Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1897-06-24
CHAPTER XXI.

the wedding guests assemble, notably MT.
Sutton of Baltimore and his grandson,
Observation-Disclosures by year of Dub
lin existence into vulgar young dandy,
who makes inane attempts at being
"fast."
At last the bountiful wedding breakfast
comes to an end, and the bride and groom
take their departure amidst rice and old
shoes, and the guests go away one by
one.
Hettie has been heroic in her own sordid
way: she has endured a martyrdom of
misery, and apprehension of some one dis
covering the suppressed news. and thus
making "a horrible upset." as she phrases
Il; and all the while she has smiled, and
made witty replies, and been courteous
and pleasant and attentive. until all has
been ''safely over" the bride and groom
sent away smiling, the wedding guests
gone, the wedding breakfast cleared away,
and the house quiet; and then, according
% the program she has laid out for her
oeif, the afternoon post comes, bringing
htters for Miss Stapleton, as she has
eleveriy managed that it shall; and, as is
Der usual habit, she takes them upstairs
to read in her aunt's room while they are
drinking their afternoon tea.
Muriel II not with them: indeed, she
never makes one in any of their cosy Ere
aide chats or tea drinkings. Only for
Edith. her life would have been a solitary
one for the last twelve months: now that
Edith has gone it will be utter loneliness
Indeed. Minute after minute Hettie de-
lays, trembling while she drinks her tea,
knowing there is yet one letter to be open
ID. The envelope has been gummed up
Again to preserve appearances, and she
tears It and the tell-tale postmarks across,
. she unfolds the letter with an exclama-
HON Of surprise that lit is in Mr.. Farren's
Handwriting"
She reads few sentences and then, az
the news is half told. dings the letter
p all real. and poor Mrs. Llewellyn learns
the dreadful truth from Testers heart
broken sobs and tears.
/ "Hettie, get up, my child" the old lady
says presently, in strange, constrained
voice, her hands shaking, her face ashen
gray, but her eyes quite bright and tear
less-"get up, Hettie, it isn't true! Stop
crying, child. it isn't true! My boy, the
only SON of his mother. and she widow
lit isn't true. Hettie! Do you hear me?
Telegraph to this man-this lawyer-bid
him come over to me at once-at once,
II it costs hundreds! Bid him come ut
snce to me, and tell me what this means!
And you must telegraph to Edith" Mrs.
Llewellyn says, feverishly; 'she must
come back again at once"
Hettie plays deus ex nnachina again In
this instance, 1t is true, by the simple mis-
spelling Of the name of the hotel to which
the telegram is addressed. "Hotel Denis"
instead of "Hotsl Dreux," and as the
house In question Is q very quiet, select,
rather old-fashioned place, there is every
prospect Of the telegram being consid-
erably Delayed.
'And IL one can get days breathing
time, 1t is something when one is sur
rounded by selfish, thoughtless people"
Hettie thinks. with spasm of self-pity.
'Oh. Hettie. what shall we do? There
Il Muriel to be told!' cries Mrs. Lew
ellyn. 1.-THE poor girl will break her
heart. Oh! my Eric's wife. what shall
we dor
.'Do you count her grief as equal to
yours?' demands Hettie, stamping and
pressing her foot down as if she grinds
cut the life of some obnoxious thing.
my dear, she 10 his wife," Mrs. Lew
ellyn says, feebly, beginning to weep.
.sWife! She IL no wife! She 10 only an
artful girl that deluded Eric into going
through the marriage ceremony with herr
Hester says.
She hurries out of the room as she
speaks, unable to control herself-unable
% control either the fendish desire for
vengeance ON hapless Muriel that takes
possession of her-Muriel, who II now
friendlcss, helpless, a nobody, an inter-
TOPPER, q hateful memento Of Eric's sudden
passionate folly. For well, too well. In
her fierce jealous heart, does Hester Sta
pleton know that Eric had madly loved
he young wife whom he put away from
aim. because he thought he possessed her
without her hearts willing affection. Half
On hour later Hester returns to the room.
and finds Mrs. Lewellyn just as she had
eft her, rocking herself to and fro, star
ing ut the fire and moaning to herself in
low monotonous tone with every breath
she draws.
II have only been upstairs, aunt" Hes
ser says, In . low tone, and keeping her
lace averted. II had to tell her, you
know-to tell Muriel, you know-of-of--
The news"
kAyGS IAC ACW0s AuOAuS NAC UcIcdNCO
mother, in the same feeble, broken voice
the news! Oh, my son! my son! What
I'd Muriel say when you told her that ms
1tric was dead?"
''She seemed quite stunned" Hester
says, in the same hurried, frightened way,
and indeed she is in reality trembling Ike
. leaf. II sent for the doctor to see her,
aunt. She-she tainted, think"
Eorn0t ten minutes before, she has had
70 bring Hannah O'Neil upstairs to the
sold, dreary little room where, on the floor
sHas the inanimate body of poor Muriel
L1ewellyn, and the old nurse, screaming
and wringing her hands in agony. has
looked up from where she kneels, and in
her furious, unreasoning Celtic wrath,
has cursed Hester Stapleton in terrible
words.
you've killed her! You've killed herr
ne says, with uplifted, menacing banda.
sYeh always hated me child, me purity
darlin'l There was hathred an murdhcr
q yere black heart nm we're black, crafty
eyes when yeh come up here to her to-
night, an broke her heart, an killeI her:
IN her deaths Ut we're dure, for iver an
49, ~ amAnw