Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1882-01-12
Select Story.
SIBYL'S MISTAKE;
OR,
HUSBAND AND WIFE.
By the author Of "a GREAT MISTAKE"
"RosR OF THE WORLD" "KNG CoPHE-
TUA; OR, RUBY NoRrH's LOVERS" &c.
CHAPTER VII

CHATTER VII
The winter had hardly begun-it was
only NovembeRwhen the quiet monotony
of their life was again broken in upon.
Sibyl had been in the village reading to
a sick woman and was coming home
through the fast falling rain, feeling very
tired, and looking forward to an hour of
quietness, when she would be able to rest
her aching head, and read over again the
long and loving letter from Percival which
lay warm against her heart under her
shabby waterproof
As she struggled upthe little drive, de-
flying the beating shower and the wind
with her umbrella,she saw the we'll known
fly from Rystone Station standing before
the house. the horse covered with a rug,
and the driver beating his arms across
his chest and loudly stamping his feet in
the shelter of the doorway.
"Why don't they send the unfortunate
man round to the kitchen2' thought ST.
byl. "And who can be here on such a
day as this2'
Old Dixon met her with scared face.
"Miss sibyl," she said, almost forget
ting to relieve the young lady of her
drenched cloak and umbrella Dixon idol
lied Miss Kennedy, and would have spoil
ed her long ago if she had been able
'Miss Sibyl my dear, Miss Amaranth is
here"
"Amaranth? 2" echoed Sibyl, turning a
little pale. MRS. Camuthers7 Oh, Dix
on"-pulling off her hat and hastily
smoothing her fair hair-"I hope there is
nothing gone wrong"
visit from one of Lady Annals daugh-
ters was so unusual an occurrence that
Sibyl could not help the thought.
"Has my cousin been here long2" she
asked; and then, without waiting for an
answer, she ran across the.hall and down
the dark old corridor to the parlor.
A lady who was sitting by the fire rose
to meet her, a tall woman in French bon
net, and covered in handsome dark furs
which she had not removed.
"Here you are last" she said with an
exclamation of relief "Dear me, how you
have grown! l should hardly have
known you"
The keen eyes of the speaker were talk
ing in every detail Of the girls beauty
Sibyl seeing little of the look of Perciv-
al in his sisters fine face, put up her lips
to kiss Mrs. CaITuthers as she burst out
saying
"Amaranth is anything, wrongl Where
is aunt Anna?"
"She has gone to her room to lie down.
No, don't go to her! l asked her to let
me speak to you alone. Poor mamma
has had shock, Sibyl, as we all have,
and there is no one but you who can help
us"
Sibyl felt herself turning cold.
at is-Clement again 7" she said, fright
ened. What could he have done worse
than he has already been guilty of ale
has nearly broken aunt Annals heart" she
cried piteously. Do you know that in his
last letter he threatened to shoot himself
if she did not send him twenty pounds2
We had not twenty pounds. We sent him
what we could2 Oh, Amaranth, what is it
now2"
Mrs. .Carruthers got back into her chair,
and Sibyl sunk down upon the hearthrug
at her feet. Lady Annals daughter seem
ed to have some difficulty in beginning
She paused, unbuttoning her sealskin
paletot and throwing it open.
"Clement has been trial to us ALL" she
said at last, her well-cut lip quivering.-
"Of course it has fallen hardest on our fa-
ther and mother--that is natural; but we
have all helped him to the best of our
ability from time to time. l am sure
have told Mr.. Carruthers many false
hood to account for the money Clement has
had from me-"
"Oh, why will men be SO wickedY" Sibyl
cried, helplessly wringing her hands,
"What good does it do them2 How can
they have the hearth
"That is what good many women have
asked in their time dare say"-Mrs.
Carruthers shrugged her fair shoulders;
"but they seem to go on following their
own devices all the same. am sure
dread to think Of my boys growing up
Clement always has been the black sheep
Of the family. He has been hopeless from
The first; but we have all done our ut
most"-Amaranth was evidently not with
out sense of family feeling-"to keep him
at distance and prevent his conduct
from being talked about. 1t would be
very poor return, we all feel for the
Countess's kindness, if any disgrace
should fall upon her name through one of
poor mammals children"
"But I don't understand" urged Sibyl,
trembling with vague apprehension.
II will explain. 1t is very soon told,
though it is not an agreeable story to tell.
You are the youngest of us all, Sibyl; but
oddly enough, it rests with you to patch
this unfortunate business up"
"With met"
eyes. Of course it all depends, as the
Countess truly says, on how you feel to-
wards poor mamma"
n don't think the Cnnntass need have