Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-10-02
XVII.
CLEAR SKIES.

Although England was now to me and to
my wife q land very different from the one
we quilted some eight months ago, we were
anxious to get back to Seville, If only to set
at rest my mothers fears. She, poor woman,
as o letter showed, was much exercised as
to what manner of business could have
made us leave her in so unceremonious a
way. The moment the glad truth had be-
come known to me, l had telegrsphed, say
ing that all was well with us, and that we
should join her. Two things only detained
us.
The first was that we wanted the con-
vict's confession. Although Philippe said
little on the subject, l knew that until it ar
rived she would not be quite happy. There
was with her a haunting dread that the
man, in the hope of mitigating his sentence,
had pleaded guilty to a crime of which he
was innocent. Even the accurate account
which l gave her Of the interview with the
solicitor did not quite satisfy her. So we
waited impatiently for the full explanation,
which might or might not come.
The second thing which kept US in London
was this. / determined that before | left
would have the fact that when l married
Philippa l married Lady Ferrand fully &C.
knowledged. found my way to the gem
tlemen who were winding up the lead
mans affairs, and stated my case to their
incredulous ears At first they treated me
as an impostoF.
But not for long. Indeed, my task was half
done. They had already, without any as
surance from Mrs. Wilson, ferreted out the
date and particulars Of the death of the first
Lady Ferrand. They had but to assure
themselves that the marriage certificate
which l laid before them was no forgery,
and surrender at discretion.
1t was a poor estate, the administrators
told me. Sir Mervyn had died intestate.
He had during his lifetime made away with
nearly all he could ALLEVIATE. Still, there
was some personal property, Of which my
wife could claim q share, and a certain
amount Of real property, on which she wa s
estate.
l cut them very short. / told them that,
let the deceased's wealth be great or little,
not one penny-piece of itshould soil my wife's
fingers If Sir Mervyn Ferrand's heir was
I'm want of the money, it should, provided he
was a different stamp Of man from his i'm
mediate predecessor, be given to him a free
gift. If not, some hospital should be bene-
fitted by it. All l wanted was that it should
he clearly understood that Sir Mervyn Fer
rand left a widow.
The administrators, one Of whom was, BY
the by. the heir, evidently looked upon me
az a most eccentric parsonage. Perhaps it
was for this reason, or-as lido not wish to
cast unmerited ~blame-perhaps 1t was be-
cause the estate wound up to n~othing-well,
any way, even to this day we have received
no communication, much less remittance,
from the administrators; nor, to tell the
truth, have l troubled them again. Phil.
ippa's marriage admitted, l washed my hands
Of all the Ferrand brood.
The confession did not arrive; but l per.
suaded Philippe to leave England. Mr..
Crisp could send whatever he had to send to
Seville Just as we'll as to London. So once
more. and this time in all but perfect hap
piness, we took the long journey which was
by now quite familiar to us.
The joy, the wild joy, with which Phil
ippa threw herself into my mothers arms
checked all the upbraidings and reproach
which we apparently merited. Our return
was like the return Of a prodigal son and
daughter. Laughter, tears and happinessl
Although / told my mother nothing as to
the object Of our mysterious journey; al
though she asked me nothing; although no
word e~videncing her knowledge Of what had
passed has ever crossed her lips, | know
That ali has been revealed to her; that Phil
ippa has sobbed out the whole strange tale
on her breast. know it by this, that since
the day Of our return my mothers deeI
love for my wife has shown itself even ten
derer, sweeter and deeper. Yes, l was
spared the telling of the tale. My mothers
eyes the next day showed me that Philippe
had given her the history, as l have given il
here from beginning to 9nd.
No, not quite the end. Sit by me onct
more, as | asked you at the beginning Of my
story to sit by me; but this time, not by thu
side of a smoldering fire, but out in the fair
gay patio Of our Andalusian home. Philippe
and ! are side by side. The post has just
come in and brought me a bulky packet, on
which, in a clerkly hand, is written my
name and address | tear the wrapper oper
with eagerness / know what it contains
! Philippe knows. ! wish to read it first alone,
but the appealing look IN her eyes turns md