Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1899-08-03
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!! Frozep Heart,
4 THRILLING LOVE STORY.
BY FRANCES WARNER W WALKER.
CHAPTER XXXIII,,

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1t was scene awful in its solcmnity
Her voice died away in the silence,
The water rippled over the stones at
tkeirsfeet as it's echo. The leaves rust
led overhead. A bird sleepily sang its
goodnight to it's mate. And beneath
the tree stood the lovely vision whose
words rendered her own self-conuem-
nation. 49, A.
She looked scarce like n living wo-
man. Yet her pallor and her pitiless
self-scourging lent her beauty.
Lord Montfort was the first to speak,
81 do not believe itv' lie said; but his
voice was the voice Of an old man, and
all his youth seemed suddenly to have
fled sit is false to save his life!' .ano
he looked toward Arkwright.
mo, it is true" she answered. LOOK
at me we'll, Lord Montfort, now, when
my eyes do not seek to beguile you nor
my lips to smile. and you will see | am
not Dorothy-not the wife whom YOU
married-whch. alas, you must still
mourn as dead!-but her sister, twin
i
inner likeness. In soul, in heart, Doro-
thy was beautiful as in face. Ought
to ask your pardon? You must not
grant it. And it is his pardon l should
seek-his whose lips We're sealed this
morning when you taxed him with DIS
honor in the moment of his highest
manhood. Yet his forgiveness, too, is
past. But will you not sometimes re-
member that l. myself. stripped the
mask from my face? l might have
worn it even to the end; but thank
God-thank God. He gave me strength!
Lord Mcntfort. thesc-these are the dla-
monds your mother gave-me. Take
them, pleasc-and tell her"
She swayed Il moment. then tottered
forward. Her eyes turned toward Ark
wright; in them the shadow OF her re-
nunciation and the glow of her awal-
ened heart-the fire his heart had kind
led.
"Harry!' came in low. faint whis-
Per from her lips.
And then she sank in a merciful ur1-
consciousness, upon the green, yelvety
sward.
Arkwright sprang forward. Lord
Montfort stood still.
Garry her to the house." he said. 81
cannot touch her: and see that, as yet,
my mother knows nothing. 1t will kill
herr
The last word died in sob, and,
plunging in among the bushes. he was
soon lost to sight amid the dense foil
age 1t seemed to him that the grave
of his young wife had been rent open
by sacrilegious hands. and all that was
hottest in his heart exposed to a mock
ing gaze.
Arkwright and Florence were alone;
but the long lashes lay like heavy
fringe upon her cheek, and only the
faint, fluttering breath between her
half-parted lips showed that life was
not extinct.
He lifted her in his arms as once he
had done before. and carried her to the
house. Happily. he met no one. Lady
Montfort was in her own room, so,
summoning her maid to her assistance,
he mounted horse and fastened in
quest of a physician.
AS he laid her upon the bed she had
opened her eyes; and no consciousness
was in their expression, and he felt
that the long strain had given way at
last.
Say nothing to my mother had
been Lord Mortimer's Injunction; but
how could the truth be kept from her?
This was the problem perpleNing him
as he rode back to the castle. For him
self only an infinite pity mingled with
the love which Was the naster-passion
of his life Cruel as had been the per-
verting of her own nature. so cruel had
been the causes which had led to it.
He held them. not her, responsible.
We DO not blame the mailman for his
acts We have compassion for his
madness.
SO Arllwright felt that Florence had
indeed been driven to the verge of mad
ness: but the mists had scattered from
her brain-the ice at her heart had
melted
With her reason had returned her wo-
manhood. He heard again her low
voiced utterance Of his name with her
last conscious breath, and barring his
head in the night air, he prayed that
her life might be spared, and that it
might be given to him to wipe out the
past in the future. which, by Gods
help should be Swallowed by no cloud.