Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1886-01-29

forms IN way wnl en- Scanuanzeu Jue oec1r.
GUS clerks. He wrote two messages RAPIDLY.
threw down a sovereign and asked for soma
one to go at once to the telegraph office,
Then he seized me by the ARM
Gomez he cried; "all that trashn-
meaning the business papers-'tcan wait
Come with me-"
He swept me out Of the offics like
whirlwind, down the stairs into the street.
He shouted for cab. and in moment we
were tearing full speed toward our hotel.
Had not guessed that something deepar,
some thing concerning my own fate lay I'M
der his excitement l should have thought
that Eustace Grant had suddenly gone
mad. No; knew That he had made some
discovery which wrought great change
in every thing.
"What is ita Tell me-" said
II cannot I cannot speak. Wait one
minute
''Tell me that it means good to Viola and
to men
He grasped my hand "Julian," he said,
sit means everything"
sank back speeches.. For minute or
gwo was wiling to rest content with this
cold assertion and ask no more questions
l said no more until we reached the motel.
Grant carelessly threw money to the
cabman, passed his arm through mine, and
led me 10 our sitting-room at rate which
made us the observed OF all. Once there,
he grasped both my hands and shook them
vigorously. Then he left me-
In minute he was back again. He held
two letters in his hand. He gave me one.
''She wrote this" he said; lit is fare
well, and was to have been given you when
you had learned all.'
I snatched it and would have opened it.
''Stop moment" he sad. ''This one is
a letter which on her death bed Viola's
mother told me to give her dau9 hter on her
twenty first birthday. Your wife read it in
Mr.. Monks Office while she was waiting for
you and while was talking to Mr.. Monk.
When you read it, picture her feelings, and
you will understand every thing"
Grant turned away and left me alone
with the letters.
Which should ] open firsta Viola's, Of
course. Sad though it might be, it would
contain some word of love which would be
precious to me- kissed it and tore it open.
Here it is:
''DEAREST-You will read this, knowing
all. Had we not met-hal you even be-
Eeved me faithless to you, could have car
ried the dreadful secret to the grave, and
you at least might one day have found
yourself happy again. You have forced
the truth from me, and the truth Sd ows you
that this letter is an eternal farewell. At
times thought, when years and years have
passed, we might meet again Dearest, it
can never BE-. Even that hope is denied US.
Julian, fate has been cruel, AMI seems even
crueler now that you must share the sorrow
and the shame. Farewell"
I laid the letter on thu table and opened
the second packet Another letter in
woman's writing; also two long narrow
strips of paper. Tread the letter.
'MY DAUGRTER-If 1 am dead, this will
be given you on your TWEEN ty- first birthday.
The name under which pass is not my
own. l am the wife-yoa are the daughter
of Julian Lorraine, of Herstal Abbey,
Somersetshire How he treated me, why
left him, are matters upon which I need not
speak. He was fiend in human shape /
shall never see him again. He does not
know whether I am alive or dead I tell
you this, not that you may seek him and
claim the right of daughter, but that you
may shun and avoid any one bearing his
wicked name He is rich, but riches do not
bring happiness. Live your own sweet
life, marry good honest man, and let your
true name. OF the relationship you behr to
the man who so cruelty wronged me, never
pass your lips. If ever you feel tempted to
go to this man and say, 4 am your daugh-
ter think of me and the years of suffering
he has caused me. Let him die without
knowing he has child SO fair and loving
as yourself Your affectionate mother.
MARGARET Lorraine"
The slips of paper were certlicates-one
of the marriage of Julian Lorraine and Mar
garet, the other of the birth of Viola.
Now knew ALL rested still and pic
tured my poor girls unspeakable horror
when she read that fatal letter, and learned
that her husband was her fathers son by
what she supposed was former wife. I
seemed to see her struck down in the first
flush of her welded happiness, even as I
had been struck down. seemed to enter
into her thoughts to feel that it was i'm
possible she could meet me again. l could
hear her agonized entreaties to Grant to
bear her away and hide her from me- 1
could understand now why she took no
steps to clear her name in my eyes. How
she even wished me to think her perjurel
and faithless, so long as the secret could be
kept from me-so long as l did not suffer
as she suffered Yesi I could understand
what, rightly OF wrongly, she and Grant
had striven to do for my sakel
On what a chance a life turnsl Why
had I never told Viola thu story OF my
birth and strange adoption? Why had
never told Grants 1t would have cleared
matters in second.
me to mention it to either of them. After
1 had succeeded to my reputed fathers
wealth, my position was so assured-it
seemed to me SO natural to be thought and
called the dead mans son-that in sober
truth my real origin had all but faded
from my mind. For years l had scarcely
given it thought But ground my teeth
now, es l reflected how a simple chance
might have made me speak, and SO saved
my wife aud myself from more than two
years of misery!
Then the idea came to me that every
moment which elapsed before Viola learned
the news was one of sorrow to her. I
sprang to my feet and went in search of
Grant.
Good fellow! I found he had already
packed his portmanteau and was bu5ily
engaged on mine.
IF you make haste We shall just catch
the Southa mpton traln," he said.
1t thanked him by look. tossed things
into my portmanteau higgledy -pigglety, and
i'll UuT66 ulllluOSS NC W0l0 vi Jul way U1Ck
to France
We were in plenty of time Indeed, as
the boat did not leave Southampton until
nearly midnight, we might have waitel for
a later train, 1t was letter as it was.
Although starting from London at once
meant pacing for hours the quay at South
ampton, had the satisfaction of being SO
many miles nearer to Viola.
Shall l ever forget that crossingl The
night was fair. No thought of sleep came
to me. l sat on deck all night, gazing out
over the sea; looking out for the two great
lights on Cap de la Heve; listening to the
steady, monotonous thump, thump, thump
of the engines, and knowing that every
revolution Of the paddle-wheels was bear
ing me nearer to Viola; or leaned over the
side of the boat and watched the Kissing
water flying behind in foaminr white
track. felt that was being borne away
from all my troubles, and that the path the
sturdy ship plowed through the moon
lighted sea was one which led me to I'M
speakable happiness. was alone with my
thoughts nearly all the time. Grant. like a
wise man, had gone below to court sleep.
Perhaps, in spite of the joy he felt in the
approaching happiness of his friends, my
ceaseless and oft-repeated questi ons became
a trifle monotonous. He had to assure me
a thousand times that one, at least, of his