Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1897-11-03

stopped, and, with a loud-beating heart,
Alma knocked. There was no answer
She did not knock a second time, but
ooked at the handle with a pale. fright
sned face. as IL she did not dare to touch
Il. Armathwaite came forward and open
ID the door.
Sitting before the CRATE, which was lit
:ered with scraps of a torn letter. and in
which the gray ashes Of the previous
aight's fire yet remained. sat Ned Cros-
mont. his legs stretched out. his head on
his breast. his arms hanging loose at his
sides. Alma had often seen him almost
In that attitude and it reassured her. She
came further into the room. calling softly.
"Nedw He did not answer. he did not
move Armathwaite thought she knew
The truth. Not having been prepared for
,ome sight unusually shocking, 1t did not
occur to Alma that death could come so
suddenly and yet 50 quietly. She came
.lose 10 him with rapid steps. thinking
that he was lost in miserable brooding,
put her arm round his shoulders. and tried
to draw him to her. kindly. comfOrtingly.
His head had rolled heavily against her
breast.
Ned. Ned. never mind" she whispered.
feeling, with a thrill through her gentle
hear:. that i; last the moment she had
expected had come. when he did not re-
pulse her. when he was glad Of her sym
puthy; I'll comfort yOu, Ned-I'li console
you Never mind what it is. I'm sorry.
He is dead she said. solemnly. raising
her eyes to the doctors face.
Then the tears began to gather in her
eyes. and. bending over the dead man.
she put her lips 10 his forehead, not i'll
sOrrowing love, but in pity and forgive
ness.
Come. come away" whispered Frank,
who saw that the struggling emotions of
horror and womanly regret and irrepressi-
BILE relief were trying the sensitive lady
beyond her strength.
She let him lead her out at the door.
which Frank closed softly behind them:
but before she had made three steps along
the passage she suddenly drew away her
hand from his arm. put it up TO her head.
and, with a low cry as of n prisoner who
sees the dungeon doors flung suddenly
open, she reeled and fiji to the ground.
Frank gathered her up in his arms and
carried her to the dra awing room. There
he did not put her down, but seating him
self in an armchair by the window in the
full blaze of the morning sunlight. he
rocked her for few moments tenderly
in his arms. as if she ha been a child.
while his blue eyes shone with hope and
pity and yearning love.
Poor little one" he whispered into her
deaf ears. "You are no widow; you have
never been n wife. / am wronging no
mans memory in telling you l love you
Inc gods will make you happy, Psyche,
for you have found your love at last"
AS she was absolutely motionless and
silent, he snatched passionate kiss: but
the instant his lips touched hers. the
color flowed into her face. and her brown
eyes met his with long look that tod of
the Weakening of sleeping soul. From
that moment each had secret. known
only 10 themselves and to each other.
Withdrawing his eyes from her face,
Frank raised her to her feet. and gently
withdrawing the support of his arm, said
gra veiy and formally:
Il think you are better now, madam.
If you will allow me to advise you, l
would suggest your remaining here, while
| will .ell the servants what is necessary
for them to know, and prevent their dis
turbing you"
THANK you. You are very kind" said
She frigidly. with her eyes on the ground.
With a cold bow, and without another
look at her, Frank left the room. But
a he paused for a moment outside. with
glowing eyes and a yearning heart. he
heard the swift rustic of a woman's dress
across the room, and her painting breath
close to the door. So they stood for
moment, each conscious that the other
was there, each almst able to hear the
beating of the heart of the other But
there was only a thin plank of wood be
tween them now, where there had been
barrier as wide as the whole world. And
so he went softly away to his work and
his duty, and she to the woman's part of
patiently waiting and perhaps weeping.
For peace had come TO her, not with n
glad song of praise, but with q solemn
requiem.
CHAPTER XXVI.
In the meantime Lady Kildonan was
lying utterly unconscious both of the
death of her accomplice and victim and
of her condemnation, pronounced by her
own lips hundred times In the delirium
os brain fever. Her husband, who during
these long days and nights was scarcely
ever absent from her bedside. used to sit
listening to her and watching her with q
grave, intent face, which expressed no
sentiment harsher than the deepest pity.
When the crisis of the fever was past.
and the sick woman's bodily health be-
gan slowly to mend, it dawned upon both
her husband and the young doctor, who
had never exchanged a word since the
night of the accident except upon the med
ical aspect of the case. that her mental
recovery was not proportionately rapid.
She would lie for hours together awake
and quite still. with her eyes fixed upon
hue hau nd in nf
at his presence, with which mingled no
shame, no annoyance, no deep interest.
Yet she knew who he was, and replied to
his questions in a voice which grew
stronger every day, but which acquired
no deeper meaning as the time went On
At last she was we'll enough 10 get ui,.
and to sit in her boudoir by the window.
watching the birds flying from bough to
DO. n of the still leahess trees in the park
outside. the little clouds sailing slowly
across the sky, and hundred other sights
of the narrow stretcn of wintry land
tcape which she had never before no.
ticed. Lord KildOnan, at first rather
pleased by the new interest she showed
in the nature about her, began after few
days to feel anxious concerning the mean
ing of the change.
"She doesn't seem at all the same WON
an yet" he observed to the doctor Ont
morning, when his wife had been bab
bling in childish way, as II she had no
recollection of the terrible scenes through
which she had lately passed. "Or Is it a
clever device of hers to bridge over the
awkward UIll our intercourse, until
she will have b.h for me to accuse her
'uning hook ,rrangement! ,,,,
millenial dawn .nus;.a Is ma, a,..e,. % .And
lered in ,dyise ron to riye up an