The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1892-11-05
THE RETURN.

THE RETURN.
Five minutes ago l drew the window
curtain aside and let the mellow sunset
light contend with the glare from the
T girandoles. Below lay the orchard Of
/ Vernon Garth, rich in heavily fowered
fruit trees-yonder a medlar, here q
pear, next a ounce As my ewes, unac-
customed to the day. blinl;ed rapidly,
/ the recollection came of a scene forty
[ five years past, and once more beneath
the oldest tree stood the girl 1 loved.
mischievously plucking yarrow, and
despite its evil omen twining the
snowy clusters in her black hair.
Again her coquettish words rang in
my ears; Make me thy lady! Make
me the richest woman in England, and |
promise thee, Rupert, we shall be the
happiest of Gods creatures" And / re
membered how the mad thirst for gold
I filed me; how / trusted in her fidelity.
and without reasoning or even telling
her that / would conquer fortune for
I her sake l kissel her sadly and passed
/ into the world Then followed a COM
plete silence until the star of Europe,
the greatest diamond discovered in mod
ern times, lay in my hand-a rough. I'M
polished stone. not unlike the humps Of
/ spar had often seen lying on the sandy
lanes of my native country.
This should be Roses own, and all the
others that clanked so melodiously in
their leather bulse should 90 toward full
[ filling her ambition. Rich and happy /
/ should be soon, and should / not marry
/ an untitled gentlewoman. sweet in her
prime: The twenty years interval of
work and sleep was like fading dream.
/ for l was going home. The knowledge
| thrilled me so that my nerves were
/ strung tight as iron ropes and laughed
/ like a young boy. And it was all be
I cause my home was 10 be in Rose Pas
calls arms.
] Icrossed the sea and posted straight for
Halkton village. The old hostelry was
/ crowded. Jane Hopgarth, whom re-
membered as a ruddy faced child, stood
( on the box edged terrace, courtesying
| in matronly fashion to the departing
mail coach. An alteration in the sign
board attracted my attention; the white
lilies had been painted over with a mitcf
and the name changed from the Pascal
Arms to the Lord Bishop. Angrilv.
aghast at this disl6yalty, cross ques-
toned the ostlers, who hurried to and fro,
but failing to obtain any coherent re.
plies was fain to content myself with
a mental denunciation of the times.
Twilight had fallen before reached
the cottage at the entrance of the park.
This was in 4 ruinous condition; here
and there sheaves in the thatched ROOT
had parted and formed crevices through
which smoke filtered. Some of the
tiny windows had been walled up, and
even where the glass remained snake.
like ivy hindered any light falling int
their thick recesses.
The door stood open, although the
evening was chilly. As l approached
the heavy autumnal dew shook down
from the frs and fell upon my shoulders
A bat, swnopiug in naturalization, strucl
between my eyes and fell to the gras.
moaning querulously. 1 entered. \
withered woman sat beside the peat fire
She held a pair Of steel knitting needles
which she moved without cessation
There was no thread upon them, anJ
when they clicked her lips twitched az
if she had counted.
Some time passed before l recognized
Roses foster mother, Elizabeth CarlesS
The russet colors Of her cheeks hu,
faded and left a sickly gray; thos
sunken, dimmed eyes We're utterly un
like the bright, black orbs that ha,
danced go mirthfully. Her stature, toe
had shrunk. was struck with wonder
Elizabeth could not he more than fifty
six years old. had been away twent,
years; Rose was fifteen when 1 left her
| and l had heard Elizabeth say that sh
was only twenty-one at the time of he
darling's weaving, But what a change
She had such an air of weary grief tina
my heart grew sick.
Advancing to her side l touched he
arm. She turned, but neither spoke no
seemed aware Of my presence, Soon
however, she arose and helping hersel
along by grasping the scanty furniture
tottered to a window and peered out
Her right hand had crept TO her throat
she united the string Of her gown an
took from her bosom pomander set j
a battered silver case. Icried out. Ros
had loved that toy in her CHILDHOOD
,t Thousands of times had we played ba
with it. Elizabeth held it TO her mout
and mumblod it as if it were a baby
hand
Maddened with impatience, | caugl
her shoulder and roughly bade her sa
.e where 1 should find Rose. But som
thing awolIe in her eyes, and she shrau
away 70 the other side Of the houi
place. l followed. She covered on Il
Ioor, looking at me with a strange no
ror. Her lips began to move, but 7
e sound issued Only when l crossed
the threshold did she rise, and then h
r head moved wildly from side to sid
and her hands pressed close TO h
y breast, as if the pain there were too gre
to endure,
I ran from the place, not daring
look back In a few minutes l h,
reached the balustraded wall Of the b,
~ garden. The house looked as if no car
full hand had touched it for years. N
elements had played havoc with
oriels, and many of the latticed fran
hung on single hinges The curtain
the blue pallor hung outside, draggl
and faded and half hidden by a thi
growth Of biudwoOd
\ With an almost savage force l rails
y my arm high above my head az
brought my fst down upon the cent?
panel Of the door. There was no ne
I for such violence, for the decayed II
Jennings made no resistance, and somC
the rotten boards fell 20 the grou
AS 1 entered the hall and saw
- ancient furniture, once so f0ndly kt
now mildewed and crumblng 10 dJ
quick sobs burst from my thrJ
n Roses spinet stood beside the dooI
the Withdrawing room. How mi
carols had we sung TO its music! Z
- passed nv foot struck one of the d
and the rickety structure groaued d
it were coming 10 pieces. / thrust
my hand to steady IL, but at my 90
, the velvet covering of the lid came
.lN and the tiny gilt ornaments rat
downward.
. By now the fun moonlight pier
the window and quivered on the n
10 AS gazed ON the tremulous patterl
tJ- changed into quaint devices Of hes
daggeEs, rings and thousand Other
N2- kens. All suddenly another ob
-- glided among them 30 quickly tina
i'm wondered whether my eyes had beer
llJ fault--a tiny satin shoe, stained erin
across the lappets. A revulsion Of
ing came to my soul and drove away