The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1903-03-20

leave France Immediately. and had |
no time to write"
"But YOU have had SINCE"
"Perhaps l preferred not TO-" al- /
though Toe glow In her eyes showed |
plainly what rogue Cupid had done for
both. "But how did you find out our
uddress|
Heaven knows" replied Edward |
feryently. except that the whole world
Is too small to hide you m l searched
and roamed Paris, through and
through. but valnly. Nor could any
one enllghten me at the stations, from
the last Of which / was turning hope
lessly away when q porter. sllutlng,
asked me was the gentleman short,
with n broken nose, and the lady dark,
slim and beautiful. The most beautl-
ful on earth, said l. giving him a SOW
ereign. Well, then, such a couple had
taken train, bound for Hampshire, as
he saw by the labels on their baggage.
but to which part he was not able to
say. Neither was l. Yet a slighter
clue would have been sufficient, and
TO spare; and here l am, after endless
trouble"
"Now you are here, however. what
do you propose"
Propose" he repeated, seriously.
ada, there'is only one proposal that
has any significance for me. l have
begged and prayed you to make me
happy; again I beseech you, humbly,
imploringly to whisper the word | so
crave to hear. It is a very small one
and easy to say, yet how long always
In coming! Ada-darling-haye pity"
"Oh, have, l havew she exclaimed,
with a bitter Sob and escaping from
his embrace; "but think of the veil of
mystery surrounding my birth. You
know that the name l bear is not my
own, that the man l call father has no
right to the title He has ever been
gentle and tender with me, it is true,
and often stinted himself to satisfy
my desires; but he is infexible as 10
who / really am Sometimes l seem
to recall a different life in my child
| hood; yet after a certain period my
memory Is a blank, and l can never
remember where or low I was situated
before Mr.. Hocllin claimed me as his
daughter"
Il care not rap what you may
be, loving you as l dow cried Edward,
stoutly. "A lady you are, and always
will be. The name matters nothing.
Mine can soon alter that if you win
but consent, and then let who dare
breathe q syllable against my wifer'
mo-" she said sadly, shaking her
head, at cannot be; for I myself should
know and grieye, and a solTowing
bride is worse than no bride. l caE
say no more. You had better 60"
by all that's precious, not 4 yardw
declared Edward emphatically. But
where is Mr.. Hocklin, Ada?"
"Iie is here" announced that gem
tlenan, who had been listening on the
mat a considerable while, and who now
quietly faced them. "Am l wanted?
"Indeed you are, Sir" replied Ed
wIrd, sridlng forward threateningly.
81 demand to be told the identity of
this lady, at once, and fully. Should
you decline"
ada" interrupted Hocklin with
pome emotion and completely ignoring
Edward, 81 have intentionally over
heard much Of what has just passed
between you two-not from any mo-
} tive Of distrust, or mere curiosity. but
for your own benefit Ny poor child,
little did 1 dream that you imagined
yourself to be without a name. But
that such is happily not the case, these
documents, which can be examined
presently, will clearly demonstrate
They establish beyond question Oh
doubt your birthright. Also how 1 be.
came acquainted with you, and that
instead of carrying out the gruesome
orders given to me, adopted you as
my daughter, because 1 had learned tC
love you deeply, though not, perhaps
in the way Mr.. Edward Farrell does
very excellent young fellow, blythe
bye, but with a touchy temper and M
uncivil tongue.
"The paper in the blue envelope is
the statement of a charming baronet
acknowledging and confessing his
manifold sins and wickedness. The
little affair it refers to he did all by
himself before l came on the scene, ai
you will perceive. What he does no
refer to, however, is that he made al
important appointment with me, whicl
expired yesterday, and which, for som,
unaccountable reason, he failed t
keep. At the time I guaranteed him {
| Nod sl1r1n1.isn IL 10 r,.nc not thnrn nna