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

-
his hand. Some one must have rowed
him out to them" And again they
looked ut each other in mute amaze
ment.
Ii neither of them had done it, who
was guilty? The child had most GER
tainly been taken upon the water; the
fact OF his having been found i'll the
middle of the lake proved it.
't 1t seems to me-" SAID Ross, "that
the little fellow was lost when | sup
posed that he was with you. He must.
instead OF going To you, have wandered
back 10 the lake.
- wish | had obeyed Sir Austen and
gone to look for him." remarked Lean.
I'VE are both guilty, Ross
But not of taking his life. thank
Heaven not of taking his life, Leam!'
No" she said, solemnly, mot of
taking his life"
And now" continued Ross, eve
have to find out who was with the lit
tie fellow. The child was taken back
TO the mere by some one. Who was
it9 No one would have any interest in
you remember that just ut that time
Lean, there was nobody near the
mere! The band was playing in anoth-
er part OF the grounds, and every one
had gone to hear it."
81 remember" said Lean; Il am
not likely to forget that day"
but Learn" continued Ross.
chow am to forgive you? Do you
know the deadly peril that you placed
yourself in? DO you know that, if that
clever counsel of yours had not so sue
cessfully pleaded insanity, you, my
beautiful darling, would have lost your
life. or ut least would have been treat
ed as one of the worst OF criminals?"
Better that ten thousand times than
that harm should come to you," she re-
piled. Ross, after all the excitement
was over. and | had time to reflect.
saw that had probably sacrificed my
life in vain; but l did notrepeut for one
moment
my darling. the devotion of life
will never repay you-nevern' he cried:
and for few moments they forgot all
their troubles in the happiness OF their
love. "Now, Lean. my darling" said
Ross, al must go. The sooner leave
you the sooner | shall be able to set you
free from this horrible place. l loathe
every moment of my life which finds
YOU here. l shall free you'll cannot
tell how; but will. will move heaven
and earth; and, if L can get no justice,
IL will burn the place down and run
away with you; will, my darling! All,
thank Heaven, hear you laugh once
more. Dearest Lean. how love youl
will rouse all England if needful; but
will set you free"
MY dear, impetuous Rossr' she said,
smiling through her tears. "Ah, now
1 feel what imprisonment is-now that
see you going away"
~ shall soon return, Lean; and,
when l do, my innocent darling, it will
be to open the doors for YOU
They parted with kisses and tears;
and Ross, on his way back to the mere,
thought of the conversation they had
had when she had told him self-sacri-
fee was her favorite virtue.
- IL ought to have KNOWN" he
thought. bitterly, THAT she sacrificed
herself for me, Oh, Lean, will set
you free, and love you and make up to
you for thisn'
When he reached home, it seemed to
him that there was unusual excitement
in the household. He asked for his
father. and the butler told him that Sir
Austen and Lady Cumnor had gone to
John Gotham s cottage, and that they
wished him to follow at once. Prince
Cenci was waiting to accompany him.
=.What is itp' he asked of the Prince,
who looked excited.
Il do not quite know, Ross; but
think it is something about the child"
1.-THE child?" echoed Ross "Let
us make haste then. OF course you
mean little Hugh?''
Eyes, little Hugh. 1 do not know
what it is. DO not excite yourself,
Ross; it may be q mistake. You shall
not stir until you have had some wine"
'Give it to me quickly, thenn' cried
Ross. ''Oh, Lean, my beautiful love,
you shall be set at liberty" ,t.-
In half an hour they had reached the
boatman's cottage and found Sir Aus
ten there with his wife. When Lady
Cumnor saw Ross white, agitated face,
she went up to him.
"You must calm yourself, Ross"
she said; :" believe there is good news
for YOU"
.sFor you," she said, "not for u.s."
and even in his agitation he noticed
this.
~ am afraid 1 cannot bear very
much" he remarked. =" The sight of
my darling in that wretched place, and
the knowledge that she is as innocent
as an angel, have unnervcd me-"
1t dawned upon him suddenly that a
woman was weeping bitterly somewhere
near. 49,. r.- ---ltr-
What is the matter?',he asked; and
then Mrs. Gotham, the boatman's wife,
came forward. 49, g...f,(
"Our Jimmy's dying, Mr.. Ross" the
good woman answered, sobbing bitter
"; and he has told that to the minis
ter which has broken his fathers heart
and mine! Oh. Mr.. Ross, don't know
how to tell you! Go upstairs and see
him yourself"
Mo-" interrupted Lady Cumnor;
"let me tell YOU myself, Ross. Sir
Austen and Gotham are with the dying
boy. Let me tell you. my dear, for 1
am a guilty. wicked, Jealous woman.
Oh, Ross, Lean is innocent-she never
touched my childr' 1900.
81 know it, have always known
it!' cried impetuous Ross. 81 could
as soon believe that a saint would COM
init murder as that my beautiful Lean
would"
He looked as he felt, terribly agitat-
ed. when Lady Cumnor. forgetting her
pride, knelt down by his side, and with
tears streaming down her face, said:
"Can you ever forgive me, Ross? By
my violence and passion, by my bitter
jealousy and dislike, l have almost
caused your death and Leans. Will
you ever forgive meP"
He raised her and kissed her.
81 forgive you," he said, simply. 81
freely forgive you. for you have suf-
fered much. What is it about the boy?"
CHAPTER XII
Lady Cumnor, who had SO rarely ca
rnssed Ross clasned her arms mora