The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1894-06-02
RUPERT'S RETURN,

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 fowered
fruit trees-yonder a medlar, here a
pear, next ounce. AS my eyes, unac-
customed to the day, blinked rapidly,
the recollection came Of a scene forty
five years past, and once more beneath
the oldest tree stood the girl loved,
mischievously plucking yarrow, and,
despite it's 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 I prom
ise thee, Rupert, we shall be the hap
piest of Gods creatures" And / re-
membered how the mad thirst for gold
filled me; how trusted in her fidelity,
and without reasoning or even telling
her that would conquer fortune for
her sake, kissed her sadly and passed
into the world.
Then followed a complete silence un-
til the Star of Europe. the greatest
diamond discovered in modern times,
stone, not unlike the Jumps of spar I
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 fulfilling her
ambition. Rich and happy I should be
soon, and should I not marry an un-
titled gentleWoman, sweet in her
prime? The twenty years. interval Of
work and sleep was like a fading
dream, for I was going home. The
knowledge thrilled me so that my
nerves were strung tight as iron ropes
and I laughed like young boy. And
it was all because my home was to be
in Rose Pascars arms.
I crossed the sea and posted straight
for Halkton village. The old hostelry
was crowded. Jane Hopgarth, whom
I remembered as a ruddy faced child,
stood on the box-edged terrace, courte-
:sying in matronly fashion to the de-
parting mail coach. An alteration in
the signboard attracted my attention; !;
the white allies had been painted over
with a m,tre, and the name changed
from the Pascal Arms to the Lord
Bishop. Angrily, aghast at this dis
loyalty, I cross-questioned the 'ostlers,
who hurried to and fro, but failing to
obtain any coherent replies I was fain
to content myself with a mental denun-
citation of the times.
Twilight had fallen before I reached
the cottage at the entrance Of the park.
This was in ruinOus condition; here
and there sheaves Of the thatched roof
had parted and formed crevices through
which smoke fltered.~ Some of the tiny
windows had been walled up, and even
where the glass remained snake-like
ivy hindered any light falling into their
thick recesses.
The door stood open, although the
evening was chilly. AS I approached,
the heavy autumnal dew shook down
from the frs and fell upon my shoul-
@ders. A bat swooping in an undulation,
struck between my eyes and fell to
the grass, moaning querulously. I en-
tered. A withered woman sat beside
the peat fire. She held /, pair Of steel
!knltting-ne2dle which she moved with
out cessation. There was no thread
upon them, and when they clicked her
lips twitched as if she had counted.
Roses foster-mother, Elizabeth Car
less. The russet colors Of her cheeks
had faded and left a sickly gray; those
sunken, dimmed eyes We're utterly I'LL
like the bright black orbs that had
danced so mirthfully. Her stature too.
had shrunk. l 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 I had heard Elizabeth say
that she was only tWenty-One at the
time Of her darling's weaving. But
what a change! She had such an air
of weary grief that my heart grew
sick.
Advancing to her side, I touched her
arm. 6he turned, but neither spoke
nor seemed aware Of my presence.
{Soon, however, she rose and, helping
herself along by grasping the scanty
furniture, tottered to a window and
peered out. Her right hand crept to
her throat; she united the string of her
gown and took from her bosom a po-
mander set in a battered silver case.
cried out: Rose had loved that toy in
her childhood; thousands of times had
we played ball with it, s. Eliza
beth held it to her mouth and mumbled
it, as if it were a baby's hand. Mad
dened with impatience I caught her
shoulder and roughly bade her say
where I should find Rose But some.
thing awoke in her eyes, and she
shrank away to the other side of the
house-place. I followed; she covered
on the floor, looking at me with a
strange horror. Her lips began tc
move, but no sound issued. Only when
] crossed to the threshold did she rise
and then her head moved wildly from
side to side, and her hands pressed
close to her breast, as if the pain there
were too great to endure.
I ran from the place, not daring tc
look back. In a few minutes reached
the balustraded wall of the hail garden
The house looked as if no careful hani
had touched it for years. The elements
had played havoc with it's oriels, anl
many Of the latticed frames hung OF
single hinges. The curtain of the blue
parlor hung outside, draggled ant
faded, and ,half-hidden by thicl
growth of bindweed.
With an almost savage force raised
my arm high above my head ant
brought my fist down upon the centra
panel Of the door. There was no neet
for such violence, for the decaye(
fastenings made no resistance, ant