People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1895-02-07
Lady Latimer'S Escape.
BY CHARLOTTE NJ. BRAEME.
CHAPTER XII.

CHAPTER XII.
No one but myself knew how l
dreaded that coming New Year for
Lady Latimer. She had left of hating
me now, poor darling; she told me she
knew it had all come about for the
best.
"You acted rightly, Audrey she
said to me one day, when the dismal
snow was falling, falling as if it never
meant to stop, and there was an I'M
utterable stiffness over everything
round LOTIONS Cray. "Quite right,
for you are good woman, and could
not do otherwise; but now | love his
memory as loved him in life. feel
as if | should almost win heaven if l
could lie by his side in the grave. All!
he has no grave; no."
She burst into passionate weeping,
and could say nothing to comfort her;
the dead man had been the only love
of her life-the only worship that
comes to us all sooner or later. Alas
for those to whom, like her, it comes
too late!
She had been quietly content
to stay at the old house, wrapped
up in her own sorrow and
the good she was trying to do to all
around her with her husband S legacy.
She did not know that all heaven, as
it seemed to me, lay at my feet, and l
did not dare to stoOp my hand and
pick it up. Lord Latimer found me
alone in the coy boudoir one dismal
November day, when he came to see
after the business of some of the es-
tate, and almost before | knew what
he was talking about, he asked me to
be his wife.
My face spoke what my tongue
could not utter, and he caught me in
his arms and kissed me, not once, but
a dozen times.
ID think we have understood each
other all along" he said. "Look me
in the face and tell me that you will
be my wife, Audrey, my own"
l did not say it; l remembered my
mothers words, and hesitated. Pres
emily told him what was in my heart,
and how l could never marry him
without the consent OF my parents,
and l doubted its being given. 1t was
not for me, Audrey Lovel, to aspire to
be mistress of LOTIONS Cray. Lord
Latimer laughed, and said it was all
nonsense.
Your father will consent" he said
81 will 60 to him to-day and bring YOU
his permission in an hour"
But my father refused fatty and un.
compromisingly, and would give nc
reason; and l went home broken.
hearted after had seen my lover ride
away, with dark look of determine
ton on his face, to ask for an explain.
alton. l knew what my dear mothers
fear had been; that should give my
heart away and have nothing in re.
turn, that Lionel Fleming was only
amusing himself by a Irritation with
me she did not know, dear mother
what loyal heart she was misjudging
l heard my fathers reason and it near
ly broke my heart. Never a rich
man, he had been struggling for years
with the difficulty OF making both ends
meet, and the boys had grown daily
more expensive. He had seen 3 way
as he thought, by safe speculation
to almost double his income by risk
ing his small remaining capital; hi
had risked and lost. He had nothing
now but his stipend, never enough t
keep us in comfort; and mother wa.
going to take in two boarders to spoi
the dear home circle, and the boy
were to be sent out into the world a
they grew old enough to fight the bat
tie of life for themselves.
/ understood the refusal now, and
could feel with my father in his sor
Eowful pride. We were a prou(
race, we Lovels, and it would be SAT-
that the vicar had aagled for the nev
Lord Latimer, and caught him for hi
daughter.
Lionel pressed NE very hard for tn
reason Of the refusal; but | would no
tell him-how could I?-that l wa
too poor to come to him even proper
" appointed as to outfit, if by an
chance l should be allowed to MARI
him.
II shall be back at the New Year
my darling" he said; taking me 4
his arms, as if he had never met witt
any rebuff, land you will tell me the
what it all means, and We will ge
out of the difficulty somehow"
Iwould not see him at the Nel
Year;I made up my mind to that. N
use for these heartaches, when n
good could come OF them; so begge
ei Lady LatimeP toilet me 60 home 70