Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1896-03-05

Particularly so,'s replied the other;
which is mercy, as we've had a night
Of IT.
"Ah, it must be trying. Have you had
your breakfast yet?''
mot ]. I'm only just at liberty. Mr..
Browns gone down to his, and not be-
before he needs it,
"Step over to my room and have
cup of tea; it's all ready"
"Well, I don't know but what
mightn't; can turn the key on the out
side.''
ITO be sure. All's safe enough. And
no one can't expect you to work fasting
for hours; besides, it won't take you
half minute"
.'A1l right" replied Mrs. Bryant, as
she turned the key in the lock and left
it on the outside Of the door, prepare
tory to accepting the offer of her friend.
AS Pearl watched the two women disap-
pear together at the further end Of the
corridor, a desperate resolution came
into her mind to see for herself what
| mystery the locked rooms contained.
| She glanced down the corridor once or
| twice, to make sure Mrs. Bryant was
not yet returning, and then, with
sudden impulse, she left her hiding
| place, turned the key in the lock of the
| opposite door, and entered the myster-
| ious chamber.
| Whilst Margaret O'Reilly was thus
| prying into things which, apparently,
did not concern her, Sir Frederic Flow
er and Mr. Ruthven were closeted in the
| library together.
81 have something of Importance to
tell you, Mr.. Ruthven.:' commenced the
| baronet, land which you must learn
without delay I should have told it
you before, but that it is painful sub
| ject to enter upon and did not expect
your nephew to arrive quite so soon from
Rouen.''
| 1T concerns Hamilton, then?"
cit greatly concerns Carmen, and no
young man shall court her, with my
consent, without his being informed Of
it. There is insanity in her familyv'
Ruthven started with surprise
"Impossibler' he exclaimed; "the
name of Flower is too we'll Known :
Excuse me, Mr.. Ruthven, it has
nothing to do with our side of the
family. It is through the mothers
blood that my poor niece inherits such
fearful faint
81 am deeply grieved to hear this; but
Miss Flower exhibits no sign of such a
heritage?''
stShe does not. trust she never may;
still the fact remains, and must not be
| concealed. [ told you some little time
since that I had lost my dear wife and
child under very painful circumstances.
They are connected with this subject,
| and I am about to relate them to you.
| My younger brother, George, and were
! the only children Of our father, and
| when he died leaving his title to me,
he bequeathed his wealth to us in two
equal portions; to go to the child or chill
dren OF each, or in case of either dying
without issue, TO the child or children Of
the other. We both married. Lady
Flower was a fair English girl; but
George, who had been travelling abroad,
| brought home Spanish woman as his
wife-a proud, naughty and high-tem-
pered creature, whom nobody could get
on with but himself, and she made even
his life wretched with her mad jealousy
and uncomfortable passion. My wife
and she could never become friends.
| Florence was as gentle and timid girl
| as ever lived; a harsh word frightened
her, and the manners and conversation
| of her foreign Sister-in-law were alto
gether uncOngenial to her nature. So,
though we lived close together, we could
| never be said to be intimate. Well, the
Spanish woman had child-this girl
Carmen-who was named after herself
That was the first triumph for them,
| for my wife seemed unlikely to bring
| me a family. Mrs. George Flower
knew all the conditions of the will, and
triumphed over her rival accordingly
She became twice as offensive after the
birth of the child, speaking of it openly
| as the heiress of Abbotsville, and other
wise behaving herself insolently toward
my poor little wife, who dropped under
the oppression like a broken blossom.
However, our turn came to win
ITO BE CONTINUED