The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-08-30

first time, realized her intention to
the utmost, and was alarmed at her
own t0merity when she found her.
self knocking at the door of the state
ly house in Kensington.
If her knock had not been heard
she felt she would not have dared to
repeat 1t; but it was heard, and a
supercilious footman presently
opened the door.
'Is Mr.. Harwood at homer" she
asked, shrinkingly
The man eyed her obviously; she
made a rather shabby, quite insig-
nificant little figure standing there
on the doorstep.
"Well-yes-he's at home. What
might you want him for?"
His lofty condescension reused her
to resentment, and so stiffened her
dropping pride and at once restored
her self-control.
"Will you tell Mr.. Harwood, my
man, that Miss Gurney wishes to see
him? Say Miss Gurney, formerly Of
Barndene, please"
He sullenly obeyed, and after an
interval, returned to her in the hall
with a perplexed expression darken-
ing his countenance.
''Mr. Harwood will see you. This
way, please"
She followed him into a spacious,
elegantly appointed drawing room,
and sat down there, feeling curiously
out of place and bewildered.
And minute later a gray, elderly
gentleman entered and advanced
toward her. Altered as he was she
knew him, and was aware that he
recognized her as readily. He Of
fered her his hand with an obvious
embarrassment, but she bowed dis
family without appearing to notice it.
81 am pleased to see you, Miss
Gurney," he began lamely, and then
sat down and looked at her. and
seemed waiting for her to speak.
But she could not trust herself
yet; her heart was fiuttering suffo-
catingly, and she felt that If she at
tempted to answer him she was so
unnerved she must burst into tears,
and the very thought of thus hum
bling herself in his presence helped
/, to strengthen her.
, at is a very long WHILE" he ms de
an effort, and resumed namely, "since
. we saw each other, Miss Gurney"
"a very long whilei" His halting
words had an unintentional sting in
: them. and all at once she had flung
her weakness from her. 81 would
not have troubled you now on my
own account"
please don't say that" She was
9 vaguely conscious of a wistful eager
+ ness in his tone. 'If there is any
thing l can do for you
"There is nothing you can do for
T me" she said, with quiet decision.
, you should know me better than to
think l would ask any, even the
smallest, favor of you for myself"
o He quailed under her indignant
glance, and threw out his hands with
a gesture of despair.
Forgive me. l know what you
say is true" he returned sadly "You
n must not think, Ruth" the name rose
v involuntarily to his lips, "that have
| lOI SlNcu MY oCll, VI lOISOLLcl, VI lud
!, have been altogether happy.
h know l wronged you-terribly-and
Y the memory of it has come between
/ me and happiness more and more as
o | have grown older and had time tc
J. think. l have been punished"
= "And Il" she interposed harshly
"But | did not come to talk of what
s is past mending. You did me great
e wrong, and l never dreamt till yes
h terday of seeing you again, or that
l. there was any way in which l might
n be brought to forgive you"
/, "And is there? Tell me what il
# is" ne cried. 81 would give a great
e deal to make some reparation fol-
|, what l have done. 1 am not the
reckless, selfish fool 1 was in those
G days"
g He was strongly moved, but moi
e more so than was Miss Quincy her
d self; it was as much as she could dc
d to steady her voice and keep her emo
IS ton hidden from him.
5 Your son is engaged to my niece
s my dead sisters child. / did moi
d know anything of it until two days
II ago" she said, gathering confidence
I as she proceeded, and speaking will
l. a detached air as if what she dis
IS cussed did not concern herself per
1t sonally. You have forbidden youl
II son to see her again, and are send
II ing him away with some idea of part
IS ing them for ever. She is everything
e to me now. l care more for her hap
d piness than my own. If had no
y loved her so. my pride would never
r. have allowed me to come to you.
n came only to save her from such {
o life as mine has been. l couldn'
e think. if you knew, that you would
d break her heart as you have broker
mine"
% She stopped abruptly, and he gazet
g at her with sort of terror in hi
s. eyes.
e, II did not know who she was" ht
If said huskily.
d Il came to tell you"
'e He sat looking at her, stricken
d dumb, for even in his most repentan
Ie moments he had not thought the con
4 sequences of his sin could spread /;
A. blight so far reaching and so ire
lie parable; he sat looking at her, ant