Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1897-04-01


should come to them for fortnight
"Cerintha will love to take care Of your
father. He delights to hear as she to
tell Of Brother Walton's perfections, :"
the good lady said, with mild twinkle,
"ard wo will take you to the courthouse
without ever letting the daddy guess
what we have been about"
Rob could not speak. She dropped her
head on Mrs Payne's broad breast, and
for tho first time sobbed hard. But aft.
erward she was docie as child, oven
making herself fine without murmur
in the dark green gown. with little
touches Of gilt, that set off her dark
beauty as it deserved, for Mrs. Payne
had said when the garment was laid be-
fore its wearer, "You must let me do
for Helen's daughter littlo part of
what she would do for mine.''
Walking into the courtroom between
the gray haired couple. Rob was glad
they had taken thought for her. She
knew herself tho focus Of all eyes and
rejoiced that the most captious should
sec ar look al became the heiress Of
Roscoe. "My, but don't she walk proud
on them littlo feet?" ono spectator said
aside to another. "'Tain't no wonder
she wouldn't eben wipe 'em OH Ben
Topmark.
Rob caught tho whisper and flushed
family, drawing q trifle behind her
friends. When tho three were safely
seated, sho let her eyes range the court.
room until they fell upon Magnolia
Tubbs sitting between Mrs. Annis and
her son. 1t was her first conscious sight
of the girl in whose behalf her own
right was disputed. Rob had heard
vaguely her story, barely enough to
know that for some reason or for none
the girl was wildly anxious to come into
ready money. She had heard. too Of her
coarse, luxuriant beauty, her passion
for flaming gauds, some hint, too, Of
her abject, doglike devotion to the bru.
tai bully, Noch Annis. So the heiress Of
Roscoe had u shrewd comprehension CT
much that lay under the cards Of the
game against herself.
Until today she had felt for the girl
Magnolia sort of raging contempt. Ig.
norance, she had told herself, could in
nowise excuse dishonesty. The princi-
pies of right were SO plain they could
not be befogged unless tho eyes were
willfully blind. "And they know, these
people, that their claim is wholly false"
she had said. "Roscoo was lawfully
bought and literally paid for. Some en-
emy, spying out the flaw in our title,
flaw due mainly to my fathers kindly
justice, has set them on to make it, that
in the end the spy may profit by it. l
do not name the spy, but think l know
very we'll who he is"
Now, looking across at tho other girl,
Rob felt a thrill of compassion. Magno-
liza was deadly pale, so pale Us to mako
ghastly the staring blotches Of rouge
upon either cheek. Her frock was Of
dark, gay plaid, with many fluttering
ends OF ribbon and the crowning glory
Of IL gorgeous sash, but for all its splen.
dor the wearer looked drawn and with
cred. Her eyes were followed. Her
stubby fingers worked painfully within
their mail of new kid gloves. Most Of
the time she stared straight in front OF
her, but now and again she looked III
furtive appeal toward Noch, glowering
beside her in fine, now clothes.
Poor thing! She is so afraid Of that
fellow" Rob said in Mrs. Payne's ear.
"Yct she does not look as though she
were easily made afraid. She loves him,
! think That is the secret of it"
"Don't look at her, dear. She-she is
not the sort you should speak about, I"
Mrs. Payne said, very low. But Rob did
not take away her cycs. After little
she whispered further:
"Auuty Payne, l am sorry for the
poor thing, so sorry that if we had it l
would give her the money she wants
just for admitting the truth that our
land is our own. OF course I could not
y