The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1901-03-23
oGntains silenced, the flowers dad,

fountains silenced, the flowers l,ood,
1ne nail door swung open noiselessly
, - itsseiFe MIN strange servant eyed
mn = .s aa1lnlously; he crossed the thresh-
old q y. his home without a word Of vel
come, ana found himself, like strang-
Miss Give. Az - : - { g E -
Everything was in perfect order; no
W VIZ e'9l OF the well organized household
system seemed disarranged BY the
sroppase OF the master hand; yet there
. vas . strange hush, an unnatural re-
preston, over the whole house that on
oned air. "a - 81 49, 49,
He entered the drawing room. #and in
ms !, mothers ebony rocking chair. BY
ne marble hearth, q woman sat busy
WIN @her knlttlng-a pale, slender wo-
man, VINO rose to meet him with a
certain still, crafty triumph in glance,
and manner and tone. -
1ou are late, indeed" she said, with
sign, and, lifting her black-bor-
dered handkerchief to her eyes, s.and
you come to sorrowing home Her.
bert, poor boyv' ;. -
asked the young man, in a husky voice.
Whlle his spirit rose at the unusual ia
mlllarity of the housekeeper's address.
Where is Miss .Fannie?''
Dear FANNIE is in her room," an.
sWered Mrs. Wyllis, in her lowest
tone. Indeed, she seldom leaves it.
She Is much broken-sadly broken!
You would scarcely know her now.
Your poor father
HAS her health failed?' interrupted
Herbert, who felt an indescribable OBJ
lection to hearing the details of his
1athers death from this woman's lips.
Where is she? IL must see her a.
oncen' +
The white eyelashes were lifted for
one moment, and the steel-gray eyes
were fixed upon the speaker with a
glance, half of pity, half of scorn, as
he thus quietly assumed the masters
tone.
There were some matters of which
wished to speak" she began.
(which | can hear at some other
time," interrupted Herbert, haughtily.
MY present duty is first to my sister
my poor, broken-spirited darling.
After that am ready to discuss any
household arrangements you desire to
mention. -
"He lords it grandly," nurmured
Mrs. Wyllis to herself, with her still
smile, as Herbert left the room. 'Ah,
yes! very grandly, with his must and
SHALL But I will tame him, too
tame him, even as I tanned his proud,
strong father. The honor of the
Clives-the Clives!-ha, ha! it is my
trump card-the honor of the Gives!
hold it in my grasp-aye hold them
in my power. Their dead fathers
name must be kept sacred-their dead
fathers honor unstained! Even as that
dead father sinned and suffered for
them, so must they sin and suffer for
him. All, yes, yes! it is double game,
that works charmingly. And II, Re.
becca Wyllis, the charity child, whom
they all thought too stupid to notice,
too blind to see-I sit in the mistress
velvet chair and hold the stakesr'
She tapped her breast, while a tri-
umphant light glittered in her white
eyes, and then, folding her mittened
hands, she bent her head and gazed
steadfastly into the fire. esq.,. .
Up stairs in Fannie's little boudoir,
brother and sister sat, clasped heart to
heart. -ts% %
The first few moments Of that meet
ing We're too full of emotion for words.
With one glad cry of mingled joy and
sorrow, Fannie sprang into her broth
er's arms, and sobbed out her pent-up
anguish on his breast. For one mo-
n,ent Herbert held her pressed to his
heart, well-nigh bursting with it's
weight of grief.
All, she was changed-sadly changed.
Even in the uncertain light he could
see how delicate was the face, erst
round and rosy as laughing Hebe's-
how hollow the once sunny laughing
eyes-how frail the graceful form!
'Fannie, Fannie, my poor little SIS
ter! you have suffered much, and alone
all alonev'
Cali alone" she repeated, sadly. Oh,
Herbert, you know not how much
alone! If you had not come soon, dear,
would have died-died broken-heart-
ed! Alas, alas! the prophecy was true
the old woman's prophecy was true!
The very day she spoke, sorrow came
upon me-scrrow and"-she bowed her
head on Herbert's breast, and whis-
pered the word-"disgrace"
What do you mean?" he exclaimed,
starting. "Fannie-sister, what word
is that to come from lips like yours ?"
"Have you not heard?" she muir
INJURED, casting an affrighted glance
around her. ooh, brother, brother,
such cruel whispers, such cruel ru-
mors! I could bear all, all' she
sobbed out, ''if they would let poor
papa rest in his grave but evil tongues
have followed him even therey1
what do they say?' asked Herbert,
,fercely. II am here now to defend
my fathers memory, and, by Heaven,
/ will do it! Who dares to cast slur
upon the name of Robert Clive?"
''Hush, hushw Fannie whispered.
sDo not speak so. IL cannot tell you
how or whence the rumors came but
they say papa had no right to Give
Towers; that he held it only by-by-
oh, how can speak the word Of my
own papa?-by fraud! And She
Fannie shuddered as she spoke "she
seems to know. She has limited that
she knew what, for our sakes, she
would not revealw s2 ~ 5E
"She?"r# repeated Herbert, angrily.
s'Whe-----that old cat doing 10y. the fire
old Willis, whom I have always de-
spised? Has she had her claws upon
you, my poor little pet? Has she dared
to torture you by her lying whispers
By heaven I will wiring her secret, if