American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1881-07-09

81 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
obcdient or docilc. lie had an object
in view.
Lady Cumnor 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 not 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 her 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
woman with passions stronger and
deeper than those of most women, but
with n 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 hated Lean with undying
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. l loved my baby so well!
People think that sins are not punished
in this life. All, see how Heaven has
your dead mother, Ross: and, in pun
ishment, l have lost my child. If l
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
Cumnor 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 Cumnor 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 I'M
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 herselfP"
Il 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 I'M
foreseen accidents may have hap
pened."
"Yes, yes,'' cried Lady Cumnor, inn
patiently; Il grant all that! But why
did she accuse herself?"
"That is the mystery 1 mean to
solve" he said. ''As soon as 1 am
strong enough to move l sholl visit her,
md then l shall discover how to 90 to
work. If had not lost my health and
strength, that absurd trial would never
nave taken place. The bare idea of
falling Lean mad"
cit was the only means of saving her
ife," replied Lady Cumnor. "Better
% be called mad than wicked, Ross"
''She is neither. Lady Cumnor; and
will prove it, he said.
FRO RE CoNTINITFD.1