Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-03-14
CHAPTER ~, AND LAST.

Lazy EllZaOetn, WITH look OF
mingled establishment and anger, rose,
as she had done once before, at the
sight OF Aaron Blair. and her hard
eyes widened with a flash of half
reluctant, half-resentful wonder as
she once more took in the fair pale
beauty of the girl who timidly followed
him. Millicent was in the room too,
and Owen, and, at an entreating look
and whisper from him, she came for
ward, took Lily's hand kindly, and
led her to chair. Nothing was said
until Lady Elizabeth haughtily broke
the silence, asking, in her most frigid
tones, the meaning of this intrusion.
"My lady," replied Aaron Blair
quietly, lit is an intrusion, am well
you-that anybody here in this room
will be troubled by my presence,
I'll ask you to bea. with me. hope,
that when 1 have finished, you won't
be sorry that came here. l know
Mr.. Ormiston will not"
He stopped, with a moody glance at
Owen as he mentioned him, seeing
that he bent over Lily, and that he
was whispering some words of conf
dence or encouragement to her as he
held her hand. With sigh, Aaron
withdrew his eyes, and looked again
at Lady Elizabeth's proud face.
"My lady," he said, ''when 1 came
down to you at Upper Catching, you
told me that you knew me, ask, did
you, before the day when your
adopted son mentioned it to you, ever
hear my name be!oreg"
.Never: nor am / aware" Lady
Elizabeth began, with wrathful
glance, when he checked her.
"My lady. be patient. You will
understand me in moment. You had
never before heard my name, you say?
Before that. had you ever seen meP"
"No."
"My lady-yes. When you were
almost young woman-when | was
quite young man. Take back your
memory, my lady, for one-and-twenty
years to the time when your husband
was living-to the time when your
son hal nearly broken your heart-to
the time when you almost hated him
for the sake of the poor girl whom he
had married for her money and whose
heart he was breaking as fast as blows
and curses could do it. Do you re-
member me nowp'
"No." Lady Elizabeth turned pale,
and almost trembled, as she sank
down into her chair, her thin fingers
grasping its arms. ''What do you
mean, man? When did l ever see
youp"
"At Edinburg my lady. came to
your house one night with message
from your sons wife TO her husband,
If he should be with you, as she sup
posed he was. He was not with you
afterwards heard that he was at
the theaer with u woman, that you,
my lady, would not have touched had
she been dying--so l gave his wife's
message to you, although you tried to
refuse to hear 1t. 1t was that she was
alone. penniless, lying friendless in
cold house. waiting for his child to be
born, and il imp Ored him, although
he had last left her with an oath and
a blow, TO come back to her, If only
for the sake OF the unborn child that
would be his as well rs hers. You
rememberp"
"Yes--yes,' Lady Elizabeth gasped.
passing her handkerchief over her
white face-.I remember" Then she
again rose, trembling. "Who-who
are you. manp"
II am the man that, six months
afterwards. your sons wife ran away
with" Aaron Blair returned quietly.
THAT is whom am. my lady"
Lady Elizabeth uttered stined ex-
clamation. sinking down in her chair
again. Aaron Blair did not turn his
head at the cry which broke from
Lily's lips, or see the sudden look OF
awakening compassion which flashed
over the faces Of Owen
Ormiston and Milliccnt Heath. He
looked at Lady Elizabeth still, then
went on
~ had loved her when she was a