The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-02-17
MATED BY MRS. JOCK.
LOVE STORY. MERELY.
BY JOHN STRANGE WINTER.
Copyright 1891. by the Authors Alliance.
CHAPTER II.

somehow in his solid presence, Mrs
Hope always felt more or less hopeless
and as If her stock in trade of looks
and coquetry were all decidedly impo-
tent.
"Why, even Miss Nugent has not been
allowed to look into the room yet" he
said bluntly. "You know the poor old
chap has had the very nearestshGve in the
whole world-in fact, we can scarcely say
he's out of the woods yet. Ruth is sim
ply worn out and dead asleep at this
moment, and I'm not much better"
''But surely could be of some usc,"
she pleaded.
''Well, candidly, don't think you
could" he said bluntly, land of course
every extra one in the house makes it
harder to keep going. But it's awfully
kind of You to have come; I'll let him
know as soon as he's fit to hear of out
side interests. BY the by are you driv-
ing or shall call you n cab?"
"Oh, no; I'm driving, thanks" she
replied.
She was boiling over with passion as
,she crossed the hall and went down
the steps TO her carriage.
And poor We're, who had gone slowly
face with new and terrible trouble
even before the weight of the first aw-
iful one had lifted from her heart.
Gould it really DO true that he had gone
istraightway and engaged himself to
Mrs. Hope, of all women in the world?
If SO lie must have gone to her and
asked her at once on arriving in Lon
don, at least during the course of that
3dny.
From Blacl1wood they had learned
that Mr.. Lumley had returned abont
three o'clock, having sent his Luggage
up to the studio in cab three hours
earlier, that he had dressed and gone
tout, telling Blacllwood that lie might
possibly not return till late at night
81 have to see lady in Queens Gate
about Il sitting" lie said. land if I'm
coming home to dinner Ill send you
wire about half-past six"
lie had, however, been brought home
about six o'clock in cab by police
man and strange gentleman, who told
Blackwood of the accident, and that
the only conscious words he had spoll-
en- were-''Talle me home-not a hos
;pital-home," and accordingly they had
done SO.
Sho remembered now so we'll Mrs.
jocks comment on hearing Black
woods story. "Ah, wonder if he had
ibecn to see Mrs. Hope. She lives in
Queens Gate, you know"
We'll, it was evident that he had been
there, and from what Mrs. Hope had
said it was equally evident that he had
gone there in anger and despair and
had asked her to take possession of the
heart which he believed that she, We're,
had rejected But oh-no, no, not the
heart; of the life, the name, the fate, if
you will, but the heart was hers-all
hers even yet. Had he not asked for her
in his first conscious moment, had he
mot wished for her presencep All, yes
whatever happened in the time to CON-
She was sure that his heart was and
would be hers forever!
And oh! how unutterably wrctched
she was! She had no tears left! Her
anxiety, her slceplcssness, her grief
at the mistakes of the past had taken
all her tcars-in this, the most crushing
blow of all, her eyes were quite dry,
but her heart seemed like Il lump of
lead. Her future looked black and
blank, her flower Of hope was withcrcd
and dead.
She was still there when q light
knock sounded on the door.
Come in" she said, when it sounded
a second time.
Tie door was opened couple of
inches. were, can you Gomez" TWAS
Jocks voice.
:, She ian - the door. her heart in her
mouth, and flung it wide open. Jock
Airlie was standing on the landing
"Could you Gomez" he said. lies ask
ing for you and is quiet and sensible
'Ruth's asleep still"
"Oh, yes" she said, nervously, II will
come"
"And you will remember how miser.
ably i'll and weak he is still? You'll be
quite steady and calm?" he said, anx.
iously.
III will be perfectly calm" she said,
unhesitatingly. ''But tell me, how did
he know | was here?"
81 don't know. He asked for YOU,
and ! asked him what made him think
you were here. lie says he's known
all along"
The girl rceled little and stopped
short. rs anything up?" Jock asked.
"Oh, no-I'm all right" she replied,
steadily, but in that one moment the
Iron of anguish had entered yet deeper
and more bitterly into her soul.
The room in which Lumlcy lay was a
little less dark than it had been during
the days that had just gone by. We're
uol oh rr1Sn IN,
side of the bed wherein Lumley, gaunt
and white and weak as child, wa.
lying.