The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-10-24

| Dy Lno SIlITup illOHS the SrOuHu. lney
are passing within ten yards of where
Marian stands. When there, right op-
posite the window, the stirrup, patent
safety one though CHANGING to be some
what rusty, fortunately acts; the leather
slips back from the spring lock and sets
the poor rider free. At that instant Dal-
yell appears upon his spirited but out
paced hack, his face white as death, and
terror upon every feature. Refining up
his mount with suddenness which al
most sends him and his steed reeling
backwards, he flings himself off, and
leaving the animal loose rushes towards
the girls apparently lifeless form.
They are right in front of the glass
door which Marian had already opened,
when an underlined something within
her made her pause, and she stands there
spellbound.
my darling! my darling! speak to
me. You are not dead? No, no, one
word! look!"
I So in agonized accents pleads John, as
he kneels with his back to the SUNNI er
house, his right arm around Kate Tenn
plemore, whom he has partially raised,
while with his left hand he is wiping
away the mud and blood from the fair
face.
"Oh, wretch that l am!' he goes on.
"Oh, that had never let you mount the
brute! have killed you-you for whom
would give my life; you whom alone
Il lover
Presently Kate opens her eyes, looks
wildly around her, then at John, starts
violently, and falters:
"Mr. Dalyell."
He has been as one drunk with wine.
AS she utters his name sudden change
comes over him. He will use no more
words of endearment now, but there is a
depth of fervor in the way he exclailns,
ooh, thank God! thank God, she lives"
which speaks volumes.
Marian's first anxiety, now that she
finds her young friend is not killed, is to
hide forever from her betrothed that she
has been witness of this scene. For, be
| it remembered. she is very proud. There
| Is not the faintest danger that either he
or his new love have seen her. She slips
from her coign of vantage to a refuge
among the thick shrubs and trees, emerg-
| ing from which on the far side, she strikes
out across the park In direction exactly
opposed to that of the house. The storm
has almost subsidized; Miss Peyton walks
long and at a rapid pace, and as she walks
she thinks.
Although Kate Templemore's hurts
were not of a serious nature, they con-
fined her to bed and the doctors care for
some days. John Dalyell went off with
the good Mr.. Price as had been arranged,
and nothing had been done by anybody
to alter what diplomatists call the statu
quo ante.
John wrote every few days to his
mother and his fiancee, and if his letters
to the latter were not specimens of
a lovers ardor, they betrayed no shift
ness of purpose, no GOODNESS even, moth
ing, in fact, of which young lady in
her position could complain.
To say truth, this somewhat surprised
Miss Peyton. She asked herself what
she would do in his place, and very WISE
ly confessed that she could not answer
the question. No; it was far easier to tell
what she meant to do in her own.
After nearly fortnight had elapsed
since the accident, the rash little Amazon
was permitted to rejoin her dear mamma,
and some four days later the two salmon
fishers returned from Scotland; but,
rather to everybody's surprise, Miss Pey-
ton had gone off with the old baroness to
Eastbourne, where she stayed for three
whole weeks, and then instead of COM
ing home, as had been expected, betook
herself to the abode of some cousins in
South Wales for fortnight longer.
She continued to write about weekly
to John, letters which betrayed no more
change i'll her feelings or intentions than
did his to her.
Now, although the unhappy son of the
meddling Lady Charlotte looked upon all
this delay as mere respite, it cannot be
denied that it was in a certain sense
great relief to him. 1t behooved him to
show some little impatience; so, after
complaining of Marian's long absence, he
went on to press her to return, and
begged her earnestly to fix definite and
not distant time for the wedding.
But Marian only said that she really
was coming home very soon, and there
would then be lots of time for discussing
the future.
In fine, when she did arrive at the
manor, the pair had not met for good
two months, and on the eventful NOR
row note was brought at in the
morning to the following. effect;
DEAR JoHN-I have just returned. 1t
is 10 O'Clock and ] am off to he'd. Will
you kindly make point of coming here
at II tomorrow, as l have something of
an important and, fear, rather painful
nature to tell you. Affectionately,
an. PEYToN.
'Manor Park, Tuesday night"
John found it on his plate at breakfast.
The contents startled him. His first
thought was that Kate was dead-dying.
No, but what then? He read again, san
important and, fear, rather painful ma
ture."
"Why. Johnny" cried her ladyship
from the other end of the table, "what
on earth are you reading? You look
ooh, nothing, mother, nothing. Just
line from Marian to say which is the
best hour to run over"
Sand high time, declare. l never
saw such pair of lovers. Separated for
weeks, and for nothing that can make
out. However, l was saying to our
good Price yesterday that you two will
jog on all the more safely for not having
done the Romeo and Juliet business be-