The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1886-06-18
SUSPECTED!
The Fate of the GamekeepGr
JARRETT SYLVESTER
AUTHOR Or
"a FATAL MISTAKE" "FETTERED, YET FREE" "Es-
TRLLE's ERROR" ''sTRIcKKN DUNE" "CLOUDS
AND SUNSHINE" "FALsE PRIDE," ETC
CHAPTER XIV.
GARRETT SYLVESTER,

anu Cne BraVel ScaULerS 10 right ana lett as
his flying hoofs cut up the carriage drive,
for it has rained in the night, and the ground
is heavy for riding. There is a fire in Lady
Gladys blue eyes, q strength in her delicate
hand, which the horse feels instinctively
and dares not dispute.
They turn away from the great gates, and
take the road to the mill. The paramount
idea in the girls mind is to satisfy herself
with regard to Anne Grace Trathaway.
There is latent feeling in her heart which
she has stifed more than once, yet that
shoulders like fire in ashes, gray and cold
on the surface, but red-hot underneath
And what is that feeling? Whatever it be,
it is cruel as the grave, and Kuhleborn ex-
periences q little of its sharpness in bit and
riding whip rs held by his rider to-day.
At the door of the mill Lady Gladys
stops. Kuhleborn had made great fuss
about crossing the bridge over the race,
but she had forced him to do it. A
little boy shaking flour bags comes at
her coll, and holds the horse when she dis
mounts. There is no one in the kitchen but
the old woman. She is peeling potatoes into
her lap sitting over the fire. But she goes
stiffiy up the ladder-stairs to call her mistress
at Lady Gladys's request She is half
blind old creature, related in some distant
way to the Trathaways, and kept by them
more out of charity than for any work she
can accomplish.
Anne Grace is long time in coming.
When she does come, Lady Gladys is shock
ed at the change in her appearance The
9wo stand staring at each other for some Sec
onds, and then Lady Gladys speaks.
81 am sorry to sec you looking so ILL.,
What is the matter with you, Anne Grace 2"
"There is nothing the matter with me,
my lady," the girl answer hurriedly.
canine Grace" Lady Gladys says, very
gravely and gently, eff there is anything
could help you perhaps and 1 certainly
would not betray your secret"
The girl looks at her q little wildly, O little
suspiciously also
''What secret should have?" she an
swers. '"Theres nothing troubling me, my
lady, beyond what everybody knows. And
I'm sure that's enough" and she begins to
cry.
''But mere grief would not make you look
80 wretched. You are very foolish not to
let me help you, whatever your trouble is.
Are you afraid of doing mischief to any one
you like ?'
The girls startled eyes makes Lady Gladys
6hlVer With q cruel drcad.
'Don't ask me anything, my lady, for if it
was the last word 1 was to speak I'd say /
would tell nobody my trouble. Nobody can
help me, and what's the good of talking?
What's done can't be undone. And that's all
I'll say"
"Why then do you make yourself look
Ire ghost? If matters cannot be mended,
and you are not to blame, you need not fret"
''Oh, needn't I, my lady! I'll fret to the
last day of my life. Haven't I been the
death of one that loved me; and isn't that
enough to break any woman's hearth"
''How have you been his death ?" Lady
Gladys asks, again with that sinking of the
heart.
But the girl will not say another word
'Anne Grace hathaway, answer me one
question:" Lady Gladys says sternly. '.Do
you know who shot Robert North 2"
Anne Grace begins to cry violently. She
has seated herself on stool beside the fire,
Lady Gladys standing opposite, looking down
at her.
''Oh, my lady, my lady, why do you come
here to ask me such such questions? Will
you swear to tell no one if 1 tell you? Will
you swear not to let that man come troubling
me again?"
81 can promise nothing" Lady Gladys
answers coldly. 'FBut shall not use any
thing you may tell me to your hurt You
may be sure of that. Do you know who shot
Robert North?"
81 do, the girl says drying her eyes. 81
do know him, my lady, and curse the day he
crossed that threshold! He has brought
nothing but sorrow to me, and to himself.
Hasn't he blood on his hands now, and all
through my folly and vanity wanting to
make the other jealous? Oh, Bob, Bob,
wish l was dead too, and out of my troubled"
With another passionate burst of weeping,
the girl turns and runs out of the house.
Lady Gladys has heard enongh-too much.
There can be no longer any doubt-Here-
ward had make love to the girl, and had shot
her lover in jealous quarrel The worst
has come to the worst.
Strange to say, the strongest feeling in
Lady Gladys's mind, as she turns her horses
head away from the mill, is neither horror,
nor grief, nor surprise. 1t is n wild, unrea-
soning, unmixed jealousy of this village girl
whom Hereward must have loved toh have en-
gagged in a quarrel on her accumulation
he must have loved strongly to have weighed
down his soul with the crime that was COM
mitted for her sake. She forgets everything
but this one thing-that he has loved-that
he loves-Anne Grace hathaway, and even
this does not recall Lady Gladys Palliser to
herself, to remembrance of the pride which
has always been to her q second nature.