Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-10-23
HER MOTHERS SECRET.
CHAPTER I
THE MISTRESS OF nroNDRrrR

When all that is around her seems Ia smile
WlsnIn her heart or heart a knell doth sound
ISAAC WILLIAMS.
"Motherl Oh. motherl it. will break nv
heart!" walled Odalite, sinking at the lady's
feet, and dropping her head into her hands,
face downward to the carpet.
The lady gently raised her child, took her
In her arms and tenderly csressed her, mur-
muring softly:
mo, my own! hearts never break, or one
heart, know, must have broken long ago.
Besides" she added, in q frmer tone
Honor must be saved. though hearts be
sacrificed"
"Honor,' mother, dearP do not under
stand. l do not see what honor has to do
with it. Or If it has, 1 should think that
honor would be better saved by nv keeping
faith with LIE than by breaking with him
Oh, motherl motherl 1t will kill me l''
moaued Odalite.
'My child, my dear girl, hear me! Listen
to reasonl Leonidas Force has no claim to
be remembered by you. You have never
been engaged to him. You were but a little
girl OF thirteen when he went to sea on his
first voyage, three years ago, and you have
not seen him since. What possible claim
can he have upon YOU, since no betrothsl
exists between you" gently questioned the
lady, tenderlY running her fair fingers
through the dark tresses of the young head
that leaned upon her bosom.
"Oh. other" replied the girl, with a
heavy sigh. 81 know that there was no for
NAL betrothal between LIE and myself-but
-bu'-we all knew, YOU and father and lie
aud l-dn knew-and always knew. that we
two belonged - each other and would
Gt1OGye belong to each other all our lives.
LIE and never thought of any other fate"
idle, childish fancies, my poor little girl
TOO trivial TO cause you these tears. Wipe
them away, and look clearly at the higher
destiny more worthy OF your birth and
beauty" murmured the LADY. pressing her
ripe, red lips upon the pale brow of her dar-
ling.
"Oh, mother, L do not aOant higher des-
tiny do not want any destiny apart from
LIE. And these are not childish fancies, and
not trivial to mel Oh, think, mother, lie
and were playmates as far back In my life
as l can remember. We loved each other
better than we loved any ore else in the
whole world. You and father used to laugh
at us and pretend 20 be Jealous; but we sdao
that you were pleased all the time; for you
both inteuded us for each other, and we
knew 1t, too, for father used to say when he
saw how inseparable we two were: so
much the better; l hope their hearts will not
be estranged when they grow upi And our
hearts have meUer become estranged from
each 0theri"
"Oh. yes, dearest, | know that there was
some speculative talk when you were chill
dren OF uniting you and LeOnidas, so that
the name OF Force might not die out from
Mondreer. But never really approved Of
marrying cousins. Odalte, merely to keep
the family name on the family estate.n
''But, mother, darling lie and I never
thought of the family name and estate; we
! only thought OF one another. And, besides,
we are such very, very distant cousIns-
| only fourth or fifth, think-that that obiec-
| tion could never be raised. Oh, mother |
dear mother do not compel me to break
with LIE can not | can not Oh, in
deed. cannot !" she cried, burying her face
IN the lady's bosom.
Elfrida Force caressed her daughter in
silence.
Presently odalite lifted her head and
pleaded:
eHe is coming home so soon now, and so
full of hcpel He expects to be here by
Christmas; and he eXpects-oh, yes, / know
by bis last letter that he expects TOTO
to" The girls eyes fell under the com
passionate yet scrutinizIng gaze OF her
mother, and her voice faltered into silence
ITO marry you early In the new year,
suppose you mean, dear"
eyes, mother"
"He did not say So"
''No, mother dear, he did not say so, in so
many words, but from the whole tone of his
letter he evidently meant so. Father thought
he did, and even tried to teaZe me about the
New Years wedding, asking me how many
hundreds should need to buy NY wedding
Clothes"
"Whst was it he said in his letter that
leads you to suppose he has any such ex-
pectations? l confess that l saw nothing
OF such an intention when read the let
ter"
"Only this, mother, but It was very sig
nificant. He wrote that now he had in
herited Greenbushes and all his Aunt
Llura's money, he was rich enough to re-
sign from the navy, and he need not 90
to sea any more, nor ever part with me
again; but that he could stay home, repair
and refurnish the house. Improve the land,
and farm 1t on all the new principles, and
make the place paradise for us to live
In. He wrote, mother dear, as of certain
fixed facts +"
HE was very presumptuous, my dear
little girl, for there is nothing certain in this
world OF changes" graVeiv commented the
lady.
''But Les heart has not changed, nor has
mine"
"MY poor darling" said Elfrfda Force.
smoothing his daughters dark hair with a
gentle hand, "my precious child It grieyes
me to do so, but / must prepare yop for
what seems Inevitable. You must forget an
this youthful folly, and think OF Leonidas
Force only as a cousin. You do not really
love him as a betrothed maiden
should love her sffiaDced husband,
You only fancy that you do. In reality
You know nothing of such a love as
that. LIE was brought up in the house with
you. You have no brother lie has no sis
Ter. You therefore love each other as
brother and sister. By and by you both
may discover-but not for each other-the
higher, deeper, stronger love which unites
the husband and the wife in true marriage
such love as | could wish might crown
my darling's life with lasting ioy-such
love as you might find in a union with Angus
Angleses, II you would but give him the
opportunity OF winning your heart"
MADAME !" exclaimed the girl, starting
to her feet, and gathering her black brows
over black eyes that blazed with fndfgna-
tion, u nate Colonel Anglesea I hate him |
and fear him And / would rather die
this day and never behold the face OF lie |
again, taan listen to Colonel Anglesea p'
''O1alite Odslite, my child ! You are |
talking to your mother. Come to my heart |
again, and calm your excitement said the |
lady, holding out her arms.
And the young girl fell weeping upon the |
bosom of her mother.
The lady allowed some time to pass in
which the girls paroxYsm OF tears exhausted |
v.
began, In a soothing tone:
"My precious child, do YOU doubt vour
mothers love or truth?"
"Oh, no, no, mol How could you ask such |
a question OF your own child, mother9n |
protested Oialite.
"Do you doubt that duty is to be held |
above all other considerations"
''Nol Oh, noi''
"Well, then, have something to tell you, |
my darling, which will make you forget ali |
selfish aims, and even also the wishes of your
old playmate. Come with me TO your own /
bed chamber, where we shall be most secure
from all interruption. / Will tell you OF a /
fatal episode In my own youth, when | was /
younger even than you are how. Oh, that / |
should have TO tell such tale to nv dauph- |
teri But, O1allte, when YOU have heard II
you will learn just what you have to do in |
0rder to save us all, aud especially to save
POUR noble, generous. honorable father from
'uin aud disgrace. And then, Odalfte. when |
7ou have learned all, you shall do exactly as
7Ou please. Not one word OF coercion, not
another Wo5d of persuasion, will utter. l
Will leave our fate in your hands, and von
nall De absolutely free to act. Come with
ne now."
She took her daughters arm and they
rose from the sofa
For moment they stood, quite accident
My, facing tall mirror between two win
lows on the opposite side of the room, and
nat mirror for the moment reflected two
beautiful forms, Of which It would be diff
'ult 70 decide which should bear off the
balm for beauty.
The elder lady, Elfrida Force-wIfe OF
Abel Force, the owner of Mondreer, one of
h0 al 1s.1a 4