The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1890-02-09


SHE HAD TAKEN HOLD OF HIS WHITE
MUS LAR ARM.
Glare RAYMOND, the daughter of Mrs.
Raymond, May Fielding's guardian, was
four years Mays senior. and during all
those long, long months which had
formed the period of the courtship of
her friend and her lover, she had suf-
fered torture unspeakable.
She had set her heart upon Guy when
first they had met, years before.
Even in those days, however, when
May was only IA and Guy 81, she was
his favolite and companion.
And as time passed, the bud blossoned
out and ripened imperceptibly though
surely, and without any display Of mock
modesty or self consciousness, May Field
ing drifted from her position of the child
playmate of Guy LiEstrange to that of
his betrotbed bride.
Clare had seen all this, and used des-
perate means TO avert such calamity.
Failing all else, she had opened her
heart to her wondering mother, and en-
treated her to send May away TO school
before it was too late.
But this was not to be.
ssMy DEAR" said her mother tenderly,
'sthis cannot be done. pity you, and
feel for you, bat I cannot help you. l
am forbidden to send her to school. All
her education must be received in my
house. am precluded by the will from
husband claims her"
And SO time passed; and Guy and
May, happy ia each others love, knew
nothing of the storm in the breast of her
rival
Clare turned from the contemplation
of the scene, with trembling lips and
her hand pressed tightly over her SWELL
ing bosom.
"Oh, how hate herr she cried. "But
for her his love would have been mine!
And to think have tried and tried in
vain, with all my beauty, which has
been praised SO much by others, only to
be set aside for that golden haired doll!'
She passed into an adjoining room,
that she might not witness the entrance
of the lovers-that she might calm her
self, in fact, before she met them at all.
But her mind was too busy to be tran
quilted.
The same thoughts would crowd upon
her brain. 1t was too late now. All her
schening had been for nothing; in a
week they would be married.
''Oh, why am | such coward?" she
murmured to herself. "Why cannot l
devise and carry out some scheme to
part them even now? The thought of
their happiness maddens me. could
almost bring myself to wish that some
thing awful would happen to--yes, to
either of them, she added, with spite
full stamp of her foot, rather than she
should live to be his wife,
Even in the depths of her wicked heart
she could never have imagined how
swiftly her evil prayer would be an
swered.
Gay voices in the next room reused
her, and she schooled herself to be calm
and smiling to meet the lovers, and Mrs.
Raymond, who, all unconscious of the
vengefnI feelingsin her daughters heart,
was joking with the young people, and
twitting May about her anxiety at Guys
absence for few hours.
you'll get used to longer absences
than that, May" she cried, ..when you
are an old, staid matron Of years stand
ing"
"Oh, no." laughed Guy, "she will
never have that to complain of. I'm go
ing to hang on to the proverbial apron
string. 1t saves lot of bother, and you
know of old, Mrs. Raymond, that I'm
rather lazy"
''In that case" said May, "Ill drive
you over to the station in the pony car
riage."
Clare Raymond entered at the mo-
ment.
'sYou naughty, forgetful thing" she
said in her sweetest tones, "you prom
ised to drive me and mamma to Lin
wood today, and
ssAnd SO she SHALL" said Guy with a
smile; ''I'll exert my marital authority
in advance, and say she shall. And,
moreover, I'm not going to Barchester
in my boating iannels. must pull
myself across the lake, and go home to
dress"
He bent and lightly touched the girls
forehead. He was not as a rule inclined
TO be demonstrative in the presence Of
others, but something in her face-a
wistfulness, yearning look in the eyes
made him suddenly change his deter
mination, and he caught her to his
breast and kissed her passionately.
rl5f e = z
before Mrs. Raymond and her daughter,
he muttered some inarticulate adieu tc
them and was OIL.
His slight confusion prevented him
FROM seeing the spasm Of anger and