The Forrest City times., 1890-05-10

T mother and me. but among all our Ludleigh friends, that I was my uncle's recognized hcircss---a much more important individual than the Reverend Walter Gerrard's orphan daughter would otherwise have been. Our establishment was conducted on Q modest scale; but no expense was spared on my education, or indeed on any of my needs; and. as the years rolled on and reached tho threshold of young womanh ood, l began to be aware of my own consequence in the place.
 About the same timo too began to | wonder about uncle Archie, thinking that, with all the advantages fate had started bim with, his had been rather a wasted and melancholy life. We The Hall was shut up for at least two thirds of the year, while he wandered over the continent in restless, aim less way that could have brought him but little enjoyment. Perhaps the very fact of my only catching stray glimpses of the man to whom 1 owed everything gave him more in crest in my eyes, made me speculate and theo- rize about him as should hardly have been inclined to do about common place uncle seen every day. never passed through the great Hall or wan dered through the deserted park with out thinking wstfully of the absent owner, who tcok so little pride in his present possession and would leave no son to succeed him when he died.
 imparted my thoughts on tho sub ject to mother one day; but she did not sympathise with me at allan swered indeed quito grossly and i'm. patiently.
 You are talking sentimental non- sense, Irene! If your dear uncle is satisfied with things as they arc--and we may assume he is. seeing how soon he could alter them if he chosc--if he is satisfied am sure we may be.
 'Yes, we may be-" l answered rather angrily. Poor mothers world liuess was of the most innocent and childlike descriptions; but somehow it jared upon me just then. Surely he would have been q happier man if he had married some years agopn
 Il cannot say, my dear--I was too happy wife while your dear father lived to have one word to say against married life; but old maids and old bachelors have their own cancellations, and don't fancy they feel their lone- Illness so much as we think. Besides, everyone knows why your uncle did not marry
 '.Indeed-I do not for onc.n 1 cried, flushing with excitement. "Please tell me, mother, knew there was some romantic reason.n
 ''lt Is not very romantic, child, and am sure you must have heard the story--or l thought you had. at any rate, but you were such child when your father died d--~n
 But l am not a child now. Do tell me, mother, please.
 '.Well, when he was quite young man, Archibald Gorrard was engaged 10 a very beautiful and fascinating girl-the orphan daughter of a Col onel Maxwell, aa old friend of his fathers. Your father was quite a lad at the time; but he has often told me that he never saw il man so frantical- ly in love as Archie was. None of his people approved Of the match; for the Maxwells were as poor as church mice, and Violet had little besides her beauty to recommend her. but that seems to have been something super lative, and of course Archie had only himself 10 please
 Ibid papa like Miss Maxwellen l asked, as mother paused with u reflec- tive air, as though she were gather ing the loose threads of her narrative together,
 She shook her head.
 Not much, though he adpired her beauty as everyone did; but. if he had no great love for her, he absolutely hated her mother, cunning old frenchwoman, whom he suspected from the first of making up and fore ing her daughter into the marriage. Lookers-on see most of the game. we are told, Irene; and your fathers eyes were very shrewd and clear-sighted then. He said Nio.et's indifference to her adoring lover was so patent, des- pite all her efforts to conceal it. that he often longed, at all risks Of offend ing him, to take his brother aside and beg him to see things as they really were before plungiug into what bade fair to be n fatal marriage.
 ''But he never dids"
 Mother shook her head
 No. he never did of course. What man in his place would have found courage to speak out such unpalatable truths? What man in Archie's would have listened to thema Your father just watched nnd waited for the com ing of the day fixed for the wedding waited with sick and sore forehod- ing at his heart, for the two brothers loved each other dearly It came at last. and then ----"
 And then?" cried eagerly. as mother paused, enjoying my wild curi- osity and her own dramatic points What happened then9n
 "A catastrophe--a bit Of mclodrama that set the county. and even people out of the county, talking for months. On the wedding morning, Archibald received frantic note from Mrs. Max well entreating him to come over to the cottage in which she was then liv- ing. Your father went with him, feeling sure that the trial be had fore seen was at hand, IL was wcll he did go; for when they reached the cottage they found the old woman in mysteries. Violet had flcd,"
 You mean she had run away with some one, mother?N
 with some ono--yes. She had cf- fected Il most romantic escape through her bedroom window; for it seems that the wicked old woman. who had all tho time been aware of her daugh- ter's feelings, and kept her under lock and key upon her bridal eve. fearing,