The Arkansaw traveler. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1882-1???, 1888-11-10


this storm?' he answered indignantly.
"Your invitation, Mr.. Dacre, was
until ten o'clock. If it is the darkness
you are afraid Of my lady added with
a sneer, zone Of the footmen may ac-
company you
"Mr. Dacre's face flushed angrily.
Thank you, will not trouble your
servant, and, as am so unwelcome,
will intrude upon you no longer.
Good evening, Lady Barchester. Good
bye, Dora. Don't let this trouble you,
darling he added, lowering his voice.
Il shall see you Tomorrow
Ale walked to the door, which old
Thomas opened most unwillingly. A
violent gust of wind dashed the men
across the threshold back into the hall,
and at that moment vivid fash of
lightning filed the air with fame,
while the crash Of thunder was so
loud that the whole building reeled.
Miss Dora, who had been standing as
one stunned, sprang forward with a
shrek:
"Arthur, you shall not go; you
shall stay here. Mother, you cannot
turn him out. Arthur, darling, say
that you will not COP
"'Be silent, child' my lady said
sternly. Have you no seree of maid
emily modesty2 Mr.. Dacre, must tell
you for the second time you are in
truding?'
ale looked at her for a moment, as
If strongly tempted to tell her what
he thought; then he threw his arms
around Miss Dora in one passionate
embrace, forced open the hall door and
strobe away.
"'For heavens sake, be careful at
that bridget old Thomas cried after
him; and then, turning to my lady,
he said solemnly: your father, my
old master, wouldn't have turned
dog out on such night as this, my
lady. In Craven, a curse rests on
them as turns away guest"
"Miss Dora never closed her eyes
that night, but just lay and moaned
like stricken lamb. 1t was we'll on
to morning when fell asleep myself,
and when l awoke she was standing
by my bedside, very white, but quite
calm and determined.
wAnnie, please dress quickly she
saidp Il am going to Stony Place
and you must come with me. I will
not stay another day in house where
he is not welcome
"By eight o'clock we were on our
way. 1t was lovely morning; the
storm seemed to have swept from the
earth everything that was not beauti-
full and sweet. My mistress talked
away quite calmly as we walked. She
told me she would stay with her sis
ter and Sir Lionel until she was mar
ried.
"'It will only be a week or two
now she said, with smile and faint
flush, and that then she would go to
London and / was to go too.
"Now, about half mile from the
Manor there is little stream which
separates the park from the meadows.
call it a stream, and 30 it is in usual
way; in summer, even, you may ford
across it, although, after heavy rain,
it swells out into quite an important
river. You will see it, sir, as you go
to the Manor-just at the park en-
trance; there Is no lodge at this side. |
In those days there was an old-fash-
loned wooden bridge that the gentle
folks set great store by, and artists
used to come from all around to sketch.
AS we drew near / noticed that the
river was more swollen than I had
ever seen it before, and also that some
thing was wrong with the bridge. |
One of the shafts that supported it
had been washed away and had drag
ged down with it the little hand rail. |
l was just wondering what we should
do, for it was long way by the road
to Stony Place, when my mistress sud- |
denly sprang from my side, and, with
one bound was at the brink of the |
river. What followed, sir, l never to |
this day rightly knew. I heard a |
shriek-O, heavensl / can hear that |
shrek still; it was more like the cry
of wounded animal than of q human
creature-and saw Miss Dora Jump
into the river. She fell just in the
middle, where the current was most |
strong, and in q second she was carried |
away by the force of the stream far
beyond my reach. Some men were
working in field near, and heard my
cries; but they were too late. Miss
Dora was dead long before they reach
ed her."
The woman stopped to dry her tears.
"What could have induced her to
commit 90 wild deed?" / asked.
"Ah, sir, she had cause enough for
what she did, as saw when I came |
back to the stream; for there, on the
further bank, Mr.. Dacre was lying,
white and CHASTITY, with a terrible
wound in the side of his head. He
must have been on the bridge when it
fell, for the doctor said he was not
drowned myself saw that his face
Waa ont of the yxafar-hnf dind frox,a