The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-05-18
EBENSBURG, Pa. FRIDAY. MAY Is. 1883

. to her own.
'fou will do all this? Then, Veroni-
ca burn the will-burn il, and keep the
secret until You die"
Veronica drew back pale and tremb-
ling.
Burn the will % she repeated family.
You cannot mean that How can G?
l dare not" She was bewildered; no
such idea had occurred to her @Burn
the wili.'' she said again. "Oh, Lady
Brandon, how can ?''
"Gou can do it easily enough if YOU
wish-if YOU WILL" declared Lady Bran
/ don. "Who knows Of it except YOU AMI
me? No one. Who knows the secret
save you and me? No one. Oh, Nero-
MICA, II you would be true TO your prom
lse, true to your word, burn the viii and
forget it"
"But that would be to disobey the
wishes OF the dead" said Veronica. at
seems to me am not my own mistress.
My-my fathers commands, his wishes
surly must obey them; surely must
carry out all his plans ?'
Lady Brandon stood before her erect,
her face eloquent with the passion OF
her words.
Veronica, make no scrupules, raise no
doubts. Are you capable of this great
sacrifice for katherine's sake for her
loves sake? 1t is much 10 ask, know.
Have you the generosity, the nobility, the
grandeur OF soul to make it? You said
you would die for her, my fair-haired
darling. Would you give life, yet with
| hold this ~
81 am bewildered," replied Veronica"
Il 10 not know how to answer you"
'Come with me- said Lady Brandon.
"Step Lightly, Veronica my darling is
asleep. Come with me-"
And the two ladies passed out of Yer
onica's pretty room together.
Lady Brandon led the way to Kather-
| ines room; she opened the door gently
| and they entered together katherine
| had exhausted herself with weeping.
/ Her fathers death was the first trouble
| OF her life, the first cloud that had ever
darkened her sky, the first sorrow that
had brought burning tears to her eyes.
I
and then she had thrown herself on to
1 the pretty white bed and was sleeping
! the sleep OF utter weariness. Her golden
/ hair lay in picturesque disorder over
the pillows, one white rounded arm was
| thorwn above her head-even in profound
| slumber her lips quivered and deep sobs
came from them. She was TOO cxhau-t-
cd for any sound to reach her now. Lady
| Brandon took Neronica's hand and led
her TO the bedside.
Look" said she-''Veronica see how
| young and how fair see is; see how in
| nocent and helpless. Think how she has
| been loved and cherished. Do not throw
| her on the mercies of a cold world.
| Think OF her love; do not take it from
her Veronica, If above this tender white
| breast you saw a sword hanging, YOU
would not let it fall. If you saw a hand
clutch;ng a dagger and pointing it at that
| tender heart, you shoald thrust it aside
| Look at her, Veronica, so unconscious OF
| this tragedy. Will YOU wake her to tell
her that you are going 10 take her in
heritance, her fortune, her happiness
|
Veronica turned away with shudder.
"Come with me again." said Lady
\ Brandon-and this time she led the wav
! to the room where the dead statesman
Law She closed the door, AMI, holding
Veronica's hand tightly clasped in her
own, she led her TO his side. Il have
brought you into the solemn presence OF
| the dead. He who lies there called this
sin of his gil,led sin. Veronica, he did
not foresee, he cou.i not know, the suf-
fering and the sorrow that would fall
upon US. Oh, Veronica, is it just ? Is it
fair ? Is it right? Why should this dis
grace fall now upon me? Have 1 de-
served it Is it honorable that we should
so suddenly be deprived of our own-our
position, our inheritance, all that life
holds most dear? Did you love him,
Veronica, this dear dead father ?"
"Yes," she replied. 1t seemed to
Veronica that all power of speech had
left her-that she could not utter the
words that rose to her lips
'You did love him; then spare him.
You could do nothing so hurtiul to his
memory as TO let this secret be known.
All England reveres him now, ali Eng
land does homage to him. He is
numbered among the great ones of the
nation. Oh, Veronica, how they would
denounce him, those who have loved
him best, il they knew that in very
truth he had left his wife and child to
bear the brunt and the burden of his
concealment, They would blame where
they have praised. You Will take a
hero from his pedestal. lou viii
shadow a grand memory, detract from 9
fair fame, if you tell his secret And
you will gain-what? \ fortune that
you will never enjoy, IN inheritan e that
will prove more OF curse than bless
ing, an inheritance that viii be almost Z
fraud. Veronica, burn that cruel will. "
"Hut others must know of it," she
said
NO" asserted Lady Brandon; "thc
lawyer who drew up that will is dead
/ tell you. / remember that Sir Jasper
went TO 4 strange lawyer whose namC
was Mathews, and that some days after
ward he said that n strang thing had
happened. lie had asked Mathews tC
attend to some Little business for him
and few days afterwarl he had died
suddenly. l remember it SO well. One
never misses much what one has never
had, Veronica Go1 have never been
considered or treated as the heiress o
Queens Chace. You would not mis-:
the distinction. But Katherine has
Katherine has grown up with tho
thought; it has formed part of her life
My dear, plead TO you, pray to YOU
lI,-,, 1t LII