Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-04-18
CHAPTER ".

CHAPTER ~.
Three months after kates marriage
my dear father had long and danger
ous illness. When he recovered, his
I physicians strongly recommended
travel and winter in Italy; so we
babe adieu TO our quiet home, and att-
tumn saw us settled in that most beau
tiful of Italian cities, Venice. There
my father quickly recovered health
and strength and we were So happy
that our return to England was delly-
ell from time to time until we had
been absent four years.
! Allan Charlton, who was wandering
over the Continent, joined us. He
was delighted to find something like
an English home established in one
| of the grand old Venetian palaces
We talked together long and often,
but no mention was ever made of
home or OF my sister.
Those bright Venetian days! look
back upon them now with lingering,
loving regret. They influenced my
! future life How little / thought,
while luxuriating in that sunny cline,
/ of the dark tragedy even then looming
over my sister Kate!
We returned to England after an
absence of nearly four years. We had
half thought that Kate might be at the
Grange to welcome us. We heard
from her constantly while we were
abroad; latterly she did not often
mention Sir Victor At first her letters
had been wearisome, for they contain
ed nothing but praises of him and of
his kindness to her; lately all that had
ceased, and his name rarely occurred.
| About year before our return, my
sisters son-little Paul, as he was call
ed, after my iather-was born, and
then Kates letters W re one long
rhapsody over HIM. | was so anxious
to see the little heir of Erlesmere that
| could hardly wait with patience un-
| til the following morning. My father
said we should 20 over to the Hall the
| first thing.
| have never gotten over the shock
| received when | saw my darling sis
ter Kate again When we reached the
| Hall, we found Sir Victor absent. NV
| father toll the foJtman that he need
not announce It's; we went silently to-
gether into Lady Erlesmere's own sit
| ting-ronm. Kate was writing as we
entered; the light fell full upon her
| face. Ali me, how changed it wasi
The bright girlish beauty, the arch,
half-tender, half-sad expression that
had once fingered here, were gone
| The dimples th,t used to appear in
| the lovely cheeks, the light of the
proud dark eyes, was gone too. 1t
was beautiful woman who rose to
greet us, '-t one on whose brow care
and sorrow were written most clearly.
She seemed delighted beyond measure
to see us. She held me tightly clasp
ed in her arms, and kissed my face as
though sho could never let me go
from her.
Little Clary," she cried again and
again, 'it does my heart good to see
)u!'
"You do not look well. my bonny
Kate" said my father. "You are very
thin, and your face is changed. My
darling, are you happy p
The crimson flush mounted even TO
her brow.
Happy, papa she answered eva
sively dWait until you have seen my
baby! | Will ring for him"
II suppose" said my father, with a
smile, "there is no other child like
him p
"No," she replied, che is all the
world to me"
- never saw more beautiful child
than little Paul He was, strange to
say, quite unlike either OF his parents.
He had lair rosy face, with large
wondering blue eyes, sweet ROSY lips,
and little head covered with curls of
the palest gold color He was unlike
them too in disposition, lie had nei
ther the spirit OF his mother nor the
proud temper of his father. lie was
sngularly sweet, gentle and webbing
He could both walk and talk little. |
One of the proudest moments OF my
life was when his little arms were
clasped round my neck and his sweet |
little lips were pressed against mine
How Kate loved that boy! While |
he was with Us, her eyes never left |
his face; her whole being seemed lost
in him,
@Where is Sir Vietor?" asked my
father, when we had admired and ca-
ressed the child
"He is somewhere on the grounds |
with his steward" replied Kate. al
will send word to him that you are
here"
Even as she spoke, a loud angry |
voice was heard in the hail. / saw my
sister turn pale when she heard it.
noticed too how anxious she was to
get the child out of the room before |
her husb md came in
had never liked Sir Victor, and,
when for the first time saw his face
darkened with IN angry frown, liked
him less than ever. He greeted us /
kindly, but never addressed one word |
to Kate.
81 have been in great rage this
morning" he said to my father, rs
though Offering an explanation OF his
deners has cut down Il tree that ! |
would not have lost on any account. L
think servants become more unendu-
rable every day." And, to my great
surprise and disgust, he ended his
speech with coarse oath.
My father looked as he felt, shocked |
and indignant. Seeing my startled
face Sir Victor said:
81 beg your pardon, Miss Clary; bnt
it is so .annoying-no man could help
swearing
more apology is due to Lady Erles-
mere than to me-" l rejoined indig-
nantly.
LADY Erlesmere, from long habit,
has grown accustomed to such little
eccentrleities," said Kate, with a proud
bitter smile. ..
lie turned round furiou>ly, when
my father interpnsed by asking them
TO dinner that evening; and soon af-
terward we took our leave.
When We reached home, my father |
SIT for some time with his face buried
in his hands. He spoke no word; but
/ knew his heart was aching for my
moor sister, who looked so sad and so /
wretched in her magnificent home.
"Just as / thought it would be-
heard him murmur to himself, Poor
child; if she could hut have loved Al
Ian -
but, happy or wretched, Kate never
said one word to u. never saw any !
one so miserabiy altered; all her
bright gay spirits were gone, the 1
sparkling wit that used TO charm and ,
enliven us all had disappeared; in /
place of my beautiful radiant sister,
who had been Il queen amongst us, I