Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1895-07-17
VOL. XIX

CHAPTER VIII.-(Continued) I
81 really thought Mr.. Winton would
have been killed. said the eldest of tht
rectors daughters. How wonderfully ht
rides, My brother says he is great
'shekary,' in fact, he cares for nothing
else but sport. You were frightened, too
Miss L'Estrange."
Il have not been used to horses fol
Jears" stammered Nora.
You ought to ride now. I remembei
you managing your little sheltie capital.
is. long ago. Won't you come back ID
luncheon at the rectory? Mother would
be charmed 10 see you and Mrs. LES
TRANCE. Mrs. Gardner and her friendi
ire coming"
Mrs. LEstranGe preferred returnint
with her little daughter, but Nora wal
glad TO divert her thoughts by accepting
the invitation, and was one of the most
animated of the party. She could not
however, be persuaded to stay till the
eldest son of the house. an officer on leave
from his regiment, in India, returned witt
4 report of the run.
Il suppose Mrs. Ruthven has heard
nothing of her jewels:" said Mrs. Gard
aer. as Nora was saying goodbye.
Nothing whatever. She seems to de
spair of recovering them"
at frightful business altoGether:1
exclaimed Mary Damer, the rector's sec
ond daughter. do you remember Cap
tain Shirley who was at the ball. Yor
danced with him several times. He dane
Ell very WELL
Nora did remember.
George says there were queer reportt
about him in India. He was in same regi.
ment as Mr.. and Major Ruthven. People
said. too. that Mrs Ruthven was-wcl
lut too particular"
Il only know she Is particularly nice.
returned Nora. DO not believe half the
ll-natured things you hear"
Il WISH" said Miss Damer, "that Mr..
Marsden had not been frightened away
oy the worry of this unlucky robbery.
How nice it would be to have Evesleigh
open once more"
DO tell me. Miss L'Estrange." cried
the younger sister. sis the squire engaged
10 Mrs. Ruthven!"
Indeed. l do not know; but l am sure
she would make n very pleasant mistress
for the manor house. Now l must not
stay, it will be dusk before l get back"
Il think you are quite heartless. not to
stay and hear if poor Mr.. Winton came
alive out of the hunt. and he is such
great friend of yours
Nora, and with few more words she
escaped. her heart beating with annoy
ance at the tone of Miss Damers last
remark. She would certainly persuade
Helen to come up to town next week. or
soon as possible, and then she would
take singing lessons. and amuse herself,
and forget the folly and weakness into
which she had fallen. How ill-natured
people are" she thought, '.and ready to
spread ill-natured Stories" She did not
believe that Captain Shirley ever did any
thing disgraceful. though she had not
been favorably impressed by him, and
was disposed, in an instructive and un-
reasoning way, to dislike and distrust him.
Large drops of rain made her hurry on
90 gain shelter before the threatened
storm burst; but as she crossed the car
rage drive of Evesleigh Manor, on her
homeward way, she noticed fresh traces
of wheels and horses feet. The steward
had no doubt been up Mt the house. She
caught a glimpse of it before she passed
through the gate leading into the wood
opposite her own home. How mournful
Il looked with its closed shutters, and
the one thin thread of smoke rising from
Its wide stack of chimneys! She was
quite glad to be safe at home, in her own
comfortable bedroom. changing her dress
for her indoor garments. She had grown
stupidly nervous of late. One folly
brings on another. she thought.
In the drawing room Bea was dressing
her doll, while her mother read aloud
some of Grimm's fairy tales.
How late you are, Nora; did you Ee
wet?"
NO: at least very little"
Had George Damer come back? How
did the hunt go off? 1 should be glad te
know if Mark Winton is safe
Il did not wait. | think the fox must
have headed for Anchester downs Do
et me have a cup of tea, feel so tired"
No more was said; but when the time
came for shutting up the house, Mrs.
I'Estrange sent to ask if Roberts had
heard of any accident at the hunt Rob
erts reported that young Mr.. Gardner
had been thrown, and had broken his col
lar bone. and that as he 0toberts) had
been leaving Oldbridge that evening,
where he had gone TO fetch oats, he had
met Mr.. Winton and the rector's son, rid
ing back. all covered with mud and tired
ike"
II am really quite relieved" said Mrs
L'Estrange. Il was rather uneasy"
Nora did not reply and the rest of the
evening was spent in making their plans
for n visit to London, and writing to an
ex-cook and housekeeper. who had taken
a lodging house in one of the streets on
the Tyburnian side of Hyde Park, and to
whom all Eveslegh folk applied when
they needed temporary quarters in the
great city.
The next morning broke bright and
:risp after night of rain. and after their
midday meal, Mrs. L'Estrange drove
away in the pony carriage, with her little
girl. to do various errands in the town.
Nora, relieved by the absence of Winton.
whose presence was of late always a re-
straint, put on thick boots and set forth
to visit the blind woman whom she had
rather neglected of late. She accused
herself of selfishness, and many minor
crimes and misdemeanors. as she donned
her walking attire, and bullied herself con-
siderably on the score of being better of
than she deserved, and leading self-in-
dugent life. Still, she did not see ho v
she could do otherwise. At any rate, shi
would never sink into weak, sentiment
alst, faded flower, pininG under the
weight of an unrequited attachment. No,
In a month or two she would have thrown
off this dead, aching, steady pain in her
heart, and be able to smile at It.
With this brave determination she staTt
ed on her walk to the blind woman's cot
tage, seeing as she went, in spite Of al
her resolutions. the picture Of Winton
contending with his horse. as 1t was
stamped on her mental retina the day be
fore.
Walking across the bridge which COZ
nected her own little domain with Ewes
leigh, she turned sharply into the path
ieadins to the moorland higher up. and
nearly ran against the lord of the manoi
coming In an opposite direction.