The Red Cloud chief., 1879-05-29

20 face with Mrs. Dorchester. She
turned and 6ed immediately, regardless
Of her errand-d ed down SIDE streets
and csese alleys-asd oaiy stopped 90
breathe when che he'd reached her
humble lodging In one of the
secluded parts Of the city. Blu, hardly
had she clsssd tie d0sr, HARDLY had she
begun to I'll Dofeas thas tssy must hs,
when Mrs.. Dorchester, unaanc.acsd.
forced herself into the room.
81 hare followed you." said the lat
ter, unceremoniousiy, as Lydia rose
angrily. 81 viii speak, An- Drake"
"Hsve the goodness 70 leave my
room," answered Lydia, lettering 10
her feet. "I do not know you Dor the
name by which you have addressed me-"
You have been mas long enough"
sternly exclaimed her visitor, sitting
down. "Try 10 come back TO your
senses. I shall not 60 till have ex-
planned. Al few words ~ill do it. Your
husband and /, instead of being wha;
you thought, were trying 70 keep q
great misfOrtune from you, or, il that
could not be done, 70 break IL to you
carefully"
There was an air Of truth about the
speaker that staggered Lydia. She sank
nerveless into : chair.
81 must. tell the whole story in order
TO exculpate ourselves" SAID Mrs. Dor
chester. "Your father got into diff
~culties, forged nv husbands name 10 q
large amount, and was on the point Of
exposure when Mr.. Dorchester died.
The Affairs then came into my hand, TO
settle"
LYDIA sat leaning both elbows on the
table before her, her face supported on
her hands, listening and looking as if at
her doomster.
~ could have prosecuted your father,
but it would have sent him 10 die in
prison." continued Mrs. Dorchester,
sand would have publicly disgraced all
his family. You / knew, by name, as
the wife Of my cousin, with whom l
had been brought up in the country as
= child, and whom 1 loved as q brother
as = brother, nothing more," she add
ed, emphatically. "Besides, l was q
woman, and l hope not . cruel one. So
| refused to prosecute, suffered the loss
of the money, and hushed the matter
up"
Agroan burst from Lydia.
Mrs. Dorchester went n "Thsn /
met your husband Unexpectedly. He
had received some hints about your
father, and be insisted on knowing the
truth. He then said you ought TO be
told. But l replied that it would only
pain you ~needlessly; if you continued
estranged you might never hear the
story. He answered that it would come
TO your ears, sooner or later. This is
why you saw us talking SO much togeth-
er, and why, on several occasions, he
sought private interviews with me.
One evening he nearly won my consent.
But hardly had he gone before / repent
ed shrank from it, you see, as a
him he must still keep our secret.
That letter, it seems, or a portion Of it,
you found. He was tearing it up,
when you came into the room, and he
put what was left of it hastily into q
book that Law nigh, as he afterwards re-
membered. As sOoa as he could he
hurried to consult me. You we're, he
said, getting Jealous; you evidently
misunderstood US; and he must tell the
whole stO-y now, in justice to himself.
I was engaged with a party to Dover,
and the room was full; so he joined US,
in order TO have an opportunity to say
all this. Of course, in this crisis, my
scruples gave way. My reward is that
you have believed me q vile woman.
There, that's the whole. I've told the
story, perhaps. in a hard way; I'm sOr-
~ for you, all the same. Thank God,
I've found you'll"
She had risen while speaking, and
caught Lydia's dress in the excitement
of telling her hurried tale. Lydia's
gaze, which at first had been fixed on
her SO angrily, had fallen before her;
she had buried her face in her hands;
and now, as Mrs. Dorchester ceased,
the wretched listener sank senseless to
the floor.
When Lydia revived, Mrs. Dorches.
ter finished. Leonard Drake had spent
three years in searching for his wife, and
the last time Mrs. Dorchester had heard
from him he was living in Morrisania,
n. Y.
The next morning saw Lydia and
DOlCoS Ou buClk way W . AoAA
1t had been showing when they reach
ed the metropolis and by the time they
left the railway train which they had
taken in Morrisania it had settled into
a heavy storm. Lydia wanted to walk;
SO Dorcas wrapped q water proof cloak
about her, drew the hood over her head
and;did her best to shelter her.
"Ask how we go!" vas all her mis-
tress said. "Be quick-I want to start;
but I must wslk-I should 60 mad"
Dorcas stepped into q hotel near the
station and made her inquiries. The
road was straight enough. MIR. Leon
ard Drake, she vas told, lived out be-
yond the town q little; she would know
the place by such and such directions.
They were less than half an hour on
the way. They reached the mansion, q
handsome dwelling, half town-house,
hall villa, with q long garden attached.
They mounted the steps and Dorcas rang
the bell.
"You ask" she heard her mistress
whisper.
She caught a sight of her ia e. 1t was
lined and scanned with pain; the dark
eyes fairly strained and dilatsd with
suspense.
"Is MI. Leosard Drake in?" Dorcas
asked.
"No; he is in New York. Mrs. Drake
is at home"
In~stinctively Dorcas reached out her
arm to support Lydia as she asked,
"Who is that-his mother?"
"No; his wife. Do you want to Q
her?' asked the servant rather CURLY,
beginning TO think them people in
search of charity and 10 liking to en-
counter the cold air.
"No," Dorcas said. SHOW long has
he been married?"