The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-04-19
THE RETURN.

NhNt AiAAAohSS A60 y NA0" b&AS AA1o
curtain aside and let the mellow sunset
light contend with the glare from the
girandoles. Below lay the orchard Of
Vernon Garth, rich in heavily lowered
fruit trees-yonder a medlar, here a
pear, next q ounce. AS my eyes, unac
customed to the day, blinked rapidly,
the recollection came of a scene forty
five years past, and nee more beneath
the oldest tree stood the girl | 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
filled me; how | trusted in her fidelity,
and without reasoning or ven telling
her that | would conquer fortune for
her sake | kissed her sadly and passed
into the world. Then followed q CON-
plete silence until the Star of Europe,
the greatest diamond discovered in mod
ern times, lay in my hand-a rough, un-
polished stone, not unlike the Jumps 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 go 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 a fading dream,
for Twas going home. The knowledge
thrilled me SO that my nerves were
strung tight as iron ropes. and laughed
like q young boy. And it was all be-
cause my home was to 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 inter
and the name changed from the Pascal
Arms to the Lord Bishop. Angrily,
aghast at this ~disloyalty, ! cross ques-
toned the ostlers, who hurried to and fro,
but failing to obtain any coherent re-
plies ] was fain to content myself with
q mental denunciation of the times.
Twilight had fallen before / reached
the cottage at the entrance of the park.
This was in q ruinous condition; here
and there sheaves in the matched roof
had parted and formed crevices through
which smoke filtered. Some of the
tiny windows had been walled mp, and
even where the glass remained snake
like ivy hin5ered any light falling into
their thick recesses.
The door stood open, although the
evening was chilly. As ! approached
the heavy autumnal dew shook down
from the frs and fell upon my shoulders.
A bat. swooping in an undulation, struck
between my eyes and fell to the grass
moaning querulously. / entered. A
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, and
when they clicked her lips twitched as
If she had counted.
Some time passed before / recognized
Roses foster mother, Elizabeth Carless.
The russell colors of her cheeks had
faded and left a sickly gray; those
sunken, dimmed eyes were utterly un-
like the bright, black orbs that had
danced SO mirthfully, Her stature, too,
had shrunk. was struck with wonder.
Elizabeth could not be more than fifty.
six years old. had been away twenty
years; Rose was fifteen when / left her
and ] had heard Elizabeth say that she
was only twenty-one at the time of hel
darling's weaving. But what a change
She had such an air of weary grief thai
my heart grew sick.
' Advancing to her side / touched hel
arm. She turned, but neither spoke MOI
seemed aware Of my presence. Soon
however, she arose and helping herself
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 ane
took from her bosom a pomander set il
a battered silver case. Icried out. Rosl
had loved that toy in her childhood
Thousands of times had we played bal
with it. Elizabeth held it to her mouth
and mumbled it as If it were a baby
hand.
Maddened with impotence, | caugh
her shoulder aud roughly babe her sa,
where | should find Rose. But some
thing awoks In her eyes, and she shranl
away to the other side of the hous
place. | followed. She covered on tn
floor, looking at me with a strange hon
ror. Her lips began to move, but n
sound issued. Only when / crossed I
the threshold did she rise, and then he
head moved wildly from side to side
and her hands pressed close to he
breast, asst the pain there were too grea
10 endure.
| ran from the place, not daring I
look back. In a few minutes / ha
reached the balustraded wall Of the ha.
garden. The house looked as IL no car,
full hand had touched it for years. Th
elements had played havoc with II
uriels. and many az the 1aftieed fram<