing
room. Kathleen seemed to recover
her spirits, but her spirits led heI
Astray, it seemed to Rupert, for he
feared to keep her near him for sim
gle moment. When he went To heI
at the piano she broke into louder
song, and went on pouring out uneer-
tain strains OF melody so waveringly
and inhsrmOniously that even the
sleepy master of the house reused
himself to express q hope that she
"wOuld do her practicing in the morn
ing for the future" Archie buried
himself among the cushions Of sofa
and the pages of q novel, but once hs
rose to put another candle Oh the
piano, and as he did so he mutJered /:
keep your promise; this state OF
things can't go on"
They kept early hours at The Court,
AT ten Archie said goodnight to them
and when his mother asked him il he
"meant to go out into the bitter cold
to smoke his cigar as usual" he re-
piled, 'tNO, his bedroom fire would
be the divinity he should worship to-
night, not the cold starlight" And
she kissed his hot forehead, and
blessed hiLn, and bade him sleep well;
and so he went out.
"GoOd.night, old fellow" the broth
ers said to each other simultaneously,
and Rupert followed Archie halfway
to the door with extended hand, but
Archie did not see him. Then Ru-
pert turned to his love, and whis-
/ pered
"It's all clear between US, my own,
may tell my father now we will
never have q secret from our nearest
again, Kathleen"
TELL him when Pm gone to bed,
and l am going to bed now; I'm tired
I'm worn out" she said, impetuously;
"my little eouceslment has been put
before me in the light Of crime TO-
day, Rupert ; let me go and recover
my faith in myself"
She rose as she spoke, and stood ir-
| al E,,Ng Ia F, l..
watched them with faint smile, and
a fainter heart.
"Tell him to let me go, mamma" !"
Kathleen said presently, with weary
pettishness al will be as obedient as
a slave to the voice of my owner after
tonight, out just tonight 1 am q
slave to nervousness. Tell him to let
me CO."
A sob broke her voice, and filled
with pity and fear for them both, his
mother said
"Let her go, my bcym and when
Kathleen avaIled herself Of her liber-
ty with alacrity, and flew out Of the
room, the poor lady added
"Heaven direct you in what you
do, Rupert, and teach her to reward
you"
"And teach her to love me better" {"
was his mental addition to his moth
er's prayer, poor fellow, as he finally
went away, half hoping that Archie
might have altered his mind, and
gone into their common smoking
room. |
But Archie was not there, and the
room was dull and cold without him.
A comfortable old room it was in it.
self, too, and endeared to him by a
thousand associations connected with
his happy boyisn days of free, loving,
unfettered intercourse with Archie
and Kathleen. Would that inter-
course ever be free and unfettered
again, he wondered? Had his BROTH
er's love for Kathleen been nipped In
the bud soon enough, and effectually
enough, for their respective barks to
float serenely over the sea of family
life for the future All that must de-
pend on Kathleen, he reminded him.
self. II she had the tact and truth
fulness, the grace and generosity
which he believed her TO have, 1t
would al, be well.
He had been standing at the win
dow as these thoughts passed through
his mIad, looking down into the heart
of the north plantation, which looked
q mysterious uncomfortable place
enough in the cold starlight. Pres
entity he remembered Ksthleen's
words at dinner about the avenues be-
ing at their lOveliest when the snow
was on the ground, and the moon wss
up. In another minute he ha0 open
ed the window and gone down to the
edge of the belt OF trees. A step OF
two more and he was under theiI
black shadows, and then he looked
back st the light in his mothers win
dow, and saw the reflection OF heI
figure moving about the room and,
half uuconscIOusly, longed the more
for happiness in his marriage, Ia or
der that a portion OF the reflected
brightness OF her children's lives
might pass into bis mothers.
"Ips late in the day for her to be-
gin to enjoy herself" he thought "but
it will be more perfect enjoyment ID
her than she's ever known IL all goes
well with Archie and me-"
The thought had hardly crossed his
mind when whispering voices caught
his ear, a womsn's form rustled in the
bushes close to him, and he saw Kath'
tieen standing, her head en- q mans
shoulder-thst mans arm eneircline
her. In an instant he was by her side
still in the shadow OF the trees
speeehless with grief and shame, anC
outraged love and trust; lie was IN
recognized, aud Archie's startled in
stInets caused him to raise his hanC
and strike the invader 8 heavy blow
He reeled an fell, and when they
bent over him, and shrieked his nam'
in their horror and fear, no answe
came, for the sh7rp edges Of q jagged
stump OF tree had cut into his brow
and il was q dead heart that Kathleen
tried to convince of her fidelity, il
spite Of appearances.
| His mother believed Archie, wheI
he knelt and told her that he was in
nocent Of the great offense Of raisiul
his hand knowingly against his broth
er-believed him, and loved him, AM
suffered for him, and lamented him
even as she loved, and sorrOwed and
suffered for, and lsmented Rupert
But Archie had TO take his trial u
spite Of her faith IN him, his trial b!
the laws Of his country-that wa
soon past. The trial that was neve
over. was his vivid remembrance o