The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-03-25


say, "Captain Pentridge proves that. As
once loved you | love you now, Harriet,
without one jot of abatement; but you are
not the woman you were. You once were
honest toward me, and now you conceal
your heart in fictitious speech Let 1t be ;
/ can never see you again.
"You need not say that in such a TRACE
dy tone. You may sec me in an ordinary
way why should you not? But, Of course,
not in such way as this. | should not
have come now if it had not happened that
the Duke is away from home, 50 that there
is nobody to check my cratic impulses.
.When does he return?
''The day after tomorrow, or the day
after that
"Then meet me again tomorrow night.
mo, Fred, | cannot.
IF you cannot tomorrow night, you can
the night after one of two, before he comes,
please bestow on me. Now, your hand
upon it. Tomorrow or the next night you
will see me to bid me fare well 7 He seized
the duchess hand
@No, but Predict 90 my hand What
do YOU mean by holding me sol If it be
love to forget all respect to woman pres
ent position in thinking of her past. then
yours may be so, Frederick. 1t is not kind
and gentle of you to induce me to come to
this place for pity of you, and then to hold
me here.
But see me once more | have come
two thousand miles to ask it =
.Oh, must not There will be SIAN
ders-Heaven knows what | cannot
meet You. For the sake of old times, don't
ask it.
..Then, own two things to me-that you
did love me once, and that your husband is
unkind to you often enough now to make
you think Of the time when you cared for
me-"
~Yes-I own them both, she answered
family. .But owning such as that tells
against me and | swear the inference Is
not true.
Don't say that, for YOU have come-let
me think the reason of your coming what |
ike to think it. 1t can do YOU no harm.
Come once more.
He still held her hand Very well,
then" she said Thus far you shall per-
suade me. win NEE, You tomorrow
night or the night after Now LEI me 20.
He released her hand, and they parted.
The duchess ran rapidly down the bill to-
ward the neighboring mansion Of Vern-
eombe Towers, and when he had watched
heg out of sight, he turned and strobe of
in the opposite direction, Al then was
I silent and empty as before.
But only for moment, When they
had quite departed another shape appeared
upon the scene. He came from behind the
| trilithon. He was man Of stouter build
than the frss. and wore the boots and spurs
of horssman Two things were at once
obvious from this phenomenon; that he
had watched the interview between the
captain and tho duchess and that, though
he probably had seen every movement Of
the couple. including the embrace. he bad
been too remote to hear the reluctant word.
Of the ladys eonverSati0n-ar indred, any
words Al all 50 that the meeting mast have
exhibited itself 10 bis eyes a. the assigna.
ton of a pair Of welEagrecd lovers But
/ il was necessary that several years should
elapse before the shepherd boy was old
enough TO reason 0at this.
The third individual stood still Cor mo-
ment. as II deep in meditation he erossed
over to where the lady and gentleman had
/ stood. and booked at the ground then h
too turned and went away, in third direc
ton, as widely divergent a possible from
those taken BY the two iutcrloeutors HIS
course was toward the highway and feS
minutes afterward the trot 81 horse might
have been heard upon it, fnosty surface
lessening till il died away upon the ear
The boy remained in the hut, canfront
ing the trilithon a. ii he expected YET niors
actors ON the scene. but nobody eh-e sp
peared. How long be stood with his htsl'
face against the Icophole he hardly knew
but he was rudely awakened from his rev
erie by punch in his back, and in the fee
Of il be Familiarity recognized the sicla q
the old shepherds crook.
Blame thy young EYES and limbs, Bill
Wills-aow you have iet the IRE out and
/ you know want il kept IA I thought
4 something wonld 20 wrong with sc up here
and | couldn't bide in bed ~ mere thar
thistletlown upon the wind. thar eoulC
not. Wei, what's happened, 6e upon ye 2
Nothing.
Ewes ali as left en-
sYes."
Any lambs wan, bringing IN"
.No
The shepherd relit the fre. aud went GU
among the sheep with lantern, for th'
moon was getting low. soon he came ii
again
"Blame it all-thoa'st say that nothln;
hey happened; and one eve hev tsinned
and Is ike to % of, and another Is dyia.
for want Of half an eye Of hooking to-
told We, Bill Wills, if anything went wronl
to come down and call me, and this Is hoy
YOU have done it,
you said I could 20 10 sleep for hol
lerday. and did.
Don't you speak To your betters lik
that, Young man, or you'll come to the gal
lowstree. You didn't sleep all the time
or YOU wouldn't have been pceping out Q
that there hole. Now you can &c home
and be up here again BY breakfasts time.
be an old man, and theses old men tina
deserve well Of the world but mol mus
rest how | can,
The elder shepherd then lay down iRsid
the hut, and the boz went down the Hill t
I the hamlet where he dwelt