New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-05-12

| 81 have never been rude 10 n lady In my life
cried the General. Indignantly. usrv
| 81 consider that you have treated Theodora
with.the most chilling severity" she said your
formality. your unsympaaneuc ne ana he child
| wish herself In her grave than In your presence
| "she wants to ruin Arthur" muttered the
Your worldliness Is only equalled by your
| lack OF chivalry" pursued Miss de Laury. rake
care. william! You may suffer great remorse on
| YOUR death bed when you remember now you
| have maligned this innocent creature"
| Now the General hated the subject OF MS
death-bed He was OF opinion that II was a s ,opIu
| OF conversation almost indicate. ana deciueoy
| unnecessary, and ne writhed when his sister
| spoke OF II Familiarity. .,...
| "If have nothing worse on my conscunss
| than my behavior to Miss Brakespear. sna 40
| very WELL" he said. Grossly FRAY, M n.n
| keen your structures to yourself! Miss BRAKE.
spear is great annoyance TO me- ~u,, ',h anu
| want OF courtesy and will not have my con-
| duct called In question ] am truthIui man,
and can't pretend 10 be attached 70 u person
| whom cordially dislike. and you can't expect IL.
| II Miss Brakespear doesn't like me- shc can go
| haven't pressed her TO stay, SAID the General
nufy,nc out his cheeks and discnding his nostriis
Waver,he,ess. ne was ashamed Of himself. He
| went on 10 smoke a solitary pipe. and reviewing
| his conduct in the light OF his sisters WORDS. ne
| saw that he had been unkind to his young guest
| she was tmid and he had not treasured her. Ger
| ta,nIy she had dared to love his son. put
| though this was most presumptuous u arsueu
N
| calling himself n miserable sinner In church Tor
| Afty-aye years and now he called himself mser-
able sinner out Of church. He was more sorry, ~,
deed for his inhospltalty to Tneoaora sna ip r hs
| life He had broken all the commanu''et". 20 m
the spirit II not In the etter-but none OF these
| alteration preyed upon him so nuch as tne
Inowiedpe that he had distressed the gentle girl
| under his roof. As by a fash OF ligntning tne
| enormity of his behavior was revealed 10 MN,
and he saw plainly that he had been cruel TO the
| Sor,orn orphan. He had been stiff when he should
| have been kindly; he had been ceremonious when
| he should have been tender The poor Generai
blamed himself with the utmost severity ne leit
| that he was degraded there was no further nope
of self-esteem In this world or OF salvation IN the
next. , H.. =.
| mot Theodora at dinner he spoke to her softly,
and endeavored to draw her into ordinary CONVEX
sation But his efforts were unsuccessful. ineo-
dora did not perceive his DRIFT, ana was as hei
yous and monosyllabic as ever truth 10 TEL MS
affabty bewildered her. and she attriouteo IL 10
caprice and perhaps to the relief ne experienced
at her approaching departure so ne s.rove VETO 10
make the amende In vain. He who VIII not when
he NAV when he will he shall have nay
The next day was tho annual village fete, when
every one high and low. repaired to the grouhos
| of the Hall and made holiday. or course inc Cen
eraI and Miss de Laury always took part IN tne
festivities and all the servants went 100 ana tue
| house was locked up. But this year mere was
Theodore to be thought of-Theodora VINO coulu
not go in her deep mourning. At iuncneon' 'ne
| General inquired anXiously what was going 70
happen so,., r,,rd s,av,np IN the
house alone" replied Miss de Laury.
But / don't know that can allow tHat' crieo
the General. brstling with gallantIy
"Oh, please. please" entreated iheooora' OVER
turning her wineglass In her trepidation
The General felt as II he had split the claret'
and FASTENED to repair the damage But Ineo-
dora was more upset than the glass her slenue.
| frame ouiyered and she furtively wiped away a
tear TIE General was filled with conjunction
Never mind. never mind" he reiterated.
But Theodore was too much agitated 10 peIcease
| that his manner was altered. and she could eat
theodore will be all right" said Miss de Laury;
| II shall leave you the key-basket my GEAR, anu
| you can make yoursel cup vi &c" WIG" '''
| like"
The General did not see Theodore again, and ne
Invent off to the fete heart-broken man. On tnIs
afternoon he felt that smile from that meiah-
choly girl would be worth more to him than all the
rubies of Burma. He was wretched because ne
| had frightened her; he was miserable because
| abe had misunderstood him. At last his troubled
feelings became much for him. and he resolved
to slip away and lay his sorrow and his penience
at Theodora's feet. He was not man 10 nesitate.
No sooner had he made his decision IMAM ne put
| into execution and stealing away like school
| boy bent on some nefarious design. ne posted 10
| his own home as fast as his feet would carry MN.
Meanwhile Theodore lay on the comfortable
| couch in Miss de Laury's pretty morning-room
and lost herself in reverie. She did not attempt
to read, but she took Arthur's letter OUT Oh ner
pocket and held 1t In her hand, thinking ABOUT the
writer with a great many heartbeats and regret
ting that II was not convenient for Miss de iaury
to keep her until after her nephew's arrival, ana
greving bitterly that che had been unable 10 rem
der herself acceptable to Arthurs rather
THE General hates me-" thought the poor glri;
land could never marry a man whose idthei ou
not receive me gfaciously
She was very sad. sun, II was a beautiiui
thought that Arthur loved her-and reading be-
tween the lines Of Arthur's letter she could nov
but believe that he loved her-ahd al least sue
must be associated with him when he began 10
pursue her fathers Investigations. since many oi
Mr. Brakespears papers could only be declpherea
and explained by his daughter Thus me not
summer afternoon wore TRANQUILITY away Theo.
dora who shook with terror when the General
spoke 10 her or handed her n cup 81 Yea, hha 10
fear Of being alone, She had ved IN thr village
all her life. and knew every person w w. ana .hs
felt no nervous apprehrnsl0ns ms 10 her personal
safety Che did not imagine that che heard
mutied footsteps on Tho ground or subhurd WINS
nora jn tho hail she ala not start whrh The clock
clicked convulsveiy. she felt no anxiety when The
dogs IN tho Hiable-vard bafkcd loudly hhe lay IN
tho shaded, lily scented room win inc kcy-baskct
nj her elbow, thinking n good deal 81 her dear
fathers death and Of tho Generals dislike of nor
but great deal more OF Arthur ana TIC sweet
ness of his letter Perhaps she fell asleep. who
can determine the exact boundary between day
dreaming and the dreams OF slecpi AT all events
Il seemed to her that Arthur had come into the
room, and now stood looking at ner. she opened
man with a shock head and a bad countenarce,
clothed in ragged and dirty fustan. his hands red
and soiled, his boots heavy and hob-nailed. He
where Is the key Of the storeroom?' he NUT
| tered. hoarsely.
Now the storeroom was situated halfway up
| the stairs-a good-sIzed chamber whose window
was strongly barred. and where quantity OF val
liable plate was kept. we'll as the tea and sugar
| Theodore had been inside II many times. and she
| knew that several hundred pounds worth OF old
| family silver lay there-the Generals most pre-
| cious possession. In an instant her hand was on
| the key-basket. The tramp made step forward.
Drop that" he growled Lets see!
wifi visitor
| bounced upon the basket and poured It's contents
| on the table. There were two or three punches OF
| small keys. but there was no key that looked as
| n n unlocked a room. The man looked up Theo-
| dora had moved toward the window.
| "Where's that key" demanded the ugly fellow
striding across the room.
| "Herew cried Theodore holding it up between
| her finger and thumb.
Then, quick as thought she sprang over the
low window sill. drew the window down behind
| her and sped away through the garden like light
i had mad hiIf q qacQnd