Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1897-06-30
CHAPTER XNXIV.


-IdOw's desolate anguish. and for whom
MS mothers gray hairs are going down
70 the grave in the quiet, benumbed, pas
siOna'e grief of the heart that has beat
through more than sixty years of this
worlds troublous time-Eric Ilewellyn.
alive and strong. and full of vigor and
manhoOd's power, after he has warmly re-
ciprocated his cousins welcoming ca
resses, looks about restlessly and feverish-
ly still. his heart hungering for another
welcome.
This is Curraghdene. isn't it. HettieT
ne asks, hurriedly, and looking around
with a bewildered glance. 1T is SO al
tered, l can hardly recognize 1t to be the
same place. And where is Muriel, Het-
tie?" he whispers. his voice failing him
''Hettie, dear, where 10 my poor little
wife!"
''She is. she isl don't know where she
is!" Hester says, impatiently, and burst
ing into bitter tears as she lays her head
again on Eric's breast 'Oh, Eric! Ericl
give me q minute before you give Muries
the rest of your life"
"Hettie! don't keep me in suspense" he
says, and his voice IL stern through emo
ton, tell me where Muriel is!'
II don't know, l assure you. Eric" Hes
ter answers, quietly. subduing herself by
Q powerful effort "She Is out spending
the evening with some of her friends, l
believe; SIZE did not tell me where she was
going"
Good heavens! have come across the
world, and now 1 may wait here hours in
vain before | see her," he says angrly,
In the injustice of his feverish longing.
"You don't ask for your poor mother.
Eric" Hester says sorrowfully, as she
turns to leave the room.
"Yes. l do ask, and want to see her!
he says, his eyes flashing, but l want to
see my wife, too!'
Il will go and break the news to poor
aunt" Hettie says, in q low, trembling
voice of ellsimulated timidity, "and then
! will go myself and try and find Mur1ei
fOr you, since you cannot endure US with
out her," and the words die away in .
choking sob.
/ Upstairs Hettie breaks the joyful news
as gently as she may, but she cannot quite
avoid the distressing scene that ensues
when she brings Eric in and the gray
haired mother clasps her son to the breast
that nursed him. But she leaves mother
and son together and hurries away to her
own room. locks herself in and WfestIes
with sthe demons of jealous despair ano
hatred that are warning for her soul.
Il could kill her! l could kill her?' she
says, wildly, as she PAGES up and down
Ike a Gagged tigress xiii her? l would
d. il in a moment without hesitation or
pity. if | only couldi l would shoot her.
stab her, poison her, if could only keep
her from him forever and ever! But
can't can't"
No. she cannot. She cannot keep Eric
from the woman he loves and the woman
who loves him so dearly; she cannot keep
them asunder any more! A few minutes,
m hour at most and Muriel and her lover
will be reunited, never to part again az
ilong as they both shall live!
AT all events he shall wait a while for
her. She shall not intrude on US in the
first hour of his return!' she thinks, in
iher bitter, useless rancOr and Jealousy,
as she bathes her flushed face, and applies
.relyety, cooling poudre de rose and ad-
jusfs her curling locks, and goes down.
stairs, outwardly as calm as snoW-cov-
cred volcano. and gives her orders to
Hannah O'Neil, as the first servant she
meets.
And Hannah, receiving Miss StapletOn's
clear, forcible directions with an insulting
air of contemptuOus amusement, tOsses
her head, while her eyes twinkle with sly
righteousness and triumph. as few eyes
In the world, but Irish eyes, can twinkle.
DO you underestimate Hester says, los
inx her temper in a gust of rage which she
cannot subdue. IF you dare to disObey my
instructions, and any harm comes Of 1t,
you shall answer for It! Do you hear me?
Let ma not see you attempt to leave the
house. or send anyone out Of the house to
fnd Mrs. Llewellyn, or speak one word to
her when she does return, until l see her
and break the news to her myself! Mind,
warn you. and l will tell Col Llewellyn
have warned you, and you will be to
blame if your gossiping tongue frightens
Mrs. Liewellyn to death!'
Il don't know about my 'gossipin'
tongue fritenin' her to death, Miss Sta
,pleton," Hannah retorts, loudly. Il know
that somebody's tongue has nearly drove
the craythur TO her death, an nigh bruk
her heart as welIl We'd best not talk
about tongues Miss Stapleton, for I've
a long one, an an ugly one whin begins
,pecially whin there's someone come
home to hear the rights an the wrongs,
an stan up for thin that can't defind
thimsilves, Miss Stapleton. The poor
young misthress will be tOuld the good
news o her husband comm back agen to
her afore you've time to salt it an sayson
II for her. I'm afeared yere too late in the
field, Missl kirwan's gone q quarter Of
an hour ago to find her an bring her home
hyin' TO himself
And Hester knows, and feels through
every nerve the bitter truth that she is
foiled utterly. She walks away slowly
and goes into the empty drawing room
for Mr.. Farren has discreetly retired to
the spare room, where Hannah has lit the
FIRE and brought him cup of tea.
She sinks down again in her chair by
the freight, and in the bitterness of her
spirit wishes she were dead-wishes she
were dead since the man she has loved
peither well nor wisely, but deeply and
fierceiy-whom she has mourned for sim
cerely for the time being-since he has
returned from the grave, as it were-re
turned to life and TO love, to the love of
Muriel Liewellyn-Muriel Lleweliyn, who
is not only the mistress of his heart, but
1he wife of his bosom!
And almost as the wicked wish crosses
her mind, the door opens and Muriel
LleHeiIyn enters the room-enters quickly
but quietly and silently, and but that Hes
Ter notices the blOOdless paIlOr OF her fact,
and the unnatural lustre of her great,
dark, soulful eyes, she can perceive moth
ing unusual in the girls appearance as
she stands at the door surveying the apart
msnt with a quick, wild, bright glance
Welt what is the matter, Muriei!
Hester asks. rather sharply, but in her
usual tone and manner, while u throb OF
Sindictive joy beats through her pulses.
'.She has not heard yet" she decides,
rapidly as she determines to rob her OF
3 good deal of io7 that awaits her. and to, I