The Irish standard., 1888-02-18

4
shall not die with so great 8 wrong un-
righted. 1t is righted, Phillipl Ibid It for
revenge upon you, but have righted it;
surely you will forgive!'
Her voice had risen to shrek almost as
she continued; but at the last she fell back
upon her pillow quite white and still ]
| was terribly frightened by her words, SO
strange and wild, and by her ghostly ap-
pearance; but applied restoratiyes to her,
and, finally, she breathed again, but faint
ly. and her eyes did not unclose.
ssPhilip," she murnured, softly, while a
s1nile OF ineffable peace settled oyer her
wan face.
"Phillip, righted the wrong. I ana so
glad now--it was for love did it.' T.
The faint voice trailed away into SILENCE,
and again she was still and white. III vain
/ tried to arouse her. opened the window
finally, and the keen air filled the room;
the light wind lifted Il tress Of her gray
hair and tossed it over the still face. EEt
| nc wind or warmth could ever stir the still,
shrunken figure to life again Miss Az
| mund was dead, found. When unable to
revive her again, I summoned the rest OF
the family.
! stooG for some time gazing down ON tha
| still form, so quiet and peaceful looking in
y
now, and death had kindly sInoorhed cut all
the 7nauy wrinkles, and her toilhardened
hands were folded calmlya as a childs on her
| bosom.
| doubted not but Some great trouble had
wrecked this woman's life, some poignant
grief had broken her heart and eul1>ttered
her nature; but what that had been J. could
not guess; something in connection with
| Phillip Caledon, doubtless, for it was his
name that was last on her lips in life. But
what wrong could she have committed to
him OF his? fIc was dead, had died years
ago: his wife. also, was dead, and their lit
tie girl, the baby heiress Of Caledon. Had
not heard often enough the story Of 'aer
death from the servants at the Heights!
| Surely her thoughts had been wandering,
for wrongs to the dead can hardly be right,
J. said
| CHAPTER XII
Iwent up to my room and sat down by the
fire, in dreary, unhappy mood. Miss
| Ar1nund was dead. and she had died with
out revealing tie secret Of my birth, which
felt sure she possessed. She had only bah,
| bled mcanin sylcs:;iy Of people who were
nothing to me- What nlattcrcd it? I said
her talk of Philip Caledon; he was naught to
me, surely.
was awakened in tie afternoon from q
! light sleep, into which l had fallen, by some
one announcing that Miss Clayton and her
daughter had arrived. Mrs. Kent came up
10 my room in some excitement.
s:You had better go down, Dorcas, and
greet them,' she said; "Mrs. Iceberg evl,
IDENTIFY thinks you arc acquainted with them,
and has sent up word for you to meet them"
| hardly knew what to do. dreaded to
| ho1,r
sulting manners which + felt sure they
would exhibit, and dare not stay away lest
it look suspicious,
Accordingly, urged by Mrs. Kent, de-
scended to the parlor, where I found assem-
bled the Leibergs, Oliver Dudley, Mrs.
Clayton and her daughter, beside the physi-
clan and one or two others.
1t is not to be wondered at that I felt
some trepidation on entering. But, reso-
lute]y swallowing my fears, I crossed to
where Mrs. Clayton was standing with her
daughter, proud, beautiful lrma Barrett at
her side. / bowed and extended my hand.
to them in token Of friendly greeting. But
what was my an1azement and chagrin when
they only returned my saiutation with
naughty, inquiring stare, as if we were the
most distant strangers. 1felt ready to sink
! with shame and modification, for I saw all
eyes were fixed urcn me, and my first inn
pulse was to rush from the room and hide
myself, drown myself, any thing only that I
might be spared the insults this family had
heaped upon me. But the next moment my
proud spirit asserted itself. 4would not be
quelled or beaten without a struggle. !
stepped hack cody.
E"You may or you may not recognize me,
Mrs. Clayton said, Shut we are not
strangers, you and ], however much you
may wish to impress these people to that
effect"
Mrs. Clayton colored and bit her lip. Irma
endeavored to annihilate me with a glance,
but did not fa!ter. Just at this critical
moment, when all were viewing me with
amazement, Mr. Dudley stepped forward,
smiling and bowed in that courteous way OF
his, saying lightly, as il it were the most
natural mistake in the world, though ua-
derstood it all:
ISIS it possible, Mrs. Clayton, that you
| have forgotten our mutual friend, Miss
.Lynn2''
| felt rather than saw the meaning glance
| he threw at her from his brown eyes. But
| Mrs. Clayton understood at once, evidently,
| for she greeted me, In q rather constrained