The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1903-09-19
CHAPTER XIX.

1t was almost dark when they returned
to the Court.
'Your idea of the length of half an
hour must be singularly vague, Mr.. Hast
ings," smiled Lady Grace. "Surely you
have been further than the Farm?"
''Not even as far, Lady Grace" he re-
piled, with a glad smile; and then Wini-
fred being gone, he told her his story.
Il am very glad" she said, kindly. Il
could wish you nothing better than to
have such a wife as Winitred."
All obstacles surmounted, and the en-
gagement between them being ratified by
the consent of all parties, Mr. Hastings
would not hear Of any objection to the
marriage taking place Immediately.
Remember, darling" he said, when
Winifred would have urged him to wait,
Il have loved you for more than two
years. Having made me so miserable,
surely you owe it to me to lose no time
in atoning for It. Pray get that horri
BILE trousseau business over with all
speed, or l shall think you do not love
me cas- love you"
Sir Howard was delighted when he was
apprised of the intended marriage, and
insisted that Winifred should be married
from Hurst Manor. She had fancy for
being married in the little church where
she had so often sat when she was only
a farmers daughter. She was not the
simple little country girl now, but an ele-
CANT young lady, accustomed to luxury
and good society. Enrol would have liked
much better that she should come to him
portionless, but that was not to be as he
desired.
Sir Howard Champion gave her twenty
thousand pounds, and Sir Clayton ten
thousand, while Lady Grace provided her
with a magnificent trousseau. Mr.. Hast
ings had the family diamonds reset and
remounted for her, and would have had
her wear some of them at least at the
wedding.
"Please not, Errol," she pleaded. Il do
not like all this grandeur. | would rath-
er not forget that my early life was sim
pie"
Mrs. Clayton was of course to have
been at the wedding She was looking
forward to it, glad at heart at the part
she had taken in bringing together two
people who cared for each other. Three
weeks before the day fixed she received
| a letter with a foreign postmark.
"Who can it be from?' she said, turn
| ing it over in her hand, and speaking to
| Winifrcd. 81 do not know the hand; it
seems grabbed and foreign, and has been
forwarded from London. 1t is addressed
to Milady Clayton, too!' And Fee con-
tinued to look at it without, however,
breaking the seal. "Who can it be
from?" she said again.
"If you open it you will soon see, dear,
Winifred replied laughing.
81 don't quite like to do it" Mrs. Clay
ton remarked presently. Il suppose it is
because | am nervous and unweil; but
always feel as if every letter received
contained bad news. Will you open il
for meT'
Aud she tossed it across the table.
"Of course | will. What a scrawl!
And Miss Eyre proceeded to tear the en-
yelope. 81 should imagine it contained
some mysterious secret, from the way Il
is gummed together. l must take knife
and slit it open from the side"
With some trouble she got at the con
tents-a dirty scrap of foreign paper
with few grabbed heroglyphics, and be
gan to read aloud:
"Milady and honored excelency-l a
tie profonde regrette to annOnce to yO'
dat tie Milor Clayton-monsieur yor hus
band av bin took wild de horrible maladi
of cholera an want to see you. av sen
for the principal docteur an am at 20
orders. GODEthol LUilN.
A horror seized upon Mrs. Clayton. Sh
had never loved her husband; lately sh
had hated him; but the idea of his beln
ill alone among strangers brought IN
tears to her eyes.
80, Winifredr' she exclaimed to he
friend, in whose face she read consterna
ton, ~ must go to him at once.
"You cannot, Fee; weak as you are
would be madness. The address is som
obscure village in Switzerland. Let u
go and ask Sir Clayton what had best b
) DONE"
, "Who do you suppose this letter to b
; written by?" Sir Clayton asked, when b
: had read the curious missive.
; 81 cannot tell. Perhaps the hotel keeI
err"