Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-01-16

AS soon us 1t became a certainty that all
danger to life or reason was at nm enl ]
began to consider what course to adopt.
The moment she was well enough to risk
the Journey, or even, if thaw SGT in, before
then, Philippa must fly from tho scene OF
the tragedy in which she hal played so ter.
rible, yet morally irresponsible. part We
must put land and seas between ourselves
and the fatal spot. But how TO persuade
her that such a fight was absolutely neces'
sary! Brother and sister as we now termed
ourselves, would she ever consent to accom-
pany me abroad! Had | the right TO put the
woman loved in such an equivocal positions
No! thousand times mol And yet | knew
there was no safety for her in England; and
with whom could she leave England save
with mol
dared not urge upon her my true reason
for flight 1t was my greatest hope that the
events OF that niIht had left her mind when
the madness left her, never to be recalled
And now time was pressing; ten days had
passed by. The glorious frost still kept our
counsel but it could not last forever The
time must come when the white heaps OF
snow would melt and vanish away. and then
Sir Mervyn Ferrand's cold dead face would
appear, and tell the tale of his death to the
first passer by.
had scarcely Quilted the house since that
night. Yet one day kind of morbid fas-
cination had led me to walk along the road
toward Roding, and to halt at what ]
ulged to be the spot where laid the dead
man by the side of the road. | fancied !
could single out the very drift under which
that awful thing lay, and n drcary tempta-
ton to probe the white heap with my stick,
and make sure, assailed me. resisted it,,
and turned away from the spot.
There was certain amount Of traffic on
the road BY now the snow had been
beaten down by cart wheels an peoples
feet, so that it was quite possible to walk
from one place TO another. As | reached
the house from which Philippe fled to seek
refuge with me-, | encountered Mrs. Wilson,
/ was going to pass without any sign OF
recognition, but she stopped me.
81 thought you were going to take your
sister awayF she sail
Lady Ferrand was unfortunately taker
very i'll when she left YOU She is now hard
ly we'll enough to be removed"
"Has she heard from Sir Mcrvyn'' asked
Mrs. Wilson, abruptly.
Not to my knowledge" replied.
at is strange You know, suppose thai
he was expected at my house that night"
"Certainly do 1t was for that reason
my sister left you"
Mrs. Wilson looked at me thoughtfully
''She will not meet him AGAIN.
Never | said, thinkn, as spoke tina
my words bore a meaning only known t.
myself
Does she hate hing she asked, sud
denly.
"She has been cruelty wronged," l said
evasively.
She laid her hand on my arm. Listen,
she said. al | thought she hated him
would see her before she leaves, and tell her
something. If l thought he hatel her |
would tell him. | will wait and see.'
She turned away and walked on, leaving m
to make tie best of her enigmat.cal words
She was evidently strange woman, and
felt more sure than ever was in some way
mixed up with Sir Mervyn Ferrand's early
life. had great mind'to follow her and
demand an explanation, but caution told IN,
that the less said to her the better. Il was
from this womans knowledge of the rela-
tionship between Phiiippa and the derc
man that, when the secret of the night wa.
laid bare, the greatest danger must arise.