The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1896-06-16
CHAPTER XI.
Too Late Repentance.

FOO Late Repentance.
1t was several minutes before Sir
Loghlen O'Meara could find courage
to address the mother of his victim;
and when at last he spoke it was with
a trembling voice, his face very pale
and his lips quivering with agitation.
"Will you promise me, Mrs. Will
oughby," he began. that you will not
only pardon me the questions L am
about to put to you, but that you Will
also reply to themY
Mrs Willoughby, in some trep1da-
ton, and her looks expressed great
surprise, gave, without hesitation, the
required promise.
The baronet assured Mrs. Willongh-
by that he was guided only by the in
terest with which her family had in
spired him; and then proceeded with
his first question.
''You have had daughter"
''Yes, SIR" was the reply, uttered not
without emotion. ROSA was her name,
and she was the wife of good and
honest man."
eyes, l know" said the baronet an
expression of pain for moment con-
tracing his features, 'but her-her
husband is dead"
with grief that he had lost her."
And then again there was a pause,
ere the baronet proceeded heSitatlngly:
"And since then you have remained
alone?"
with their two children" said Mrs
Willonghby.
"Their two children?' questioned Sir
Loghlen.
''Two sons" replied the old lady.
And then with cautious management
he asked: ''But of those two children,
who are now two men and who bear
the same name, is there not one of
them who might justly claim another
appellation?"
Greatly astonished, Mrs. Willoughby
asked of her interrogation how he had
known that?
And was answered by the baronet
that for the present it must suffice her
| that he did know it.
| Mrs. Willoughby would reply to no
| further questions, she said, until she
| had been told by her strange visitor
how he had learned that secret of her
daughters unmerited suffering and Of
Villains perfidy.
The dearest-the most trusted of his
friends, had, the baronet saiG, made
him the confidant of that terrible
crime which in his youth he lad COM
mitted.
"You must, indeed, have been his
dearest friend Great, indeed, must
have been the confidence he placed in
you,' Mrs. Willoughby very bitterly
exclaimed. ''since he could dare avoW
to you the base hypocrisy, the das-
tardly outrage Of which he had been
guiltyw
The words just spoken stung the
baronet to his inmost soul; and were
his iust and but n very feeble portion
of the punishment which he had mer-
tied.
He could not to himself-had, indeed,
no wish to deny that-and so he bowed
his head and was silent before the I'M
happy mothers reproachful indigna-
ton.
81 wept with my poor daughter and
my arms were open to console her,
resumed Mrs Willoughby. Heaven
beheld those tears, and blessed them;
an honest man came to repair the
wrong a villain had committed; to
make glad a life which, but for him,
had been but one long day Of bitter
misery"
Sir Loghlen still continued silent,
and with his head bowed down upon
his breast.
with what motive, sir, have you
come hither to awaken those cruel re-
membrances?" And now Mrs. Will
oughby spoke with marked intention.
"Come you on the part of that friend
who has confided to you his great
treachery?"
Yes, yesr' stammered the baronet.
sWhat would he, then? Now that
my poor Rosa is dead-as is, too, her
true and honest husband-whatr epara-
tion,'' added Mrs. Willoughby, point
edly and looking the baronet through
and through, what reparation, then,
can your friend offer to those two
graves?'
alas, good lady, her wrongs can
now never be repaired. nor justly
atoned for!'' sighed the baronet.
But he said earnestly, remains
there not to him still sacred duty to
perform
"Of what duty, then, is he now at
last reminded?" demanded Rosa's
mother. ''And what can there be that