Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-10-12
BEATRICE.

HOW NAlGN MGlC AOW AANNAlN cA1 civ ~ /
tered this one word which seemed
so cruel to Ronald Redster.
"But 1 love you with all my
heart, Beatrice, and L"
He did not finish the sentence, for
Beatrice stopped him by wave of
her hand.
81 dare rot, and will not marry |
you; it was my mothers last wish |
that / should marry Sir Lyon Sec
lar" And here Beatrice stopped |
and trembied as if from fear.
"Then haven hope, Beatrice?'
he asked with slight tremOr in his
voice.
mo hote at all, Ronald, though
you know l would marry you but
for my poor mothers words"
"GoOd-by, Beatrice" he said.
She sadly held out her hand.
"GOOd-by, Ronald"
Beatrice glided softly from the
arbOr toward the house where she
had spent so many happy hours.
Ronald watched her until she was
out of sight, and with a heavy heart
walked slowly home-to his mother.
Mrs. Redster was seated in her sit
ting room embroidering a pair of
"Why, how late youare, Ronald!"
she said, as her son entered, looked
around at him as he stood with one
arm resting on the mantle-piece.
"YeS, mother"
His tone was so sad that Mrs.
Redster involuntarily asked:
"What troubles you, my bOy?"
"Only the old story, mother; you
know / love Beatrice Hale. Well,
this evening I asked her to be my
wife, and she absolutely refused me,
though she acknowledged that were
it not for a promise she made her
mother to wed Sir Lyon Seclar she
would consent to be mine"
"My poor son! Is there no hope
of her relenting?"
"None."
"Do not despair-hope on. But
bark! did you not hear a cry ?"
Eyes, it sounded as if some one
was calling for aid, F" replied Ronald.
He went hastily to the window and
looked out.
ats the hall on fire" he wildly
cried, and then rushed out of the
house and across the wide, open
country to the hall.
Arriving at the scene of disaster
ROnald's first thought was of Beat
rice. He looked up to her window,
and saw her dart across the room
and throw up her hands. Hardly
conscious Of what he did, he rushed
through the hall, up its wide stairs
to the door of her apartment. 1t was
locked, and the fire was raging
4 IL T. i L
twice, but heard no response. With
desperate energy he threw himself
against the door and burst it open.
The smoke and fire met him with
great barst, but, needless of this,
he rushed, falling over the almost
lifeless body of Beatrice. Catching
some blankets from the bed, he
wrapped her in them, for her cloth
ing was beginning to burn, rushed
wildly oat of the room into the hall
and down the stairs to the crowd
assembled in the garden, where he
fell faintiRg to the ground.
After the fre Beatrice was carried
to the house of Mrs. RedSter, where
every means was used to make her
comfortable. Ronald, who soon re-
covered from his slight scOrching,
next morning returned to the hall.
Matters were not so bad as he
thought; the wing was completely
gone, but the rest of the hall was
not much injured.
Sir Lyon Seclar mad not been seen
since the fire broke out.
Ronald was gazing at the ruins,
puzzling his brains to try and think
what was the cause of the fire, when
he was startled by voices not a very
great distance from him.
"One thing-hark !" said a voice
that OF a female.
SEQ, You little simpleton! No
one can hear US, very gruff voice
rejOined.
Just then Ronald heard some one
coming up the graveled walk, and
he recognized Beatrice. She looked
very pretty with red roses on her
cheek, brought there by the brisk
walk she had just taken. She was
about to speak when Ronald checked
her with a wave of his hand; she
understood the sign and at once
listened.
"He has done you no HARM" the
unknown woman said.
"But / will have my revenge on
Redster. What right had he to
save Beatrice? We must say he
did it, and Mr.. Hale will not allow
his daughter to associate with an
incendiary
"Just as sure as you try to bring
in that young Ronald l will let out
the secret ~ answered the woman
with vehemence.
"NOw, Jane, look here; 1 will
give you twenty pounds if you will
help me in this business" said the
man.
"Money down ?''
eyes"
"Ah! you know / cannot refuse
that offer" replied the woman, ''fOr
have not eaten a mOuthful of bread
since yesterday"
"Will you keep the secret-sure"
asked the man.
eyes" replied the woman indif-
ferently, as if it were the same as no.
"All right come then"
The voice ceased evidently the
speakers were moving away. After
Il few minutes of silence Beatrice
looked up at Roland, saying:
"What do you think of that ,"
something against me. Beatrice,
do you do not think there is mys-
terry about that fire."
Eyes, Ronald, l do. l feel sure
the hall was fired purpOsely."
81 fancy" said Ronald, thought
fully, "that the people intended to
throw suspicion on me-"
"Oh, Ronald! how can they do
that ?''
II don't knOw-wiclled people
can do anything. But who is that
coming up the road ?'
Its little John Halifax" said
Beatrice, and he beckOns to us.
What is the matter, Johnny"
"Oh, Mr.. Ronald"" cried the
child, ''your mother was taken i'll
after you left the house, and wants
YOU and Miss Beatrice"
eve must hasten, Them" said
Ronald, with a startled look upon
his face; and they wended their
hOmeward.
After the two plotters had left the
vicinity of Ronald they moved on
rapiII,v but siIaDtIy fill tbpU pappp