Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1897-07-24
CHAPTER XVII.

CHAPTER XXv1f.
Lord Dunhavcn had been gone week,
and Ms yet nothing had happened to cor.
roborate Lady Hilda's suspicious. She
had seen but little of the duchess, who
contrived now to spend the greater part
Of her time In her room. They did not
talk much. This suspicion Of Lady Hi.
ia's stood like barrier between them.
Lady Hilda began to have faint hope
that she was mistaken. 1t was possible
that her suspicious had been deepened
and magnifed by her fears. Everything
seemed going on well; there was nothing
to give her any alarm. True. she thought
ut the carl's look when he was leaving
Lur'inc. and the so!cmnity of that one
word:
"Rcmpmbcr."
She was beginning to hope more and
suffer less. when one morning the duke
asked her to open the letter bag. There
was n great Number of letters: among
them was one for the duchess. She rec.
ognized Lord Dunhaven's handwriting;
1t was thick packet. too. The duchess
lid not open II. but hid 1t away In her
dress. An hour later. lady llilda. going
into her room. saw the sheets of paper,
closely written. lying on the ground
around her. and the duchess knceling. her
face buried In her hands. sobbing as
though her heart would break.
Lady HIilda was uneasy: she went TO
her room. but she could not rest. She
opened her window and looked out: the
night was dark. the moon quite hidden;
few stars gave u pale. faint CLEAN,
hardly TO bc called q light: the wind
walled round the great house. and the
bare branches Of the tail trees stirred
gently. II was not cheerful night; a
solemn. silent darkness seemed TO brood
over the earth; the tall clrysanthcmums
and the fair flowers were fast dying. Yet
there was rest out under this autumn
sky.
She stood there watching the silent
night: hour after hour passed. but still
she thought of nothing but her love and
her pain. She heard. the great clock In
the stables strike twelve. and she said to
herself 1t was time she went TO bed: yet
the night was so tempting TO her. the
quiet NJ grateful. she could not leave II.
Her thoughts went back with u long sigh
TO Duchess Lurlinc. Could 1t bc possible.
after al. that there was anything wrong ?
She had been strange and unlike herself
ever since that letter came.
While these thoughts ran through her
mind. she heard u sound rs of some one
moving quietly and gently. Her frs,
thought was II was one of the servants;
then II horrible fear. u terrible doubt. to
which she could give no name. came over
hcr---a tear that made her hasten quickly
to the door. open 1t aud look out. II was
quite dark In tho corridor, the lamps were
al out. the door of the duchess room was
closed. She looked over the ratings Of
the staircase into tho hall below, and
there. unless her senses played her false,
tai! figure drapcd In black moved silent.
ly along.
Suddenly she remembered that from
the window In the corridor she could SEQ
who left the house: she opened 1t quickly,
AMI there gliding quietly along the west
crn terrace she saw tho same tall. dark
figure. and she knew II was Lurline,
Duchess Of Marin. stealing from her home
IN the silence Of night. There was little
need TO ask where she was going. or to
ask who was there to meet her. Quickly
rs possible. Lady Hilda hurried down
the great staircase. aud out of the door;
but the tall figure had disappeared; a sud.
den thrill III fear passed over her. What
II she could not find her? What II she
went the wrong way! There were 90
many ways leading out Of the house. She
looked at the dark sky, help lay behind
the clouds.
She saw II all now; the earl had gone
away first to make engagements for her
flight; she understood now what the word
Remember" meant. The letter of the
morning had beer. doubtless. to tell her
every detail! OF his ARRANGEMENT, aud
now. In all probability, he was there to
meet her. Shc ran as fast as she could
the way was long and the night was dark.
She ran for dear life. One minute would
make all the difference In the world. II
she could hut see Lurline she would hold
her so tightly that nothing on earth should
tear her away. She would struggle with
the earl over her; he should have to slay
her before hc took the duchess away.
As she reached the iron gate she saw
them standing side by side. She heard
the earl's words:
=" a carringe Is waiting half mile low.
or down the road"
She heard the words and then she knew
that In al, her suspicious and fears she
had been right. She heard u passionate
cry from the duchess and then he kissed
her.
Heaven help mo to save her! cried
Lady liilda. "Lurine. Duchess of Marin,
In the name of heaven what are you do
lngi"
The duchess cried out In alarm; the ear!
started back with an angry face.
"My darling" sobbed Lady IIilda. hold.
ing her tightly clnsped, 'my darling,
heaven has sent me to fetch you back. to
prevent You from doing this wicked deed,
to bid you send him from you and 20 bacl;
to your husband and your home"
The passion of pain IN her voice awed
them both; Lur,!ne was silent, the earl
cried out:
Miss Dunn. YOU have no right to follow
and 10 interfere"
II have a right" she answered. "the
right of one Christian to save two others
from the brink of hell. have right, be-
cause ! come in the name of God"
She clasped one arm round the dropping
figure, she raised the other as though ap-
pcal.ng to heaven.
(TO be continued)