Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-01-15
WHOLE NO. 1918.
between him AMI the chimney


between him AMI the Gimme
wainscot.
/ Save me, Maurice r.
His heart caught the terror of her
face. Rising. he drew her close TO
him. with az arm like iron
| sWhat il that p demanded Sir
Tbomss again, and this time he
rose and, striding to the door. threw
it open.
A group of servants drew back
confusedlv.
Sir Thomas waited, aud all o. a
sudden the women broke out sob.
bing and wailing.
sCome forward one of you and
speak, cried their master, impa-
tiently.
A tall, gaunt young man in spec.
tacles. Jacob Page, the organiss OF
the chapel approached.
Sir said he, in trembling voice,
"a cousin of mine has been here to
tell as that Edward Sutton has this
evening made charge at Dorcbes-
ter to Judge Jeffreys against our
dear young lady. for aiding'-'ln
the escape Of the Duke of Mon
mouth"
at these words the women SER
wants burst out with q fresh wall of
grief and fear.
Sir Thomas stood motionless.
IA xv
threw her arms round his neck.
Forgive me- che said, 10 sad,
firm voice, laying her cheek against
his shoulder; Il could not help it.
Indeed, indeed, | could do no other.
He met me when | was out alone
with Edward, and threw himself
upon my mercy. You remember
the day | came home and said my
pony had thrown me and gallopped
out to the moors--it was then.
Ever since then have bribed Ell.
ward with money and trinkets to
hold bis peace. See-my rings are
all gone, the wretch has had them
from me one after another. To-day,
after hearing about some new and
more horrible case of punishment
for more incidental aid TO the rebels,
he grew, l suppose, frightened for
himself. Then | knew there was a
Judas by my side. But they have
not come-not yet, thank God |
When | heard the noiee I thought
the Jeffreys had sent for me. Will
be send tonight, think you? Faith
or Paul Father Paul look to my
mother 4
Lady Glyn tainted. Althea and
the priest ran TO her, while Wardour
went to quiet the servants.
'Sir Thomas he said, as he closed
the door, Il have ordered your horse;
mine is tired, and / shall have long
ride
Are you going to-
sTo the Duke's--yes. IT any one
on this earth can move Jeffreys, it is
he.'
Sir Thomas chung to his hand and
looked in the young mans eyes with
an nnutterable meaning.
In five minutes more Wardour was
dashlug down the avenue on the best
hunter in Dorsetshire.
CHAPTER IL.
IFS 1T LIFE OR DEATH ?"
The summer moon and stars shone
placidly over Merlewood Chase. 1t
was a light that suited its ancient
beauty well. Without,all was peace !,
within, suspense-suspense that
seemed to express itself in the tick
ing OF the clocks. the smothered foot.
falls, the tapers burning in the chapel.
| Wardour had now been gone two
hours. Sir Thomas, wearied out by
terror and anxiety,sat in his armchair
in the dining hall in something be.
tween a trance and doze, from
which he wonld waken every now
and then, crying out wildly to have
his child spared him. Lady Glyn Law
on couch in the same room, terri
bly, stricken and Father Paul moved
about on tiptoe, doing kind offices
for both with the gentleness of a
woman.
Althea was constantly in and out
OF the room; but she could not rest
long in the same place. Now she
would be soothing Sir Thomas after
one of his wild dreams, and now
kneeling by her mothers couch, kiss.
ing her trembling hands and admin.
istering Father Pauls nostrums.
Then she would be 10 the servants
hall, speaking hopefully and cheer
fully to them, and sending them to
rest by turns. She seemed more like
an angel of peace moving about the
house than a being for whom they
were all in such great fear.
Bat most of that night was passed
by Althea in the old chapel, with it's
quaint arches, its dim lights. 1t was
there that she went, like Jephthah's
daughter to the mountains, to weep.
and struggle with her agony, alone
and unseen. 1t was there and there
only that she besought God with all
the passion of her soul that this bit.
ter cup might be taken from her lip.
1t was here that she taught herself
the meaning of the word death
such a death as Lady Alice Lisle's.
And would not her own be worse in
proportion with her crime? 1t was
there that she made her tender soul
taste every imaginable torture, and
try before God if il were possible to
endure it. 1t was there that she over.
came deaths bitterness sufficiently to
say IF it be Thy will 1, too, can die.
In another hour a messenger ar.
rived--a servant of Wardour's, with
scrap of paper for Sir Thomas.
Althea, who received it from him,
looked over her fathers shoulder as
be read it 1t ran thus -
| 'All is over as far as Duke is con.
cerned. He can do nothing. The
case is too bad, he says it would
but exasperate J, to reason with him
about it. He has given me a hint
about bride, and | now 60 myself
to J. Neither hope nor despond too
much, bat have courage for her cake.