Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1899-06-24
a6SSH3E -
I NHIDDEN 1ERR0RJFz \
R1asI = Y
CHAPTER Xf1.-(ContinucdJ


"Father. do forgivcInc. hut cannot sa,
sYcs.' l know" added Mabel earnestly
that you would not associate with bat
pcoplc--wc never thought of that-but
do know your voice, and know. too. thai
there is secret. Yes; must tell you all
A little while ago, In the library at home
when l was sitting there one day behind
the curtains with book, you and Uncl,
John came in; and heard you say to hin
that there was n secret something thai
we were not to know. When all thcs,
other things happened connected 1t will
thsm-1 could not help it. And now
fathcr--now, when Neville has asked m,
to marry hint seems frightful to let hin
think himself engaged to me IL there II
any dark secret mixed up with our famil,
history"
Mr.. Charlford listened. with n smile.
"My dear Mabel he said. you are yer!
young. and you have all that delicate car,
for one you love which your dear mother
possessed in such a marked degree.
ought not TO be displcascd that II Is sucl
n feature in your character. though In this
instance II has told against INC. Well,
forget the particular occurrence you al
ludc to, but do fully remember spcakin,
to your Uncle John In the library ut home
on more than one occasion. too. about ,
circumstance which has annoyed and trou
bled me n good deal. and which ! certain
ly never intended either you. or even Dick
TO hear of. II gricvcs me to mention u
now, but, after all you have been nnen
ing and suffering, I am constrained to tel
you plainly. You remember that woman
Farley who lives in the cottage just ont
side our park gates and to whom you. Ma
bel, were always going with some gift d
othcrY'
"Ycs, father" answered the girl.
you may remember. too. that l FORBADE
you to 60 to the house any more. or to Civ
her money or anything elsc-for which
am sure that you thought me very tyran
nical.'
"Ycs. father" she faltcrcd.
swell, my veto was not uttered from
tyrannical motive. but because Of tn
knowledge that she, the mother OF eigh
children, was behaving very badly indee,
very disgracefully. She has now run of
with the village carpenter. leaving he
husband to shift for himself and his eigh
boys and girls rs best he can. Aud, rs i
this scandal was not sufficient, Mrs. Fur
lcy's eldest girl--not yet sixtcen--has gon'
off with married man who has two chill
drcn. 1 am sorry enough to have had t.
mention such u subject to you. Mabel, an,
to have shocked your dclicacy as see
have done. but you left me no alternative
Well. what will you do! There Is rcall.
nothing more that cnn say. But there Il
a thing which must do. II you yourself
do not tell Lord Wynmorc all this, ] must
On no account would I allow u daughtc
of mine to form any alliance. no matte
with whom, unless 1t was warmly desired
We will have no cOnccalmcnt from Lore
Wynmorc, and then there can be no re
prouches aftcrward.'
Mabel hcavcd a deep sigh, and remain
cd lost In thought.
1T was your voice I heard. father" sh,
said. raising her head: but Of course uil
derhand dealings with people Of no charac
ter would be abhorrcnt to you; still
thought that something disgraccful--somc
thing which happened long ago. and will
which you might have had nothing to ii
chung to our family numc."
And you arc not yet convinced 20 tn
contrary! Well, Dick. 10 your opinion un
changcdT"
"No, father. ] ought to tell both 80,
and Mabel that think 1t very possible sh
has made mistake. At the same tim
there Is a good deal Of foundation for tn
mistake. Probably someone did person
ate you for his own safety. Perhaps thOs
men had plan for robbing Uncle John
house, or. as you have said. Nab. who wa
very much asitated, may have fancie'
that one Of them rescmbled you. Again
the resemblance may have been rca
enough, but Of course chance rescnl
blance. Nab, dear, ! wish you coul'
think as do"
When she heard Dick reason thus, sh
wavercd for the first time In her own trn
conviction that It had been hcr father, AM
no other. whom she had encountered b,
the pool. and her heart was lightcncd Of
lond that was almost too heavy for her t,
bear.