Gilpin observer., 1899-01-26
CHAPTER XIV.

|
"And her-her daughter, you mean
| to say she inherited-you mean IL
| married a"
Her daughter" she interrupted Gag
erly, grew up in me keepin' like every
other child l reared; there was nothin'
particular about her, except that she
was bit quieter an sister to mind
than most babies maybe. When she
was three year old, her granny took
her from me; whether because she was
touched with remorse or because of the
ill-will and sharp tongues O. the neigh
bors-some o. the daylers at Droom-
league refusin' to buy the praties she
sent into MARKET can't say; but, at
any rate, she took her and KEEP her un-
til you came"
Molly, Molly, you mean to tell me
you saw no signs of the mothers
disease-that you believe her to be
tree-free from-Oh, for Heavens sake
hide nothing from me now! | have
been used basely enough among you
all. You must tell me everything now
-everything!" l cried, roughly seiz-
ing her hands.
Il saw nothing wrong about her
nothing, l tell you, until-until, as bad
luck would have it, when she was a
slip of girl of fifteen, she heard her
mothers story, an it certainly
won't decaive you, sir-preyed on her
a sight. She had bad fever, an raved
a lot, always talkin' about the say and
the shore, wishin' she was mermaid
under the water. and a lot like that.
She several times tried to get out of
her bed and go outside; an we had
some trouble in houldin' her down. An
when she recovered she told me she
was sorry she didn't die, as she was
no use to any wan in the wurld, an her
granny was disappointed she didn't die
too. Well, for some time afther, l must
say sort of shiver always came
over me when 1 saw her walkin' too
close to the edge of the cliffs; but by
degrees the feelin' Wore away, an she
became almost herself again"
'Then, Molly, Molly" I whispered
piteously, "you-you have no fear
about her now! You feel she is safe
safe-only hiding from me in fit of
temper. II will be sure to hear from
her in a day or two at the farthest;
you have no prehension-no-"
stopped, for Molly turned her head
away, and, with her hands shading
her eyes, stared mutely out to sea.
remember feeling the ground surge
strangely under me, seeing the stony
beach where poor Nora's mangled body
lay move slowly out with the reced-
do. ,.1r,
ing over the clear sunlight; it was only
for a moment. l shook off the dizzi-
ness, staggered to my feet. to find a
ragged boy holding an orange envelope
toward me.
"A telegram. She is foundn'
She is -where-where?
gasped Molly, seizing my arm.
1T does not say. The message is
from my housekeeper telling me they
have news; l am to come at once.
That's ALL"
Twenty-four hours later was stand
ing in the hall at home, Mrs. Murrays
hand resting on my shaking arm.
Hush, hush!" she said in answer
to my incoherent inquiries. "In mo-
ment-in moment I'll tell you all.
Come into the study, Master Paul. I've
letter you must read first"
l followed her in she laid an en-
velope, directed to me in my wife's
writing in my hand.
"It was found inside your desk
few hours after you left. IL don't
know how you missed seeing It,"
broke the seal and read the fol-
lowing. slowly twice through
Paul, followed you last night into
the wood when you thought | was
sleeping quietly in my bed. / saw in
your arms the woman you love, l heard
you begging her to give up home, for
tune, fame and fly to the other end
of the world with you, for you could
not and would not live another day
apart from her. And as | listened to
you the curse which had hung over
me even before / came into the world
suddenly fell.
THE dark still air became thick with
THOUSAND faces | had never seen be-
fore, yet which | seemed to know as
well as | knew yours. voices whispered
in my ears; lights. red, blue, yellow,
danced before my eyes; breath OF
rushing buoyant life filled my body; |
felt as II could have flown round the
world for ever and know no fatigue,
all the fever. anguish struggle and
horror of the past week died in mo.
horrible exultation took their place.
81 felt that the supreme moment of
my life had come the moment for
which | had been born. lived, and suf-