The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-28

her closer to him, and STOPPING a little
over her, poured his confession into her
eager ears.
YES, Viola; you are right. 1t was done
In moment of madness. Do you know
why ! went to Bristol?-Why I've remain
ed away for some days from home? 1t
was nlan--a ruse to blind the eyes of
Mabel Adair and Carruthers-to make
them believe that | was out of the way
and that the coast was clear for their
meetings; whereas / returned secretly the
very day after my departure; and since
! observed myself.
"rhis evening / came face to face with
! Carruthers / charged him with his un-
| principled conduct, and | told him that
Mabel Adair had promised to be my wife,
| and that II We We're not formally engage
| ed, we had at least an understanding
| equally binding-until his dishonorabe in
| reference had worked mischief between
| us.
This. and a lot more said. and he
answered me haughtiy, dedantly. brutal
| ly* / hardly know what he said but
when at last he twitted me as to my so
cial standing-my ,poverty-in contradis-
! tinction to his wealth and position / lost
! all control of myself, My blood seemed
| to turn to fre-the only rational idea that
| could grasp was, that my bitter enemy
! stood before me, and that l should STAY
| him; and, lifting the gun suddenly, /
hred, and he fen at my feet.
| II turned like one distracted and fled
into the heart of the wood For hours /
| remained there. Then l ventured to re-
| turn. The body was removed
| so I've fingered here for the reasons that
I've explained to you. And now,
| Viola, all is told"
She said no word in answer She could
| not speak. lie stopped still nearer to her
| and his cheek touched hers.
Viola, l cannot look upon myself as
a murderer. tell you, he goaded me to
madness. | knew not what did"
Then at last she found her voice. Every
word she uttered seemed to inspire him
| with new strength and courage.
DO you think it necessary, Hubert, to
n N /
little, then, as to misjudge you? In the
| slght OF heaven you are innocent of crime
this feel; and nothing can shake my
belief But If you are found here-if the
| circumstances of your secret return ever
reach the public ears-all is over! Hubert
| you must get away at once-at once-be-
| fore the hue and cry is out for the MUIR
| derer. Don't linger one instant, / implore
Of you'll If your want money write or
| telegraph to me, and 1t will be all right
Away with you now-this very moment!'
She almost pushed him from her then
sprang after him, strained him to her
neart IN a wild farewell, and then again
He waved his hand to her and was gone.
She turned rapidly, with the intention
she recoiled with a sharp cry.
Robin Dale stood at the entrance to
the Beech Hollow, his dark melancholy
eyes fixed upon her face.
CHAPTER III
AN UNEXPECTED VOICE.
death were wrapped in impenetrable
mystery. At the inquest no evidence of
any Importance whatever was adduced
ana since then the most indefatigable Of
truth.
Local opinion decided at last-to its own
satisfaction, unbacked, however, by evil
dence of any kind-that the deed had been
done by former tenant of Lord Carruth-
ers; one of the victims of some painful
eylctions which had taken place on the
| Carruthers estate some months BEFORE y
30 the matter was suffered to rest: the
| nine days wonder subsidized. New SUBJ
Jects OF interest arrested the attention of
| the country side; notably the approaching
| marriage of Dean Adair's lovely daughter
| House.
"They are old sweethearts." peonle told
| one another III was bound to come to
| some pair
Mabel Adair had indeed yielded to a mo-
n1ent Of weakness and had, a few weeks
| after Lord Carruthers' death, met Hubert
Brandon one day in the Brandon park
| and eXplained' everything to him.
Mabel, who was deeply moved, on this
| occasion. actually shed tears over her
self-justification; and this was altogether
| too much for Hubert
| Then and there a renewal of their for
mer vows was accomplished, and Mabel
Adair returned to the Deanery in radiant
spirits.
Hubert Brandon, however was far from
| being a happy lover. Since his return to
| Creighton he was haunted persistently by
vision of that thin, anger-distorted face
| of his enemy-by a CHASTITY remorse of
| conscience that banished sleep by night
| and stole all the buoyancy from his heart
all the life and joy from his anticipatons
| during the day.
TO Viola only he breathed forth these
| sentiments, and his sister listened with a
wan, distracted face, and eyes full Of
| nameless unfathomable pain.
| That strange gaZe-Viola's altered man
ner-her dropping figure, her depressed
spirits-puzzled Hubert and aroused new
fears within him at last.
Viola, what is it?" he said one day to
| his sister. You are concealing some
thing from me- There Is a secret sorrow
of some kind preying upon your mind. 1t
| is-tell me-is IL anything about poor
Launse Carisbrooke? Have you heard
| any"
But Viola broke in upon the words A
| face; her sad eyes glowed with some
strange. overpowering emotion.
| Never again mention Iaunce's name
to me, Hubert" she cried in a voice full
| Of anguish "He has passed out of my
life forever | must endeavor to forget
| that he ever livedr
Then, ere Hubert could question further
these incomprehensible words, Viola had
rushed away from him. and for days
she feared a renewal of this agitating
SO the weeks went by, and Christmas
roared round the court and shook the
leahess arms of the ancient trees Of the
wood. The dead leaves whirled along the
paths and lay in great decaying heaps in
the Beech Hollow, whittier Robin Dale's
solitary footsteps often led him at this
| time
lie would come here OF a December aft
ernoon when the early twilight was clos
ing down I'm purple pail over the wood
| and. standing just at the entrance to the
| Hollow, where he had stood on a fate
full evening gone by would gaze silently
into the Swallowed spot, his eyes full of
an unspeakable fear and uncertainty.
| Dare / see II out to the end2" ne some
| times asked himself. "Can / hope for
| happiness-purchased az such a price2"
| Occasionally he encoun tered Viola dur
| ing his lonely rambles but the girl al
ways shrank aside from him, and, with
| quivering lips and doWncast miserable
| eyes, glded hurrledly by
one evening, just within a week OF
| Christmas, Viola had walked down TO
the avenue gates and then turned slowly
and retraced her steps beneath the sway
| ing, lea0ess trees.
She had reached a bend OF the avenue,
from which the view Of the front gates
was no longer visible and had paused for
a moment to listen TO the sOrrowful plant
| Of the wind in the branches overhead.
| A footstep suddenly fell upon her ear;
IL drew nearer and nearer. Somebody