Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1886-09-09

pay. in order to SD - fellow from
bringing dishonor o. /. family name
He did mo-. sayla IT, II the public,
however. He was tos broad Cor that
He .merely snssess ~ isauir;e.
concerning Richard b szying he knew
nothing OF him.
.ETv~E z { 6
For two years E.iitA dwelt in her
home, with her moth and their two
servants, unmOlestsd. If Richard had
ever visited the viIlaee during that
period. no one knew i Peopls had
ceased to speak of him, and il
was doubtfnl il any as oflen slourht
Of him. except Eiisl fszymond. HIs
absence was far from removing her
fear. She knew him two well to be-
lieve he would give her up 50 easily:
and, notwithstanding the fact that no
one had seen him, she hal no doubt
but that he had been an occasional, if
not frequent, visitor in the neigh.
borhood.
She was possessed Of an uneomfort.
able feeling that he was liable to drop
IN upon her at any moment. And, as
the time drew near for her lovers re.
turn, she was beset with the most
harassing anxiety. 1t was possible
that Richard might be dead, but she
could not bring herself to rely upon
such contingency. And, if he were
living. his very silence was ominous.
She could not tell what way the fel.
lows cruel, passionate nature would
vent itself, but she was well assured
that he would yet visit her with
trouble of some sort.
1t had been Harry request that the
wedding should take place Immediate
ly after his arrival. And so, for sew.
eral weeks prior to the time he was
expected to be in port. preparations
were being made for the event. When
this become generally known, it was
a much-talked.of affair; for both
parties were wealthy, and wealth sell
dom fails to render its possessor an
object OF popular interest. especially
in not over-rich community, such as
was to be found in the small New
E-1i~"d Village Z" ,.sre pi:.L'- h,-..
was located. Her lovers return and
the approaching wedding being SO
widely known and specuIated about,
increased Edith anxious forebodings.
She saw that it would be easy for
Richard Oakley to gain whatever in.
formation he might desire concerning
HarIy's movements, aud thus facili
tate the execution of any plan he
might have formed for frustrating the
marriage.
Strangely enough, her fears at this
time were in nowise directed TO her.
self; that she was in personal danger
never once occurred to her, else she
might perhaps have exercised more
caution, and not have fallen so readily
into the trap that was laid for her.
At the foot of the large garden at
the rear of Edith's house, was situated
pretty, vine covered summer. house
1t was favorite retreat OF hers,-a
sort Of resting-placs from troubles and
vexations. Here she was almost sure
to be found at some hour of the day.
1t seemed easier to forget her anxiety
in this sheltered, quiet nook than else
where and even momentary relief
from the fear that pressed so heavily
upon her was grateful.
But the days dragged their slow
lengths along, and nothing happened
to mark their progress in the life OF
Edith. save that each succeeding one
brought her nearer to the hour when
Harry was to return. 1t seemed to
her that if she could only see him safe
in her home once more, all her fears
would vanish; that, looking into his
face, and hearing his voice, she could
forget that there was danger.
The eventful day dawned at length,
fair and bright as only a June day
can be. Had Edith been superstitions,
she would have considered this hap.
py omen; but she was not, and so it
failed to re-assure her.
Harry was to arrive at noon, and
the marriage was to take place at
seven P. N. Shortly before the train
was due by which he was expected,
Edith stole quietly out of the house,
and ran down to the summer-house to
wait for its warning whistle.
A mass of tall. Towering shrubs
grew close to the entrance, and ex-
tended around to a gateway in the
rear of the summer house, which
opened from the garden into a grove
of cedars. This grove sloped down to
the bank of q swift running river,
49,. - - l. I.~s~k