Middletown transcript., 1905-02-25
=. The Mystery Of Lady Verriksr :.
BY VIOLET M. FLINN


SO much money as you think y
"Why should spend my money upon
place that does not belong to me !" she
retorted, and he looked as astonished
as if mouse had suddenly become a lion.
81 am free agent, Mr.. Hull, and it does
not matter to any one how | spend IT p
He muttered an unwilling apology, but
she had relapsed into her customary meek
manner again.
81 suppose you know that Sir Reginald
has sailed?' he asked suddenly. She
started violently. "He cabled to me
from New York to say that he was leav-
ing last Saturday, SO he will be here
yes, probably on Monday. I am afraid
that his new possessions will be rather
disappointment to him. but of course
YOU cannot be blamed foi that. Why,
what is the matter ?'-for Lady Verriker
had stared at him with wild terrified
eyes, and then had slipped quietly off
her chair in faint.
rushed to her assistance and the clerk
went for some water. Mr.. Hull, to do
him justice, seemed to be very concerned
at what had happened.
"Dear me, dear mep' he said fussily.
"Who would have expected her to faint
after the way she has been fighting all
the morning? She is really a most ex-
traordinary woman," he continued, evil
IDENTIFY talking to himself and with very
little thought of me. 81 can't make her
out at all What on earth is she doing
with her money? She's as bad as ever
Sir Jasper was There, there, you're
better now, my lady ?"
Her faded eyes opened and she gazed
round almost in bewilderment.
'T-Pm very sorry, Jasper" she began
feebIy, holding out her arm as though
to shield herself. I-I-" And
then she seemed to remember where she
was and who were with her. She looked at
me piteously, and, moved by some sud-
den unaccountable instinct, l threw my
arms around her small shrinking form
and kissed her thin white cheek.
"You tainted, dear Lady Verriker," l
said. Don't you remember? ?"
"Yes-it-it was the heat. l am all
right now"-and she rose to her feet
''There-there is some luncheon for Mr..
Hull. Would you mind seeing if it is
ready ?"
assented at once but at that moment
Anne made her appearance with glass
of water.
"Her ladyship fainted?" she said
ungraciously. "You'd better 60 and lie
down, lady" And then l heard her
mutter under her breath, "Upsetting
everybody like this p
I looked at her Indignantly, and put
my arm round Lady We riker.
''Let me take you to your room," l
said. "Anne can look after Mr.. Hull"
She was too feeble to protest, and we
went slowly upstairs. She was shaking
in every limb, and now and again heard
her catch her breath i'm a sob that made
me think that she was about to succumb
to an attack of Mysteries. Nor was l
wrong, for the instant that she got inside
her own room she broke into SO violent
fit of crying and sobbing and with such
a despairing cadence in the sound that
l exhausted all my sympathy and ten
derness upon her. | closed the door, for
shs seemed to be dreadfully afraid lest
any one should hear her, and persuaded
her to lie on the couch while l knelt
beside her and soothed her as
best | could. | had never seen any
one cry with such heartbroken hopeless
ness as she did during those few minutes.
'Dear Lady Verriker, you will make
yourself ILL.," l said at length, growing
quite alarmed at the violence OF her grief.
81 can't bear to hear you cry SO dread
fully"
"Oh, Ethel, I am the most miserable
of women !' she cried, holding my hand
in her close feveied grip. "There is not
more miserable woman than / am on
the earth. feel sometimes as il should
go mad. l wish to die, and yet-and yet
l have never lived Oh, my dear, l
pray Heaven that you may never know
what it is to suffer as l have suffered
You are so kind to me !"-and she looked
up with streaming eyes and quivering
lips. You kissed me. No one has
kissed me for nearly twenty wears. Oh,
my dear, you can't understand-how can
you understand what it has been to me
to be lonely, unloved, uncared for? Oh,
what my life has been-what my life has
been p
"But that is all over now," l said as
soothingly as l could, and l kissed her
again. Forget all the misery and un-
happiness of the past and live just for the
future. Let us 60 away from this horrid
gloomy place. Come and live. in town,
and we-will take care of you-father, Sir
Adam and p
She shook her head /; yet faint color
rose in her face.
"Ah, if it could only be r' she muir
INJURED. but / am held fast by iron
chains, and shall never be able to break
them. But you are a good dear girl,
Ethel. 1t was like him-like Adams
kind unselfshness-to send you to me-"
She closed her eyes YEARLY, and l sat
by her side until she was asleep, and
then stole quietly out of the room.
What was the mystery that enveloped
Lady Verriker?
CHAPTER III
Lady Verriker stayed in her room all
the afternoon, so, as the rain had ceased,
put on my hat and went out for walk
through the deserted gardens. l SAINT
cred down to the lake, and stood on the
ruined steps of the Italian temple that
had served as boathonse, and in which
I could dimly see two boats. While
was looking over the dreary expanse of
II "a