The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1885-12-04

little room with unsteady steps awhile
] then, moved by n sudden resolve, stole
up the stairs to the room above 3.-. o..
The low murmlr of voices, broken by
mans sobs, reached his ear
Cautiously he tried the door The
lock had not caught. His slight pres
sure had opened it, and now every word
came to him distinctly. .yst.
1t was Catherine Wentworth who was
speaking in low, feeble tones.
Denzil, my poor boy" she said
'i'you may one day come across your
father"
my fntherl" cried the young man,
My father lives? p
listen Your mother was my step
sister. Our father had been the captain
of Il trader, and when widower I kept
house for him, and took care of my
! brother Arnold. Hard, indeed, was the
task, for though but child, Arnolds
passion was fearful, his self-will uncon-
trolable. l was about sixteen when
father came home bringing with him a
new wife. [ was much hurt and panied,
and Arnold and resolved to hate her
bat we couldn't do it. She was so pretty,
delicate, and gentle, quite like real
lady, as father said she was, that we
! loved her instead. She made our home
better, though not for long. While
father was ct sea baby was born such
a lovely little thing Your mother,
Denzil, lived her poor mother died. A
week later, to add to our grief, news
| ,al f,I1 L.
ed at sea. We had few friends and no
money. Arnold and Laure had only me
to take care of them, and I did my
best"
Dear ear aunt" sobbed Denzil,
kissing the wan cheek.
Our clergyman got me o place as
teacher in o public school, and I man
aged to bring up Laure we'll, for I re-
mcNbered fathers words-her mother
had been q lady. ALI, and you don't
know how pretty and good she was
She was the only one who had any in
fuence with Arnold but that was little
for he had soon thrown off nay control,
and given way to dissolute habits. But
he loved Laure or was proud of her
jealous of everyone else When Laurie
was about seventeen q change came over
her. She was in love, and beloved. Ali
could further learn was that the gen.
tleman was far above her in station-so
far that he dared not let his family know,
and, trusting in him, loving him with all
her pure heart, Laure would not even
reveal his name to me.
II was sadly distressed, and though
10th, knowing Arnold, determined to
tell him, and get him to find out who
the gentleman was. My determination
came to late. That very afternoon
when returned home, found letter
from Laure. She had gone.
EVERY paper was full of the news of
my brothers having been shot by Maurice
Northcott. Then one night I heard
someone slowly ascending the stairs to
my room. Listening heard the feeble
steps pause; then the handle of my
door tried. Springing up opened it,
and there stood Laure-Laure as if she
had come from the grave. Oh she
looked so white, and her beautiful eyes
so hollow! Ieave cry. I thought it
was uCl SouOSG tHCu lOOh11l9 dSoNlA,
saw she held al infant in her arms.
Catherine, she snid, I have come
to ask you to be kind mother to my
boy, as you were to me, until the truth
isknowh; for Maurice is not guilty-no,
no I'll never believe that =
Her voice had grown almost inaudi-
BILE. Quickly I took the infant from her,
when, before I could support her, she
had dropped on her knees, then quietly
to the floor, upon which she lay as
peacefully as one asleep. I leaned over
her-she was deadw
There was pause.
The door opened, and Maurice adj
vanced, his arms extended, his features
convulsed.
"Denzil," he cried, my son Gath
crime, you may have cause to curse me,
but not for that which you have always
believed, for my poor darling, my
precious Laure, was my wife p
Maurice Northcott here y cried
Catherine Wentworth, starting up.
my father!" calculated Denzil,
rising to his feet
"Yes" proceeded Maurice "inten-
tionaly I did not kill Arnold Wentworth.
The shot was fired by accident. Hear
me, for Laure's sake-hear, and, if you
can, forgive!"
Speak. Maurice Northcott-speak"
And Maurice told his tale. Every
Incident of thot hill sida meetino of