Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1896-05-21

=
She sat by herself, little with
drawn from the Others and facing
them, like a culprit. She was very
pale and there was a sort of frozen
horror in her great blue eyes, as II the
revelation OF cruelty and deceit which
! she had lately experienced had chilled
! her blood She had looked round pitt
/ fully for Lancelot when she came into
the library, whittier she was sum-
moned about 4eo'clock in the after
noon; but he had not returned from
London and she felt herself friendless
4 and alone.
There was a little consultation, a
I little whispering together, before any
audible speech was heard. Then Lady
Esler spoke.
\ 'As my husband does not feel equal
just now to recapltulating the facts of
I the case should like, Lady Sewerage,
! to lay them before you and ask you to
! give us your opinion"
Lady Steyenage WINGED; she was =
/ friend of Lady Esler's from habit
rather than from choice, and dear
Selina's" modes of speech grated upon
her sensitive ear and hurt her kindly
! heart only too often. She looked pitt
! fully at the girls white face, and re-
fiected that Frances had been fond of
! her and that Frances was girl OF
] discrimination; her mother had never
! found her judgment at fault.
! Lady Esler's rasping voice went on:
! Last night my niece Constance
heard voice in the corridor which
/ passes her door and feeling alarmed
/ reused her maid and went with her
/ down the passage that leads to my
/ dressing-room. Here she found Made
i line Despard. who, when questioned,
/ showed great confusion and would not
explain the reason of her presence in
! that room"
"Do you walk in your sleep, my
dear?" interpolated Lady Stevenage in
kindly tone.
The color rushed to Madeline's face.
She looked like one aroused from a
4 CHASTITY dream.
NO" she SAID, Il do not, and indeed,
Lady Sewerage, | was not In the
dressing room at all.
i "Oh, / thought Lady Esler said
Il said that Constance and Martin
! saw her there Was that not so, Con-
1 stance?"
Martin did not go all the way with
/ me-" said Constance, in a subdued,
/ silvery tone Il went to the dressing
! room alone"
"And saw Miss Despard there?" said
/ the countess,
/ There was an almost imperceptible
/ pause. Then Constance answered
Yes
at is a falsehoodw said Madeline.
/ Constance, you know that | was not
/ there Why can you not speak the
truth? What harm would it do you to
acknowledge that ! was not in Lady
+ Fsler's dressing
ut seems to be a matter OF asser-
/ ton" said Lady Sewerage, dryly.
+ 1--WE can believe which we like
"As regards belief" said Lady Esler,
severely, Il prefer to believe the one
7 who has an unblemished record and a
stainless ancestry. Madeline Despard
/ Is. no doubt, the victim of early disad-
vantages. But let me pass on. This
J is not ALL On the same night keeper
! informs me that he observed young
person in dark cloak and hood adj
vancing toward a certain gate that
leads from the garden into a shrub
berry Here she was met by man, to
whom she gave a parcel; and he then
+ set nff in the direction of the railway
I station
"The young woman returned to the
house and entered at the side door.
/ Evidently she was one of the inmates
of the house"
"Who was she?" Lady Stevenage de-
manded, abruptly.
! "Ah. dear Lady Sewerage, that Is
\ the question But the garment she
wore-the cloak and hood-were such
as belonged only to one person in the
/ huse--Madeline Despard"
My cloak was used that night" said
Madeline. but NOT by ne"
by whom, them"
For moment Madeline did not an
swer. Then she covered her face with
/ her hands and burst into tears. oh,
don't ask NEEDN'T ask me" she cried.
1T can't be true-I can't believe it
oh, Constance Constancer'
There was a sudden silence, during
which Madeline's sobs We're the only
sounds that could be heard. Then Lady
Esler spoke very solemnly:
DO YOU mean TO imply that Con-
stance wore that cloak"
T Constance held her breath. Her
whole life might depend on MadelIne's
reply II Madeline accused her 1t was
quite possible that the accusation might
be proved.
Madeline's hands dropped from her
face to her lap. She sat rigid, deadly
white for a moment or two before she
answered
Il accuse no one, she said at last.
II have nothing TO say
Il was an act Of supreme generosity.
she n,ttld MT bring herself To accuse