Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1886-09-11
FORCED APART
By W. A RUSSELL
ASthor Of the "Wreck Of the Grosvsnor,n
"a Sailors Sweetheart" Etc.
CHAPTER XVII.
N WIFE.

tnouSn Cnere was no trOSt From side Il
side Cuthbert's eyes roamed as the coach rat
tied him up the High street, but no familiar
face did he encounter. Yes! one there was
an old boatman, who stood sucking a pipe a
the door Of an ale house. Always, whe,
Cuthbert went fishing, this was the ma,
who had rowed him out to sea. He was pas
In a moment, and out of the High stree
rolled the coach on to the level country road
And now, by changing his seat, might Cuth
bert have caught a glimpse. on his RICH,
hand, Of the roof and chimney pots of Grey
stone school. But he did not change hi.
seat, nor turn his head, nor give his father 9
thought That his father was well was new,
TO satisfy into silence the faint flial instinct
that stirred In him. Why, it was his OWL
foolish silence and the trick of a secret mar.
rtage that had brought the shame Of scandal
upon his wife; but, prick6d by memory Of
the cold restraint that had, kept him a boy
when he was a man, he would have been an
angel not to refer all his own and Jenny'
sorrow to his father.
With his arms folded tightly over his
breast, and all his heart given to violent
strife with dismaying emotion, and the terro,
OF great love, wrought by expectation and
hope to the extreme point where other pas
s&S0o NS6AAe VIII was C0ITlSU dt ~ SQAII
Tot along the hard road, and over the ruta
which the cold had CONCEALED Into iron; past
the brown land of fields and leafless hedge.
rows, where balls Of birds perched without
dutter; and the steam from the horses nos.
trils drove out from either side the coach
like throbs Of an escape pipe under the ham,
mering Of a cylinder.
AT last came up a gray stone front, with
green ivy fourishing upon it, and the wheels
rang out a multiplied echo.
Cuthbert called to the mar to stop.
"This is Winstona"
@Ay, SIR"
an get out here"
He alighted with his travelling bag. and
put money into the drivers hand, which set
the fellow cropping for change, until he found
the passenger walking away.
A man was standing at the door of the
Greyhound Inn. He touched his can to
Cuthbert, thinking him a customer for Sally.
for this was Mr.. Walker.
"Wil you please direct me to Mrs. Stranp-
fields housea" said Cuthbert
"You can see him from here. sir. Come
vheer I stand. There's him with the tor
window built out. I reckon the old lady's
seein' company to-day" exclaimed Mr..
Walker.
"Who is therea" inquired Cuthbert, quickly.
"Well, the little schoolmaster from Grew
stones there, and then there's yerself. master.
One an one maketh two, that's company for
Winston. An If it warn't for my garden
stool the Lord help my landlord"
us Mrs. Shaw therea"
"Ay, day an night" answered Mr. Walker,
taking a close look at the speaker at this.
Cuthbert noticed the glance, and went for.
ward.
The house stood back from the lane, with
a space of twenty feet or so of garden before
it. A big and pretty country cottage, with
the old equipment Of porch and caves. and
bay windows trenching upon the oval plot Of
grass.
When he was at the gate of it the ham,
mering of his heart confused his head, and
for some moments he stood unable to ad.
vance, hidden by the railing and impene-
trable tangle Of evergreen within.
Courage came to him then, and with a
swing Of the body he passed through the gate
and struck the door.
It was opened by Mrs. Strangfleld herself,
He knew her instantly, and she him. But
wonderful it was to behold in her face the
stupefaction of surprise, yielding to in
credulity and fear, then to p%rodigious
doubt, then to a light of wild rapture.
In a breathless voice: "Cuthbert Shaw!
o, Jenny! o, my darlingl 1t is we'll with
thee at last!" and her hands fell upon his
arm, and she drew him in.
"Where is she" he exclaimed, lowering his
voice to a whisper. "Break the news to her
gently. She thinks me dead, I hear. Is that
room emptys Hush! I think I hear her."
He drew a fierce, short breath, and on tip
toe stole into a room on the left of the hall.
reckoning to Mr.. Strangfield to follow him.
tt poor closed the door, and with
her back against it stared at him as though
the ideas his presence gave her were not to
be mastered.
"Is she well-quite well2' he asked.
"Oh, yes, Mr.. Shaw, she is well. Dear
heart; how wonderful to see thee! Az, is
she well. But, pretty dear one, God knows
she has suffered for thee! Truly she thinks
you deadl Were you not in a ship that was
sunks Alack! but a minute ago you were
drowned. and now you are here! Oh, my
head! my head! Why, who IL Jenny with
now. but thy very own fatherl Often doth
he come to see his daughter --for that she is
now to Him, and SO he terms her, and truly
loves her. Oh, Mr.. Shaw, what will she say
to hear of you-to see you"
Her excitement was past weeping. She
was distracted by the sight of him, and
could not yet believe her senses.
Mrs Strangfeld, pray go to her at once,
and tell her I am here. Go, I beseech you.
I cannot endure delay"
And saying this he went to the door. from
which she drew away, and held it open, and
she passed out. .
Now, in the adjacent room, toasting his
feet at tho fire, and his frill showing frostily
upon his breast, in contrast with the ruby
light from the CRATE, sat DR.. Shaw, snuffbox
in hand. cozily nursing his figure in a good
arm chair. Facing him sat Jenny, in deep
mourning, her pale loveliness taking from
detection and the somberness Of her apparel
a line and unapproachable delicacy.
Her hands were Upon her lap, and her
head dropping, and in that pose she listened
to DR.. Shaw, who was explaining to her the
offer he had that morning received for the
transfer of his school.
1t was easy to see from the In
which he addressed her, and the expression
in the eyes that he bent on her, that she had
made her way to his heart, and was, indeed,
to his soul what he named her with his lips
daughter.
Otherwise it was not in nature that It
should have been. He was a lonely old man
now, for whom his calling held no more
relish; quite friendless in Greystone, with an
ever-present ache in his heart which his
proud face might dissemble, but which ruled
his conduct.
This had brought him to the tender girl
whose honor he had once rudely doubted;
and she, for the love she bore his son, had
given him her love, and he had no happiness
away from her.
Thus they sat, and he was telling her that
he should accept the offer made him, when
Mrs. S%trangaeld came in.
Jenny turned in her chair to look at her.