Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-07-22
FORCED APART
By w. CLARK RUSSELL
author of the "Wreck of the Grosrenor,-
"a Sailors Sweetheart" Etc.
By W. CLARK RUSSELL
CHAPTER XII



why has he left met"
With which, and with her fearless face in
her hands, she fell to moaning-in her
humble, needless posture of VICE. a piteous
sight. Then must her mother begin to
weep.
20, Jenny, what has thou been and donei
O, my child, what shameful counting has
made you stoop to this deceit! Alasl What
a strange, wild thing to dor And with
streaming eyes she poured forth her interjec-
tons
Now, it befell that the servant Polly, hav-
ing cast herself down upon kitchen chair
TO indulge In one of those aggravating fits of
| whimpering, which seized her after every
collision with her mistress, overheard some
Of Mrs Strangfield's startling calculations,
to which SHE listened, with her mouth gradu-
ally opening, and her head slowly lifting out
of the greatness of her arm sleeves and being
blockhead as well as slut for dirt end IL.
norance love each others company, and
eager to show how forgiving she was, and
how smart was the watch she kept over the
interests of the family, the draggletail sped
softly out of the kitchen into the shipwright's
yard, and, deaf to various personal remarks
on her figure called slyly to her by the work
men, ran up to Mr.. Strangield, and cried
| out:
"Master, if you want to do We shall see it
! in tn parlori There's bin a man. and
missus is CALM Miss Jenny bad words; and
| SIGH blubberin' as is goin' on might fill a
copperp
| Mr.. Strangfeld looked down with scowl
of surprise into the seamy face Of the hand
maid, and not choosing to risk any questions
i'll the hearing of the mentor Polls excite
| ment was something to balance stout voice
| upon--he sensibly concluded certain drec-
! tions he was giving to one of the hands, and
walked to his house.
| On entering the parlor he found Jenny
standing at the table, and her mother sob
| bling in her handkerchief. He was d mar,
| with keen eye, but no sharpness Of Vision
| did he need to know that he stood in the
| presence of a sorrow the like of which had
| never before darkened his home. In the
| girls short reeoil as he entered, the sudden
mutinOts flash Of the eye. that changed ths
whole character of the face, the swelling nos
tril and passionate resolution OF misery in
| forming the whole figure of her, he read it.
| For, in truth, in the blight and shock that
| had come to her with the news Mr.. Saunder-
| son had brought, fear of her father was lost :
| her recoil was an involuntary effort of in
stinct; firm in her misery she stood now, and
her eyes were steady on her fathers face
| Though his wife heard him enter the room
she would not lift her head from the hand
| kerchief In her dread to tell him what
| Jenny had done she gave the mischief more
| sinister aspect than it need have worn by
preserving her weeping posture and silence
He knitted his brows and clasped his hands
strongly, to preserve am evenness of voice
and subdue the dull pain in his breast. But.
do what he would he looked man striving
with might and main to prepare himself for
a shocking disclosure.
"Jane," said he, in low, hard voice, "did
you not hear my footsteps' Why are you
crying, and what makes Jenny SO white and
wild-lookingP
He had turned bis shoulder on his daughter.
and gazed at his wife only.
"Oh Michael" quavered Mrs. Strangfeld,
talking in her handkerchief Jenny hath
| done mad thing. She has just now owned
it, and surprise makes a fool of me- But
thou must bear with her, Michael. Deceit
only is she guilty of-~nothing worse, husband
You will show her mercy, Michael; for is
not she our only childl And the Lords truth
is in the saying, that stolen waters are
sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant ="
" But he knoweth not that the dead are
here, and that her guests are in the depths of
HE'LL" quoted Mr.. Strangfeld, in his deep
tones "What has olr child been doinga"
There was a short pause, ard then Mrs.
Strangfeld removing her handkerchief from
her eyes, and piteously looking at Jenny,
feebly answered: "She has secretly married
the son of DR.. Shaw"
Now most certain it was that Mr.. Strang-
field had expected a worse confession than
this; for it is a truth not flattering to the
sanity severity of such natures as his, that
their conjectures are apt to sink to the very
lowest deep of wrong doing, and stay there
until drawn up again by discovery into
pertinent bearings For a moment, there
fore, he was visited by a sense of relief; for
not instantly could his mind get quit of the
| foul idea so as to apprehend strictly the
meaning of his wife's words But when once
mastered, it brought with it flood of
amazement; and as though he discredited his
hearing, as though his daughter had UNDER
gone some physical Transformation that be-
wildered him utterly, he stared at her; then,
in terrible voice, cried:
LET me hear this from your own lips,
woman
"Father, it is true am Cuthbert Shaw's
wife"
He walked round the table to his chair as
though intending to sit, but still stood.
when did you marry him"
when / was at my aunt Rachers"
when you were at your aunt Rachersi
That is three weeks since. Give me the
day."
:" 1t was OH Wednesday, father-I do not
know the date | forget replied the girl,
trembling like one in an ague, yet never
shifting her feverishly lustrous eyes from
her fathers face.
"You will have to remember the date
name me the church"
at was in London-I cannot tell the name
| will think presently and she pressed her
cold hands to her forehead
"You remember nothing-neither the date
of your marriage, nor the church wherein
you were marredl' he said; and, looking
around him with pathetic manner of I'M
certainty, he moved toward the door
Michael" exclaimed Mrs Strangfield in q
whisper, laying her hand on his arm, "where
art thou going.'
"To fetch the woman's husband and ex-
anime him before thee Let me gol" he an
swered, iiercely, shaking her hand off.
"Oh, Michael, you will not End him-he
hath left Greystone Just now came a
gentleman to inquire for him here. 1t was
the news that overcame her. Poor Jenny -
my little one!7 and she sobbed bitterly.
He turned upon her as n man would on an
| enemy.
Gomez he shouted; then. subduing his
voice: "Gone, do you say, wifei'
! Yes Michael, indeed, indeed. Not ten
minutes ago gentleman was here to tell us.
Mr.. Shaw has not been home all night; and
| whether he is dead, or why he hath gone
| Oh, Jenny Look, Michael; she is dying
| Oh, help her help herl"
! The girl was sinking on the floor, when the
| mother with a bound was at her side
and caught her as she fell. Bestowing
single glance upon the group Mr.. Strangtield
strobe into the passage, seized his hat, ant
left the house.
With long, resolute steps he swung his
arms up the High street TO the corner of th'
road that led to Greystone school
The boys We're at their games in the play
| ground as he skirted the wall
Mr.. Strangfeld walked to the house dool
with resolved step, and pulled the bell
| The servant examined his face curiously, a
if she would read tidings of DIR. Shaw's sol
there but hesitated when questioned if tn
doctor could be seen.
Tell him that l have come 70 talk to hin
about the young master" said Strangfield
.whereupon the girl admitted him, but lef
him in the hall, while she went into the study
Then returning: If You please. what namef
But Strangfeld was in no temper for form
atty, even if he We're one to admit its uses
10 h. e,r,-oD4 osiIN a,Far.,d tb