Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1896-10-29
CHAPTER XXXIV.

Antoine Laroque, arriving in duo
course at Laud Abbey, found the house
hold In some disorder, as the master Of
Il had been smitten early that morning
with sudden illness and now lay un-
conscious OH the bed to which he had
been carried in the gray dawn.
No reason could be nscribed for the
stroke or fit that had seised him, for his
housekeeper kept her mouth shut and
no other person there was aware Of the
events of the night. but q messenger
was dispatched to CASTLE Cassilis when
the doctor was summoned. and Will had
at once returned, full Of grief and alarm
at the condition OF the man who had
used him 80 nobly and in the most cru
cial hour of his life had risen above the
baser part Of his nature and mastered
It signally.
But Will could do nothing. and the
doctor very little for Blake remained
without sign of consciousness. and 30 1t
happened that it was Cassilis who re.
ceived Laroque when the latter arrived,
pleading urgent business with Trelawny.
was long, the information impaired by
Laroque OF an astounding character and
neoessitated their proceeding to the cot.
tage, there to confront Hagar, who saw
them enter the house and knew that her
hour had come. Looking in her mirror
as she turned round and round OH her
finger q seal ring she always wore, it
Rrimly occurred to her what loss such
beauty as hers would be to u mostly un-
beautiful world of humans, and she
wondered idly II the blue Of her eyes
would 60 back to tho sea, the glory Of
her skin to the heart of flower, the in.
destructible spirit Of her to the God who
had made it good till her fathers dev.
ilish training had turned it to evil.
Soou the key turned III the lock and
Lady Lirriper entered.
II am ready" said Hagar, and the
old heather looked at her approvingly.
Faults Lady Lirriper might have, but
tho cownrdly instinct, SO deeply i'm.
planted in most breasts to kick the
fallen, to add one more stone to the
cairn that crushes them, was not In her,
and bad as Hagar was she had been as
much sinned against as SHINING.
In silence they passed out of the
room, but on the stairs Lady Lirriper
paused and rubbed her nose irritably.
"Why didn't you make q puppet OF
mel! she inquired. TOO much in the
same line. eh? But draw the line at
eloping with married men and-mur-
der.
She shuddered little as she preceded
Hagar into the morning room, where
the two men, grave and in all essentials
total opposites to each other, were stand.
ing.
"Nannie?" sold Lady Lirriper inter.
negatively.
BEST not" said Will "she has
borne enough already" And Hagar smil-
ed little wintry smile, for feathers
weight is more than the woman man
loves may bear while he sees with In
difference the whole earth fall on the
woman be does not fancy.
She came close to Laroque and looked
him in the face SO earnestly and sweetly
with her blue eyes that he could not
bear 1t and turned his eyes away.
Poor Antoine" she said, ut 10 not
your fault. have not played the game.
When begged and prayed you for that
one chance, as l had begged and prom
ised God before, meant to be good.
but love came between, and love has
been my ruin. You know my YOUTH"
she went on In her beautiful voice, the
curious background OF green, vivid
woodwork framing her head; "how I
loved my mother and how she died, the
instrument. the tool Of my father hyp-
motto experiments. He only came out Of
his laboratory to marry her, and he
went back to it with slave who be-
came skilled in waiting upon and as
sisting him and to whom the accident
Of motherhood made no sort Of differ.
ence. IN her life. She was young and