American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1881-07-16
CHAPTER X.-CoNrINrEp.


Him Best;.' -. 4 Rose in
T7iorBs." .tc &c.
CHAPTER X.-CoNTINUED.
One of the most attentive and de-
voted of Ross friends during his
weary convaiescence was Prince Cenci,
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, land we will try
our skill together. l will aid you"
Three days after that. Ross Cumnor,
who had obtained permission from the
authorities, went to visit Lean. At
first he could only hold her in his arms
and kiss with passionate rapture the
pale. beautiful face. For Il few minutes
they could say nothing but how well
and how dearly they loved each other;
and then Ross said:
..Now, dearest. what is the mystery?
Why have you taken the crime upon
YOURSELF For 1 swear that you are not
guilty of it, l believe in your inno-
Ascence rs l believe-in Heaven"
She looked into his face with her
clear. steadfast eyes. They seemed to
read every thought of his heart
You ask me that, Ross? Oh, my
love. do you not understand"
Mo" he replied, slowly; "indeed.
do not / am sure only of one thing,
and that is that YOU did not do it,
Still she chung to him with quivering
lips and trembling hands.
.Oh, my love-" she cried, ''think for
me! II am frightened now, and
> ,kner no fear beforer'
- frightened, Lean? You need not
fear. Ii l had been well and strong,
instead of stricken with fever and
crippled with broken limbs, you should
never have been sent here. AS it is,
will move heaven and earth to free you.
Oh, Lean, my love, my darling. why
did you say that you had committed
such a crime?"
She raised her head from his breast,
and looked at him.
.You will be angry, and l shall be
: frightened" she said. I'll did not
stop to think. l heard all they said;
and, though 1 did not think that you
werefguilty, it seemed to me that you
must die did not stop to consider,
i s9..; ny darling Do you not under
for few seconds the two stood in
perfect silence, looking into each others
<S"I begin to see," said Ross, slowly
re a. Perhaps. in the impulse of the mo-
- nent. hearing the overwhelming evil
: sdence there was against me, you thought
me guilty?''
y es-'.I cannot remember my own thoughts
II CLEARLY. I.only knew that you were in
danger. / remember that, when Lady
= Cumnor pressed home to you one thing
after another. and 1 saw the faces of
the people around you growing dark,
and heard how they muttered and muir
INJURED against you, i said to myself:
- II he did it, it was in one of those hot
passions of his when he does not count
. the cost of what he says and does L
remember that
."Ifr" he repeated, reproachfully.
odd you say IT. Lean? Did you
~ even for one moment think or believe
that had hurt that poor little childP"
Il cannot tell My only clear thought
4 was that you were in danger. You
know, Ross, into what terrible passions
you fly sometimes. In one of those you
might, by an angry word or gesture,
have frightened the child. and so caused
!. him to fall into the water. That idea
did once fash across me-"
But, il he had fallen in, should
have rescued him. Should / stand by
and see a child drowned, do you think?''
.'Oh, my love, forgive me! did not
reflect l only knew that you were in
danger. / heard-forgive me if l pain
you. Rosa man close behind me in
the crowd say, He did it; as sure as
fate he did it. He drowned the little
one, and Ire will be hanged for it,
Then did not stop to think another
moment; l did not care. thought only
of saving you; my own life seemed less
than nothing to me- My love, l cared
only for you. 1 stood before you and
said that was, guilty; it was done in
the agony of the moment"
hmm, Dla ,rIx- hot
before Heaven you were guilty of the
child's death. How could you say that
: If it was not true?"
She looked at him steadfastly.
''It was true,' she said" true in
this way. A short time after you had
takenthe child upon the lake Sir Aus
ten came to me- and we talked about
little Hugh I told him that l thought
you had him with you on the mere, and
he seemed very pleased. The little
fellow likes the water he said. He
asked me yesterday to take him out,
and did SO. But, Learn he added,
Il am always rather nervous about him.
Go down yourself, and take him from
Ross when they land 1 promised |
would, but did not; and so. by break
ing my promise, 1 was indeed guilty of
the child's death. If l had told Sir
Austen that could not go, he would
have gone himself; and then little Hugh
would have been living"
But" said Ross, 81 sent the boy to
you. Lean! when drew the boat up
ON Tire bank. saw you at a distance,
i. standing pear the elm-trees. Do you
remember being there?''
Yes. remember it WE'LL" she re-
plied-"I stood there for some min
utes- was listening to the music; but
the child never came TO me. L never
saw him; and Ihad forgotten all about
Sir Austen's Injunction. Look at it
which way You will-either that he fell
in, or that some cruel hand pushed
him in-I sm guilty; it all happened
through my carelessness."
"Then you never saw him, Lean?
He did not come to yon?"
mo, never saw him, Ross. II l
had seen him, he would have been liv-
ing now"
.'Dearest Lean, you have given your
life for nothing! The child could not
have fallen in Immediately after leay-