The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1906-11-01
CHAPTER XIV.

CHAPTER XIV.
1t had been a sudden whim that had
carried Sylvia Castella back to that lit
tie north-country village where she had
lived the happiest part of her life.
will go to Mill Cross again, and it
will be almost as if Ben were with me
all the time," and it was this impulse that
had put her into the north express and
had landed her at the little wayside sta
tion at which Gerald Tenby had alighted
also.
Gerald would have followed her-he
hardly knew why, save that fear was
pressing in upon him from all sides-only
it was impossible for him to expose him.
self to too much comment. He had to go
on TO the Court, to that big old house that
once had seemed to him the only place in
tAe world that was desirable but which
tonight had no beauty in his eyes.
The butler looked at him with well-con-
cealed surprise. He wondered what could
be the matter with Sir Gerald. The young
man looked almost old; certainly this
gray-faced, nervous man was very much
apart from the smart, clever, wealthy Ger
aid that had been wont to pay visits to
Mill Gross while Sir Maurice was alive;
but good servants have their share of tact
the man did not let bis master realize
that he noticed anything was amiss.
He spoke to him about matters that had
occurred since Sir Gerald had been in
London, and he handed him some letters,
and with these letters the packet of pa
pers which Stantons faithful old friend,
Sarah, had journeeyd from London to de-
liver.
This packet was left with me to be de-
livered to you personally when you should
arrive, sir" he said 1T was brought by
an old woman
BY an old woman?" repeated Gerald,
hurriedly; then his memory returned. He
almost dropped the packet; it had a hide
GUS significance to him, not that anything
was contained in it, but that its very pres
ence conjured UP all that he desired to
hide forever. ~
The servant closed the door and he was
left alone, left to stare down at that small
square packet, which had been the excuse
for getting Sarah out of the road while
work was being done in the old tumble
down house which was her care, her joy
and her sorrow.
London was provided with great sem
sation the morning following Gerald Ten
by's departure to the North. Scarcely
had the news of Edward Marchmont's
death been made public than the world
was Informed of new disaster that had
befallen the lot of the widow.
most extraordinary thing occurred,
something terrible and bizarre, something
that shocked people even while it struck
them as being unusual and alarming.
This was no less than a great fire
that had consumed the greater portion of
the house where Lady Betty had lived
and futtered away the many years of her
butterfly existence fire so large in its
proportions that, though help was forth
coming in very short time, the fury Of
the flames was so great that it was al
most impossible for the firamen to ap-
proach.
And life was lost also. Lady Betty
herself was rescued in a half-fainting
condition, and a greater portion of the
household fortunately escaped; but one
or two of the inmates, Gagged 81 the top of
the house, perished in the flames that had
sprung to life, no one knew how, and with
"
ward Marchmont had been consumed also.
The news reached Antonia by means of
one of the maids in Lady Charlotte's
house.
She fell on her knees, as soon as she
was alone, and tried to pray, but the hor-
ror that had come over her as she remem-
bered Betty Marchmont paralyzed her
brain; not even prayer could come CO.
herently; in fact. the girl was verging on
an illness. She had made enormous de-
mands upon her courage and her physical
strength and this prostration was only
the natural outcome of such exertions. As
she sat there message came to her from
Lady Charlotte, asking if she would so
to her at once.
Antonia found the delicate woman in
state Of great agitation. Lady Charlotte
was sitting, propped up by her cushions,
gazing a. a letter that she held in her
hand Antonia went across the room to
her and sat down beside her.
"Oh, Antoniaw she said, what can I
say TO you? What wrong | have done
Child your faith should have taught me
. lesson: your love tried to lead me to
this, and ! would not he led"
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