Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-10-01
CHAPTER XIV.

THEN RE WE. EACH AND ALL, FORGIVEN"
A week went by, a week of misery for
every one at Darnel Park, and for at least
one person outside the gates; a week which
had brought no new tidings of any kind
Mr. Penwern had gone back to Scotland
Yard confessed failure, and Dora was
sCathing in her contempt for the detective
force He had eaten and drunk; he had
been handsomely paid for his services; he
had gone upon expensive journeys to
Liverpool and Plymouth and Cork; but he
had failed To arrest the footstep, of Jaker,
or even to discover what white wings had
waited Iaker and his fortunes westward
Among the crowd Of emigrants for that
western paradise, the poacher, n marked
man in the ueighbOrhoOd of Darnel had
been but an insignificant unit, and he had
left no trace behind him in the memory of
dock lahOrcrs or quay de loiterers."
The note changed by Iaker at the village
shop had been identified by Sir Allan's
bankers as one of the notes issued to him.
This fact established Jaker's guilt in the
mind of the detective. But it did not
satisfy Dora Darnel. From the first she
had made mp her mind that her sister-in-
law was in somewise implicated in the
guilt Of that fatal night. She was not
going lightly 30 surrender that belief. 1t
was the trUItion of her own evil thoughts,
the elimination of her long cher9hed dis
like Of her brothers wife. She was not
going to relnquish her own convictions,
the outcome of much intense thought,
merely because the real caimnal had
been clever enough to pass some of his
plumber to Jaker, no doubt with the ex-
press intention of putting justice on a
false scent.
A week had gone by since that morning
when Clare Darnel had entered her hus
bands room, full of love and hope, to be
received with such crushing coldness. She
had no. seen him since that hour. She had
waited ineekly till he should summon her
TO h side She was ready to bear the
pun 'rat of her sin against him, that
one If cuncealment ready to acknOWl-
edg lul she had erred in Withholding her
con ace from the husband and friend to
VIII 80, owed all her allegiance.
ID 3g the week that was just ended,
Sir an had made marked progress to-
war eroycry, a powerful constitution
and 'ic, Of exceptional temperance had
mad j, restoration to health easy, when
ono ' bullet had been successfully eX-
trac lie mad been gradually regaining
sire i-'n pt body and mind during that
weeN 81 quiet and seclusion. He had seen
his q lttr once, his sister three times.
Dora lad urged her right TO See him, and
he had yielded to her wish, not without re-
luctar"r She had sat with him for an
hour Qua Zach occasion, and She had talked
softlg, ia low and gentle accents, yet drop
ping lrh drops of venom as those lips of
hers we're wont to distill when her broth
er's wife was the subject of conversation.
Whatever Sir Allan thought Of her insin
uatou7 he hal been inscrutable
And now the day had come when he felt
himseI equal to an interview with his
wife-.htI Interview which he felt must
needs be- hnal His house must no longer
shelter traitorcss, his daughter must no
longer cali an Infamous woman mother
1t was to Grace, his only child, his darling
of peaceful days gone by, that lac turned in
this hour of dark despair. Amidst the
shipwrrck of his happiness she was the
straw ~ which he chung And now. to day,
when he had to pronounce Jud-Wc"t upon
his guilty wife he summoned GRACE TO
stand at his side, To be, in some measure,
Judge between him and the woman they