Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1897-06-16
CHAPTER xxx

'iitf Fsh AAlN-
Hester Stapleton is brilliant and radi
ant, aud all that is charming. as she al
ways is out OF the limits of the home cir
Gle. Captain Leverson is very quiet, no
To say duh. and u little absent minded
even to the extent of neglecting tn
charming Hester. Edith Cameron doe
not seem to notice any one or anything il
particular. and is just her own graceful
insouciante self; and Muriei sits in til,
dimmest corner beyond the wide fireplace
Suddenly Edith walks across the room
TO her lover.
lit is lovely, misty, moonlight night
and l feel unutterably sentimental" sh'
says. In the gayest voice and brightes
smile that can contradict her words
Don't you want to see the ruins of th'
old church on the shores OF the lake bl
the pale moonlight? l do"
Il shall be most happy TO see II In you
company" Captain LeversOn says, stiffiy
enough, for the bright particular star
he adores is apt to shed effulgent beam.
on her worshiper. and leave him in hope
less gloom by turns In a most madden
ingiy capricious manner, and the faithful
adorer is beginning to resent it ever 81
little.
Walking silently, Harry Leverson's
heart is too full for speech, and he has
stammered through few fragmentary
sentences of gratitude for this happy
opportunity" when. as they enter the
tagged, sgrown pathway by the ruin
ed church, where the thick ivy rustles
drearily and mysteriously, though never
. breeze is stirring, he starts back sud
denly at the sight of slender. black
robed figure, with strips of snowy white
at her throat and wrists: and covering
her head, above the ivory-pale face. is a
mass of soft, dazzling white. cleaning in
the moonlight.
sit is only Muriel; told her to come
with us" Edith says, calmly.
''She looks like the ghost of a widow.
he says, irritably. as he is both startled
and angry.
An indefinable thrill runs through Edith
al his words. and to his dismay she with
draws her hand ff2m his arm.
Il do not know that she is much better
off than "a widow. poor child" she says;
"and if you can tell her anything that
may comfort her, or give her a hope for
brighter days, pray do" And with this
enigmatical speech Miss Cameron turns
sharply round, and hurries back to tie
house
= There is FIRE in the hall stove, Aud
Edith sits down beside it, wrapped in bier
cloak, to wait few minutes, and then
she enters the drawing room demurely
once more.
"What have You done with Captain
Leyerson and Muriel?" Hettie asks, start
Ing.
"Done? Nothing. Inasmuch as
haven't drowned them," Edith says. air
lily. ''They lOitered, and l found 1t too
cold to Ioiter, and they had an interesting
subject of conversation and l had none,
and / shivered and they delayed, and
fed home and they remained behind.
There, you have the full, true and particu-
aar account of the excursion, Hettie.
But lust as she lays her head back in
her cosy chair, picture of graceful ease
and comfort Edith catches the sound of
light footsteps hurrying past the window.
rushing across the hall; and in at the
drawing room door comes Murlel, Wild
and hurried-lOOking, painting more with
fierce emotion through pale-dry lips than
with mere haste, and across the room she
rushes aud seizes Hester's arm with both
her hands like the grip of wise.
"Where is my husbands message TO me
that you stole!" she demands, in a shrill,
clear voice that rings through the room.
"Where Is it? Tell me. You had better
tell me this instant! You stole it! Eric's
message to ME with the jewels he gave
me! Where is it, l sayT" and her eyes
are glittering and full of a blue, lurid
light, like tigress at bay, as she shakes
Hettie like a reed. and her plump, pretty
form fairly shrinks together before this
tall slender, vengeful woman, whose grip
Is like steel.
you're mad! you're madr' Hettie says,
with Il suppressed scream Of real fright.
"Muriel! Let me go! You are bruisins
me black and blue! You hOrrid creature,
you are bruising my arm dresdfully!'
81 will bruise your Muriel says,
through her clenched teeth, all the fury
of her Celtic blood raging like liquid fire
in her veins Tell me what you did
with Erics message to me You wicked
woman; If you had stolen the Jewels 1
would have forgiven you easily! Tell me,
Hester, or l will kill your
By this time, Edith and Captain Lev
erson, who have been at FIRST too parsly zed
with alarm and amazement to stir, rush
between them, and by passionate entreaty
induce Muriel to let go her frenzied hold
and give Hester time to explain.
Which, however, Hester only does by
the reiteration of scornful denials of hay-
ing ever seen or known anything of the
written message which Muriel asserts was
laid In the Jewel case, which assertion
Captain Leverson gravely and positively
affirms
'For 1 can swear that from the mo-
ment Eric showed me the emeraIds. and
slip of paper lying across them, with the
words. For my darling Muriel, with Eric's
love- written on it, and then shu; the
case with his own hand, l can swear"
repeats Captain Leverson, that that case
was never opened, never touched again
even by me, as Eric fastened il up In white
wrapping paper before he left it and the
other jewel case in my secretarie in my
dressing room until the day he left Lon
don. when he told me to take or send to
the house. ] intrusted them to n COM
missionaire whom have known for years
as a strictly honest man, as l could not
possibly come with them myself. | am
sorry now l did not keep them until
brought them in person"
81 am sorry, too" Hester says, haught-
ily, biting her bloodless lips, ''as then at
least might have escaped this suspicion
this-lady has thought well to harbor
against ME. Does any one else imagine
stole Mrs. Eric Llewellyn's love letter.
-, rather a rara avis with ner, 1 pr--
me. as she has made this disgraceful
fuss over IL
II should not like to think that any one
belonging to me could do so cruel and
foolish a deed" Edith says, but she does
not look at Hester