Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1898-05-14
CHAPTER XXv11,

CHAPTER XXv11.
A silence that was full Of a strange fas.
cinaton had fallen upon all three, but
Wriothcsley after awhile broke II.
"You have created an admirable situa.
ton" he said, unpleasantly-''a very dra.
matte dcnOucment; but you will pardon me
II I say I should like TO hear something
about the commencement Of your plot"
"You would hearT' she said slowly.
turning upon him the old cnigmatical
smile. which now was tingcd with cruelty.
"Wcll, you shall. But, first, n question
or two" She turned to Marvel. "This
lockct--you say II was found on you the
night Lady Mary Craven took you into
her houscY That night-tcll me Of It,"
"There was Storm" said Marvel. con-
fusedly. 1T was wild, tempestuous
night. Often and often II oil comes back
to mc--the roaring rs Of many winds, the
dense darkness, the crashing Of the
branches overhead, the screaming Of some
scabirds from the shore below. and tlien
the stepping out Of the blackness Of death.
as Il were. into the full, sweet glare Of
life"
"A storm? Yes. And how many years
ago was It? How old were you then?'
"Threc-more perhaps. I cannot tell
"Four"-curtly. Snow, do you remcm.
Der anything Of the woman who aban.
doned you on that night?'
1T II such vague memory cannot
describe her." said Marvel, In a distress.
cd tone that contrastcd oddly with the
suppressed vchemence Of the other. "She
was old--wOrn."
ut seems to me-" said wriotheslcy,
breaking In brusqucly upon her speech,
but addressing Mrs. Scarlet, ut Is our
own tale we are hearing, and not yours.
You have made most extraordinary as.
sertion, and ! must ask you to verify Il
without help from u.s."
He identified himself 30 persistently
with his wife that the latter looked up Al
him with shining, luminous eyes and NOV.
cd involuntarily nearer to him.
"Do you think am trying to make ur
a stOryT" said Mrs. Scarlet, with short
laugh. "Why. how would Il serve me "a
| cumber myself now with a grown daugh
ter? And are you indeed In such mad
haste to hear whit have to tell? Well
hear it!' There was defiance In the
glance she cast at him, but there was ex.
haustion In the mir with which she sank
into a chair near her. "Whcn was hes
age" she began. indicating Marvel by a
slight gesture, "thcrc came to the dull
secluded village where lived alone with
| my father q young man. My father was
| wcll.bOrn, but poor, and therefore Of small
| account; the young man was rich. A very
| orthodox beginning to romance. oh ~
with cold, snccring laugh. '"rhcrc was
good hunting In the ncighborhood. and he
took house for the season about three
miles from where We lived. He saw me
met me, loved me. I was lovable then.
assure you''-with a swift and bitter
glance at Wriotheslcy. II was like herr
She waved her hand toward Marvel.
His name?" asked Wriotheslcy, short
~.
"Miust You know that, too? Well, |,
hardly matters. andretf
BOilcau. 1t II so long since have uttered
that name that find almost a difiiculty
In speaking it," she said, heavily, with
a vain attempt at lightness which failed
to hide the agony that shone within hel
somber eyes. HE loved me, as have
said, but marriage with me would have
been ruin to every worldly hope he had
childlcss, titled. The title would pass Il
uut NcVy Ntttc VI tue cbtuscs
were entalled, and the barren honor OF
calling himself a lord would not have suf
feed him-wOuld hardly indeed have KEEP,
body and soul together In that state OF
life to which he had been called. And thu
old man, the uncle. had other views FOL
him. 10 disappoint them meant disin
heritance. So We loved In silence, In se
crecy; and then"-she raised her hand t
her throat as II being uffOcated-''then
Ave months after we had met he dicd!'
She paused and pressed the palm Of hcl
hand upon the locket lying on the table
as II she wou!S soge crushed It In bel
palm.
ut was railway accident. It was use
less to do anything; he was a whole day
dead before ! heard Of it-still, cold, tn.
beauty frozen OH his face. Ohw Hel
voice died away In long gasping sigh
and she smOtc her hands together. HI
was all In the world to me, and he wal
dead" There was intolerable anguish
In her tone-anguish fresh as though thu
story Of her woe had been first told Al
hour agone. yet l livedw she said.
She swayed little. 1t became eviden
to WriOthesley that, apart from the ex
element OF the moment and the cruelt,
of the memories she had evoked, she wal
extremely III. But, as he stepped for
ward to help her, she reused herself ant
drove him back from her with an imperi
Gus gesture.
Don't touch mo! DO You think I an
such feeble thing," she said. "that ever
such memories will kill me? Pah-yo,
do not understand-yOu could not love lik,
that! Well, he was dcad-it was all over
And then-just then-I found that she"-
pointing to Marvel, who stood with hea.
down-bent and face ashen pale--"was Il
he born. That was the cruclest sting o.
ALI"
A slight sound broke from Marvel
Wriothesley held up an entreating hand.
"Spare her what you cant" he begged.
"Why should ] spare her even on,
pang?" she said, coldly, In the low, ever
tone she had maintained all through
"Was ! spared? Did ] not suffer? VIII,
came to my assistance when ] knew no
what to do or where to turn to hide my
head? At that time, too, my father died
! thanked heaven for thatw For the frs
time soft, human light grew within
her eyes. "He never knew" she said.
&I'0 bs cOntinued.)