The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1898-02-19

sand she is morcEul as she IS brave,
this Oolava," muttered he dreamily-
shut she cannot escape from her cage
she cannot escape-ti a strong hand
comes from afar, to open and set her
free!"
Pale as death, the ladies looked at
! each other.
"What can he mean?" whispered Ulva.
Nothing, nothing but the rawlings OF
| fever" faltered Lady Dunraven; but to
herself she said: ais this prophecy?
Is deliverance at hand?"
CHAPTER III.
You'd swear,
As her delicate feet in the dance twinkle
round,
That her steps are Of light and her home
| is the air,
And she only par complaisance touches the
ground!
@Alice, is that Lord Inchcape? See,
your husband is going to meet him
there by the private door,"
ayes, it is indeed that unfortunate
man. We had not ventured to expect
| him, although we always send him invi-
| tations Gear heaven! what wreck OF
his former self! Laura, l can read in
| his face that his heart is broken"
The two ladies who exchanged these
remarks were, Alice, the wife Of Squire
Crecy of Stafford, and The hostess of the
occas on; and Laura Dellamere, beau
tiful widow of "a.
They werL longtime intimates, and
had many chords of sympathy between
them.
give years since lie left England, in
the zenith eff useful and alb public
| life, with his sweet young wife," contin-
ued Mrs CrecY; "then came the mYsteri-
GUS calamity which has blighted him,
and snatched her from his side. Sweet
loyal soul! All, Laura, you and / knew
how truly she loved her lord.
Each heart knoweth its own bitter
ness" answered Mrs. Dellamere, her
proud face paling; sand If my lord had
cause for-shame" (she whispered the
word after momentary struggle with
herself), "he has hidden it we'll"
"He never had, through EngelOnde,
never, never!" exclaimed Alice Crecy,
with energy! aft the faintest shadow
of blame ever fell upon her, it was
through the wicked folly of that era
VEN"
flush! Don't utter that name, inter
rupted Mrs. Dellamere, the blood mant-
|
refer, though what your grounds for
suspicion In that quarter are l cannot
guess
Mrs. Crecy was silent, her sweet face
Swallowed with the sadness of her
thoughts, for her friends challenge had
thrown open gate in the past, through
which crowded "reminiscences little sus-
pected by the proud Laura, and not for
worlds would she have Inundated her
| by betraying her knowledge of her sad
secret.
MrsSDellamere eyed her searchingly,
and, perceiving that she did not int md
to speak, remarked:
81 have noticed that your suspicious OF
the Co,orel date from the day Of his de-
parture from Stafford. Is it not SOP"
"Perhaps it is" faltered Mrs. Crecy;
sat all events l am convinced that a
great wrong was committed by that
man, and that an innocent lady was
made to suffer the consequences"
@Innoceut!" repeated Laura Della
-.mere, in an indescribable tone.
ayes, innocent, white, fawless as
truth ITSELF" said Mrs. Crecy, firmly
al would pledge my life upon that Bu
surely you are mad to breathe such Q
theme here. Hush! Forget, it, dear
my Lord Inchcape comes"
These two ladies were seated side by
side in two great blue easy chairs, in the
center of brilliant company; the place
was the little gem theater in Dormant
the Crecy residence, and the occasion
was q grand entertainment given to the
local gentry by the Squire and his wife
in honor of their only sons return home
from the university for the last time.
A fairy extravaganza was about to bt
performed by several of the youthfu
bellies and beaux of the nefghborhood
and the goodly company were enjoying
light talk while waiting for the azure
and silver actdrop curtain to rise upoI
fairy land.
aFaith! 1 take this as very kind o
you!" exclaimed the jolly Squire, VIII,
had hustled forward to meet Lord Inch
cape, and he grasped the pale, sinew!
hand his lordship offered with a warmth
that might have crushed the fiabby mem
Der of fine gentleman.
81 wanted to see your boy, Hail." re
piled Inchcape, his dark unsmiling eye
softening little as they met the simple
delight expressed In the Squire s
Nineteen now, isn't he? I've hear
Edgar Arden speak about him-he like
him.
@Auberon's his mothers boy. Their
amt much of rough cd Hal in him,
said the father, proudly. "But com
along, George; won't Alice be pleased?
He led him down the aisle toward
Mrs. Crecy. murmur Of surprise an
interest following them.
The Earl Of Inchcape was still in tn
prime of life; noble martial carriag
and the easy grace which is learned Il
courts, spoke Of time not far pas
when he must have participated in a.
that was most stirring and glittering i
life; and yet, as he walked down tn
center Of that gazing throng, he nigh
have come from the antipodes so struc
were they by his appearance in public
and so sternly unresponsive was he
, all their glances.
But his proud mien altered when b
stood before Alice Crecy and Laura De
[ lamere-they were indissolubly linke
with a time when his earthly felicity wa
, at its zenith.
! These two fair women had been th
I favorite associates Of his wife, FL
! gelonde, his beautiful young wife whol
, the world had for five years deeme
dead. The lady had been his secon
+ wife a fascinating American; and TO
l one fair summer she had ruled, quee
of society, in his ancestral castle. an
: these two ladies had been her chose
2 aids in the entertainment OF her guest
So inseparable were they that fiattert
r had POLITICALLY named them the Thre