San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-07-07
by ROBERT BUCHANAN.

bit stupid p'raps, but Eve gawt heart like
the rest on us; and that dear lass found her
way to it, and made me love her, as | can
never love anybody in my life again. She
don't knaw this any more than you did afOre
this minute. She never thought anything O
me, and didn't blame her for it; for twarn't
no fault o hern: but | went on lOvin' her all
the same. | thought, Measter Hugh, she
might ha' married you; and ii she had, and
had ha' been happy-why, should ha' been
cOntented. But when she went away it
almost brawke my heart"
at was a blow TO all of us. God grant
better things are in store"
"Measter Hugh, amt told you this to-day
for the sake o talking. | want you to I'M
derstand that if ! can help her nav, when
she wants help, It's all ask for"
SO saying, he opened his purse, took cut a
few S0ycregns, and offered them to me; but
| shook my head
II don't want it," said. 81 have still got
some of my own left when that is done, it
will he time enough for me to come 10 you.
Poor Annie shall be- well looked after, be
sure of that; and hope that by Thursday 1
shall have her well enough to take her
home"
Looking rather crestfallen, he put the
money back into his pocket and turned to
go.
Very well, Measter Hugh" said lie; "rl
come again on Thursday"
He had given me warm hand-shake, and
had got halfway down the stairs, when |
called him back
"lf you are calling at the cottage" | said,
don't tell them anything of this Don't let
them know that Annie is here, or that you
have seen her Ii Will be- better TO keep the
secret yet"
If he could not induce me to take money,
John Rudd determined to render assistance
in some other way. About half an hour aft
er he had left, doctor arrived to see Annie;
then came several bottles of wine, and some
fruit; and had strong reason To suspect that
the landlady had not been quite so averse to
accepting his money as ! had been. At any
rate, she was mtirng in her attention to
Annie, who rapidly recovered.
When John Rudd came on the Thursday,
he found her sitting up in bed, able to recOg-
nize him and talk to him, but still too weak
to walk into the adjoining room. Nothing
was said about going away that day; but l
judged that she would be able to make the
attempt on the following Monday, the day
of the carriers return.
On the Sunday morning, therefore, when
she had left her bedroom, and sat in the arm
chair by the Sitting-rOom fire, took her poor
thin hand in mine, and said:
"Annie, my dear do you feel strong enough
to take a jOumeyY'
For moment she turned her frightened
eyes on mine.
"A journey, IIugh?' she asked, family.
| saw her checks grow very white, but l
knew that what had to say must be said;
so went bravely on.
John Rudd will be here Tomorrow" l
said, ''and want to take you home"
1t was pitiful to see her face. "Oh Hugh!
| can't gOp' she cried. 81 can't face father,
it would kill me. You go, and leave me
try to forget you have seen me; and they
will never know"
| saw it was hard task | had before me,
but tackled it as bravely as could.
annie" said, 1.-The time has come when
you must tell me the whole truth. When we
met in London, you said you were married
woman. Was that true or falsey'
She shivered, and turned away her face.
Don't ask me, Hugh! don't~
But persisted, and at last she replied:
when / told you, thought 1t was true.
He said was his wife. We went before a
sort of lawyer together in Plymouth, and
though prayed sore to be wed in church,
he said il was the same thing. Afterward,
when we Quarreled, he told me that the man
was in his pay, and that it was no marriage
at all. That was why left him, and went
into the streets to StaTYe."
''Now, answer me-" cried, "who is the
man who deceived you? If he is living, he
shall make amendsP'
100 late too later she cried
"Whatp | exclaimed, startled by her tone,
and thinking of the murdered man. as he
dead?"
mo, Hugh; he is liyinsH
"His name? Tell me his namer
"Hugh, dear, l cannot-at least not yet
But trusted him, and he deceived me. He
made me swear to keep his secret for a time,
saying that il folk knew of eur marriage it
would be his ruin. At last when | could
bear suspense no longer, lac told me the
truth. With the aid of him that's dead, he
had deceived mel-our marriage was all a
pretense! On, God help me! What shall i
do? What shall dOY'
Ny head whirled; had sore struggle to
collect my furious thoughts. At last l mas
tered myself, and cried:
you must come home with me. YOu must
tell the truth to those that love you. If
not"
She chung TO me, looking up into my angry
face.
Hugh, you won't ask me! Promise me
thatp'
1 did not answer her, could not trust my
self to answer. | was thinking of all the
evil that had already happened, of the dead
man, of the hand which. in a moment of
madness had laid him low. l was thinking,
too, of Madeline.
At last turned to my cousin.
"You must leave ii all to me-" l said.
.'Now 20 and lie down; will call you early
in the morning."
II was wretched night for both of us.
walked about the sitting-room hour after
hour, and listened TO Annle's stifled sObs and
means from the adjoining chamber. In the
morning called her according to promise.
She looked deathly pale, but tolerably COM
posed, and when John Rudd knocked we
were both ready to go. When we got 10 the
wagon, we found that there was nice bed
made up for Annie, and near to 1t was .
basket full of things for her to eat
/ shall never forget that journey; to me 1t
seemed intermna5le, but to poor Annie it
ended over-qulckly, l fear At starting, she
took her place inside the wagon, upon the
bed which John Rudd had made up for her,
and there she stayed until the end. As we
drew nearer and nearer to St. Gurlotfs, her
agitation increased terribly; and when at last
John pulled up within a hundred yards Of
the cottage-gate, she began to cry pitifully,
and beg TO be taken away. l soothed her as
well as could, and, having left her in the
van I WALKED on IN the cottage To nrenare