The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-04-01

some one tIsO--Ol bCAh5 iu1hOuuCCQ 10 the
Duchess of something or other-that will be a
privilege, indeed"
NOW it is YOU who are rude,' said LADY
Adela, Indignantly. ~ can't talk to you any
morel'
Every well. You have broken my heart
cruel, hard-hearled girl You will soon hear
that lam dead-people uon'tllVe through such
an agony as this
II thought .theygenerally did, - said LADY
Adela as'she walked away. AA.a -
Edgar rushed after her, brew himself before
her. seized her hands, and kissed them furious-
ly. He was so violent that Lady Adela almost
cried with fright, but to him she only appeared
extremely angry.
"There hear my aunt calling me- Go
away at once, for heavens sakep' she said !:
and Edgar, who saw no use in facing Mrs
Sackvilie turned and fled. -+
He went to town that afternoon and wrote
Lady Adela letter, to which she sent him no
answer a. all. He concluded from this that
she was hopelessly offended, and for several
days considered the quickest means of death
but rejecting, like the lover in the old song,
that E@a
"A neck that's once broken can never be set
he changed his mind, and happening to meet a
scientific friend who was going to explore in
Africa, he arted off with him that autumn in
search of distraction.
III.
Some people change very much in seven
years and half; others hardly at all. tide
ponds good deal on the life they lead, and
the care that is taken of them. Lady Adela, a
creature petted by fortune and nature, hardly
looked day older, as far as her beauty was
concerned. H
1t was Christmas Eve, and she and Mrs.
Sackville were at Hazel House. She had an
unaccountable love for the quiet old place. Al
AM oufQi1a and ba
sitting by the drawing-room fire, alone-4Izu
quite still. with her feet on the fender, and a
sleeping kitten in her lap.
1t was the same delicate fine, sweet little
face as of old, only with new look Of gentle
thoughtfulness. Her hair was cut short in
dark, soft crop which suited her small head
wonderfully; she was dressed in white, with
some large coral beads around her neck, and
on her shoulders that cold night she wore
short white cloak, braided with black She
lay back in her chair, and there was some
thing tired and listless In the lines of her
figure, in the way her pretty hands were fold
cd in the expression of her eyes. Needless to
say that she was still Lady Adela, and not
Duchess of anything; but no one who knew
her could think that this affected her happi
ness much.
She was generally of most sweet and cheer
full disposition, loved by all her friends and
servants with something more than ordinary
love Against this little absolute queen no
one ever thought of rebellng; it was happi-
ness enough to be ordered by her. No trouble
or annoyance was ever allowed to reach her, if
love could keep it away The shadow on her
face this evening was something quite unusu-
al and strange.
She had seen in that days Times report,
not yet confirmed, but too likely to be true,
that the scientific African explorer, Mr.. Shafto,
after frighttul hardships borne heroically, had
lost his life in the rapids Of some scarcely
known river. 1t was rumored that he had res
cued several of his companions, and had then
sunk from exhaustion. There was a list of all
his doings and discoveries there were deep re-
grets at the early death of this brave, clever,
distinguished young man. ,fs
lie was worth something, after all" Lady
Adela said to herself. Seven years poor
fellow! l wonder if he ever thought of coming
back
Miss Shafto had long left the village, and
Mrs. saekville had that afternoon written her
a letter OF coincidence, in which she added her
niece's sympathy to her own. That was all;
there could be nothing more; and most likely
nothing certain would ever be known about
the explorers death. Lady Adela thought
about it a great deal, as she sat by the fire.
1t was nearly dinner time: but Mrs. Sack
vile not being very well that day had stayed
in her room, and Adela was looking forward
to solitary evening. 1t was not nice to be
alone She reflected with some consterna-
ton, that her aunt could not live forever; and
then came into her mind one by one the men
she had refused. First poor Edgar Shafto, and
then Lord Elton, and all the rest. Only in one
instance did she now feel that she might have
acted differently; and this was perverse sem
timental fancy. Now that all her attractions
were powerless to bring him back to her any
more, she felt as if she had always cared for
him.
A sound Of wheels outside and a bell ringing
loudly, reused her from her dreams. Vino
could be arriving so late, and in this weather,
too! The door was opening, the butler was
bringing in a card. ......
The gentleman is in the hall, my lady. |
was to ask if you would see him"
Lady Adela bent down, holding the card in
the freight
at can't be she said after moment. 81
think there must be some mistake. But-ask
Mr.. Shafto to come in"
The butler looked grave and puzzled. He
was an old servant, and one of his mistress
most careful guardians.
1T is not the Mr.. Shafto who used to come
here, my lady, he said.
mo. They say he Is dead. Ask him to come
in, " said Lady Adela, absently. @
The visitor came in. She got up, and for
moment they stood looking at each other. 1t
was Edgar, of course, but terribly changed.
Lady Adela at first thought that he had become
hideous. All his superficial good looks, his
inquire, his complexion, seemed to have been
left behind in the dreadful swamps and des-
erts through which he had fought his way
Her smart young lover, with his lazy, indiffer-
ent, deceptive manners, had come back to her
a worn, hardened, slouching, middle-aged
man, with dark burnt skin, hollow eyes hair
more than touched with gray, and a look of
stern, watchful eagerness, which vet had
certain calm, as If the man knew that all his
dlliiculte were only met to be overcome.
Adela gave him her hand He took it and
Kissed 1t, and then she began to realize who
he was, for at first it seemed as il this wild
looking traveller was quite strange to her
Forgive me" he said. 9 [ have thought
about it so often, never hoping to have it
again.
gently. z tE H' '1'. -
He obeyed, leaning forward and looking at
her. She took her place again where she had
been sitting, with the kitten in her lap. The
white cloak had slipped off her shoulders: she
looked very young and child-like, quite as
pretty, and far sweeter than he remembered
her' II seemed as il she surely could not snub
him now. ~ .
A feeling of intense, longing tenderness
filled Edgar's eyes with tears. This was not
the madness that had seized him long aro: il
was something deeper, stronger, more patient
Actually to see her to he near her again. the
girl who, since he first saw her, had never even
been in danger of rival--there was some
thing in italmost too solemn.
Lady Adeia felt the change in him, and had
already begun TO be proud of it, and to think
there was something very fine and noble in her
old friends look and manner. He had gone
away weak and come back strong. man
Il, -.