Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1898-03-30

w nat btTduSe btOIy3 BAIu Cue coE1
ihoughtfully. But this barrier, this OBJ
stacle-can it ever be removedT
NO." answered Lord Arleigh, "neverw
Il assure you Of my deepest sympathy"
said the earl. at is strange history"
Yes, and a sad fate" sighed Lord Ar.
leigh. You cannot understand my story
entirely. Wanting full explanation. you
might fairly ask me why l married with
this drawback. did not know of it, but
my wife believed I did. We were both
most cruelty deceived. 1t does not mat
ter nsx, She Is eendemned to loveless.
joyle-s life; so am I. With wife beau
tiful, loving, young, 1 must lead a most
solitary existence-I must see my name
die out for want Of heirs-I must see my
race almost extinct, my life passed in re-
pining and misery. my heart broken, my
days without sunshine. / repeat that it
is a sad fate"
1T is indeed" agreed the earl-"and
such a strange one. Are you quite sure
that nothing can be done to remedy it?'
Quite sure" was the hopeless reply.
Il can hardly understand the need for
! separation, seeing that the wife herself
: is blameless."
, "1n this case it Is unavoidable"
"My story is a sad one," observed Lord
/ Mountdean, ''but it ID not so sad as
! yours"
He then told Of his sad marriage, the
! death of his young wife and the strange
disappearance Of his child, as the reader
knows it.
"Can you imagine my horror" he con-
tinued, when found that all trace Of
| my child was lost? The poor doctor had
met with some terrible death, and the
woman who had charge Of my little one
had left the neighborhood. Can you i'm
agine what this blow was to me? Since
then my life has been spent in one unceas-
ing effort to find my daughter"
How strangev' said Lord Arleigh
did you not know the name Of the
nurse?"
Yes, she lived at a little place called
Ashwood. advertised for her, offered
large rewards, but have never CLEANED
the least news of her; no one could ever
find her. Her husband, it appeared, had
been guilty of crime. My opinion is that
! the poor woman fed in shame from the
neighborhood where she was known, and
| that both she and my dear child are
, dead"
1T seems most probable" observed
Lord Arleigh.
If l could arrive at any certainty as
to her fate" said the earl, Il should be
happier man. l have been engaged to
my cousin, Lady Lily Gordon, for four
years, but l cannot make up my mind to
marry until l hear something certain
| about my daughter. In regard to your
case, l am a great believer in the good
| old proverb that two heads are better
than one" replied the earl. 'I think it is
| tho% "a
| that has not occurred to you; / might see
some way out Of the difficulty that has
not yet presented itself to you. Please
yourself about it; either trust me or not,
| as you will; but, if you do trust me, rely
upon it l shall find some way Of helping
you"
1T Ii . hopeless case" observed Lord
! Arleigh, sadly. II am quite sure that
even IL you knew all about It, you would
not see any comfort for me. For my
wife's sake hesitate to tell you, not for
my own."
Your wtfe's secret will be as safe with
me as with yourself" said the earl.
| II never thought that 1t would pass my
lips, but do trust you," declared Lord
Arleigh; "and II you can see any way to
help me, / shall thank heaven for the
first day 1 met you. You must hold my
wife blameless, Lord Mountdean," he
went on "She never spoke untruthfully,
she never deceived me; but on our we'd
ding day discovered that her father was
a convict-a man of the lowest criminal
type"
! Lord Mountdean looked as he felt,
! shocked.
But how" he asked, eagerly, "could
| you be so deceived?
That l can never tell you; it was an
act Of fendish revenge-cruel, ruthless,
| treacherous. 1 cannot reveal the perpe-
! traitor. My wife did not deceive me, did
not even know that had been deceived {:
she thought, poor child, that I was ac-
| luainted with the whole of her fathers
story, but l was not. And now, Lord
Mountdean, tell me, do you think 1 did
wrongY
He raised his careworn, haggard face
as he asked the question, and the earl
was disturbed at sight Of the terrible
pain in it.