Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-10-17
ENGAGED IN HASTE.
BY MISS N. E. BRApDoN.


needs be final His house must no longer
shelter traitoress, his daughter must no
longer call an infamous woman mother.
1t was to Grace, his only child, his darling
Of peaceful days gone by, that he turned in
this hour Of dark despair. Amidst the
shipwreck of his happiness she was the
straw to which he clung And now, to-day,
when he had to pronounce judgment upon
his guilty wife he summoned Grace to
stand at MS side, to be, in some measure,
judge between him and the woman they
both had loved Grace would incline TO
mercy. Grace would pity the sinner, even
in the midst of Indignation at the sin.
1t was the first day upon which Sir AL
Ian had been well enough TO sit up for an
hour or two. He looked the pale ghost of
his old self as he sat by the fire, wrapped
In q long brocaded dressing gown, bor-
dered with sable, as picturesque as the
robe of a Venetian senator in the sixteenth
century. The gown had been planned and
chosen by Lady Darnel, and made in Sc
cret, as a birthday gift for her husband
He remembered that fact when his valet
handed him the garment, and would have
avoided putting it on-but his only other
dressing-gown had been stained with
blood on the fatal night He could not re-
iect the obnoxious robe without too plainly
indicating his antipathy, and he did not
want to make his wife's disgrace common
talk In the household,
He sent for his wife and daughter and
they came to him, side by side. Grace
few to the hearth, where he sat in a spac-
ious armchair, She flung herself upon
aer knees beside him and nestled her
bright head in his lap.
%oh, father, what delight to be with
you" she murmured.
Clare stood little way off, calm, erect,
but very pale. II she stood before him
thus as a criminal, conscious of that last
worse crime of which a wife can be
guilty. she was indeed the most audacious
among women. But though her face ex-
pressed a proud tranquility, and her eyes,
grave, sorrowful, reproachful even, looked
at him unshrinkingly, she was content to
stand aloof, rs one who knew there was
an impossible gulf between herself and
him So Allan Darnel thought in his
agony as he looked at the wife he had
loved
Had loveds Is there ever an end to such
lov5 as thisy Did Lucius Junius Brutus
cesse to love his sons when, as their judge,
he condemned them to death,
Never had Allan Darnel loved yonder
pale, beautiful woman more intensely
than he loved her now, in this supreme
hour of her renunciation.
aGrace have sent for you because /
have that to say TO Lady Darnel which
wish you to hear" he began, grayely.
There are some fathers who would keep
such a sorrow as mine forever secret from
o daughter who would hush up and gloss
over facts, leave all things in darkness
and mystery, q something to be wondered
about forever afterward; but / have
chosen to act othetwise. You are a woman,
and il can do you no harm to know that
there are wicked women in this world as
well as good women. Igive you my whole
confidence, Grace, because you are wise as
well as loving
sFather.n cried the girl, looking at him
with horror, what are you going to sayl
Not one word against my mother"
@Hush," exclaimed Sir Allan, putting
his hand upon her lips. ~You must never
again call that woman by such name
You look upon her to-day, hope, for the
lastt time. Lady Darnel and are going
to part, Grace, forever. There is no need
for me to enter upon the reasons for that
parting She knows what those reasons
are as well as L There need be no public
scandal, no disgrace for her-whom we
have both loved Lady Darnel is comfort
ably provided for under her settlement
She will do well to go abroad, alleging
any reason she may please, not dishonora-
BILE to me, for our separation. / would
spare her all the pain can, although her
infamr well nigh cost me my life -
although her midnight visitor did his best
70 murder me-
sFather, father" cried Grac, with wild
shrek of horrsr, you are wrong-deluded
-deceived-dtceived by me, your wretched
daughter. 1t was in the hope of seeing
me that that man came to this house. He
had been lurking about all day. He
wanted TO get an interview with me-to
claim my promise-perhaps to ask me for
money, since he was brought so low"
sGrace, what are you ravirg about,
You are mad exclaimed Sir Allan, look |
ing from his daughter TO his wife in sheer
Clare had not said 8 word. She stood !
before him silent, imperturbsble, waiting
to hear his accusation in all its fullness
She wanted to hear him to the end-to |
learn the lowest depth to which she had
sunk in his estimation before she uttered
one word in her own defense. And now /
Grace had come to the rescue; Grace, the |
generous and impulsive; and the whole |
story must needs be told.
mo, father, dearest, / am not mad; but |
/ have been foolish, blamable, wicked /
even; for it was wicked to keep the secret |
of my folly frcm the best and kindest Of |
fathers. / am deeply ashamed of myself. |
II that dreadful wound had been fatal |
should have been the most miserable |
creature in the world. ! could not have |
gone on living, knowing that my folly had |
been the cause of my fathers death"
And then brifiy, bravely, without dis |
guiscs or sophistications Of any kind, Grace |
Dsrnel told the history of her engagement, |
told how she had seen her scampish lover |
upon the Chicksand common when they !
were out cub-hunting in the morning, and !
how she had seen no more of him.
you did not see him again at night,
them questioned her father. How do
you know that it was he whom / saw in
the next room-the man who fired the
shot,"
u do know it-as well as any one can
know anything from circumstantiaI evi-
dance, but it Is long story. Herk! there
S a carriage cried Grace, rushing to the
Window. 1T must be the colonel had
: letter from him this morning saying he
would try to be back to-day. He knows
He can convince you that
IN telling the truth
"He knows" said Sir Allan "You
rusted him, then, when you dared not
rnst your father5"
Because was not one little bit afraid
4 him, dear, induigent, old thing" cried
trace. May he come up at once9 l am
'ying to see him"
Not yet, Grace; we must have the story
ut first. H-if have wronged your step
mother as daanlv as rnnr rnrdc IN, r,nlr-r