The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1890-03-08

She had taken hold Of his tohiio muscular
arm.
Clare Raymond the daughter of Mrs.
Raymond, May Fielding's guardian, was
four years Nays senior, and during all
those long, long months which had
formed the period of the courtship of
her friend and her lover, she had suf
fered torture unspeakable.
She had set her heart upon Guy when
first they had met, years before.
Even in those days, however, when
May was only IA and Guy 81, she was
his favorite and companion,
And as time passed, the bud blossomed
out and ripened imperceptibly though
surely, and without any display of mock
modesty or self consciousness, May Field
ing drifted from her position of the child
playmate of Guy L'Estrange to that of
his betrothed bride.
Clare had seen all this, and used des
perate means TO avert such a calamity.
Failing all else, she had opened her
heart to her wondering mother, and en-
treated her. to send May away to school
before it was too late.
But this was not to be,
"My DEAR" said her mother tenderly,
''this cannot be done, 1 Ipity you, and
feel for you, but 1 cannot help you.
am forbidden to send her to school. All
her education must be received in my
house, am precluded by the will from
allowing her to leave my house until q
husband claims her"
finna rNaeand. and (Hnu and
May, happy in each others love, knew
nothing of the storm in the breast of her
rival.
Clare turned from the contemplation
of the scene, with trembling lips and
her hand pressed tightly over her swell
ing bosom,
"Oh, how hate herl'' she cried, "But
for her his love would have been mine!
And to think / have tried and tried in
vain, with all my beauty, which has
been praised so much by others, only to
be set aside for that golden haired dollp'
She passed into an adjoining room,
that she might not witness the entrance
of the lovers-that she might calm her
self, in fact, before she met them at all.
But her mind was too busy to be tran
quilted,
The same thoughts would crowd upon
her brain. 1t was too late now. All her
scheming had been for nothing; in a
week they would be married,
"Oh, why am such coward?" she
murmured to herself. "Why cannot ]
devise and carry out some scheme to
part them even now? The thought of
their happiness maddens me. l could
almost bring myself to wish that some
thing awful would happen to-yes, te
either of them" she added, with a spite
full stamp of her foot, "rather than she
should live to be his wifep'
Even in the depths of her wicked hear
she could never have imagined how
swiftly her evil prayer would be an
swered.
Gay voices in the next room rouset
) her, and she schooled herself to be calm
and smiling to meet the lovers, and Mrs
r Raymond, who, all unconscious Of th'
/ vengeful feelings in her daughters heart
was joking with the young people, anC
twitting May about her anxiety at Guy
absence for few hours.
you'll get used to longer absence
, than that, May" she cried, "when yot
< are an old, staid matron Of a years stand
ing"
"Oh, no." laughed Guy, "she viii
e never have that to complain of, I'm SO
IS ing to hang on to the proverbial aprol
string 1t saves a lot of bother, and yo
T know of old, Mrs. Raymond, that In
e rather lazy"
'In that case" said May, "Tn driv
" you over to the station in the pony car
riage."
IT Clare Raymond entered at the me
D. ment.
"You naughty, forgetful thing" sh
l. said in her sweetest tones, you prom
le ised to drive me and mamma to Lii
wood today, and"-
se "And 50 she SHALL" said Guy with
III smile; "I'll exert my marital authorit
g in advance, and say she shall, AnC
rd moreover, I'm not going to BarchestC
g In my boating fannels. I must pu
ly myself across the lake, and go home
at dress.p
% He bent and lightly touched the girl
forehead. He was not as rule incline
lu TO be demonstrative in the presence
=. others, but something in 'her face
. wistfulness, a yearning look in the ey'
at made him suddenly change his dete
mt mination, and he caught her to b
breast and kissed her passionately.
Is Then, as if ashamed Of such an acti'
"a before Mrs. Raymond and her daughtC
-. Ire muttered some inarticulate adieu
them and was of
h., His slight confusion prevented hi
from seeing the spasm of anger a
hatred which distorted the face of Cla
"a Raymond as he held May Fielding clC
- to his heart,
Unconscious Of all threatened evil,
heart still bounding with the love gil
ni+ ness that thrilled his form when the SC
~ tender arms of his fiancee were clasI
- round him, Guy L'Estrange hastened
a. the lake side, entered the boat, pul
nv himself with a few powerful stroI
Ia. across to the opposite shore, and, hast
"s ing home, attired himself for his jo
oke ney and set out towards the station
LOwcroft,
ner- He was driven there in the dog Ct
ap- and the groom, having received instr
ark tions as to what time to fetch him on
ark return from Barcbester, drove of,
rom sklttlsh mare soon taxing lhe hShV ven
,ur- out of sight.
gar 1t was very quiet IN the statlop y"
Guy LEstrange entered it, no sign
ness hustle OF preparation of any kind.
tall, A porter, after few moments, q
ok forward, touching his hat
the "Going up 10 London, sifl'
May "No, Masoni / want 10 60 TO Bare
-ess- ter said Guy.