The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1889-07-19
CHAPTER XIV.

CHAPTER XIV.
That was the solution of the mystery.
That was the cause of Marks whtch-
fitness and misery and of Lady BE
yernc's necuiiaritieS From that origi-
mated the cold metallic light in the eyes
lhat should have been. so tender ana
lGstrous. That VIZ Gie cause of the
@iIectie "ci3i that so often took the place
ut the dainty bloom. That was why q
pretty, bright young maid would have
been quite use!ess-why the elderly
woman kept watch and ward over. her
mistress. OF all the horrible fates that
sT'ali have oveltaken my poor Mark,
surely none could have been more hor-
lihle than this! All the anger died in
my heart; there was nothing left but
profound compassion. Now | could UNI
drrstand why lie would not say any
thing TO me about his wife, lie might
well look so Worn and haggatu. | foty
got th&t he had deceived ME, blighted
tfy life; and my Heart went cut TO him,
ret with the old love. but with Il great
pity and yeaining. would have given
ny life to save his wife and help him.
VIII not dwell on the terrible scene
that was enacted when Lady Severne
was taken 10 her new rooms. | hope
THAI ! nlaJ never see such Il sight agaii,
such q leerin2 siniie., droop;Hg, .heWSs
head, Hille,t eyes, and reeling tigntG
Chester" said Martha. at is Il heavy
secret to carry all lyoneseif. At times
| ran hardly bear it. ] told Lady Yorke
yQq wa"'tl be lhe right one to trust"
,artly from her and partly from Lady
lorke heard ti!e whole sad story. l
am no advocate for total abstinence, al
though | have n horror of excessive
drinking. ] simply tell this sad stor.
Us it was told To Inc; mud record the iii
eiqenls ! saHS.
There is no need to go far back into
Lady Seyerne's life. She was we'll
Eorn, well-bred. married when she was
very young, and went with her hus-
band, Captain Nugcnt, to India. When
this horrible vice first took hold of her
10 II knew. There was some little
lumor of it in India; but she was so
ycun% and so beautiful that no one be-
liaVed it. 1t vas not until she became
Lady Seyerne that ii attracted any at
tention. She said afterwards that she
took no more than other ladies-twb OF
ihtpp glasses Of wine at luncheon-per-
!laps Il little champagne if she felt tired
or low a little more wine at dinner;
and, during the evening, champagne at
brandy ut night. Size liked it: she was
careless, and never thought about the
consequences. More than once Lord
seye!le, seeing her glass filed and re-
filed, would SIT, "Ie careful, Iurline;
that VINE is ~strong.n She would an
s%er, lalighingly, 81 do not mind how
strong it is if it sparkles.n More than
once lie was distressed at ending bot
ties of brandy hidden away in her room.
\ bad habit grows quickly. The terri
BE day came when Lord Seyernc. re-
turning home earlier than usual,
found her All. well, I cannot write
The word. From that time all SEM
blanco of happiness ceased between
them, They had been married only six
%eeks when he made the discovery.
lie decided at once what to do. They
could never live at Severne Court; the
grand Inheritance thathad cotne TO him
was useless, lie dared not make her
mistress of the household; she was too
far gone in her downward course for
it'at. He could never make his home
III Englnnd, Mheie his misfortune
:istst be known at once. He could never
know when or how the Shame and dis
SAtNO Ih'Sip Luz ilipi HILL. Ilc ltbh
her 10 Italy. hoping by travel, novelty,
aud constant care TO weuli her from her
weakness.
vt first there was some slight i'm
prOtement, and it was while that i'm
prOVement lasted that they met Lord
and Lady Iorke. But Lady Severne
was net cured. and there were irregu-
larlties i'll her manner which made
them think strangely of her, and pre-
vented her from being a fayorite with
them. They liked Lord Severne ex-
c~eediugly. they were attracted by his
melancholy, which at first they did not
understand. Lady Yorke exacted from
Lord Severne a promise that when they
came 10 England they would visit
WestWood. and, when business matters
compelled Mark TO return, he kept that
promise: but it was in fear and trem-
bling. Lurline had assured her hus-
hand- as she had often done before,
that she would keep a strict guard over
herself; but again and again she had re-
those long months, when she had plen-
ty Of money at her command. Lady Sc
verne had gone from bad to worse. Her
husband was at last compelled to have
tie assistance of Martha Clyde; but, in
in spite of All precautionsI wien these
terrible fits came upon LADY Sevprme
she always managed 10 ref that for
which her heart cTaycd. Nothing was
Of any ayail-pravers. tears advice,
anger, ali were useless. me beautiful
and admired Lady Sevcrne WAS \ secret
drinkpr. n woman who had ,rliyered
herself to the bondage of an evil spirit,
TO The heavy woke of a shameful hohit
She bribei servants: She did things
tint il, her haIter DAYS she wonld have
rccoilcd from doinm, Vet 50 fnithfuI
was Martha CLYDE. $ o loyal and ihourht-
fui was her husband. that her terrible
secret was hardly known, When Mar
tia saw That n lit was jneyitable she
locked her in her room and cave ont to
the world that She was III At those
times Lord Seyprne went Utmost mad
with modification and ~annoyanceW
There lad been some torrihle scenes
once or twice, when Martha was off her
guard and Lady Saycrne made her es.
cape.
Lady Yorke. who had suspected in
Italy What was ronr, now saw It plain-
ly, and for the sake of the household
Lord Seyprne Ind been cnmnoiled TO
tell her. SHE was distressed and qripyel
but nothing could be done. Until La
dy Severle came to her senses again she
could not be removed. The only thing
was 10 maintain, tla fiction nF tllnngc