Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-06-23
CHAPTER VII.-(Continued.)

like a betaten spaniel, went quickly ol
Enrol returned to his writing table, al
commenced a letter to Winifred Ely
He had served her now; would she
more disposed to look leniently Oh
offense, and let her love conquer her Wo
anly pride. 81 will at least make the tr
before l CO." he said to himself, and tn
he took up his pen and wrote thus:
81 inclose you a note, Miss Eyre, frd
the man Fenner. You will see by II
that he engages to discontinue his
noyance of you, and to leave you for
future free and unmolested. And nc
before 1 leave England on my long
age, l pray Of you to hear the appeal
my heart to yours. Winifred, love
with all my soul, with the truest, de-
est strength of which passion is capaf
and l come to you to decide my futuH
My happiness, my misery, are in "
hands. 1t is for you to seal my peri
bliss by consenting to become my cherl
ed wife, or to punish fault born of 10
and to condemn ME to lifelong sorro
by driving me away from the sunshine
your presence. Do not decide hastily.
shall not leave this for a week, and
your answer is what 1 scarcely dare
hope it will be, l shall not leave at
you CduuOI uuu II III yOaL SChIlCJ "OAA
aniy heart to forgive me, I shall go ou2
into the world and seek to forget the Oh
woman in the world l ever really lovedy
When Winifred broke the seal, and read
Errors letter, her first emotion was one
of intense relief. Then, reading the avow-
al of Errols love, for a moment her heart
relented to him, and sad, fond recollec-
ton of the handsome hero of her past
hi do fhn fnor CfQ Q~f
eyes. Then her quick pride came to the
rescue-she tore the letter to atoms and
threw them from her. 81 will never for
give him-never" she cried, passionately;
and then she thought what that letter
would have been to her if it had come a
few days sooner.
1t wanted but one day to the compile
ton of the week, when Arthur LIE Mar
chant rushed into Errol's room.
MY dear Errol," he exclaimed, what
Is this l hear about your leaving the
Court? 1t surely is not true!'
my dear fellow" said Enrol gently,
ST cannot teliwhether i am going or not.
You shall know tomorrow. 1 am wait
ing for my verdict, and if it is adverse to
me 1 shall go away, and try to forget my
trouble"
Two days after Enrol said to LIE Mar
chant:
Its all over, and I'm going. Don't
ask me any questions, old fellow-I'm
hard hit"
Before Mr.. Hastings left the Court he
made his friend promise to play host
there in the shooting season during his
absence; and on the last day of August
he was standing on the deck of his beau
tiful yacht Oenone looking down into the
blue waters of the Mediterranean. His
thoughts were full of tenderness to the
woman who had scorned him.
"She is right" he said, 'but l think, If
she had known how 1 loved her, she
would have found it in her heart to for
give me-"
A fortnight later Lady Grace Farquhar,
by dint of subtle diplomacy, managed to
secure what she had for some time past
set her heart upon, and that was to prac-
tically adopt Winifred Eyre as her pro-
tege, if not as a daughter. She was very
anxious that Winifred should have an
opportunity of being introduced to So
ciety and the coming shooting season at
Sir Claxton's estate. Endon Vale seemed
to afford Lady Grace the opportunity.
Among those who would be present for
the shooting, her nephew, Lord Harold
Erskine, who was quite taken with Flora
Champion and whom she knew that
young lady, in default of becoming Mrs.
Hastings, would only too gladly accept.
With this trump card in her hand, Lady
Grace accepted a dinner invitation at
Hurst Manor, the home of the Cham
pions, and while there delicately, yet
plainly insinuated to Sir Howard and to
Mrs. Champion that unless Mrs. Cham
pion and Flora would drive with her to
Mr.. Eyre's farna and second her invita-
ton to Winifred to come to Endon Vale
there would be no invitation for Miss
Champion. Moreover, Flora would have
to bind herself to treat her cousin with
at least ordinary courtesy during their
stay in the same house.
Sir Howard acceded readily enough to
this arrangement as long as he was not
obliged to speak to his granddaughter,
whom he had never spoken to Or even
seen in his life or in any way to recog-
nize her father. 1t was a bitter pill for
Mrs. Champion and Flora to swallow, but
the thought that if Flora did not 60 to
Endon Vale, Sir Harold Erskine might
possibly fall in love and propose to Wini-
fred, obliged them to give grudging con-
sent.
The young girl was gathering roses in
the garden as the carriage from ths
Manor drove up the road.> She turned
away to the house. She could not bear
the contemptuous, looks the Champions
cast on her as they went by. But then
she heard the carriage stop, and she look
ed back in surprise. The footman was
letting down the steps, and Mrs. Cham
pion was descending, followed by Lady
Grace Farquhar. What could it mean?
The blood rushed to her face, and for a
moment she hesitated. Then she went
forward.
"You did not expect visitors SO early,
my dear?'' said Lady Grace, kissing her.
Mrs. Champion has come to call upon
you"
Mrs. Champion came forward and
shook hands with her, and uttered a few
polite commonplaces, which put Wini-
fred at her ease. She had great deal
too much tact to allude to the past-in-
deed, she behaved precisely as though she
and Winifred saw and heard Of each
other for the first time.