Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-06-08

came over the grave plain governess.
Her face grew almost pretty. She
startled the still rooms with snatches of
song. The child grew rapidly we'll in
the new vitality around il. And one
thing was noticeable: Margaret grew
gayer as night approached; even Mrs.
Selby saw this and began to watch her
with curious look OF suspicion.
Still il was not until the middle OF
August that the mystery was solved.
One warm still night, when the heavy
odor Of the honeysuckles filled tho air,
Margaret, having seen Julia in the first
dreamless sleep OF childhood, stole
quietly through the deserted chapel OF
the castle into the thick shrubbery that
surrounded it. There the ghost Of tho
corridor was waiting for her, and
Margaret was clasped in his arms, and
kissed and caressed as beloved women
have always been kissed and caressed by
their lovers.
Perhaps they had much to talk about,
for Margaret staid much longer than
usual, and when she reached again the
old chapel Mrs. Selby suddenly con-
fronted her
"Miss Henderson, whom have you
been to meet ?"
Lord Richard Alionby."
"Ahl You know, thon-"
81 know all, my lady; even more
than you do"
Whom are you addressing"
LADY Alibony, Lord Richards
mother"
"What traitor my son has been |"
"No, my lady, you wrong him."
How did you discover Lord Rich.
ard ?"
Then Margaret trulhfully related all
her fright, and the way in which suspi-
cion Of mortal presence had como to
her. She described their first meeting
in the corridor. Your son, she said,
" weary and lonely in his long confne-
ment, did me the honor to feel inter
ested in my life. He watched me, and
being jealous OF some unknown person
10 whom l wrote he stole my letter
and thus discovered that the brother
with whom | corespondod was in the
service OF Colonel John Chaloner.
what is it that you say? Speak
quickly. Does JohusChAloner liver
My lady, have given Lord Rich
ard this night letter from him"
Margaret Margaret Then my son
may look the world in the face again
lie is not a murderer !"
"He is waiting to tell you this"
"But come with me, MargAret-we
have evidently one interest in this mat
ter" 80 for the first time in her two
years sciourn at Alionby Margaret enc
tered the left wing Of the castle. It
had been for six years the unsuspected
residence of 3 supposed murder. 80
long ago, in a quarrel with his Cousin
ChAloner, Lord Richard had shot, and
it was supposed killed, his opponent.
Chaloner did not die, but utterly
ruined in credit and reputation, when
he had found himself recovering, he
had persuaded his relatives to circulate
q report of his death and provide him
With the means OF commencing life
again in BurmAh.
What the result might be 10 his cousin
he had not cared to contemplate, but
certainly, until Margaret wrote to him,
he had never imagined a punishment
equal to six years imprisonment and
remorse. The general idea had been
that Lord Richard had fed TO India.
or, as some said, TO Central Asia, and
that Lady Alionby was striving TO
atono for her sons wrong by adopting
aud educating John ChAloner's daughter
as the heiress Of Alionby.
But the fashionable world had now
genuine sensation. First the return of
Colonel Chaloner with a large fortune
from Burmah, and few days sfterward
1t was authoritatively stated that the
Lady Alionby had reopened her Lon
don mansion in order to celebrate the
return home OF Lord Richard.
Greatly 10 the chagrin Of many fine
matrons Lord Alionby returned with
vile, ''an exceedingly plain person.
as the Duchess of Courtney said, dis
approvingly. But tho exceedingly
plain person" cares very little for such
criticism. She is the idol of her hus-
bands heart, and the mistress of one
OF the finest homes Ia England