The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-07-28
THE LAWYERS SECRET,
By B. l.. Farjeon, Author of "Bread,
Cheese and Kisses"
CHAPTER vI.-CoNr1NuEp.

CHAPTER VI.-CONTINUED.
The dim lamp was shaded from the
.eyes of the invalid by white porcelain
screen, which subdued the light, and
<cast great shadows of the furniture upon
the walls of the room.
He lay for some time quite quietly,
with his face still turned away from
Ellinor, but by the incessant nervous
motion of the hand lying upon the coun-
terpane, she knew that he was not
asleep.
The doctor opened the door softly,
land looked in.
If he says anything to you," he
whispered to Ellinor, shear it quietly;
but do not ask him any questions; and,
above all, do not betray agitation.
She bowed her head in assent, and the
physician closed the door.
Suddenly Horace Margrave turned his
face to her, and looking at her earnestly
with his haggard eyes, said:
"Ellinor Dalton, you ask me what
this means. 1 will tell you. The very
day on which you left England. a
strange chance led me into the heart of
"a manufacturing town. town which
was being ravaged by the fearful
=scourge of an infectious fever; Twas in
a very weak state of health, and, as
might be expected, caught this fever.
was warned, when it was perhaps not
yet too late to have taken precautions
which might have saved me, but l
would not take those precautions. l
was too great coward to commit sui
~cide. Some people say man is too
brave to kill himself was not-but 1
was too much coward. Life was hate
full, but | was afraid to die. Yet 1
would not avert danger which had not
been my own seeking. Let the fever
kill me, if it would, Ellinor, my wish is
fast being accomplished. am dying"
Horace! Horace!" She fell on her
knees once more at the side of the bed,
and taking the thin hand in hers, press
led it to her lips.
He drew it away as if he had been
sstung. For heavens sake, Ellinor, if
you have any pity-no tenderness! That
/ cannot bear. For four years you have
never seen me without a mask. l am
going TO let it fall. You will curse me,
you will hate me soon, Ellinor Daltonw
"Hate you, Horace-never!
He waved his hand impatiently, as if
to wave away protestations that must
soon be falsifed.
wait" he said: "you do not
know" Then, after brief pause, he
Continued llinor, / have not been
the kindest or the tenderest of guar
-dians, have !, to my beautiful young
ward? You reproached me with my
cold Indifference one day soon after
your marriage, in the little drawing
room in HEREFORD street,
'.You remember that?''
81 remember that! Ellinor, you never
spoke one word to me in your life which
/ do not remember; as well as the ac-
cent in which it was spoken, and the
place where heard it. l say, I have
not been kind or affectionate guardian
have /, Ellinor?''
You were so once, Horace" she
said:
Il was so once! When, Ellinor?''
Before my uncle left me that
-wretched fortune -
THAT wretched fortune-yes. that
divided us at once and forever. Ellinor,
there were two reasons for this pitiful
comedy of cold indifference. Can you
guess one of them?''
NO." she answered.
"You cannot2 / affected an indiffer-
-ence did not feel, or pretended an APP
=athy which was lie from first to last.
because, Ellinor Dalton, loved YOU with
the whole strength of my heart and soul,
from the first to the last"
80. Horace! Horace! for PHYS
sake.'' She stretched out her hands
imploringly, as if she would prevent the
zutterance of the words which seemed to
break her heart.
s.Ellinor, when you were seventeen
years of age, you had no thought of
succeeding to Your uncle's property. 1t
would have been, upon the whole, a
much more natural thing for him to
have left it to his adopted son, Henry
Dalton. Your poor father expected that
he would do so; l expected the same.
Your father iutrusted me with the Gus
tody of your little income, and / dis
charged my trust honestly. l was a
great speculator: dabbled with thou
sands. ard cast down heavy sums every
day. as gambler throws down card
upon the gaming-table; and to me your
mothers little fortune was so insignifi-
cant trust, that its management never
gave me a moment thought or concern.
At this time was going on in fair
way 10 become o rich man; in fact, was
a ricn man; and, Ellinor, | was an hon
o7able man. 1 loved you-lcyed you as
/ never believed 1 could lovc-my inno-
cent and beautiful wsrd; how could it
we'll be otherwise? ] an not a cox
comb, Ellinor; and if there Is one char