The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1895-05-03
Lady Latimer's Escape.
BY CHARLOTTE NJ. BRAEME.
CHAPTER XII.

CHAPTER XII.
No one but myself knew how
dreaded that coming New Year for
Lady Latimer. She had left Off 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 "a 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 r a good woman, and could
not do otherwise; but now l love his
memory as l loved him in life. / feel
as if l should almost win heaven if
could lie by his side in the grave. All!
he has no grave; no."
She burst into passionate weeping,
and l 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 vas trying to do to all
around her with her husbands 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 1 knew what
he vas 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.
81 think we have understood each
other all along" he said. s'Look me
in the face and tell me that you will
be my wife, Audrey, my own"
I did not say it; 1 remembered my
mothers words, and hesitated. Pres
emily I told him what was in my heart,
and how l could never marry him
without the consent of my parents,
and I doubted it's being given. 1t was
not for me, Audrey Lovel, to aspire to
be mistress of LOTIONS Cray. Lord
Latimer laughed, and said it vas all
nonsense.
Your father will consent" he said.
Il will 60 to him to-day.an and bring you
his permission in an hour"
But my father refused fatty and un-
compromisingly, and would give no
reason; and [ went home broken
hearted after l had re- my lover ride
away, with a dark look of determine
ton on his face, to ask for an explain
alton. I knew what my dear mothers
fear had been; that l should give my
heart away and have nothing in re-
turn, that Lionel Fleming vas only
amusing himself by a Irritation with
me ;sshe did not know, dear mother,
what a 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 a way,
as he thought, by a safe speculation,
to almost double his income by risk
ing his small remaining capital; he
had risked and lost. He had nothing
now but his stipend, lever enough to
keep us in comfort; and mother was
-. IN +o1ya - {1,o hoe ,,ln,,c 10 crni1
| the dear home circle, and the boys
were to be sent out into the world as
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'
rowful pride. We a proud
race, we Lovels, and it would be said
| that the vicar had angled for the new
| Lord Latimer, and caught him for his
daughter.
Lionel pressed me very hard for the
reason of the refusal; but l would not
| tell him-how could I?-that / was
too poor to come to him even proper.
" appointed as to outfit, if by any
| chance | should be allowed to marry
him.
Il shall be back at the New Year,
M darling" he said; taking me in
. his arms, as if he had never met with
any rebuff, land you will tell me then
what it all means, and we will get
,, out of the difficulty somehow"
! / would not see him at the New
Year;I made up my mind to that. No
use for these ~heartaches, when no
good could come of them; SO / begged
Of Lady Latimer toilet me go home for