Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-01-30
L speak to you of Lord Harry!"
ttInH 70 n r-nr1 q ~, h IL %

/ =
How can you doubt it?'
my dear, this is delicate subject for
| me to enter on"
"And shameful subject for mep' Iris
| broke out bitterly. Hugh, you are an
angel by comparison with that man-how
| debased | must be to love him-how I'M
worthy of your good opinionl Ask me
anything you like; have no mercy on mel
| Oh" she cried, with reckless contempt for
herself, why don't you beat me? I de-
serve it."
| Mountjoy was well enough acquainted
| with the natures of women to pass over
that passionate outbreak, instead of fam
ming the flame in her by reasoning and re-
| monstrance.
| your father will not listen to the ex-
preston of feeling" he continued; "but it
Is possible to rouse his sense of justice by
| the expression of facts. Help me to speak
to him more plainly of Lord Harry than
| you could speak in your letters. 1 want
to know what has happened, from the
time when events at Ardoon brought you
and the young lord together again, to the
| time when you left him in Ireland after
| my brothers death. If | seem to expect
! too much of you, Iris, pray remember that
| am speaking with true regard for your
! interests"
| In those words he made his generous ap-
peal to her. She proved herself to be
| worthy of it.
Stated briefly, the retrospect began with
the mysterious anonymous letters which
had been addressed to Sir Giles.
Lord Harry's explanation had been Of
fered to Iris gratefully, but with some re-
serve, after she had told him who the
stranger at the milestone really was. 81
entreat you to pardon me, if | shrink from
entering into particulars" he had said.
! circumstances, at the time, amply justi-
fed me in the attempt to use the bankers
political influence as means of securing
| Arthur's safety. | knew enough of Sir
| Giles mean nature to be careful in trust
ing him: but did hope to try what my
personal influence might do. If he had
| possessed d tenth part of your courage
Arthur might have been alive and safe in
England at this moment. l can't say any
more; daren't say any more: it maddens
me when I think of it." He abruptly
changed the subject, and interested Iris
by speaking of other and later events.
His association with the Invincibles-in-
excusably rash and wicked as he himself
confessed lit o be-had enabled him to pen
citrate. and for time to defeat secretly,
the murderOuS designs of the brother
hood. His appearances, first at the farm
house and afterwards at the ruin IN the
wood, were referable to changes in the
plans of the assasSins which had come to
his knowledge. When Iris had met with
him he was on the watch. believing that
his friend would take the short way back
| through the wood. and well aware that his
own life might pay the penalty If he sue
ceeded in warning Arthur. After the ter
rible discovery of the murder committed
on the high road) and the escape of the
miscreant who had been guilty of the
crime, the parting of Lord Harry and
Miss Henley had been the next event. She
had left him, on her return to England,
and had refused to consent to any of the
future meetings between them which he
besought her to grant.
Ar this stage in the narrative. MOuQttOV
felt compelled to ask questions more
searching than he had put to Iris yet. 1t
was possible that she might be trusting
| her own impressions of Lord Harry, with
| the ill-placed confidence of a woman inno-
Gently self-deceived.
Ibid he submit willingly to your leav-
| ing him?" Mountjoy said.
mot at first" she replied.
HAS he released you from that rash en-
gagement, of some years since, which
pledged you to marry him?"
"Non
did he allude to the engagement on
this occason?"
'sHe said he held to it as the one hope of
his life"
'And what did you saw"
"I implored him not to distress me-"
t.Did you say nothing more positive than
that?"
81 couldn't help thinking, Hugh, of all
that he had tried to do to save Arthur.
But insisted on leaving him-and have
left him."
'Do VOC remember what he said at part
ing%'
Gle said: while live love YOU"
AS she repeated the words there was an
involuntary change to tenderness in her
voice which was not lost on Mountjoy.
ST must be sure" he said to her gravely,
| "of what tell your father when | go back
to him. Can [ declare, with safe con-
science that you will never see Lord Harry
| aQain?H
my mind is made up never to see him
again" She had answered firmly so far.
| Her next words were spoken with hesita-
ton, in tones that faltered But I am
sometimes afraid" she said, "that the de-
| cision may not rest with me-"
| What do you meanY
CT would rather not tell you"
''That is a strange answer, Iris"
81 value your good opinion, Hugh; and
| / am afraid of losing it"
Nothing has ever altered my opinion
of you," he replied, land nothing ever
will"
She looked at him anxiously, with the
| closest attention. Little by little, the eX-
preston of doubt in her face disappeared:
she knew how he loved her-she resolved
/ to trust him.
"My friend" she began, abruptly, "edu-
cation has done nothing for me. Since l
left Ireland have sunk Q don't know
how or Why into state of superstitious
| fear. Yes! believe in fatality which is
| leading me back to Lord Harry, in spite
| of myself Twice already. since l left
| home [ have met with him, and each time
/ have been the means of saving him
once at the milestone, and once at the ruin
! in the wood. If my father still accuses me
of being in love with an adventurer, you
can say with perfect truth that am afraid
of him. | am afraid of the third meeting
! have done my best to escape from that
man; ana, step oy s1ep, as +! Inlnk L am
! getting away, Destiny is taking me
back to him. | may be on my way to him
here. hidden in this wretched little town.
Oh don't despise mel Don't be ashamed
of meI''
My dear, l am interested-deeply in
tereSted in you. That there may be some
such influence as Destiny in our poor
mortal lives, l dare not deny. But don't
tiny is to do with you and with me, neith-
er you nor l can pretend to know before
hand. In the presence of that great mys-
terry, humanity must submit TO be ignor-
ant Wait, Iris-waitp'
She answered him with the simplicity of
docile child: II will do anything you
tell me-"
Mountioy was too fond of her to say more
of Lord Harry for that day. He was care
full to lead the talk TO topic which might
be trusted to provoke no agitating
thoughts Finding Iris to all appearance
esta blished in the doctors house, he was
naturally anxious TO know something OF
the person who must have invited her
the doctors wife.
CHAPTER III.-THE REGISTERED PACKET.
Mountjoy began by alluding to the Sec
ond of Miss Henley's letters 10 her father,
and to a passage in it which mentioned
Mrs. Vimpany. with expressions of the sim
| do