The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-08-06
A GILDED SIN
BY CHARLOTTE N. BREAMB.
CHAPTER MI.


toward men," The music came peal
ing over the snow, stirring mems
hearts with the warmth OF love; II
was such Christmas as had not been
seen for years, so bright, so clear. SO
frosty. The country people salo
strange things must happen, for the
holly was so full of berries.
Queens Chace was unusually gay.
Outside in the deep woods the snow
lay thick and white, the erergreens
stood out like huge Sentinels, the daln-
ty laurel leaves held little nests OF
snow, the FIR raised its head with a
stately air, for King Christmas never
came in without it. The world was so
fair and 50 bright: great icicles hung
like huge diamonds from the trees and
the hedges.
Lord Alton had arrived, and was so
engrossed with his fair young love that
Lady Brandon had ceased to expect
ANYTHING from him. He had been,
like every one else, alarmed when he
saw Veronica. Her pale, Shadowy
loveliness had startled him, and many
of the whispered words between
Katherine and himself were about her:
On that Christmas night she looked
more fragile and more beautiful than
ever. By Lady Brandon'S desire she
wore a dress Of costly black velvet,
with suite Of superb rubieS: but the
white rounded arms had grown thin,
and there was a shadow over her beau
ty. She was sitting watching kathe-
rine's bright face, flushed into greater
brightness by her lovers words, when
ava of tho %oS+poor cor>inr IN her q id
in a mysterious undertOne-
You are wanted, Miss di Cynthia. ;"
"Wanted?" she repeated. Where:
Who wants me?"
~ cannot say, miSS-some one who
has message for you: some one VINO IS
waiting for you in the library"
Veronica had some poor pensioners
to whom on this Christmas-day she
had been most liberal; it was one OF
those come to thank her, no doubt.
It was not a nice time to choose; and
she wondered just a little why the SER
wants should show such a one into the
library.
She rose and quilted the room: as
she passed through the broad corridor
she stopped for a moment and looked
through the windows at the lovely
Christmas night-at the moon SHIN
ing on the white snow, and the Sha-
dows Of the great sWaying boughs. IN
the faint far distance she heard the
bells of Hurstwood church. Peace
on earth" they were Ginning good
will toward men," Then she remem--
bered the poor pensioCer waiting, and
went on to the library.
She was surprised to find the room
badly lighted. There was ruody
glow of freight, and one lamp was
burning dimly: but it was a large, long
room. and the other half of it was full
of soft dark shadows. She entered
and stood for some minutes in silent
expectation; there was no sound, no
movement, and she never glanced 10
where the soft dark shadows lay: Ine
red freight fell full upon her fragile
beauty, on the slender figure and the
white wasted arms, on the beautiful, ,
passionate, restless face and the rubles
that cleaned on her white throat.
Presently from where the dark soft
shadows lay came sigh. She looked
:'Who is that?" she demanded. rs
any one here-any one who wants to
see me?"
Then she stopped abruptly and stood
rooted to the ground, a low cry on her
lips and a pain as bitter as death IN her
hear-surely figure she knew was
coming to her from out Of the soft dark
shadows. She held up her hands as
though TO ward Off an evil presence, and
then they fell by her side as she utter
ed q low. passionate cry.
It was he-She had made no mistake,
it was Marc Caryll, the man she loved
better than her life, the man whose
stern decision was killing her. They
stood in the red glow Of the freight
looking at each other. but she saw
there was no SternneSs in his face now,
nothing but passionate love, passionate
pity, and binding tears.
my darling, my beautiful sweet,
heart, have l been the cause of thls?'
he said, touching the wasted arms.
Have I been the cause OF this, Se-
ronica?"
II thought l was never to see you
again" she said family. Are you sor-
~ that you were quite so hard? Have
you come to tell me so:"
Her words seemed to recall him to
himself.
'I have come to tell you that l was
a amadman-a blind madman.' he cried.
Il hate myself so utterly for my folly,
Veronica, My darling. my noble, gem
erous darling, know why you burned
the will"
She clasped her hands with a murmur-
ed word he did not hear.
I know why it was, and blame
myself for my great folly, he con-
tinued. Il ought to have understood-I
ought to have known that you were in
capable Of anything wicked. l deserve
to lose you for not having understood
you better
She raised her face to his.
"You cannot know why destroyed
It." she said. Even the wicked woman
who saw me burn it did not know the
reason
''She did not, but I do! Are YOU sur
prised? Veronica, see what this has
told me-
He came near her, and taking a
paper from his pocket, UnfOlded 1t: and
then she saw the charred fragments OF
the will. Look on this side first. he
said. Here are the words-'Last will
and testament Of S II Jasper Brandon.
The woman read those.
She looked at them with some curl
ositv, the words that had cost her so
dear. Then Sir Marc opened the parch-
ment.
"Now look he said, at what is
written here