Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1890-07-30
THE ATHELSTONS;
49,. OR
VICTOR AND vANQUISHER.
By MARY CECIL HAY.

sister. Let them go.
"Polite," smiled Neil "But do
You change your opinions. il you do
not break your word, or do You Still
think"
Il still think everything ] used to
think" the girl answered, hastily; 81
still think l would give all l have
(though that isn't much) if you and l
hadn't been so idiotic as to go into the
rectory study that day with Louisa.
Oh, if l had been but miles away! 1t
seems that everybody is to be able to
tell something to help on that one story,
and is made to do it, too! And foremost
of all, Neil. still think Eustace jeffrey
is not dead"
"Ah, Marjorie" he said. gently, 1.-The
very way III say it betFayS how weak
your belief really is. You have no con-
fidence in your own opinion. No; the
impossibility of such an idea must be
patent to us all by now"
Goodnight, she struck in. alb
ruptly; Don't come in, I don't want to
hear Louisa talk about tomorrow; and
don't want to talk about to-day. have
fancied all day that could hear the
Marlborough bells and the trumpets-a
deafening farce! Goodnight"
She stood upon the steps looking after
him as hG rode away.
Poor Neil. ''she said to herself, with
a smile and Sigh together" viii any
thing ever teach him how to act in real,
noble self-forgetfulness? 1feel so often
maddened by him, yet never hopeless.
The idea of Lady Adhesion old fallacy
that l do him good! think of it! l
wonder what good could ever do 70 any
one, even If loved them, and l sup
pose that is the mOtiVeApower most
wanted. If loved Neil. should be
less miserable tonight than ! am, or
more so, wonderp And If / loved"
Even the unbreathed thought was not
finished. Standing there in the hush
and darkness of the Notwithstanding
there alone and unseen-the color yet
rose slowly and wildly in Marjorie's
cheeks, and, knowing what thoughts
had summoned it, she put up both her
hands to hide it, sobbing as she never
sobbed when any eyes could see or ears
could hear her.
And Neil went slowly on his way back
to High Adhesion, thinking, more that
he imagined, about the girl who has
dismissed him so suddenly, but for such
thoughts she might have been glad and
grateful in her heart,
II, too, wish that tomorrow were
over" he said to himself; as the gates of
High Adhesion were locked behind him,
for that they have picked Burton for
High Sheriff instead ofme. Yet | don't
know why l mind he added, almost
savagely, as he cantered on. "A nice
thing if the laws are to be broken and
life taken with impunity under our very
eyes"'
And few minutes afterward he was
listening, half amused and half indiffer-
ent, to the rehearsal of the pageant
which was to go from High Adhesion
ON the morrow.
1--WE had to-day the best show there's
been in Peterborough since last an Ath-
elston was High Sheriff, "the servant said
as the baronet turned away, ''yet he
doesn't seem to care about it. 1 thought
he wasn't going ts give the orders at all
for tomorrow"
my lady was waiting up to see Sir
Neil, if he would be good enough to step
into her dressing room"
He was good enough to step into her
dressing room, and there he saw her,
sitting fretfully beside the fire chatting
at his delay, and at Fletcher's awkward
ness, and fancied accumulation of
minor miSeries.
lit was never so when Miss Chester
was here" thought Neil, the long, lazy
eyes taking their intent brightness even
at this momentary thought of Lima, and
the thought giving him patience enough
to listen in silence for ten minutes to
Lady Athelston's complaints. But when
these all resolved into one fearful, in
jured complaint of the companion in
whom she had "blindly trusted" and
been ''basely deceived, he spoke, rous-
ing himself from his Incidence.
"Was this all you had to say,
mother?"
mo, 1 wanted to speak about to-
morrow" she whined, taking his hint;
Il must have Marjorie to go with me.
You cannot sit with me in the court, and
SO must have Marjorie"
You intend to go thene"
OF course intend to 60. OF course
it is my duty to CO." she said, queru-
lousy, '.you High Sheriff, andEand
the trial affecting one who has been in
our service. OF course must 90, but l
cannot go without Marjorie"
Marjorie s prolonged GOODNESS and alb
sence from High Adhesion had worried
Lady Athelson more than she would
have told, and to go without Marjorie
into the crowded town and court to-mor-
row was more than she could have at
tempted. Why, people might actually
say that the match between her son and
Miss Castillian was, broken off, or some
thing equally absurd or untrue, and no
one knew what harm might come of such
reports with such a girl as Marjorie,
whose freaks no one could so much as
pretend to understand.
Marjorie told me she would go with
you, mother" said Neil, speaking into
the uplifted trumpet, land promised
that you would drive around for her.
Louisa is going with the Burtons, she
hopes; she finds them kindred spirits
more than ever now"
Lady Adhesion breathed freely again.
Her mind was set ct rest on its most
anxious point; a great load flor her who
had no loads to bear but those Of her
own raising) had been lifted, and she
could afford to be little harmlessly
vicious nova grand resource of the