Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-02-26

some real bodily illness ana very real
heartache-and with q glorious, ripe
autumn crowning all, and crying to
every one Of them to have done with
human emotions and come out to lose
themselves for awhile on nature 8 breast,
to learn from her lessons Of patience,
Of self control, to bear like her all the
pain, the cold, of winter, knowing that
spring would come and joy return-as
indeed it did in time, to all save Lady
Cranstoun.
And to Lesley. the day before Yelver-
ton was expected at Malincourt, came o
letter. written in Mrs. Crockett's labo-
rious hand which had never kept pace
with her brains), that ran as follows:
ArPULpUrcoMBE HOUSE, Sept 30. 1894.
HoSoRED NiIss-My lady is very i'll, though
she keeps it from Mr. Ronny, and cries in her
sleep, and the curse lies on her mind as she
called down upon you. and she is web aware
now she done you wrong, and il may make
so bold as to say SO, Eonored miss. a sight OF
you and a kind word would save her n bad i'll
ness. ! write this quite unbeknown; but,
though my lady's too proud to say it or ever
own she was in the wrong, flowers in May
wouldn't be rs welcome as you d be to her
now. She seems to see Us how the there
lulStsiht was purity euRlse11CUt
amt for Mr.. Ronny's happiness and hope,
honored miss, yours, as We have all heard ono
may be just rs happy IA can he. Hcnored
miss. will you please accept me and Mr.. Char
viile's best respectsf Your ohedient servant,
SARAH CROCKETT.
Lesley read this letter carefully over,
not once, but many times, before she
took it to her father.
Was there any plot among the old
servants to bring her face to face with
Ronny? Did they dislike Cynthia, or
was Cynthia in Lady Appuldurcombe's
bad books, as Lesley had been?
At breakfast she and Lord Malin-
court met alone.
dad" she said. when he had read
the letter, "what does it mean?''
''It means that Jane Appuldurcombe
is a fool. and her folly has come back
to roost." he said angrily, for he had
never forgiven that cruel letter about
his girl, aud never would. "She did not
think you good enough for her precious
son Ronny. and now she doesn't think
another woman good enough, and that's
all about it," he added, with a mans
masculine summing up Of details.
Dad" said Lesley, remembering
Aunt James stolen visit to kiss Ronny
in his sleep, is hard thing to bring
mp your child to make some one else
happy, and that's how she feels. You
see, he is quite old-at least Sand
the others have all married, and he
hash
$50 she gets fit of the megrims,"
said Lord Malincourt dryly. WELL"
he added, "of course if you mean to
run away again. can't stop you"
NO." said Lesley quite gravely. No
one on earth would stop her. once she
had made up her mind. ''But if she
died and hadn't forgiven her it would
worry me to the end of my days"
| "Oh," cried Lord Malincourt impa-
tiently, "you are all in the same boat
Here is letter from the lawyers, saying
to swear my evidence. And he quoted
a case in which he was involved and of
the deepest interest to all masters of
foxhounds.
Every well, dad" said Lesley, eve
can 60 up together by the early train,
and I shall do a lot Of shopping after
| going to Aunt Jane for an hour, and we
shall still get home fer dinner at g."
And, though Lord Malincourt pro-
tested. yet such We're the exigencies Of
law and his daughters wishes that
quite early next morning Lesley found
herself once more-but with how differ
ent a heart lon her way to town. Ron
ny could not Re out Of his room when
che arrived, so there was no need to
think of what she should say to him if
they met.