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

young. artist did not take the con-
temptuous refusal he received much
to heart. Perhaps the fair Dora had
found some means of letting him know
that she did not share her mothers
views, for ne coolly wrote and told
Lady Barchester that he should renew
his proposal when her daughter was
Of an age legally to decide for herself
This meant that the young people
must wait about eighteen months
But Sir Lionel, who was a friend OF
Mr.. Dacres, encouraged the match
and took care that his sister in law
should, from time to time, meet the
man she loved.
At length, when Dora was twenty
one, she summoned courage to tell her
mother that she was resolved to marry
Arthur Dacre. A terrible scene en-
sued, which the girls strength, already
undermined by the silent struggle OF
the two previous years, was little able
to endure; and just as her mother, in a
fierce blaze of rage, was calling down
the wrath Of heaven upon the base
born traitor who had stolen from her
her daughters love, Dora fell to the
ground, with blood streaming from
her mouth she had broken a blood
vessel. Lady Barchester's remorse was
as passionate as had been her anger,
and, ready to make any sacrifice now
that her daughters life was In ques-
ton, she hastily summoned Arthur
Dacre. Unfortunately he was abroad,
and nearly month elapsed before he
reached Walthamthwait. In the mean
time, Dora seemed to have recovered
her usual health, and her mother had
begun keenly to regret the invitation
she had sent.
"The day Mr.. Dacre was to arrive
was a terrible day for all of u.s." Mrs.
Metcalf said, with sigh. "Sir Lionel
rode backwards and forwards between
Stony Place and the Manor, trying to
persuade my lady to be reasonable /:
tor, at the last moment, she had
changed her mind and declared that
Mr.. Dacre should not see Miss Dora.
She, poor thing, was just picture of
misery the whole time. 1 felt sure
they would kill her among them. 1t
was settled at last, though not with
out terrible hard battle, that Mr..
Dacre should stay with Sir Lionel
and from there come over to dine at
the Manor. When Miss Dora knew
that she was really going to see him,
she was like different being; she
laughed and chatted and sang as she
came and helped me to look through
her gowns, for she was bent, she said,
upon wearing her prettiest that night.
remember so we'll, just as we heard
the carriage-wheels in the distance,
she threw her arms round my neck and
kissed me. 'Annie,' she said, look
through all my things. should like
to give something to each of you to-
night. And please run down with
that grey travelling shawl to Mrs.
Roberts. The one she was wearing on
Sunday was 80 thin, there could be no
warmth in it. Give her my love, too.'
"Now, at the Manor the dining
room door was never shut, as heavy
curtain hung before the opening. AS
soon as l knew dessert was on the ia
BILE, / stole down. stairs to have a peep
from behind this curtain at my young
mistress and her betrothed. There
was no one but they and my lady at
the table. Miss Dora, who was usu-
ally so silent and sedate, was beaming
with happiness and laughing and talk.
ing gayly, while Mr.. Dacre seemed to
hang on the very words as they fell
from her lips; they were all and all to
each other, for although from time to
time they would turn and make some
remark to my lady, it was ALWAYS
with an effort. 1t was just awful to
see my lady She sat at the head of
the table with scowl as black as
thunder upon her face. How them
young people could laugh and talk so
with her glowering down upon them,
could not imagine. The wav she
looked made my very blood run cold.
"About nine O'Clock terrible storm
came on; have seen many bad one
in my time, but none so bad az that.
Folks don't know what real storms
are like until they have lived in these
narrow valleys. That night the light
ming seemed to play like great tongues
of fire around the house, while the
thunder roared, the wind howled and
the rain fell in torrents. was too
frightened to stay upstairs alone, so
crept down into the hall. AS it struck
ten O'Clock my lady rang the bell, and
inquired if Sir Lionel's carriage had
not come for Mr.. Dacre.
"tSir Lioneps not gentleman as
would send out a horse such night
i heard old Thomas, the butler, reply
sturdily. why, my dear lady, have
ye ma seen the lightning2 I'd like to
see carriage that could stand in this
wind
"'Mr. Dacre,' my lady said, in that
stately way Of hcrs, Sir Lionel prom
ised that his carriage should be here
by ten O'Clock. he has failed IN fnlf,1l