The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1896-06-25

SAID the DarOnel Win slta' '''i' -.
can he think of the difhcultles Oh 'li1
without the wish to mooth theih al
away" $50,
Il understand-money" Mrs. Will
oughby contemptuouSly eNclaliheu.
There are, then, crimes when money
car diminishT"
There are wrongs which repentance
may soften" hunlbly replied the bar
Onet.
Il wish to hear no more. sir, said
Mrs. Wilioughby with much diSnlty
You are come 10 bring 10 me your
friends repentance. If thai remorse
has really penetrated his soul l nave
no wish TO ~aggrayate 1t by placing MN
in presence Of "A son who Woul de-
mand from him by what right he OF
fered that prOtection-the boy needs
it not-what. then would your friend
say to him to compel him to accept
it,"
Mrs. Willoughby paused for a reply,
but none came; and SO she reSumeu:
You would, perhaps, tell him nat
you are his father
The barouet, by his gestures, dis
claimed any such intention.
mo, true" pursued Mrs. Willoughby,
'.yOu would not dare to do that, FOR my
poor boy would demand of you how II
came that he did not bear your name
that through all his boyh00d he had
never seen your face-and how IT was
that, grown at lengt to manhood IL
had not been your voice which had
said to him. My son, be just anu ION
est throughout your life-ncver be
guilty of a bad action, for only re-
pentance and remOrSe can come from
it,"
The barOnet, unable longer to con-
tinue speaking in another'S name on
feSsed himself the guilty and repent
ant man he really was. II had lie
not been punished for his crime? Did
he not now deserve some pity, since,
a father to that only son, he must TO
that son always pass as a stranger!
And Mrs. Willoughby had. for the
last few minutes, well understood tina
she was speaking to Sir LOghlen
O'Areara himself. and calmly and firm
" told him that she had already de-
tected who in reality he was. ..
And the baronet entreated that she
would spare him further ~reproaches
for the past. since. from the moment
of his guilt, his conscience had never
ceased to torture him.
For his crime he had. he said, but
the excuse of a neglected youth, which
had received but evil cOunsels; he had
been reared to think that all beneath
him had been born for the service OF
as he.
But he vowed. and it a true, that
he had loved o Rosa WillOuShby;
that, compelled to IA marriage with the
woman his father had chosen for him,
his heart had, been with Rosa then
and always, who. before heaven and TO
his own conscience, was already his
wife.
She. who had been forced upon him.
dead. every effort was then set on foot
and continued yea after year even
until ne present time for the discov-
cry of the unhappy girl he had so
shamefully wronged-and by a crime
for which, but that he had removed the
evidence which would convict him, he
had been sent to herd felonS of less
lofty birth than himself but above him
by the courage which had been re-
quired TO accomplish the guilty acts of
which they stood condemned.
He had hoped. the barOnet said, to
find Rosa living and free. and then
had it been his purpose t~ruthfully to
ratify before the world those VOWS. of
which the first utterance had been, on
his part, but a shameful mOCkery;
though Rosa, in believing that all was
real, was justly to heaven and to her
self his wife.
And Mrs. WillOughby trembled and
"a silent. Long years had passed
since that fatal time which Sir Logh-
lens presence now SO wildly recalled
to her memory. She had grown old.
and was now near to heavens gates.
which would, she hoped and trusted.
open to receive her. CurSingS and up
braidings were not for one so closely
verging on the tomb. Rosa. living,
would now have pardOned her trcach-
erOus lover of days long past and gone
that her mother knew; and she her
self could not be without mercy for a
sincere repentance. nor without pity
for a life whose luSire had been dim
med and Swallowed V by remorse.
And very grateful was the baronet
TO Mrs. Willoughby for her forbear-
ance now.
He urged that he was wealthy-that
he possessed Il title and hOnOrS-and
cntrpated Of Mrs. Willoughby that he
might be permitted TO beStOw Il portion
of all that upon his son.
Mrs. WillOughby could have No wish
To obstruct the making of her cid
est grandsOn'S fortune: and so
she asked of the baronet in what way
he would be able to- carry his good in.
tentions into effect.
The fortune | cannot offer to him.
said Sir Loghlen. ''he might accept. il
rendered To him with my nieCe's hand.
And then the baronct entered into al
explanation of his purpose concerning
his sOn and Frances O'Aleara. and
asked Of Mrs. Willoughby to permit OF
the attempt which he m"ditated.
Let the young people meet" he
pleaded, and heaven will consent thai