The Portland daily press., 1891-08-03
Under A CLOUD,
Buffalo News.l


across the fields from Nellie Hobart's
wedding Very sweet she looked in her
bridal dress, and very fond the gentle
man to whom she had given her hand
seemed to be of her. The church was
decked with flowers, and not one Of
those whosat there but wished the pretty
young creature well; and as she stepped
out from the shadow Of the painted
windows into the clear, golden, out Of
door light thought Of the old rhyme
Happy is the bride
Whom the sun shines on.
And thought that she looked like one of
those fair saints the old masters were 80
fond of painting, blue eyed and blond.
and with mouths like those of SMILING
babies.
thought Of something else, also, as |
suppose every girl who had been to that
wedding did, could one but know the
truth. wondered whether it would
ever be my turn to stand where Nellie
stood that day, and what manner of man
my bridegroom would be; forI had never
yet seen any one | could fancy giving
myself to, almost body and soul, as a
wife must. was making picture of
him for myself, like a goose, when my
foot caught in the grass, where some
boys had tied it, and down l fell, twist
ing my ankle and hurting my head, SO
that for awhile knew nothing.
At last felt some one lift me. off the
ground, and opened my eyes to see that
it was great, swarthy, black eyed girl
of seventeen or so-a girl with careless
look about her dress which was not lady
like. But she had the voice and manner
of lady, and she asked me very kindly
If were much hurt; and, seeing that !
was, picked me up in her strong arms
and carried me through garden gate
and into little parlor, where she laid
me on a sofa and bathed my head with
rose water and told me to keep up my
courage, for Gideon has gone for doc
tor"
That name told me where was.
was under a roof that had never
thought would shelter me, no matter
what would come to pass. would have
risen and gone away If could have
stirred from the odd old sofa. For this
was Gideon Lees old homestead, and
here dwelt the children of the man who,
sixteen years before, had been hung for
the murder of my Uncle Mathew
was but baby when it all happened.
but could remember how the whole
village was astir in search Of the miss
ing man, and how body was found at
last in the heart of Alcotts woods, and
how the facts that there had been a
quarrel between Gideon Lee and Uncle
Mathew, and that Gideon Lee owed the
latter money, and how they were last
seen together quarreling in Gideon's
garden, where. bloody handkerchief,
marked I'M. Co." was found soon after,
and brought Gideon to the gallows.
Perhaps hearing the story afterward
from my grandfather made me fancy
remembered it, but at all events the
name l had learned to hate was that of
Gideon Lee. And now it was the child
born on the day of her mothers death
the very day on which the father met
his awful fate-who lifted me from the
ground, dusky Madge Lee, who had
never found playmate nor friend in
the town because of the ban upon her
fathers name, and Gideon, the son, who
bad been old enough to understand it
all at the time, who came in with old
DR.. HUMPHREYS soon after.
They were not poor people. The house
was substantial one, and there were
more books and pictures and tokens Of
refinement within than country homes
generally boast Of. But even the farm
hands spoke contemptuously of the ''son
of the man who was hung" and the serv-
ants who were hired by Madge Lee
were not natives of the place.
And here was /, Mathew Grey's own
niece, lying under the roof, and likely to
be there for some time, for the doctor
forbade my removal
81 must go home-I must go away
from this housed" said, angrily and
feverishly.
And Madge Lee looking down on me
as an Indian princess might, with her
dark eyes aglow, said, in bitter voice,
"Never fear, Miss Grey, Wen not MUIR
der your and somehow abashed me,
naughty as was.
Grandpa was away from home, or
think even the risk of my life would not
nave kepJ MIN from taxing me nome;
and grew i'll and delirious, and Madge
Lee nursed me as sister might, and
Gideon was kinder than brother. He
read to me; he brought me cooling drinks
made of fruits after some Oriental rec
ipes which he possessed; he found sweet
flowers dripping with dew in the woods,
and he sang, as I never heard any one
sing before, those Scottish ballads that
are lovelier than any other music ever
written, to my mind; and it ended in
my loving them.
So when was well enough to go away
I took Madge's hand in mine and said,
"How shall ever thank you for your
tender care of mes"
And she answered, Agnes Grey, the
only gratitude ! ask is belief in u.s. The
people down there" land she pointed
with her brown hand toward the town.
"call us the children of murderer. We
are the children of martyr instead. !
never saw my father, but we both know
that he is innocent. And Gideon remem-
bers his kindness, his tenderness, his gen.
tleness and his honor
"Your uncle Mathew-forgive me, but
Az 40 Llc " ubn-WdS u Wilt Dd0 4c11OWs
He quarreled with my father, not father
with him, and the debt was paid. Mother
saw it done, and heard him boast that
the money should take him beyond the
reach of irksome laws and chattering
tongues. And for the bloody handker-
chief, he had cut his hand, and unbound
and washed it, and tied it up afresh in
mothers very sight that day. Don't dare
to doubt it; don't be SO cruel as to doubt
it, Agnes Grey"
Then she brought me the picture that
they kept as sacred relic, and verses
written by his hand and tender love let
tiers yellow with age, and as looked at
the face-so sweet, so good, so like that
Of the Gideon Lee knew-I felt sure
that those who stood before me, though
they were the children of the man who
was hung. were not the offspring of
murderer. And afterward Gideon also
spoke.
'Tt is hard to BEAR" he said; .'hard to
know that we must bear it all our lives;
but if you only see the truth-if only,
without proof, you will understand that
we know no murder was ever done by
our dear fathers hand-we, who have
his pictured face upon the wall, the let
tiers written to our mother, the words
our mother wrote begging us to read
them often when she was dead, and
Al1.