Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1878-03-14


were invariably attempting to dispar-
age her before her husband, and the
iuvariable sweetness with which she
received their Sights and inuendoes
did not surrender them less bitter In
their dislike of her. Unfortunately,
they we're likely to be permanent
guests at Fenwick Hall, since they
| had arrived at an age in which their
chances for marriage were perceptibly
lecreasn y-Miss Bertha Fcnwick be-
ing nearly forty and Miss Enphemla
certainly thirty-hye. They Worship
ed their brother, more bocansc he was
now the head of their house than on
the account Of any deep personal af-
fection, for Of that they seemed inca
pabIc
They contrived to throw the only
cloud over Carrie that ever hai dis
turbed her happiness. When her son
was born they seemed coIdIy indifer-
ent to the event, never noticing the lit
tie stranger, nor speaking Of it in ac-
lnowlcd, ,,ment Of its being the heir
Of Fenyick. Not all the winning
s%eetness Of the boy, who Inherited
the disposition Of his mother, could
have any effect upon the t"o annts,
who sometimes administered severe
rep.oofs and sometimes ignored h!s
existence altogether. In either case
he was always admon;shed by his
mother to appear perfectly uncon-
scious ef any intention on their part
to aifront or mortiiy.
Carrie and her sou had been absent
for several days, visiting a friend and
in the meantime, Miss Bertha Fen
wick and her sis,er had loft no stone
unturnel to prejudice Sir John
against his wife Finding this was
more difficult task than they hAd an
tci3ated, they invented story so
horrible that it changed the whole
current Of feelings toward her, They
both declared that Carrie hn! con.
lessad to them that the child whom
he had believed to be his own was
that Of another-a foreigner, whom
Carrie lad known while in Paris.
Foolishly believing this ttory, not
considering the utter inproblbility Of
a confession like TINS, Sir Johns rage
vas beyond all bounds lie swore
to expol her from his house, and that
her son should be bani3i,ei with her.
So great was his grief and ;1asaion, 50
dep his modification, that Miss En
phema earnestly entreatod hex sister
to undsceive him.
Fool ! exclaimed the elder, would
you have me undo the only plot
which las ever had any effect upon
him
'Dut your conscience, sistsr' re-
Joined the younger
Bah where were your c0neciences
when We devised the tai ? No my
dear, conscientious sister, see our ad-
vantage too we'll to be turned aside
from scheme already so successful.
Euphemia, as the weaker spirit,
Welded 10 the stronger, and Miss
Bertha Fenwick took care that her
brother should not be disabuBed of
any impression he had received from
her. Meantime, Lady Fenwlck was
iourneying homeward in her own car
riage; and anticipating with 10Y, the
moment that was to unite her to a
husband size adorel, Her son was
now fifteen years oil; noble boz Of
whom the family might we'll be proud
They arrived at dusk anl we're aston
ished at finding no one to receive
them. There were no lights in var
i1us parts of the house, but all was
silent. The servants who accompa-
niel them were forced to find back
entrance, and admitted their lady
through door, Of which they found
a key.
Trembling lest her husband were
i'll, Lady Fenwicl assembled the stairs
that led to his room, follow ed by her
son. She tried to open the door. 1t
was locked; but in moment Sir John
appeared. The afectionate wife
sprang to his arms, forgetting her
strange reception in the JOY Of seeing
him. He thurst her fron him, with
word whose bitter reproach stung
her to the soul. Was her husband in