Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1896-12-19


met them riding together at some dis,
lance from home, or an incautious bache.'
lor blurts out the information that Mount.
carron was not in the field on the very
day he described to her the excellent run
they had had, or she finds out by the
merest accident that fruit and flowers
have been dispatched from Carronby
House to the Rushcrtons without her
knowledge. Still, these are all circum-
stances which may bear their own inter-
probation, and Gladys IL unwilling to be-
lieve that her husband can do anything
to openly disgrace his standing aud his
name, until one day, when the bomb cx.
plodes at her very feet with suddcnness
and certainty that overwhelms her.
CHAPTER XIV.
The discovery comes about In the most
simple manner. Such discoveries gener.
ally do. How many lives have been
wrecked by the going astrny Of a letter
n clock that was ten minutes too slow
or an incautious sentence, spoken with
doors mar. 1t Is one morning In the mid
die Of December that Lady Mountcarron
perccives n rcstlcssness about her lord
that Is very unusual to him. He leaves
the breakfast table more than once to
walk out into the hall and examine the
state of the weather. and he appears very
anxious to learn how his wife feels, and
what she intends TO do.
by jovew he says, rubbing his hands,
"it's a splendid day for gallop. Are you
going out. Gladysi"
"Not this morning I think. Isn't II
cold"
mot a Bit. It's bright and bracins.
1t would do you all the good In the world
to take ride or drive. You should be
rs much In the open air as possible In
such weather as this"
"Perhaps I shall try It in the after.
noon"
But thnt's the mistake you make. You
shouldn't wait till the afternoon. The
beauty Of the day Is over by two. You
should take advantage Of the morning"
Lady Mountcarron II puzzled to under.
stand her husbands solicitude.
do you want to get rid Of met" she
asks. abruptly.
''That's Just like you, Gladys. You are
the most ungratcful woman ever knew.
You Gun never appreciate advice that 10
given for your good"
II think few people can. However, We
will let that pass. IL there anything you
wish me to do for your
Lord Mountainous brow briehtcns.
Eyes, there Is! only YOU friRhtcn fell.
low from asking you. I want a note Of
Importance carried to Portsmerc, and
thought II you were going that way"
Il can 20 that way II you wish II. When
will your note be rcadyy'
"Oh! there's no hurry. I don't want
you to start till eleven or 20. Shall !
order your pony-chalscT
III you please; shall be obliged to
yon." says Gladys, walking out Of the
room. She feels wearied aud heart.sick
a. she does %. At another time she
might have had her suspicious aroused
by her husbands conduct, but now she
does not take the trouble TO consider II
1t In suspicious or not. What does It sig.
nify--vhnt does anything signify, now
that Jennie Ii untrue to her? She has
heard nothing further Of him since the
day thst Lady Renton paid her visit. It
Is evident he Ii not coming back TO Car.
ronby. Lady Mountcarron IL not In the
happisst mood as she gathers up her reins,
and toIchcs up her pretty little roans,
and makes them fly down the drive, and
turn ~ sharply out Of the park gates as
| nearly 10 upset q stable lad coming Into
them. He IL but a lad, aud the sudden
apnritlcn OF a lady In pony-chaisc.
which yearly run over his toes, frightcns
him to thut degree that he backs into the
park psiibgs, and stands up against them,
with h!s mouth open. Gladys fancies she
has hurt him. and refining In her steeds,
desires the groom to inquire what 10 the
matter.
Her iadyship wishes to know n the
wheel sraxed your" says the groom. But
all the answer he gets 10 BY another
| question:
BE that her ladyship2"
"Yes. Are you hurtf"
"No. ! amt hurted, but I've got a
letter for her." And he produces small
scented note. twisted up In tho usual
| manner.
1.-THE boy Is not hurt. my lady" says
the servant, returning to Gladys; "he was
bringing this note for your ladyship."
She takes the note, and without exam.
lining tho address proceeds to open and
peruse II. 1t contains but these words,
written In q female hand: Thursday,
eleven, NJ. d." Lady Mountcarron sees
at glance II 10 not intended for her. She
looks for the direction. II 10 to the Right
Honorable the Earl Of Mountcarron. Hss
iadyship bites her lips, a. she twists "
| the paper into Ito original form.
ut IL for his lordship-not for me- she
says, carelessly, returning II to the Ger
house." And then she lays the lash
them spinning along the road.
" ha 81 loJ, ~ A.
groom. presently, leaning forward. "bu,
your ladyship has passed tho turning fol
Portsmere. We are on the Nutlcy road
my lady"
II know II. have changed my mind, u
replies Lady MOuntcarron.
She IL a. certain that the note she In,
tercepts IL from Agnes Rusherton 40 II
she had seen her write II. and the idea
makes her blood boil with indignation
She Las borne a great deal, she tells her
self. She has put up with the village
gossip, and taken no notice Of the rumOrs
brought her by kind friends about hel
husbands intimacy with Miss Rusher
ton. But this II little too much. She
viii not have the scandal brought under
her very nose. nor permit letters of as
signation to be carried backward and
forward to Carronby House with the
chance Of being read by every servant
who takes the trouble to open them. She
sees now the reason why Mountcarrou
was SO anxious to get her out of the way
why she was dispatched to P0rtsmere
a village six miles of, under pretense OF
making the most OF the bright weather
but, In reality, to allow her husband the
time and opportunity to visit his Ina