Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1891-02-27
CHAPTER XVII.

CHAPTER XVII.
"But the soul
whence the love comes oil ravase leaves
thrt whole.
vainy the Lesh fades soul makes all things
new"
"Wby, how is this? Look up, my lamb;
nv Iraclous. Why Norah! Why Duchess"
The Squire, as lie holds his daughters in.
sensible lody to his heart, appears at his
wits end. He is bending over her, and is
looking with heart-broken anxiety into the
white, worn face. Then suddenly he lifts
his head and gazes sternly at Madam
across her body.
"What have you done to herH' he asks,
nercely. II lent her to you. / trusted
you. And yol--- Is this the way you
give her back TO meS'' He pauses here and
10 ks so Indignantly aroun him that, as
Nancy Bake afterward expressed II, they
all went into their shoes. "Had none OF
you compassion on her, after all she had
Just gone throughy' This, of course, Is
turns back again to Madam. ANSWER
me, " he says. what have you dono to
my daughter"
Nancy Blake and Lady Glandore are do
ing what they can for Norah, while Madam
takes q step forward and confronts her
brother-ir- law.
''Oh, manp she cries, In broken accents,
"You have her. She is thee within your
arm But / Where is my sonY'
Their, IS tragedy IN her whole air.
"Have you not heard then2 Has she not
told you!' exclaims the Squire, startled
"They told me TO break it to you, but 1
thought Norah would have been able to
Why, they are bringing him here. He has
| been hurt-and-"
HE is dead" says Madam in low, but
piercing tone.
"Bless me, my dear creature, no. Not a
bit of it. Far from it, l hope. He
There, now, Norahl' as the girl opened her
eyes. Come, now, there's a good grill
that's right now Look up at your old
dadi He, turning again to Madam, twas
attacked, it appears, by one of those
damned Lanl Leaguers. l really beg your
pardon, MadaIn-our-er-any (witi
/ an airy gesture) 'it was one OF those
! dGmne', rascals who fired at him, and the
bullet bit him, and his arm There,
now, that's my own girl again Why,
Noddlekins, to think of you falnting at the
sight OF your cd father
/ ''Oh, his arm. What of his ARM" asks
/ the poor mother detract idly.
"It-l'm afraid it broken" says the
Squire, gently. "But hasn't Norah told
your"
''Norah! No" They all draw closer to-
| gether "What does she know of ity'
"Nhy, lies my heart everything"
says tho Squire, loo'iing proudly down
upon the / uchess, who now, sa % in the
she ter OF his embrace, and somewhat fori-
fed by the Vine that Lady Gandore had
insisted en- her drinking, is list. ming with
some composure TO her fathers tals. "Why
| it was Norah who found him in that
/ ruflian's grasp. and somehow saved him.
don't GU to know all about it myself yet,
hut, anyhow, she must have succeeded in
dragging h m into sort of a hrs nat is in
! the woods, and there she stayed with him
oil night, nursing HIM and binding up his
| wounds, misunderstanding him up from
the cold with her own poor little petticoats
'Pon my soulp' says the Squire, two tears
stealing down his cheeks ''she's heroine,
that's what she is, though say it of my
own flesh and blood"
| "Oh, Mott hl But why didn't you tell
US, darling" says Madam, taking the girl
in her arms and kissing her somewhat re-
proachiuly. "To know he was alive"
/ Here the door is pushed open very gent.
ly, and, the butler thrusts in his hoary head.
If ye please, Madam, they've brought
the masther," no begins, genuine fear and
sorrow in his tone.
bring him in here" says the Squire,
hastily. "And send another messenger for
the do tor"
He is quite conscious as they bring him
in his improvised couch, door covered
with oats, and his first word is for the
mother who bends over him in speeches.
grief.
'Dear mothcrl It nigh. have been
worse" he says feebly, with touching at
tempt at the old lightness Of manner; and
then his gaze wanders. "Norahn he asks
''She is here" says Madam. drawing
her eagerly forward; and, indeed, no pres
sure is needed. She is at his side almost as
soon as her name passes his lips, with love,
unforbidden, in her eyes. Il seems to her
now as though nothing matters and that
for this one supreme moment he Is still her
own. The influence OF tho past night,
when he was gwen so utterly into hor
keeping, is still upon her, and regardless of
| all eyes they are very kindly ones she
kneels down beside him and p resses her lips
10 his hand.
"You are better" she says softly, joy
fully. The morrow may give him TO
| Katherine. The morrow may, nay IL
shall, take her away forever, back to her
old home, but just now she will hold him
as her own.
'Mother'' says Denis, turning 10 Madam
/ with some excitement ''she Is worn out,
exhausted Don't you see it, Take her
away; give her into your charge See to
her as you love me. But for her, T."
He ceases somewhat suddenly, and falls
backward, 'whereupon tho doctor, who haz