The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-08-06

Size bent UNIE hIt! and Ie"+i~.
NV beloved daughter tcTbtica
t;,andotl. hith%r:3 known - Fer&niIa
Gi Lyutha,
she cried out Is She read tie words.
Il seemed TO ter AZ though Heaven
itself had cleared her.
Those are the words that the wo-
man did not read" he said" They
are clear TO me. The moment my eyes
fell upon them | understood it all. J
know. just as well as if you told me,
that Sir Jasper married your mother
long years ago-in Venice. | should
imagine-and that she died quite
Young. leaving YOU. Why he gave YOU
up cannot even imaginC-perhaps you
will tell me: but il seems 10 me tnd'
he kept the fact OF his marriage pro-
found Secret-why cannot say.
Then" he continued. i believe tnat
on his deaf ath-bed he gave you this Will.
leaving. Is was right, his estates 10
YOU. his eldest daughter, and that you,
in vo,r noble generosity, your great
self-sacritice. rather than dlSlnherlt
vour sister. burned the will and never
mentioned it. Is it so?'
Il cannot answer you,: she said. i
will tell YOU why. took an oath OF
silence with my hands upon my dead
fathers heart" Then she stopped
with a cry of dismay. She had be-
trayed herself. .
He was your father then," said Sir
Marc. Il knew it, He took her
hands in his. "Sweetheart," he sac,
My life has been curse to me since
l lost YOU. Forgive me-torgive my
absurd folly, my miserable suspicion,
nv unjust thoughts, Give me the
great treasure OF your loye again and l
will promise On my part the most m
vio,able secrecy-1 will never betray
the secret Of your birth or the secret
fof the will. | do not deserve such
pardon, but
The answer was certainly not given
! in words. There was silence in the
room after that-silence full OF happl-
ness. How long had it lasted? Eeron-
ica started in alarm. Lady Bran
don was standing near her with a most
alarmed expression on her face.
Ny dear Veronica" she was say
inc. "where are you? Who is this with
you?"
Veronica raised her happy, tear-Staln-
ed face, saying
LADY Brandon. this is Sir Mare. He
has come back. and We are 1rlendS
I'VE are more than friends. Lady
Brandon" broke in Sir Mare; 'We are
lovers-and l hope we shall soon be
husband and wife"
Then Lady Brandon went to seek
for Katherine: and while she was gone
Veronica turned to her lover, saying,
Marc, swear to me that you Will
never utter single word to Lady
Brandon about the will-that you Will
never betray to her your knowledge OF
my BIRTH"
He promised: and that was the only
secret Veronica kept from him. he
did not know that Lady Brandon ever
heard either Of the marriage or OF the
will. :. :, -,
"IkneW it must be So" said the
young heireSS, as she Stooo noIolng Oh
each. You have wasted four months
in lovers quarrel that has nearly
killed Veronica. and now you have
made it up again. Mama, their wed
ding must be on the same Gay dS OulS,
and we will take Veronica to France
until she grows quite strong again.
And it was all carried out as she
proposed.
>'What are those bells Ginning,
Veronica?" asked her lover as they
walked down the broad corridor TO-
gether. What is it? The music
seems quite familiar to me-"
They stood for few moments watch
ing the moon shining on the snow, and
listening to the grand hosannas OF the
winter wind as it swept over the woods.
Then she turned to him and answer
ed
1T is the oldest and sweetest music
that the earth knowS-'On earth peace,
good will toward men,
THE END.