Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-02-19
The House ntheMarSh.
THE MYSTERY OF THE ALDERS.
DY FLo2ENcH WARDEN,

"Violrt," he said, very gravely II
fear l have done wrong in consenting
to my fathers wishes
He was playing nervously with my
hand, holding it against his breast, ant'
looking into my eyes SO miserably, poor
fellow! ''Look here, Violet!' said he,
suddenly, as if struck by happy
thought. ''lf any man, while l am
away, tells you you are nice, and tries
to make you think he is very fond of
you-no matter who it is-Mr. Rayner
or-or my father, or any man-don' t
take any notice, and don't believe
them
But poor Laurence was more inno-
cent than if he thought did not know
what he meant. He was jealous of Mr..
Rayncr. and l could not persuade him
how absurd it was.
said: very well, Laurence;" but
he was not satisfied. He went on try
ing to justify himself-not to niche
wanted no justification in my eyes-but
to himself.
"What could do, when my old dad
offered to do SO much for me, but let
him have his way? But it was wrong,
l know. Our engagement ought to
have been open from the first; and his
weakness in not daring to face my
mother was no worse than mine in Civ
ing way to him. And now | am tor
tured lest my weakness should be Wis
tied on you, child; for I can not even
write to you openly, and, if l inclose
letters to you to my dear old blunder-
ing dad, you will certainly never get
them"
'Why not send them to Mrs. Man
ners, laurence Then they would be
quite safe. And you don't mind her
knowing, do you? think she guesses
something already said I, smiling,
remembering how she sent me to the
gate to meet him on the previous Fri
day evening, the very light when he
first told me he loved me.
he caught at the suggestion eagerly.
THAT IS capital idea, my darling.
I'll go to her before breakfast to-mor-
row morning and ask her to look after
you as much as she can while | am
away. My mother thinks she holds my
destiny in her hand; but she is mis-
taken; and within the next six weeks
she must find it out; for. if she wishes
to stay abroad longer, she will have to
stay alone. By the third week in No
vember shall be back in England, and
before the month is out you must be
my wife, my darling"
"Oh, Laurence. so SOON"
$50 soon? Why, it is century off!
l shall be gray-headed if we wait an
other week. 1 am not sure where we
shall stay; but tomorrow night l will
bring you an address that YOU can al
ways write to. 1t is that OF friend OF
mine-I forget the number of the street,
but you shall have it; and 1 shall be
sure to get your letters. Now, if any
thing happens to alarm you, or you are
Ill, or any thing, you arc to write at
once, and l will return to Geldham
without delay. And, my darling"
We were interrupted by Mr.. loves
carriage coming from the house. He
said Haidee was not dangerously i'll as
yet, but she should be removed from
the Alders to q dricr climate when she
got better.
''Is that young Reade? Is that you,
Laurence?' said the doctor, peering
out of the carriage window into the
deep shadow of the trees behind me.
Laurence came forward.
eyes, DR.. Lowe"
"Oh, ali! Come to inquire about the
sick child, suppose?'
mo, DR.. Lowe. l drove back from
Beaconsburgh with my father and this
lady, after calling upon you, and am
saying goodbye to her, as am going
abroad, and shall not see her again UNI
til few days before she becomes nv
wife, said he, in low voice, but very
proudly, with his hand on my shoulder.
"Wifc, h?"-incrcdulously.
but it is a secret"
"Oh, ah, of course"
$50 this is the Miss Christie I've heard
SO much aboutr And he deliberately
put on his spectacles and stared at me
in the faint moonlight We'll, she
wouldn't have turned the heads of the
men when l was young"
We both laughed at the old mans
rudeness.
81 have no doubt heads were harder
to turn then. DR.. Love-" said Laurence,
dryly.
"Well, take care some one else
doesn't turn hers while you are awayT
and he drove rapidly away.
The doctor was an old bachelor
noted for his rudeness and his
skill. knew Mr. Rayner did not like
him, but thought Haidee's illness JUS
tilted me in acting on my responsible
ty. His last remark seemed to strike
Laurence as an evil omen.
"See what clever DR.. Lowe thinks of
your Mr.. Rayner, Violet" said he,
looking anxiously into my eyes. ..Now
listen, my darling. Don't trust him,
don't trust anybody while 1 am away,
and don't believe what anybody may
tell you about me. What would you
do if they showed you the certificate of
my marriage to another woman, Vio-
let?''
"Oh, Laurence, you are not going
away to be married, are you?"
"No, child, no; and, if any one tells
you so, you will know it is lie. And,
if you get no letters, and they tell you
l am dead"
"Oh, Laurence, don'tr' -"
"Why. that will be lie, too! shall |
be alive and single all the next six
weeks, and at the end of that time I |
shall come back and marry you; and, if |
you want me, shall come back before,
my own darling! Goodbye, good
bye!"
He kissed me apain and aoain. then