Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1893-08-17

my Mabel. my pretty Mabel. I have a
fire raging here" and he pressed his
brow: II can see nothing but her eyes
upbraiding me- Good God! I must
60"
''You shall, Angus. twill be better
so: but not now. You cannot leave her
So"
''Say what you will, mother; that
the papers have been found. Save the
honor of the old name if you can. [
will never come home to disgrace you"
Lady Grisel thought for one moment,
and it seemed to her that it might be
best that he should go. She was ter
rified at the wild bloOdshot eyes and
twitching hands.
''Angus." she cried-''not tonight.
Can you not stay and see her mother??"
A cry, strange and low, like the cry
of some hunted animal, broke from his
lips.
''Her mothern' he cried; how can
meet her? How have [ kept my trust?:"
''Mabel loved you," she said, family,
hoping to touch some softening chord;
''she loved you, Angus"
"And have killed her. Let me go. :"
He sprang toward the door; then sud-
denly coming back, he said, IT will
write to you from London. [ shall wait
there till the child is found, but will
never come home"
''Will you not look at her once more,
Angus? She looks very beautiful; she
forgave you and loved you; your name
was the last on her lips. Oh, my boy,
do not 60 like thisn'
IT cannot. You are cruel, mother
you torture me-"
She chung passionately to him.
''Angus! you whom [ have loved be-
yond all others in this cruel world! you
for whom I would have died, listen to
me-"
ooh, mother, mother!"
II forgive you! Mabel has forgiven
you, Angus-make Evans child for
give you in his name and his wife s;
then down on your knees and pray, and
wrestle for blessing, and in Gods own
time He will also forgive my son!''
II will, God help me: let me CO."
He crossed the hall, drew back the
bolts, and went down the steps. She
stood watching him as he undid the
boat and stepped into it, her hands
clasped in fearless agony.
"One last good-by, "she said, stretch
ing out her arms toward him.
mo, no! am not worthy" he an
swered.
He drew himself from her clinging
arms, she saw him bending to the oars
and the little boat speeding across the
water.
Long white streaks shone in the sky,
frightening and Frightening till they
suddenly cleaned down like, blades of
shining steel athwart the loch, and the
sun rose up, cold and white and bril-
liant.
Lady Grisel shivered, and the bitter
cold of early morning chilled her
through and through; she turned and
went to Mabels room and knelt down
by her side.
About II o'clock that night poor Lady
Armine arrived. Lady Grisel met her
at the door, and her face told the tale
her dry lips could not utter. Too late.
The mothers grief at first was over
whelming. She had loved Mabel even
more than her other children: there
so dependent about the child, that she
had been their veriest darling.
Lady Grisel told the whole story
without emitting one fact or making
one excuse. It came from her lips as
if wrung from her by the torture of
the rack, but she told it all. She
braced herself to bear the reproaches,
the hard words she awaited, and she
would have borne them all and thought
that little: but instead of that, Lady
Armine threw her kind arms round
her neck, saying:
''Ah, Grisel, how much we both have
suffered.'
Then came to her the relief of pas
sionate tears. Lady Grisel felt drawn
impressibly to her, and she poured out
to her how dearly she had loved Mabel
how hard she had striven to make
her happy; and then all her terror and
anguish over Angus came out, and the
old story of having misunderstood and
thwarted Evan.
II have ruined INV sons" she cried,
in the strong self-agasemento of proud
nature brought low: and Lady Armine
found her own best comfort in trying
to sustain her fellow-sufferer.
Toward the evening of the following
day Lord Armine and Mildred arrived,
and all had to be gone over again.
When night came they were all worn
out, and all went to- rest but Lady
Grisel. She could not sleep; in vain
she closed her eyes and tried to lull
her aching thoughts. She could not
rest: she took up the book Mabel was
reading, the drawing on which she had
been intent only two days ago; she
found her long letter toMildred on her
desk, the half finished designs for the
setting of the diamonds, in which she
had taken such a childish delight, all
Just as it had been-and at last tears
came to her relief.
The next morning she had long in
terview with Lord Armine. He strongly
advised that no unnecessary mystery
should be made-that the world should
be told that the marriage of Evan
Macmonach had been proved by the
finding of the necessary papers, and
that Angus, glad to have something to
do in the first agany of his bereave-
ment, had gone away to look for the
lost heir AS soon as the funeral should
be over, they must at once take steps
to make restitution to Evans child.
Lord Armine went up to the manse
to see and talk over matters with the
old Minister.