Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-08-23

| of the tall tower CiIiI'ord looked II
| The ei9l Icy his side. and was anaz Il
10 soc iliat the gloom which had hung
over her on his arrival had melted
; away
Why. Nell" said he. with puzzled
smile on his own face. Il told YOU
tia; you would soon bc your own SIX
| again, but | didn't guess now quickly
/ the transformation would take place"
Iier face clocsled little. bu; the
SIGH she gave was one of more relief
than pain.
Can YOU imagine svhat it would be
| like" size asked, :r&vcly. rs they
turned and continued ihc!v walk down
the crooked village street. 10 live for
months in p@rp!eS.ly and dread Of
you didn't quite know what: And
then To find yourself cropping your way
| 10 Il dreadful. shameful secret. which
! was bound 10 bring misery ard dis
grace upon yourself and everybody
you cared aHout: Surprising that YOU
were forced Il confess every thing
forced To do i. mind woiildnt it he
relief 10 you. even ii yen brought
upon yourself = dreadful punish
III. ~
Clifford was silent. He was alarmed
ny her words. indicating rs they did
that she was involved in the horrible
story; yet he did not wish 10 acql;iescc
in the idea OF he. @dilt. or even in the
notion of her having, tc2n passive
agent i'll the tragedy.
Nell insisted. howcvcr. on getting
an answer from him.
Il think. darling. he then said.
very terdcrly. that you have been
troubling Yourself great deal more
than YOU need have dcEe. And that
you will find plenty of ether people as
ready as | am to say that Nell Ciaris
would never merit Il dreadful pun
ishment, even il she tried
These words were not said merely
to satisfy her He began 10 feel. IS
she did. that the tirashin= oft OF the
whole matter. horrible rs the process
must he. was better for her in every
way than the suspense from which
she had been 50 long suffering. What
ever her share III the affair might
have been. it had certainly been Il pas
sive and IN unwilling. if not an alto
gether unconscious one. His answer
seemed to content the girl. for she
walked on by his side without any
further remark. while more placid
expression began to appear in her
wan face.
II was almost in silence that they
went on walking bris!ly in the dircc-
ton of the bay, which they reached
by the short way over the fields. \
cab was waiting. as the police SER
geant had promised. On the road out
side the village. As soon as Nell saw
it she stopped short and said:
Il was forgetting what l wanted to
say 10 you. l want you TO go to
ShinSle End. And | want you TO tell
them thereto tell the Colonel that
the police have come for me-"
ITO tell the Coloncl:" echoed Cliff
ford. stupidity. struck with Il remem-
brancc of the vague suspicious he had
had on his recent visit 10 that gentle-
mans house.
Yes
He wanted TO ask her more qres,
tons. But she saw his intentions. and
walked briskly OH. y few PAGES
farther she was met Ivy the police SER
seant. who salu;ed her respectfully.
and held open the door of the cab.
Nell turned and gave her hand in ST
lence to Clifford But as he pressed it
for brief moment in his. she again
looked up in his face with the flicker
of 4 smile on her lips and il her eyes.
surely" thought nc to himself,
lit is hope. and not despair, which l
see in her eyes
The cab door was shut. aSld Clifford
who had a long walk before him.
walked brislily past it. in the direction
of the Stroan road. But before he had
gone many steps he heard the voice
of the police sergeant behind him.
Clifford stopped and the sergeant
overlook him.
Might l ask. sir. whether it's to
Colonel Bostal's you're soins:"
We'll, yes
might | suggest. sir that you
shouldn't say anything about Miss
Claris 10 the old gentleman and his
daughter for the present? The poor
lady and gentleman have been in
fearful state OF nervousness lately:
and if this news was tc come ON them
quite sudden. it nigh. bring ON
stroke, perhaps. or something of that
so4t."
Clifford hesitated. He had promised
Nell TO take her message. hut, on the
other hand, he quite agreed with the
sergeant. He temporiZed.
We'll, l shall be as careful as l
can, and l shan't be in any great
hurry
no Continued