Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1888-01-21
CHAPTER XXrv.
Joy there, misery here!

Lady Valworth pushes back the por-
there, and with slow and heavy tread
advances to where the motionlcss figure
Is seated upon u chair, his head buried
on the arms that Rrc lying upon the table.
''nranit." whispers she trcmulously.
lie starts to his feet with nm oath, and
turns . stormy face TO hers.
what. cannot I be left alone even
now' What brings you hcrc' Is there
no rcst-no pcacei"
at il only I, my dcar-your motherr
Her voice breaks. '.Oh, my child! my
son! my darling! II IL your mother. dear
your own mother! Did you think any
thing could make any difference to mc!'
The poor woman filings herself on the
ground beside him and cncircles him with
her arms. ~ knew you were alone, she
goes on eagerly. ~ would have come
sooner, but IL was not very well. The
moment could, however, came to you.
could not bear TO picture you sitting
here all by yourself, and perhaps bclicv-
ing your poor mother was holding aloof"
"You liad done better had you 80 held
yourself"
"Oh, Grant,, do not 50 speak to me!
DO not rcpulsc me- She Is still knccling
beside him, trying do draw his dark,
sEllcn face 10 look at her; and now she
takes his hand and holds It in fondling
fashion against her bosom. lie IL once
mere her child, her hoy, her little one; In
trouble and ,lisgracc-in ,lirest i;ricf-and
to whom then should he come hut To bia
mother; my darling, why did you not
trust mc:'' she says in II low, painful whis-
per. II would have given them To you.
could have managed In some way.
\
"Thcy were not yours To givc"-this
allusion to the stolen diamonds liarlcns
his heart again. though not toward her
"tlcy belonged TO Sir Thomas. How
ever''-hrcaking of s,Sagcly and drag
ging his hand roughly out Of hcrs-''it is
too late To dis uSs what Is over and done.
II yon have come here TO maun,lcr nbont
my crimes, warn you will have none
Of IT,"
"No. no. dear; no: another word shnll
be said" Going closer to him she tries
to press him into chair. '':Sit down now
and let MS talk of your plaas," she whis-
pcrs soothingly.
"plans>" lie glanccs mt her vaguely,
as though he hardly understands; plainly
he has not been listening. Then sudden
Is his face iiushcs; the veins swell upon
his temples Where is shc'" he cries in
q vchcricnt tone.
":Shc? Milliccnt"
''Ishaw! No. She who betrayed me;
that fai, devil, Nadine"
''Shc Is down stairs. She has been very
ill." says the mother trembling.
"Did hurt her. Did she feel. Did she
suffer-" Ills tone is cxultant, yet there
Is fierce agony In IL. ~ hope so.
Great heavens! how tlla, girl lied o. me,
thu';gh her lips uttered no falsehood.
sho rave herself to me: she swore she
woald marry me, caring for that other all
The time Did you mark how she slIrunk
Gnl covered away frora mc' How she
pa!c'l. and glanced at me rs though rer,li-
ton lay in the sight Of me!"
lie IL glanciny over his mothers shoul-
der toward the opposite wall. His eyes
are dark aud wild; he is gazing at sor:c-
thing. That past scene in the library is
again before hiri-is again being enacted
brought TO light by his disortlered fancy.
''Granit, think Of something else" i'm
plorcs his mother, in u frightened man
ner. lis voice, his gestures, terrify her.
'From me she shrunk-to turn to hint
How her eye Lit rs she saw him! To him
she cried f)r protection from me! Sho
held out her arms 20 himl She clung 10
himw Ills breath Is coming In painful
gasps. There was alteration IN Tie
glance she directed at himi To gain such
glance would have died. Wcll!' he
stretches out his arms and then he clasps
his head, "bccausc of such glance !
have died. She has slain mcr'
"Grauit, M poor hoy, do not talk so
wildly. Forget this girl; think now cf
shat is the best thing for you to do"
"f have thought Of that-that Is NIL mr.
ranged"
His tone is inpatient.
"Wherc are you going darling'" she
asks. family.
Nowhere.
His manner IL dull and listlcss.
"Rousr yourself" cntrcats she, "you
mtst 20 for awhile. You say you have
arranged NIL. Tell me. then, where you
nrc ,;Oins"'
~ long Journey"
Long Journeys nowadays can be- COM
passed IN u very little while"
''rhat Is true. Mine will bc the short
est passage ON record, he draws his
breath sharply. "whnt happened 10 her,
when lcft'"
"Shc tainted Mr.. Duran"-
Interrupts b.. violently. ''Go ON. She
tainted. Wa, what them"
''They hal considerable difficulty In re-
covering her. have been told. was not
there says Lady vnlworth. norvously.
"!Shc was naturally good deal upset 10y
the whole affair. ! suppose you fright
cncd her"
lyon say hurt her."
"iou sent her with some force against
the wall. You ,lid not mean it," hastily
-"but when one Is ngtaic,l ns you were,
one hardly knows what one IL doing.
You" anxi0usly-"must not take that
VI much To heart; you did her no real
harm. You must not be uneasy"
Take II to hcarts wish had killed
herr" The words come with hiss
through his clinchcd teeth; his facc Is
white and distorted with passion. "That
she should live. and liv. with him. il the
CALLING Thought; that Is more than I can
bear. How her little white ilnGs RI fast
ened on his arml Liar that she is! how
she deceived and ruined mel Body and
soul she has destroyed"
"Oh, not your soul, darling! There IL
time--rcpcntancc."
"Thcrc Is very little time now and am
unrepcniant."
lie throws up his head and points 10
,ae window. The lamps IN the room are
waning, and thOngh the closely cur
tnine,l window the first streaks Of coming
mom are stealing with pcrsistency that
will not he denied. bay Is breaking, and
with II his mothers heart. The cruel
light will tear him from her, will carry