The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1890-03-08
LohightOn, Carbon County Penne. March q Iaeo

1890.
suQusn resotvo. / cOuio nos ueilove 5nas
he had really abandonod me 10 my fete,
after al his prote0tations; after our
years Of love; after the birth Of our
ohiidl But will not desist in nay en-.
deavots. MOI must go on now TO the
bitter end fr my little Roy's sake"
And with these words she strobe away
after him.
She had scarcely disappeared when
another figure appeared on the scene,
Chat Of Glare Raymond.
She looked white and scared, and her
left hand was pressed over her bosom as
if in pain
"Fool that l ami" she murmured.
Gwen now, when Fate is working for
1 me in every way, l seem to have no
courage to work things 60 my own use
What shall / do next2 How unravel
this tangled s5ein without assistance?
And yet my revenge will be but a poor
one after all. If he is married, all is
lostl May Fielding will suffer bitterly;
but so, also, alasl shall l."
Even as she spoke a loud shrill cry
echoed through the woods, a cry as of
some one imploring help.
Clare gave one startled look sround.
hesitated a moment, and then, brave at
last, plunged into the thick plantation
where the two had disappeared and fol
lowed them.
H.
An influx of visitors had prevented
the proposed pony drive; and Clare Ray
mond, impatient of disappointment, and
with a mind inhamed by resentment,
had slipped on her walking things and
quilted the house.
Never for one moment had she inn
agined that any discovery was awaiting
her in Lockley woods.
But fate plays strange tricks.
She chose that way as if impelled to
do so against her will, for it was not a
favorite walk of hers
And she had found-whatp
The time passed drearily for May.
At dinner Mrs. Raymond had a head
ache, and Glare was pale, silent and al
together "mysterious and stupid" as
May told her laughingly.
After dinner Mrs. Raymond went to
sleep in capacious chair in the drawing
room, Clare subsided into the pages of a
novel, and May, pretending to do so like
wise, lay on a couch idling with her book
and looking up every five minutes at the
hands of theclock which ticked SO softly,
SO aggravatingly slowly, as she thought,
on the mantelpiece,
Guy had promised to spend two hours
with them that night; his usual time
was half past when he did not come to
dinner, which at the lodge was served
punctually at Z,
II was now half past 8,
"What can be keeping Guy?' cried
May at last, tlinging aside her book pet
ulantly; che was never late before"
Glare glanced over at the speaker with
a look which May could not fathom; it
was strange look, half pity, half tri-
umph. =
"Odd and unaccountable things hap
pen sometimes" she said. "You see,
Guy said he was going to Barchester on
business, and it may have proved more
tedious than he imagined. No doubt we
shall have news of him soon"
There was a mocking ring in her
voice, and a mocking light in her eyes as
she spoke, which was intensely ilTitat,
ing to May.
"What is the matter, Clare?" cried the
young girl, "You speak so oddly and
look so oddly, one would imagine that
you were the depositary of some weighty
secret in regard to Guy, though 1 should
scarcely think he would choose you for
such purpose"
She spoke with an irritability quite
foreign to her nature, but she felt an
noyed by Clare's manner and looks.
"Well, it would certainly not be likely
while her majesty the bride-elect was il
the land of the living" laughed Glare
"but, really, you must learn to be rea
sonable, Guy may jest about being tieC
to your apron strings, but, mark me, h,
is the last man in the world TO put tn,
theory into practice"
May was about to make a somewha
angry reply, when a loud ring sounde,
at the hall door, followed by an impatien
knock, =. =
'That IS not Guys ring Or knock,
cried May, springing pwith a somewha
pale facA
"No; but it may be message fror
' him or about him." said Glare, with
= significant look that was lost upon May
e for she had quickly crossed the room
! and, opening the door, stood listening
At any other time she would hav
Z laughed at the idea of listening becaus
E an unusually loud knock had echoe
through the house.
But she seemed to be infected by Il
J. same kind of presentimept which ha
e seized upon Guy L, Estrange
AT the first sound she had felt flu
s tering of the heart and wild sensatiC
e Of the mind, such as she had never e
o peHenced before.
Foolish, as she told herself she was
3, be so afraid, she yet listened intently.
re She heard a strong, grave voice, whit
she recognized at once as that of N
=. Paul Armstrong, the family solicitor.
T, Then the servant came hurrying aero
o. the wide, dimly lighted hall. -
ar "Biiss Fielding she said, "Mr. Arr
y; strong wishes to have a few words wi
you and Mrs. Raymond if you can spa
be the time
&c "Ask Mr.. Armstrong to come in
n, once" said May, in a calm voice, thou
It, her bosom was painting with the wi
lis beatings of her heart; and hurryi
u across to her guardian she awakened /
ss, from her sleep
or Mrs. Raymond was by no means hea
headed, and she very quickly realiz
ais that visitor had arrived and was des
Gus Of speaking with her,
ed By the time that Paul Armstrong
tered the room, tall, white haired, flo
be and kind Of manner, she was fully ava