Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-03-09

hands above her head.
Have II she said, through her teeth,
half aloud, given him the right to speak
to me like thiss He seems more to be
claiming his property-as if were so many
tons of iron"-with short laugh-''than
asking me for the greatest gift man can
askr'
She sank down again, hiding her face in
the cushion of the chair.
..Ahl how differently he would writer
was whispered in her heart. but not by her
lips; s'but, then he would come to me
would entreat, as he would never entreat
for life. Ahr' starting up, and pressing
her hands on her temples, flushing with
bitter shame, even in her solitude, at the
thoughts that thronged into her brain, and
made her heart beat to suffocatfon, 81 am
mad TO dream sol This letter" she stopped
and picked it up. Yes she added, slow
". 81 have been wrong: 1 have not been
wholly Just to him. To hide my own Sc
cret have gone too far; and aunt Con-
stance will have right to be angry. All
the world will call me jilt. Lett, let aunt
Constance send me back to Wexford. ]
would not marry Aston Lawford to save
myself from the most horrible death that
cruelty could invent.''
scDt NtuG " utI lAlc" W
the lid.
Yes she said che shall have his an
swer soon; l will not keep him waiting"
/ Then once more she paused. NO. must
not write hastily. must try not to wound
him Oh! does he love me-if only littlei
have been wrong-wrong!
She dropped her face on her clasped hands
on the desk, sobbing bitterly.
But by-and-by she raised herself, and,
when she had grown calmer, drew paper
toward her, and began to write. She, toa
| cast aside not a few letters before she could
write one that she could send. and she was
| far from satisfied with this. Thus 1t ran:
'DEAR Mr. LAwFoRD:
''Iour letter was given to me this after
noon, ana am complying as quic' y az
| can with your request for speeSJ nswer;
| for, indeed, there is no necessity for delay.
| / might, il took more time for considera-
| ton, say better what | have to say; but if
| delayed replying for a month my answer
| would be still the same. | know that you
| do me great honor in asking me 10 be
| your wife-an honor that, for some reasons,
| do not deserve-but forgive me when |
| say that | cannot accept your offer. l will
I not deny that may Though not intention
ally) have led you to expect different an
| sWer; but entreat you to believe, that ]
never supposed you did mora than admire
me, rs others have done. For my fault in
this l ask your pardon, making no excuse,
| though | might plead some; still / was
| wrong. You urge that aunt Constance
| favors your suit; but though would please
her in all things possible. l cannot in this
| L know you would do your utmost to make
me happy: but do not love YOU and with
out love all that the world could give me
would not make me happy. You warn me,
| courteously but firmly, not to tri1e with
| you further, and ject your offer to prove
my power, while, in truth, have no inten-
| ton of final rejection. Let me say, then
| believe me or not as you w1ll-that l am
| writing this to you from my heart-that no
| earthly power could make me, no tempta-
| ton could induce me, to become your wife.
| / refuse your offer now and forever; and
am certainly not vain enough to believe
| that after this you will ever wish to renew
| 1t. Ever yours faithfully,
VALERIE MAUDE HERBERT
1t was characteristic of Valerie that her
first thought was to despatch the letter
without even showing it to her aunt; but
this, on second thought, seemed uncourte-
Gus, even undutiful. She would wait at
least until the latest hour she could send
that night She would not keep Lawford
in Suspense until tomorrow
Evening passed into night, and Mrs.
Langley did not return home At last,
little after ten o'clock, Valerie rang the
bell and sent footman with the letter to
Mr.. Lawford's house in Carlton House
Terrace.
The messenger could not have been thirty
PAGES from the house, when Valerie, who
was in the drawing room, heard the car.
riage stop, and the next moment her aunt 8
step came up the stairs with unusual rapid.
fty. Valerie, who had been musing, with
no small apprehension, over the contest
she expected, but in which she was fully
prepared to conquer, sprang to her feet
with q new fear Had anything happened
that Mrs Langley was SO hurried? The
door was almost burst open before the girl
was more than half way to Ii, and Mrs
Langley, her face flushed and agitated, her
whole mien denoting great mental dis
turbance, entered and dropped into a chair
Aunt Constancer exclaimed Valerie,
springing to her side. What is the mat
ter?"
"My dear" said Mrs. Langley, recover
ing herself little, Il have been greatly
startled and shocked. They kept me at
the Seltons' to dinner, and then l went on
and called at the LawforIis'. wanted to
see Aston, and they told me that Lettie
had called in Whitehall Gardens this after.
noon and WAS told that Elinor and Max
had been summoned to Abbot's Leigh at
two o'clock this morning Gerald wa.
dangerously ILL., Valerie clasped her
hands with cry of tlismay. "Aud later
telegram" continued Mrs Langley, 0sxtd
that it was violent Inflammation of the
| lungs, from n chill, and there was great
danger"
''Oh, aunt Constance" exclaimed the
girl, her eyes blind with tears, chow terri
ble-how terrible for them allr'
HE may recover" said Mrs. Langley.
more composedly. He is not vet forty.
and has strong constitution. Aston Law
ford told me-" she added, looking at her
niece, who stood silent, too shocked for
speech, ''that he had written to you to-day. +"
Valerie started, flushing crimson.
Yes" she said, confusedly, "he-I--oh.
please never mind that uowr'
But | must mind it, child! You have
not answered him yet?'
Yes, | have. He asked me not to DELAY.
and kept the letter as long as / could for
you to see. | only sent it just before you
came in"
Airing, that resounded through the house
mingled with her last words.
Valerie made quick step toward the
door.
Come here, child,' said her aunt, lit
tie sternly. What did you says''
II said-I-"
y hurried knock at the door, and its in
slant opening interrupted her
A footmsn came in, and handed a tele
gram to Mrs Langley.
She glanced ut it and grew suddenly livid.
Great Heayenr' she said "Gersld Reau-
regsrd is deadr'
Valerie almost snatched the paper from
her auut's nerveless hand, and read, with
dazed eyes:
From Colonel Beauregard, Abbot's
Leigh, to Mrs. Langley, -, Upper Brook
Street, London, w.
MY brether died at eight this evening.
OF acute Inflammation. 1 Will write later
Nellie greatly Frustrated, but in no dan
ger"
Gerald Bsauregard deadl
1t can't be truel" Valerie whispered,
hoarsely, with wide-open eyes OF horror.
1T can't be truer'
But Mrs. Langley said, slowly: at 1.
only too truel' Then. after pause, undH
her breath, to herself rather than to Va
Ierie: And Max Beauregard is lord of Alb
bots Leigh"
CHAPTER XXx.-''LoRp OF ABBoT's LEIGH.
And Max Beauregard is lord Of Abbot's
Leigh"
Valerie heard the words, but not their
sense. She was quite stunned, and stood
an n htnr- IL Aafs. !.