The Irish standard., 1888-02-18

everybody except for Agnes Armund,
the poor widow daughter, who lived in a
lt5lc cottage on the Caledon estate, and who
had lo,-ed and worshiped Phillip Caledon as
neither Lenora Eldridge nor Dorcas Welby
ever did 1t was the love of q life time, the
love that is the curse of some. that she
poured. all unasked, at his feet. And he
why careless not a kindly smile. a helping
hand, was all he ever dreamed Of bestowing
on the coarse, lonely hireling who would
have given her life for him SO gladly.
"Butwith Agnes Armund, as said before,
all seemed strang gely unsettled and people
were won't to shake their heads when they
passed her, for twas said she was a little
queer. Howbeit, a year passed away, and
there was born to Mr.. Barrett beautiful
twin boy and girl They were the JOY OF
their fathers heart, he said, and it ru1nor
spoke true, he had need of something to
comfort him beside the cold, unfeehng
woman who had married him simply for
subterfuge from gossip, and who made bis
life burden by her sharp complaining
about their poverty; for he was only
struggling young barrister, and could not
afford many Injuries to his beautiful, but
unhappy, young wife. But, suddenly, Just
as prospects were beginning to brighten for
=
wife in poor circumstances, with her two
children only year old. simultaneously
with his death was the death Of Dorcas
Caledon, Philip Caledon's young, much-loved
| wife. She left q tiny babe only day old;
little giri--Dorcas, they called her, after her
! mother. Nh. Caledon was nearly crazed
with grief at the loss Of his wife; but grad
ually he began to look upon the babe with
some interest and to find comfort in watch
ing it's pretty attempt at playfulness, for it
was % strong, healthy child, and grew fast.
sBut what was the horror and anguish OF
the father and the grief and CONSERVATION
OF the servants, when one day the little
crib was found empty, and no trace of the
babe could be obtained. The nurse had left
it Quietly sleeping in its little bed, and when
she returned ii was gone. In vain they
searched; in vain offered immense rewards
for even the faintest clue; none could be
gained. 1t remained q mystery, as If the
ground had suddenly opened and swallowed
her up SO suddenly did the baby heiress OF
Caledon disappear from her home and the
loving hearts that cherished her. Mr..
Caledon was never the same man again;
he grew silent and sometimes harsh. Even
the presence Of his father and mother
failed to cheer and comfort him, as Of yore,
GlNuSA SuAOVC W Wiz uCAA1Oot w GAAdAISoo
his grief for his wife and child and set his
! mind in differ ent channels.
s:It was thus that Lena Barrett found him
Oh her return from her parents, with whom
she had been living, and she at once set
about devising means for winning the
master of Caledon for a second husband.
In this she succeeded, for Mr. Caledon,
urged by his parents, who feared their
son s. reason would become impaired by his
| grief, finally married the beautiful Widow
! Barrett, and installed her as the future
| mistress of Caledon.
''No1v indeed, was Lenora Caledon tri
umpllant; the position she coveted was hers; {;
she was supremely happy for season. But
there is a crease in every roseleaf, tits sald,
! and Mrs. Caledon found hers to DO no ex-
! ception to the general rule, for she had
been, married but q short time when who
should appear but Agnes Armund, who
simply asked to see Mrs. Caledon, and in
the interview that followed gave evidence
of very correct knowledge Of the where
abouts of Dorcas Caledon, for whom the sor
| rowful father was then mourning his life
away, praying ever for only one glimpse OF
baby Dorcas before he died.
'sIt would nave been naturally supposed
that Mrs. Caledon would have caught eager.
| ly at this clue Of restoring to her husband
| what would have been such q stirlulant to
his falling state, the restoration Of bis be-
| loved child. But far from it, indeed, were
her intentions, she had no idea Of being sec
! ond to little Dorcas in the affections and
| generosity of the master of Ca}cdon; be.
! sides her own children were just gaining
! favor with their stepfather, and there was
! no doubt il he died without leaving an heir,
| they would inherit the Caledcn property.
To the fulfllment of this wish Mrs. Caledon
bent all the energies Of her strong. passion.
| ate nature.
! ssBy y}zillful bribes she secured the promise
| of half-cra2ed Agnes Armund to keep the
knowledge she possessed secret. She
| also worked upon the fears of the poor
creature, declaring ii she were to reveal
the whereabouts of the babe Or even re-
store it to it's father, she would certainly be
imprisoned for abduction, and no doubt
a long term of penal servitude would be
her reward. She took care, also, to enlarge
upon the debt Of revenge that Agnes owed
Philip Caledon for the sighting Of the
great love she bore him.
sAll these combined suff1ced to bewilder
and confuse the already tortured mind, and
50 with evil tenacity she hugged the pre-
cious secret to her bosom, and lived on, ever
! unhappy SuO WISGCucu, ,yCt UlClSl 1lAcl uA-
relenting.
s.But in few years, worn by grief and
vain searching for his lost child. Mr.. Gale
don sank into his grave, and Caledon
Heights was without master, and the old
name extinct, except for old MIR. Caledon,
whose heart was broken at his sons death,
and for whom he had never ceased tolnourn.
'.Mrs. Caledon, though she mourncd her
husband, it seems was not inconsolable, as
she married again shortly after his death.
Irma and Irving Barrett, on opening the will
of Phillip Caledon, were found to be his
sole heirs with one clause only in the will
that was should the lost heir of his estate,
his beloved daughter, Dorcas Caledon,
ever be discovered, then the estate should
be hers with the exception Of legacy ia
| both Irma and her brother.
stIt was after the death of Phillip Caledon
that glimpse Of the great wrong she had
! committed to this man began to dawn upon
the mind Of Agnes Armund. Buteven then
the desire for revenge was too strong to al
low her to make reparation. She loved to
4 think of the heiress of Caledon as depend.
ent among strangers, to gloat over the
thought that when she should have grown
she should 20 out into the hard world and