Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-04-02

yol spoke to-is Mr.. Conrad Fferds. as
/ told you. They say that
lBnt a glance at her brother made ner
hesitate.
"Despard, is your head worse?" she
asked, anxiously.
ut comes on by fits and starts" ne
replied. "But don't mind; go on speak
hg. What were you going to say?
"Oh, only about young Mr.. Ftoroe'
They say he is to marry Lady Margaret;
they are only second cousins. But L
don't think he looks good enough Tor
her, She seems such womanly, nice
feeling girl. We had just been intro
duced when Mr.. Fforde came up with
your message, and she wanted him 10
90 back to you at once. But he said you
would be gone already-well, didn't
quite believe about your head being so
bad, and perhaps 1 seemed very cool
about it, for Lady Margaret really
looked quite vexed. Wasn't 1t nice OF
her? The Carriers had been telling her
about US, evidently. I think she was
rather disappointed not TO see the lam
Gus Despard Norreys, do you know? /
rather wonder you never met her this
summer in town, though perhaps you
would scarcely have remarked her just
as Miss Fforde, for she isn't"
But an exclamation from Despard
sCavtled her.
"Madd;e." he said, "don't you under
stand? 1t must be she-she. this Lady
Margaret-the great heiress! Good
heavens"
Mrs. Selby almost screamed
"Despard" was all she could say: Buf
she quickly recovered herself. "Well,
after all, she went on, 81 don't see that
there's any harm done. She will know
that you are absolutely dlsinterested,
and surely that will go long way. But
Just to think of it! Oh, Despard,
fancy your saying that you half thong ut
she was going to be governess! On,
dear, how extraordinary! And L
was so regretting that you had not met
her! What a good thing you did mott
mean what good thing that my letter
showing your ignorance was written and
sent before you knew who she was.
Don't you see how lucky 1t WASP"
She turned round, her eyes sparkling
with excitement and eagerness. But
there was no response in Mr.. Norreys
face; on the contrary, its expression was
such that Mrs. Selby's own face grew
pale with dread.
"Despard," she said, "why do you
look like that9 You are not going tC
say chat now, because she is an heiress
Just because of money!" with a" tone
of supreme contempt, that you Will
give it up? You surely"
But Mr.. Norreys interrupted her.
"Has the letter gone, Maddie?"
She nodded her head.
Then 1 must write again at once
myself-to Gertrude Englewood to make
her promise on her honor never to tel
what you,wrote, Even II thought she
would believe it-and am not sure thai
she would could never allow myself
10 be cleared in her eyes now,
Madeline stared at him. Had the sun
stroke affected his brain?"
"Despard," she said, what do yor
mean?"
He turned his haggard face TOWARD
her.
81 don't know how to tell you" hi
said. II wish | need not, but as yot
know so much must. did see her
Madeline. l met her when | was stroll
lug about the shrubbery over there
She was quite alone and no one near. L
seemed to have happened on purpose
aud-T told her all. "
you proposed to herP"
He nodded.
"As-as Miss Fiorde, or as" be
gan Mrs Selby.
"As Miss Ford, OF course, without thu
two rs and the 'e' at the end, he sale
bitterly. II didn't know to this mo
ment either that her father was an earl
or, which is much worse, that she was
great heiress."
"And what is wrong, then"
"Just that she refused me-refuseC
me with the most biting contempt-thC
the bitterest scorn-no, l cannot
speak of 1t. She thought l knew, hac
found out about her-and now see tna'
my misplaced honesty, the way | spoke
must have given color TO IT.. She
tainted me with my insolence at.tht
frst-good God! what an instrument oil
torture a woman's tongue can be! There
Is only one thing to do-to stop Ger
trude's ever telling of that letter"
"Oh, Despard" exclaimed Mrs. Selby,
and her eyes filed with tears. What
horrid girl she must be! And
thought she looked so sweet and nice
She seemed so sorry when her cousin
told me about you. Tell me, was that
after? Oh, yes, OF course, it must have
been. Despard, l believe she was al
ready repenting her cruelty"
Hush, Madeline" said Mr.. Norrey'
sternly. "You mean II well, but-you
must promise me never to allude to al
this again. You will show me Mrs. En-
glewood's letter when IT comes-that
YOU must do. And l will write to her.
But there is no more to be said. Let TO-
day be between US as II it had never
been. Promise me, dear"
He laid his hand on her arm. Made
line turned her fearful eyes toward
him.
every WE'LL" she said. 81 must,
suppose. But, oh, what dreadful pity
II all seems. You TO have fallen in love
with her for herself-you that have
never really cared for any one
before-when you thought her only 9
Qoverness; and now for 1t to have al
gone wrong. 1t would have been so
nice and delightful"
"a sort of Lord Burleigh business,
with the characters reversed-yeS, quite
idyllic," said Despard sneeringly.
"Despard, don't! 1t does so pain
me-" Mrs. Selby said with real feeling.
There is one person l am furious
with" she went on in different tone,
land that is Mrs. Engewood. She
had no business to play that kind OF
trick"
"Perh APPS she could not help herself