Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-26

member that she was prepared to come for
ward at the trial and tell the truth about the
guilty No doubt she acted wrongly; but she
has suffered terribly, and think that as my
daughter has forgiven her for allowing Cap
tain Mervyn to suffer for her silence, you may
| also do SO. y
Hiram Powlett had uttered many expressions
of surprise and concern as he listened TO the
| story. 1t seemed to him very terrible that his
| girl should have all. the time been keeping .
| secret of such vital importance. He now said
in a tone of surprise:
Il don't understand you, Mr.. Armstrong,
about your daughter. What has Miss Mary
to do with forgiyingf bow has she been in
jured?"
Il don't know that upon the whole she has
| been injured, Mr.. Armstrong said. "At least,
| ] am sure she does not consider so. Still, L
thind she has something to forgive, for the
fact is she is engaged to be married to Captain
Mervyn, and would have been his wife year
ago had he not been resolved never to marry SO
| long as this cloud remained over him."
Hiram Powlett was SO greatly surprised at
| this news that his thoughts were for moment
| diverted from Ruth's misdemeanors. Captain
| Mervyn, the owner of the Hall, and now of the
eyes of the people of Carnesford, and the news
that he was engaged to be married to the girl
who was friend of his daughters, and who
| had several times taken tea at the mill, was
II dare say you are surprised" Mr.. Arm
| strong said, quietly, "but you see we are not
| exactly what we appear. We came here some
what under false colors. to try and fnd out
| about this murder, and in the hope we might
discover some proofs of Captain Mervyn's in
| nocence. Now we have been successful we
shall go up to London and there await Captain
Mervyn's return. have been talking it over
| offer no opposition, we propose to take Ruth
away to stay with us for two or three months.
1t will be pleasant for all parties. Your girl
and mine are fond of each other, and Ruth
will be a nice companion for Mary. The change
| will do your daughter good She has for
long time been suffering greatly, and fresh
scenes and objects of interest will take her
mind of the past; and lastly by the time she
returns here the gossip and talk that will be
caused when all this is known will have died
away"
1T is very good of you to think of it Mr..
Armstrong" Hiram Powlett SAID land it will
be fine thing for Ruth. OF course, she has
been wrong, very wrong; but she must have
suffered very much all these months. told
you that thought that she had something on
her mind, but never thought it was like this.
Well, well, 1 shan't say anything to her.
never was good at scolding when she was
child, and 1 think she has been severely pun
ished for this alreadv."
II think SO, too" Mr.. Armstrong agreed;
'and now let us go in. told her that should
speak to you this evening, and she must be
waiting anxiousy for you"
When they entered, Ruth rose timidly.
"Oh! father"-she began.
There. don't say any more about it, Ruth"
Hiram interrupted, taking her tenderly in his
arms. my poor girl, you have had a hard time
of it. Why didn't you tell me at firstS"
II could not, father" she sobbed. you
know-you know-how you were set against
him.
"WeIl, that is so, Ruth, and 1 should have
been still more set against him II had known
the rights of that fall of yours upon the hill;
but there. we won't say any anything more
about it. You have been punished for your
fault, child, and hope that when you come
back again to us from the jaunt that Mr.. Arm
strong is going to be good enough to take you,
you will be just as you were before all this
trouble came upon you"
And so the next morning Mr. Armstrong his
daughter and Ruth went up to London.
Two months later. Mary received Ronald's
letter, telling of George Forrester's death, and
of his own disappointment at finding his hopes
of clearing himself dashed to the ground.
Mary broke the news of Forrester's death to
Ruth. She received 1t quietly.
Il am sorry," she said, but he has been
nothing to me for long time now. and he could
never have been anything to me again. am
sorry" she repeated, wiping her eyes, that the
boy played with gone, but for the man, 1
think it is perhaps better SO. He died fighting
bravely, and as soldier should. l fear he
would never have made good man had he
lived.n
A month later, Ronald himself returned The
war was virtually over when he received the
letters from Mary Armstrong and Mr.. Volkes
telling him that he was cleared at last and he
had no trouble in obtaining his discharge at
once. He received the heartiest congratula-
tions from his former officers and a perfect
ovation from the men, as he said goodby to
them. At Plymouth he received letters telling
him where mary and her father were staying
in London, and on landing he at once proceeded
to town by train, after telegraphing to his
mother and sisters to meet him there.
A fortnight later quiet wedding took place,
Ronalds sisters and Ruth Po|lett acting as
bridesmaids, an honor that, when Ruth re-
turned home Immediately after the ceremony,
etfectually silenced the tongues of the village
gossps. Ronald Mervyn and his wife went for
a months tour on the continent, Mr.. Arm
strong joining them in Paris few days after
the marriage; while Mrs. Mervyn and her
daughters went down to Devonshire to prepare
the Hall for the reception of its owner Colo
mel Somerset had not forgotten his promise,
and two OF three days after Ronald's return,
the letter stating how Captain Mervyn had
distinguished himself during the Kafir War
round of the papers.
The skeleton walls of Carne's Hold were at
once pulled down, the garden was rooted up
and the whole site planted with trees, and this
was by Ropald's orders carried out SO expedi-
tiously that when he returned with his bride all
trace f the Hol 4 had vanished. Never in the
memory of South Devonshire had there been
such rejoicings as those that greeted Ronald
Mervyn and his wife on their return home
The tenantry of his two estates, now joined
all assembled at the station, and scarce man
from Carnesford was absent Triumphal arches
had been erected, and the gentry for many
miles round drove in to receive them, as an e1-
preston at once of their satisfaction that
Ronald Mervyn had been cleared from the
cloud that hung over him, and, to some extent
of their regret that they should ever for q
moment have believed him guilty.
Reuben Claphursts prediction was verified.
With the destruction of Carne's Hold the curse
of the Spanish lady ceased to work, and no
trace of the family sceurge has ever shown it
self in the blood of the somewhat numerous
family Of Ronald Mervyn. The tragic story is
now almost forgotten, and it is only among the
inhabitants of the village at the foot of the hill
that the story of the Curse of Carnes Hold is
sometimes related.
1.-THE END.1