Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1902-02-11


bat Nora only waited in silence. sitting
very sill, and wondering why her heart
beat SO hurriedy.
DIR Nuel Armstrong knew that Miss
Giffard had risen more than once in her
sleep, and quietly and correctly minis
tered to the sick lady who seemed-wak
ing and sleeping to be in her care; but
he chose TO withhold his knowledge OF
this fact at the time when il would have
left Arthur PosIiz free from suspicion.
He and my uncle We're cousins, so claim
kind of cousinship, too. OF course, our
name is the same. Had | not inherited
the title, too, until he returned to re-
ceive it from me-his just due? Do you
wonder, Nora, as | did, why DR.. Arm
strong should have suppressed this prob
able solution Of the mystery of Mrs. Says
death, and let the vile suspicion of muir
der hurry her young heir to the grave
rs he thought? | can tell you now why
i was. For some time a very beautiful
Irish girl had been visiting an old friend
of her mothers at the Heaton Vicarage,
and Nuel Armstrong had chosen to fancy
this girl for his wife. But Arthur Poynz
had learned by this time to love her for
something even beyond her beauty-her
rare and exquisite beauty" repeated
Mark, laughing a little as he watched
the color rise in Nora's checks under his
eteadfast gaze-"and so one day they
were quietly married by the vicar, aud
she stayed on and on, and seemed to for
get her Irish home. That was little won
der" continued Mark, warmly, ''consid-
ering what a home it was; yet | have
since then known a girl who could think
lovingly and tenderly even of such home
as that At the time Of Mrs. Says death.
when Mel Armstrong so promptly laid
suspicion on Mrs. Says heir his Jealousy
had reached its climax, for he had been
told by the vicar himself Of The marriage.
You-you Of all people, Nora-can under
stand how little any conscientious scru-
pie would stay Nue Armstrong in his
Jealousy and revenge; for he was as pitt
less and IS selfish nineteen years ago, in
his pursuit Of your mother, as he has
been in these later years"
My mothcrT"
Nora uttered the words very softly
with her fingers locked, and her eyes
wide and wistful. She had no thought
for Nuel Armstrong She had almost lost
the story Mark had been telling her, in
the new, delicious pain Of hearing her
mothers name at last
Yes, mother, sweet" Mark answered,
very gently. The beautiful girl who
cane alone to Heaton, and was left here
Cor so many months, unsummoned by her
cold and selfish father, was your mother;
ond-and, Nora dearest, the young mas
ter OF this old house who has lain so
long, and so unjustly. under the shadow
of a great crime. is your father. My
darlingr' he cried, taking her hands in his
as she rose to her feet, don't look so
awed and bewildered. 1t will all seem
natural to you very soon-when you have
seen him. lie only thought it would be
best for me 20 prepare You. All that Nuel
Armstrong told YOU of your father was
a lie; coined 10 serve his own selfish pur-
poses aud all the more & lie because it
touched the truth. Dear he never had 3
clew to your fathers hiding place; he
never traced him, and brought a letter
from hm-as you betrayed in your al
ness that he had said he had-and your
father thought much more of keeping
hidden from him than from anyone who
bore his own title. Hou understand that
now, don't you. dearest: And presently
you viii understand how, TO crafty both
his passionate admiration for your beauty
and his cold and long-nursed revenge
against Your father, he strove with ali
his power TO win your hand. There, we
may let him rest. lie has his wife with
him ncW-po0r girl, poor girl
"And-my motherE' whispered Nora,
not knowing what she asked, only long
ing TO hear something Of her.
"Your mother. dear" put in Miss Gift
lard, with a gentle kiss upon the girls
wistful face, was my dear friend,
though scarcely ever could leave this
house to see her. or ask her to come here.
You are so like her, Nora, that it was no
wonder my heart Went out to you that
irst day Mark brought you TO my cot
tage. when, | feel sure now, he had
guessed a little of our story, and wished
10 see il | recognized your name. Nora,
dear" she went on, her voice sinking
lower. lit was not long after his escape
that-she died. And then she sent her
baby girl at once to her father, Col. st.
George, in ireland. 1t was Rachael Corr
who took you. and 1 believe your grand
father made her take an oath not 10 d.
vulgc the secret of your parentage,
threatening afterward. when she had
married Corr, that h would turn her
from his hc.ISe as soon as ever he heard
of her doing so.
81 understand, faltered Nora. re-
calling one. other day when she had ex-
peeted to meet her unknown father, May
go to him.
Gle is here, Nora. said Mark, strok
Ing he's hair gently as ne spoke. Are
YOU rested now. my own dear love? All.
YOU cannot silence me any longer / am
breaking no promise. If l spent every
moment Of every hour in telling You how
] love you land ! very easily and pleas
anily could. and il l ceaselessly rchearS-
ed oar marriage topic, sweet, | should
still break no promise now. for ! ana not
Lord Kestou- only plain Mark Poynz
Now we will Nora. darling. see,
There is the real Lord Hoston."
Trembling SO strangely aud pitfuny
shag her hand went helplesSly out seeking
n support. Nora stood with her eyes fixed
upon her father, Bach moment BE-
b,eoyh Quiokened. her eyes dila,ed. aau
hea fingers grew tight and conyulsive in
thtjr tension Still she made no step for
ward 20 meet him. and no cali upon his
name passed her white. parted lips. Ce-
iia, with all her ready sympathy, could
understand, nothing Of this intense and
painful emotion; but yet, in an uucom-
pretended sorrow, she turned her face
.away, because she could not stop her
Gears. Marx, standing apart aat resist
inc bravely his almost uucontrollauie
impulse 10 put his strong, sustaining
arm around the trembling figure. turned
aVey, toO. az last, his chest heayjng. and
1he girl never stirred: only now one hand
was lifted and pressed upon her heart.
rs !. It's thr0bbing had grown insupport-
able. With a troubled. torturing intent
mess she read her fathers face rs he
cSne up 20 heg, her own growing whittier
and whittier the while. ana her eyes slowly
lSrAeaing with a look which they had
newer known before. She was reading
rn Tho nDnfravsa f~,,te "a, rh.. - -