The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1900-03-08

tlXed upon certain spot OF the rocky
Eath, VIII ch passed near by. "FOr here
/ saw for the last time one whom / shall
never SEC again till the sea gives up her
dead Over there-therc, mamma, our
hands touched each othe: for one lite
moment-l feel the clasp upon this poor
wasted hand yet And here. where we
sit alone, | St0O when | met his eyes
for the last time-ior the last tim"
Her low. sweet tones broke. and sank
into silence.
Lady Inchrapc watched her with
ycarning gaze.
YES, Clva, we lost true friend when
Captain Edgar died: truer, Goa never
made" she sighed. while her heart
swcllcd with unforgottGn grief.
She would not tread closer 10 the
sacred ground of Twas hopeless love.
for by no spoken word had the maiden
ever confcSSci her secret: though her
long illness, fol owed by this settled
apathy of grief, had long convinced
Lady lnchcapc that Twas heart was
buried with the dead
Heavy j. deed had been my lady'S Sor-
row for the brave man who had taught
her how to hope: but she saw with ter
rOr and Sc!f-reprOach that Twas was
heavier yet. and wnuld last her life long.
In the silence which fc.l between
them, the sound of heavy steps hurry
ing up from the shore reused them: anu
both ladies ealed wish wondering eyes
at Kenmore. as he Gurst into their pres
cncc. then stopped stock still lingering
his blue bonnet, which he had Snatched
from his head, and "glowcring' (aS he
himself would have said At his lady.
strangely.
"Wcll, Kenmore" said Lady lnchcaDe.
"you wished to find us, did you note
What is it? Why. how bcwildcred YOU
look. Kenmore-what is the matt"r?':
She rose quickly, drawing Ilva with
her: with arms twined round each other
the two beautiful women stood wonder
ing: but Kenmore seemed 10 iind il ara
10 speak. .
How changed the stern old face was.
how the keen eyes blazed. how pallid the
brown cheek. And why should he gaze
at Lady Inchcapc with that wild look?
Speak. Kenmore cried my lady. 81
sudden panic, there is more SORROW,
some one else that We love--Oh Ken,
III
shrieked, swoopng forward 10 him.
Ma, ma, Leddy Inchcape God forbid =,
at last he found voice 10 say, very
broken voice, and accompanied by u
very eXulting smile: its no Ill news.
me Teddy: it's the bOnnicSt ncwS-lt s.
och, ] Gamma wait TO brak IL Sma: he s
here himself and the words came out
with roar OF irrcprcsSible JOY, and the
old Highlander threw up his bonnet IN
the air and laughed aloud.
Strange! the same wild rapture trans
figured the wan faces Of mother and
daughter, the same question burst from
them simultaneously:
ale is here Whu"'
An wha but oOr ain Lord lnChcapc.
come 10 his ain true leddy?' cried Ken
more; and with the words my lord :
majestic figure strobe into the middle OF.
the group, hands OutStrctched TO Lady,
lnchcapc, proud face pa q and hescech-,
ing, and SOmber eyes fiery with passion.
atr love.
.My true wife, he began, but she did
not wait to hear his pleadingS. her eyes
met his in one wild, questioning look,
and she was in his arms with such Il
strange. heart-picrcing cry.
All. poor wife.
They were alone, and seated hand in
hand, still in Twas dell: for both the
witnesses of their meeting had vanished
at once, Kenmore wiping his eyes on his
bonnet, and Ulva strangely torn by con
tlicting grief and gladncSS.
Forgive her. for she had believed for
one unutterabiy blessed moment that
Edgar was alive and had come back to
her,
She soon laid this pang along with ths
sorrow in her heart: and then She coul,.
rejoice with her beloved step mOther
with all deeply generous soul
This, then, had been the sorrow which
blightcd her lifc-a misunderstanding
between her and her husband
All, how could he have Coubtci her.
Lord Inchcape and his restored wife
cou d not feast their eyes too much upon
each Others long unseen faces.
"Ah, how you have suffered muir,
INJURED Lady EnCc,onde. in her sweetest
tones. and she Smoothed, with her small.
thin. burning hand, the deep lines craven
upon the forehead which she had last
seen as smooth aS her own.
But you--but you, my Engrtondc oh
Heaven. have | come too latc?" cxclaim-i
ed Lord Inchcapc in gathering dismay;.
!"are yOu dying, my wire? dying just;
when | have awakened from my fatal
delusiOn.-iust when we might BE- happy
again."
lie gathered the shadow form Of his
in Di,rcd adv close IN his strongly beating.
breast: he scanned with infinite pity aud.
anguish each trace Of the grief which:
was consuming her: he lifted her trans
parent hand, with the fever-rose burning
in the palm to examine it closely: and.
then he strained her TO his hungry heart,
with Il pa Sionatc cry Of rebellion.
II will not give her now. cannot
said he: and then his kisses fell like rain