Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1884-11-28

flciently recovered she would confess to
her everything, and absolve the young
actor from the charge. But now, as
she pondercd over his conduct she
felt inclined TO change her resolution.
1t was plain that he was either glad of
an excuse for breaking off the engage
ment, or was actually carrying on an
Illicit correspondence, in which he
imagined he had been discovered. In
either case, il would be small kind.
ness to her mother to bring him ,.nd
her mother again together
One day Dir. Eilen, after he had cx-
amincd his patient and pronounced her
to be progressing in the most salts
factory manner, on leaving the room,
motioned Lady Mary to follow him.
When she went out, he said to her:
81 suppose you have heard of Mr..
ConingsbyP"
"No, DOCTOR" she answered. eager
ly. "What is itp'
"Well, he's engaged to Mrs. Blunt"
said the doctor.
"To Mrs. Bluntl' exclaimed Lady
Mary.
Eyes. Now the reason / asked you
to come out was to caution you on no
account to mention this, or to let it be
referred to in the Countess hearing.
We did not know what the shock was
which caused her illness, but it was
clear from her remarks when delirous
that it was something about Mr.. Con-
ingsby.n
Yes" answered Lady Mary, but in
such an absent-minded manner that DIR.
Killcn, with an annoyed air, bade her
good-day, and went away.
When Lady Mary returned to the
sick room the Countess had fallen
asleep, and so she had both time and
quictness for reflection. She now re-
memb red that her mother when she re-
ceivcd the forged letter had written
both to Mr. Coningsby and to Mrs.
Blunt. There was nothing in the letter
she sent to indicate that it was written
to Mrs. Blunt-ln fact, it could hardly
seem to be. Was it merely by chance
that her mother had set it down as in
tended for Mrs. Bluntp Or had she
some private information of the way
things were tending in that quarterp
One thing was certain, the cause of Mr..
Coningsby' $ not replying to her mothers
charge was now evident; on considera-
ton, he had doubtless concluded that
Mrs. Blunt was better catch than the
Countess.
While Lady Mary was engaged in
these reflections, her mother awoke. She
had been free from delirium for some
days past, and had noticed, and been
greatly touched by, the devotion of her
daughter. All traces of their quarrel
had gone; and mother and daughter
were on more aflectionate and confden-
tial terms than they had been since
Lady Mary was child. Though by
the sad, regretful expression that occa-
sionally passed over the Countess face,
Lady Mary knew she was thinking of
her lover, and of the letter which had
caused her such pain, neither had
alluded once to the subject. On this
occasion, however, the Countess sud-
denly turned to her daughter and said:
"Have you heard anything of Mr.. Con-
ingsby lately?"
mot much, mamma answered
Lady Mary, vaguely, and in an embar-
rassed way.
Has his engagement with Mrs. Blunt
been announced yetp" asked the Count
ess.
Lady Mary started. How did she
know of his engagement? Was it
merely an inference from some infor-
nation she had before her illness? Or
was it Il delusion of her delirium still
remaining with her? Lady Mary would
have given the world to have asked her
one or two questions; but, remember
ing the DOCTORS orders, she bent over
her and, kissing her. said: Mamma,
dear, you should not think of these
things. They are all past now. Mr..
Coningsby will, I'm sure, be here be-
fore long to see you"
"Never!'' exclaimed the Countess,
with strong vehemence. Never, with
my consent. He is IL mean adventurer
"a fortune-hunter of the lowest kind.
l always suspected as much, but | will
fully blinded myself. And l never
thought he would be so cold-blooded.
Mrs. Blunt may have him with all my
heart.
Lady Mary was frightened at her
mothers passion. She endeavored to
calm her and to turn her thoughts to
some other subject. For time she
failed, sand the Countess continued
talking in broken and passionate
phrases; but she was very weak, and
soon became exhausted Lady Mary,
who for some time feared that the fever
had returned, breathed freely once
more when she saw her sink back into
sound and quiet sleep.
That night Lady Mary went back
into her own bedroom, to sleep there
for the first time since she left it to
nurse her mother. The return to her
old ways induced her to reflect on all
she had recently gone through. In the
midst of her meditations she suddenly
remembered that the letter she had
stopped in Transmission lay in that
room locked up where she placed it on
the day she perpetrated the fraud. She
took it out to destroy it. When she
saw it, and thought of all the suffering
it had caused, of the long days and
sleepless nights of frutless repentance
and painful watching, of the weeks of
sickness, when the shadow of death
seemed to be over the house, and when
she feared every moment would make
her matricide, she had hardly the
courage to touch it. She had intended
to tear it mp without looking at it; but
strange curiosity possessed her to
read the last of her mothers love-let-
tiers. and, with trembling hands, she
opened it. When she glanced at the
contents she turned ghastly pale, and
moment afterwards burst into bitter
and almost hysterical laughter. The
note she had stopped was her own.--
London Truth.