New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1881-06-08

She never hurt that child. | was near
her all the day of the trial; she is more
like an angel than women. There is
a mystery, and it must be solved. Try
to unravel it, Prince; and then-wel1,
we do not know how joyful the bells of
Larchton Church may peal afterwards!''
The Prince looked dismayed.
If may not marry you until that
mystery be solved. cttrissi3aG, we shall
never marry at all. 1t is strange,
dark affair which cannot understand. :"
You must try to do so," said Lady
Viola. II shall try. If ever the day
comes when beautiful Lean Dynevor
stands before men as believe she
stands before Heaven. then, Prince,
you can again put the question you
have asked..''
The roses and the lilies had faded,
the autumn flowers were in bloom, and
the fair earth lay smiling in the autumn
sunshine, when Ross Cumnor slowly
came back to life again. It had been
a hard struggle. All that he had
gone through anguish, the
horror of the day of little Hugh's death
eliminated in the terrible fever
which laid him low and took the
strength of his manhood from him. He
was thin, almost shadowy in appearance.
His face was white and worn; while the
large Spanish eyes seemed to have grown
even larger.
The first moment that he regained
perfect consciousness he asked;
Where is Leam2''
His anxious watchers soothed him
with gentle words, and told him that
she was quite safe. Then he asked
how long he had been lying there; they
told him six weeks.
six woeks!'' he repeated and they
never forgot his cry: rs she livingP"
he demanded. Tell me the truthodo
not deceive me-is she Gving?''
His agitation was terrible. Reason,
returning to him, brought back the
whole dreadful story, and he remem-
bered that Lean had owned herself
guilty of murder, and that she was to
be tried for her life.
''Tell me the truth" he cried; andhe
looked SO ill and so near death that they
were frightened. -
She was quite we'll, they assured him,
and he should see her as soon as he was
strong enough.
IL will get strong," he said, tremb-
ling with emotion. "Has she asked
for me?''
"Yes-not once, but many times, :"
they told him. -
II must make haste to get well," he
said: and he did. No patient was more
obedicnt or docile. He had an object
in view.
Lady Gunner had been in his room
every day. At first she would not show
any anxiety about him. If he had not
slain her little son, the girl he loved
had done SO, and she could pot forgive
him. But, one day, when he was I'M
usually violent in his delirium, she went
in to Try to soothe him. While she
stood by his bedside he held out his
arms to her and called her "mother."
At first she shrank from him and shud-
dered at the word. The second time he
uttered it hce' heart was pierced; the
third time, she, the naughty, Jealous
woman who had pursued him with i'm
placable jealousy, laid his head on her
breast and soothed him with kindly
words. All the anger, jealousy and
bitter hatred died out then. She was
Q woman with passions stronger and
deeper than those of most women, but
with heart that could be softened.
When Ross burning head rested on her
breast, she forgot to hate the Spanish
woman or her son. From that time her
feelings toward him changed.
She still hafod nom with mud x;,, =.
hate; but Roswell, Ross in his
weakness had called her "mother,"
had chung to her, had fallen asleep with
his head on her breast, and she could
not dislike him again. She thought,
too, how much misery and anguish might
have been spared her had she tried to
like him from the first. AS he grew
stronger they talked more together. She
would say to him, with listless, folded
hands:
''Life will never be the same to me
again, Ross. loved my baby so we'll!
People think that sins are not punished
in this life. All, see how Heaven has
punished me! was jealous and hated
your dead mother, Ross; and, in pun
ishment, I have lost my child. If
had been patient and loving, my little
Hugh would have been spared to me
my little Hugh!'
But the more kind and gentle she be-
came to Ross, the more virulent and
intense became her hatred of Lean.
She fully believed that she had de-
stroyed her child, and that the sole mo-
tive for it was her love for Ross. Lady
Gunner would talk to him by the hour
about it; but he was steadfast and loyal.
Nothing ever shook his faith in Lean
for one mountaineering could.
''But, Ross,'' Lady Gunner would
say to him, ''you admit yourself that
you saw her in the distance and told
the child to run to her. He started off,
and nothing was seen of him again un.
til he was found drowned"
"There is some way of accounting
for it," said Ross.
"Then why did she say she did it
why accuse herself?"
II cannot tell. That is the mystery.
The little one admired the water-lilies
very much. He would have gathered
them all if had allowed him. He may
have fallen in. One of hundred un.
foreseen accidents may have hap
poneQ."
Eyes, yes" cried Lady Cumnor, i'm
patiently; II grant all that! But WHY
did she accuse herselfp"
THAT is the mystery I mean to
solve," he said. GAS soon as am
strong enough to move I shall visit her,
and then l shall discover how to 90 to
work. If had not lost my health and
strength, that absurd trial would never
have taken place. The bare idea Of
calling Lean mad!"
It was the only means of saving her
life,' replied Lady Gunner. "Better
to be called mad than wicked, Ross.''
She is neither, Lady Gunner; and
I will prove it," he said.
One of the most attentive and de-
voted of Ross friends during his
weary convaiescence was Prince Conci,
whose interest in the tragedy never
abated. He told Ross of Lady Viola's
promise; and he looked very anxious.
You must make haste to get well,
Mr.. Ross" he said, '.and we will try
our skill together. I will aid you.''