Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1896-10-09

lamere, young Widow They both
lived In the neighborhood, and came al
most every day to me to assist me in en-
tertaining the crow1 of guests that
| filled the castle.
At last one came, d fatal guest His
aceursed name is Richard Accrington
He came to us preceIed by brilliant
reputation. In the Indian mutiny he
had distinguished himself gallantly;
there we're many records of his heroism
and ability; we welcomed the young SOL
dier among US with enthusiasm.
There were other whispers, too. 1t
was said that Colonel Accrington had
been Laura's first lQyer-that she had
sacrificed herself and him, at her needy
fathers command, to marry the wealthy
commoner, Miles Dellamore, and that he
was suing her AGAIN in her widowhoOl
| to lay his laure.s at her feet and win
her hand at last.
1t was my dear lords evil fate to bring
him to our home-to present the brilliant
stranger to me- Let me overpass the
loathed recollection. Enough to say
that he was base enough to make a
blind of Mrs Dellamere behind which to
indulge a guilty passion for one who
dreamed not of the truth-fOr hap
less me.
One day accident disclosed what he
fain would have hidden. The illness Of
his father recalled him home; he sou ht
me in my privacy in haste to say adieu,
and my unsuspicious GOODNESS wrung
sudden burning words from him. Mis-
taking his agitation for grief on Mrs.
Dellamere's account, unwittingly |
poaded him into full declaration of his
detested passion. l was stupefed, ex-
cess of emotion he'd NE dumb.
"Your amazement Is we'll arted, If it
is acted" mocked he. of 1t Is sincere,
then am as lost and disgra ed q man
as lives to curse himself this day"
1 faltered Laura's name; his atten-
! tion to her had been open and unqua /
| fed, to retract from them would most
cruelty injure her.
He retorted with the utmost derson-
Quoted the cd wrong she had done him
Wanted the completeness OF his re
venge.
In suddenly aroused wrath and scorn
l drove him from me; as nc hurried
from my presence in writhing humilia-
tion, my lord met him-marked his agi-
taton as he passed with hurried bow,
and entering, saw his guests agitat on
reflected on the face of his wife. Should
I have contided all to him? Alas. |
was but girl was ashamed of the
base love had excited-I trembli d for
the consequences to my beio ed hu =
band should he hear how he had been
| I 10 ,Of do n q
to Lord Inchcape.
1 gave a halting explanation OF my
emotion. Colonel AccringtOn vas ay-
ing us, and by a careless word which he
had dropped 1t was evident that he had
been but amusing himself at the ex-
pense of my friend, Mrs DeIlaflere. |
had not concealed from him my an. err
and he was leaving US forever.
Ny lord accepted the explanation al
once; his honorable mind harborcd nc
suspicion at the time; but he remem
bercd tho episode afterward. | did not
see Laura TOR many days after that; but
nv sweet Alice told me that Colonel
Accrington had paid Laura flying visit
on his way to the railroad station. AS
she, Mrs. Crecy, drove up to the Pavilion
to call for Laura, as she usually d on
her way to the Fosse, she met Accrng
ton on his horse. He passed her with a
sardonic smile and bow-his face looked
like a demons. Laura denied herself to
her, sending word that she was i'll that
morning and would not leave her room
"Their friendsh p has ruptured-I won
der why?" said my innocent Alice.
When Laura once more Joined us she
was strangely changed toward me. While
jealously concealing her own pain she
made me. comprehend In thousand
subtle ways that | had fallen in hcI
estimation-that she could no longer
admit me to the inner sanctuary OF hcl
affection. What my enemy had said ol
me l know not She taunted me once
thus: 81 had an adieu from Col. Accring
ton; it was of q high tragedy sort; he
raved of mad l3ve-of the fatal beauty
Of an insatiate coQuette-I laughed; be
was amusing" And so ] saw she jud 5eC
me guilty Of playing with her lover:
heart, and scorned mo. Time passed
we heard that Co'oneI Accrington had
gone abroad; we left Stafford for oul
house In London; we should have been
happy as the angels but for the memCr!
of that hateful episod'. 1T haunted m(
"a secret must invar ably COrrOde II
the heart Ot the gult'ess. began t.
question the past with distrust to doub
the tendencies o. my own nature-almos
10 believe myself in measure guilty @
levity, if of nothing worse, else how
could that coldhearted man Of the worl(
have ventured to depict my image t
him elf in warmer colors than those o.
formal quaintanceship.
Laura's disdain oppressed me, too
and the consciousness of secret with
held from my lord humiliated me. These
disquieSudes injured my health; my lord
with loves divining eye, observed tht
change; he wooei my confidence, ht
anxiously strove to discover the
crumpled rose leaf in his daring's life
but dared not confess it, did not.
did not put him off with shallow pre-
tens S; he understood that did not care
to share my every thought with him; ht
did not insist B t from that hour m!
husband changed toward me, his air O
tranquil felicity fed, he became thought
full moody; he began to call me "child'
oftener than "wife," as If he remem
bered regretfully his forty years beside
my eighteen. Tenderly kind to me a.
sYer, he was teaching himself the hear
freezing lesson that youth and middle
ase are not fifty yoked together.
Sweet love, they were-.hey were-n'
hapoier wife ever thanked God thar
youis before the serpent entered oul
Edenl
| [TO BE CONTINUED.
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A Girls Composition ON Boys.