Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1890-09-25
BETRAYED:
A DARK MARRIAGE
MORN.
4 Romance of Love, Intrigue and
Crime.
By MRS. ALICE P. oARR1sroN.
CHAPTER xx.-CContinuedO

All OtQ servant slept on B8CL56 before
the open door, smiling in her dreams at
the beautiful scenes about her.
Leland RWoke her, inquired for the
master OF the house, and was ushered
into the hall.
Thence he entered a charming apart
nent, where young lady in garden hat
was arranging bouquets in porcelain
vases.
She turned at the noise of the opening
door, and Leland saW-CIarl Denton!
AS he salutsd her with TN air of aston
Ishment and doubt, she looked fzedly at
him with her great eyes.
He spoke first, with, however, more Of
hesitation than usual.
Pardon me, madam, but inquired
for Mr.. Metcalf.
He is in distant field, but viii soon
return. Be kind enough to wait"
She led him into another apartment
and pointed him to a chair, seating her
self near the fireplace.
But, madam, in the absence Of Mr..
Metoalf, can I have the honor Of speak
ing with his daughter?"
The shadow of a smile fitted over
Clara Denton's dark but charming face.
His daughter?" she SAID; Il am his
daughter.
You'll Pardon me, I beg, but thought
they said-I expected to find an elder
1y-a-persOn-that is a rather severe
-" he hesitated, then added simply:
and find I am in error"
Clara Denton seemed completely IN
moved by this compliment.
will you be kind enough, sir" she
said, Ito let me know whom have the
honor of receiving.
Il am Warren Leland"
"Ah! Indeed! Pray be seated, Mr.. Lee
land. Then I have excuses also to make.
1t was probably you whom we saw this
morning. We have been very rude-my
friend, my daughter, ana mygelf-but We
were ignorant Of your arrival, and the
Sedley farm has been so long deserted,
you know"
I sincerely hope, Mrs. Denton, that
you and the other ladies viii make no
change in your rides"
Mrs. Denton, by a movement OF the
hand, implied that she appreciated the
offer, but should not accept It.
Then there was pause long enough
to embarrass Leland, during which his
eyes fell upon the piano, and his lips al
most formed the original remark:
You are a musician, Mrs. DentOn?"
Suddenly recOllecting his tree, how
ever, he feared to betray himself by the
allusion, and was silent
You come from New York, Mr.. Lee
land?" the young widow at length asked
left the city only yesterday"
You are acquainted with our friend,
MIR. SWeetland, believe"
Yes; it was he who suggested that
should call upon you.
we are charmed that you have done
So and what an excellent man our Con-
gresham isl"
Excellent, indeed, Mrs. Denton"
There was another pause.
If you do not object to a short walk in
the sun, said the widow, at length, "let
us walk to meet my father
Leland bowed. Mrs. Denton rose and
rang the bell.
Ask Miss Lester and Edith, she said
to the old servant who answered it, "to
be kind enough to put on their hats and
Join us"
A moment later Mildred Lester and
Edith Denton entered the room.
On being introduced, Mildred flushed
little, seemed somewhat embarrassed.
then smiled sweetly and frankly, and
ended by giving the young man her hand
Edith cast on him the steady, frank
look of al inquisitive child, bowed
slightly to him, and they oil left the room
by door opening on the lawn.
Clara Denton, while responding cOur-
teously to the graceful speeches of Lee
land, walked on with a light and rapid
step, her fairy-Iike little boots leaving
their impression on the smooth surface Of
the gravel path.
Without knowing it, she walked with
Understandable grace; with that supple,
elastic undulatlOn which would have been
coquettish, had it not been undeniabIy
natural.
Reaching the well-laid stone wall that
incIosed the right side of the home lot,
she opened little gate that led into
narrow path through an immense field of
young corn. She passed into this path,
followed in single file by Edith. Mildred,
and by Leland.
The child soon became restless and ex-
cited; Mildred was calm and silent.
Leland, who was close to the latter, be-
gan to gov interested, as he watched her
beautiful and tranquil features.
But he was also deeply interested in
Clara Denton. He cast a glance toward
her
They were approaching the fence which
ran at the end Of the field He was about
to call to attract her attention, when,
suddenly, half turning, and raising her
hand, she said:
MY father, sir" and Leland, looking
in the direction indicated, saw a very tail
man gazing at them over the fence and
shading his eyes with his hand
He was dressed in a suit Of heavy
tweed and wore a soft felt hat.
Leland Immediately recognized the
white hair and dark eyebrows as the same
he had seen bending over the violin the
night before.
''Fathct, said Mrs. Denton, introducing
the young man by wave Of the hand,
''this is Mr.. Warren Leland.
s'NIr. Leland, repeated the old m6n, in
q deep and sOnorOus voice, you are most
welcOme;" and coming through the bars,
he gave his guest q soft, brown hand, as
he continued: Your grandfather and I
were neighbors. knew your mother we'll
IN her younger days, and am delighted to
have her son under my roof. Your mother
is a most amiable person, young sir, and
certainly you ought
The old man hesitated, and fnishsd his
sentence by a sonorous ''hem!" that re-
sounded and rumbled in his chest as If in
the vault of a church.
q r-refa
lands letter, he continued, after mo-
ment; s'was sorry you could not give us
the pleasure of your acquaintance at that
time. Ihaye been looking for you ever
since.
''CIara. my dear. whenever You are