The Dickinson press., 1892-02-13

against the trunk of a tree; the wind
brought the odor of the lilacs to me fresh
and sweet. grew calm with the serenity
OF despair. l would listen to all he had to
tell me, and then rise up and go from him.
My thoughts grew confused, everything
was dim and indistinct in my sight; and
when l came to the real consciousness OF
what was passing, Mark was kneeling be-
fore ME. holding my hands tightly clasped
N his. and speaking in a clear, low voice.
CHAPTER NJ.
"When went away, Nellie" said Mark,
Ind called my love lads love'?"
"And said it would die US soon," I re-
marked.
ut was n lads love, Nellie, but it was
honest, eager, and trne. You filled my
! would have given up going to India; but
ny father vas lot willing. Would to
heaven that l had! lett England, Nellie,
IN the hope of returning at the end of four
pears and making you my wife. My
hther's death was q blow to me. should
have come back then, but | could not
you the candid truth. Nellie; I will not
bide II word, one Thought from you.
During the first year of my absence, Ilnved
you as truly and dearly as ever. You
we're never out of my thoughts by day or
BY night, | lived for you. The second
Zear-;.sah. Nellie, i'll wound you, | wound
found myself thinking more OF my work.
I had been promoted, and the difficulties
efmy profession engrossed me. l thought
Jess OF you but l loved you just the same.
I own that some little GOODNESS crept into
my letters, that at times l missed u mail;
lut my heart was true to you. One thing
that had an evil influence over ME was the
constant Chatting of my comrades. 1t
was strange that the cry of lads love-
phould be used in India as it had been in
England. They laughed at the number of
letters that came in your arhand writing,
Nellie. They laughed at the number l
love that in a few years time 1 should ead
laugh at it, that all the boys suffered from
II; and, though at times l blushed over it,
yet my heart was always true to you,
He stopped andlookedin into my miserable
lace. | could not keep my lips from
nnshcd tears.
"Nellie." he said, "have you heard any
a~ews--anything about me?'
mot one word since you wrote last" l
tThen," he said, with some little hesita.
Won, you dc not know what name 1 bear
"Your own, I suppose" was my l~istless
reply.
"Yes, my own, but it is a new one. Is it
possible, Nellie, that you do not know who
I am and why l am here2"
No suspicion OF the truth came to me; in
deed nothing was further from my
thoughts.
"How can I know?" was my impatient
answer 81 hava never hoard anv ono ,nop-
Non your name.
He was silent for q few minutes, and then
continued slowly
II know not which part of my story is
the hardest to tell. 1t was in the beginning
efthe third year of my absence from Eng
~sounexpected, so %bewildering, that ior
ZONE time seemed to lose my senses; and
you know, Nellie, that / was in many re-
spects what my father called me-merely a
lad. l was so dazzled and bewildel ed that
] forgot all | ought to have remembered.
Ny, first thought was of you; and 1
ought to have written to you; but 1 let two
Or three mails go without writing. and l
Intended to surprise Vol. l had to go to
England atonce, and l knew that l could
reach you as soon as my letters could. l
did a strangely careless thing:I left no
address, io:settiIg that you would prob;
,oon Sec you. Nellie, do YOU follow meS
Do not look at me with such sorrowful eyes.
You see that up to this time, the third year
Of my absence, ! had done nothing speci-
ally worthy Of blame. l had been shy and
s~elf-conscious about my love, when 1 ought
70 have been holder and more courageous.
pense ofmy love; and t set sail from India,
still thinking more of your surprise and
delight thai of anything else. But, Nellie,
] have not told you what the strange event
was. Can you not help me-, Nellie? Can
England and to your"
GLOW should IL You may tell me
Mark. 1 have realized the fact that
you are married. nothing more remains"
~ hate myself for having to tell it," he
said. his face flushing; "but, Nellie, 1 was
only q lad, and the news completely Devil
when we were together l asked you about
your friends and relatives? You replied
that you were almost alone in the world;
and l told you that, while 1 had some very
wealthy relatives and some very poor, Iknew
but little of either. There had never been
%acknowledg ment OF any kind: My father
was a most peculiar man; he did not like
his poor relations. His dislike was not
caused by their poverty, but because they
had offended him many years before, and
he had never forgiven them. AS to the
hch members of the family. he was too
proud to seek to know them; nor could he
allow me to speak of them; they took no
notice of us, nor we of them. Lord Sey-
srne--Baron Severne is the proper title
Of Court and my father were Sec
ond cousins"
In moment 1 saw it all.
You are Lord seyerne, Mark:" I cried;
eyes, it is so, Nellie; l am Lord Severne,"
he said gravely.
"And Lurline-your wife is named Lur-
line" l said.
Eyes. my wife is named lurline. Now
you understand. l did not know that you
were here, Nellie. never dreamed of see
ing you when Tcame out this morning. l
AM here as Lady Yorke's friend and guest;
Lurline is with me-"
He stopped, thinking perhaps that l
should speak; but what had I to say2
Words were useless.
Now you know what has happened,
Nellie" he continued. I'm the third year
Of my absence this news came from Eng
landlord Seyerne of Seyerne Court was
dead, the brother who should have sue
qeeded him was drowned in returning from
Italy, and the two sons of his brother, the
Aeir, died from fever at school-two gener-
atlons swept away. My father. had he
lived. would have been Lord Severne; H..
was oIG hSAe ilciI III DOlIl lllle ana estates
are entailed. AS my father wa dead. i was
the next heir. My father had never given
me to understand thai there was the most
remote possibility OF our SUCCESSION. I do
not believe he ever thought of it him
self. he was only second cousin, and
at that time Lord Severne was a strong
healthy man, his brother the same, and
the boys at school gave every promise of a
long lie.
Now all was changed; they were dead;
and. as l was the nearest Of kin, l became
master of Severne Court and Baron
Severne. Nell, as truly as there is q
heaven above us, my first thought when
l heard this news was OF you. What will
my Nellie say?" l cried aloud; and l fel,
proud to think that | could make my fail
and beautiful love Lady Severne.
1T had written n line to you, then ali
would have been ditferent-my life and
yours; bu, 1 was restless and excited. l hac
so much TO think of. SO much to do. / wa.
pleased. proud. asitated. but not untrue to
you then, Nellie, l swear it, not un
trnR.