The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1897-11-20
CHAPTER xxi

| eXculpated Lady Estmere, l did not look
at it again. | placed it in sealed envel-
! ope, to be broken only by Lord hothwell.
! Knowing he was in Derbyshire shooting,
| l ut once telegraphed to him, ''All is clear
ed up. Where shall | meet youT' Then
| began to make preparations for leaving
! Surbury.
First Of all, ii was needful that l should
| do something to help the young Mertens
| in their distress, although under the CIR
| cumstances | could not stay and attend
| their mothers funeral, so | inquired about
! for respectable solicitor and gave him
| instructions to see to all that was needful.
| In a short time | would write him as to
| the final disposal of the boy and girl.
| l went across the road and told them
what l had done. They We're deeply CRATE
| full, but looked troubled when they heard
| that business obliged me to quit Surbury
| the next morning. | was the only beng
| approaching a friend they had IN the
| place. My heart smote me as thought
! how far from their friend | really was,
| and | resolved that my promise to the
mother should be more than kept. What
ever her sins, they should not be visited
upon this boy and girl.
When | saw Lord Rothwel we went
over the confession together. There was
one part of it that explained all of Chcs-
hams duplicity. 1t ran rs follows:
Captain Gresham came several times
to Estmere Court, and seemed almost like
one Of the family. | knew what sort of
a man he was as soon as | saw him; and
as | was a good-looking girl, he cast his
eyes on me at once. But it was a long
time before he got any good out Of that.
| was beginning life. and aimed high for
awhile. Marry me he might, and wei
come, and | thought he might have done
worse. l would have made him a better
wife than many of the fine ladies he
knew.
eff I never trusted him. after bit |
! began to get in way fond of him. He
was very good looking, and, until the
devil was reused in him, as soft and kind
spoken as a man could be. Besides, he
always talked to me when | didn't make
him angry, as if | were lady born. |
used to slip out of the house at nights
and meet him in the shrubbery. We were
too clever to be caught, so no one suS-
pected what was going on between Cap
tain Gresham and Mary Williams. | was
no fool, and soon saw how matters must
end between us. At one time | used to
think he was so much i'll love with her
ladyship that it stood in my way; but |
soon found that he hated her more than
he loved her; and as for Sir Laurence, |
have seen him look like devil when |
spoke of his love fer his wife. used to
twit him with his love for Lady Estmcre
and laugh at its hopelessness, till threw
him into such RACES that ut times | trcm-
bled, fearing he might do me bodily in
jury.
Ono evening l said to him, It's no use
denying it, you love her a thousand times
better than you love me. | hate you"
This time he did not fly into Il rage.
He laughed hooking laugh.
Hate away, my dear he said.
This unexpected coolness enraged me.
I am prettier than she is l said. Others
can see it if you don't
Meier make comparisons-It Is al
ways unfortunate he said, snecringIy.
Give me the fine things she wears
| cried. Dress me like her, tell no one
which is Lady Estmcre and you will see
l am right
Something seemed to atril,c him. He
turned to me and "a 1ght my arm
"'Iou handsome baggage" he said,
well gee ali about that. / believe you're
right in what you say. Anyway, Wen
try it"
Then we made peace md | thought no
more about it, A few days afterward her
iadyship had Il new dress sent down from
town. 1t was Of a most striking descrip-
ton, although not a grand toilet She
wore it the same evening. and when | I'M
dressed her she told me that her husband
and Captain Gresham had greatly admir-
ed it. Like all ladies, She was glad when
her good taste was recognized, especially
so when Sir Laurence commended it. The
next day Gresham Went 10 London. but
his stay there was short. i few DAYS
after his return to Estmcre Court he gave
me large parcel
There he said, ] always keep my
promises. | have PAID Lady Estmcre's
dressmaker a fortune for the counterpart
of her gown. Some day will see you in
it, and form my own opinion Don't be a
fool and show ii to anybody before then
After the dinner | slipped out and met
Gresham rs usual. lie was in very good
spirits, and told me to hold myself in
readiness to go to London with him. He
might, perhaps, start to morrow.
by the bye he said, let me sec Won
in the dress | gave You; Lady Estmere
has wcrn hers tonight, so now | shall be
able to judge between YOU
Il was nothing loath to oblige him. but
told him | could not do so until her lady
ship had gone to bed. Even then |
scarcely knew how to manage it: | did
not care for amy Of the other servants
to accuse me Of wearing her clothes, and
( l did not choose To let Chesham come
into my room, ror would 30 to his.
Never mind he said. Put your mis-
tress to bed and then change your gown.
| When YOU are ready will look at Won in
her dressing room. The door Of II is next
to my room. No one will come there. and
we need not talk and disturb Lady Est
mere. | only want to admire you in 81
lcnce.'
His plan seemed a curious one, hut |
he'd no idea to what it was tending. The
dressing room after Lady Estmcre had
lift IT would be rs safe and secret n place
Of meeting as anywhere in the house. No
one would dare to enter ii. SO agreed
to DO as he suggested.
Lady EStncre went to bed at an carly
hour, being, | suppose, anxious to get rid
Of the hours which separated her from her
! husband by the aid Of sleep. | put her
/ dresses away. then leaving the lamp burn
/ ing. went 10 my own room. changed nv
dress, and, nightly proud of my appear
ance, crept back to my dressing room.
Your lordshp will remember that the
| Dover House is low building. all the
bedrooms being on one floor so that in
crossing from one room to the other ran
little risk Of being observed. Gresham
was on the watch for me and soon joined
me. | WAS rather surprised to find the
window open and the blind drawn up. |
felt certain that | had drawn it down
! while Lady EStmcre was undressing. Had
] not done 50 she would have noticed il.
I "Chesham admired me to my hearts
I content. although he only expressed his
I approval in the lowest whispers for fear
! Of her ladyship overhearing Us. He took
( the lamp and held il near 10 me that he
/ might see me better. Then he placed il on
/ table II the back Of the ROOM | noticed