Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-12-18

heaven that should go to Bayneham
and find there my wife's grave and
my living child. | knew she was ms
daughter from ring that bad given
her mother, and which she wore, and
from her wonderful likeness to ny
Magdalen. You remember when
first saw her picture, my lord?'
Eyes, 1 remember" said Lord
Bayneham. sadly; why did you not
+, tell me the TRUTH"
"You will hear" continued the
dying man; Il dared not, because nay
whole life is a living lie. She told
me so. My name Lord Bayneham, Is
Stephen Hurst,--I dare utter It nov
/ Il. 1t l am dying. My father was a
gentleman-no truer or nobler one
ever lived. | was always wild and
wicked When I had wasted my little
fortune I went with Lord Hutton to
visit the lady he loved, Miss Erskine
Of Brynmar, and there met Magda
len Burns. the fairest girl ! ever saw
81 married her, and we went to Lon
don. Let me tell you what | did
Lord Bayneham,- would
have died sooner than have told it;
today, care not committed forg
cry, and was sentenced to transports
ton.
All, do not turn from me, my lord;
have suffered for my sins, / lived
through a martydom,-no words can
tell what my punishment was like
Magdalen came to me like an angel OF
pity and goodness; treated her with
barbarous cruelty, and drove her from
me and broke her heart
| When the time of my sentence ex
pired l went away to the diggings
and there, Ike many others, made a
large fortune.
Lord Bayn cham, am dying here
alone, and every sin of my life seems
to recoll upon my head. never
meant men to know who l was.
have kept my secret, hoping to make
for myself a new life from the wreck
of the old one. All things have pros
pered with me. [ had wealth ant
honor-my hearts wish--a marriage
1 with Lady Grahame was soon to b.
accomplished, and now it is an over
have wasted my life, and would fair
have 1t to begin again"
II cannot understand" said Lore
Bayneham, gently, why you wishet
this to be kept a secret from me"
( Il dreaded it being known" he re
piled 'As Stephen Hurst, I should
have been despised and outlawed; a
Paul Fulton, men have esteemed me
II had claimed my child, l must have
told who | was. She begged of me
with tears, to tell you. but I woulc
not"
'She is sacrificed to your pride.
said Lord Bayneham. TEL me- OF
the last evening you were at Bayno
ham did you meet my wife and you
daughter in the Lady's Walk? Die
you talk to her there"
''Yes," said Stephen Hurst, 81 die
so. l asked her to meet me there
and most unwillingly she complied
/ "You gave two notes into her hand,
| Yes" replied Stephen Hurst; "but
how do you know, and why do you
mention these things?"
Because they have helped to des
troy my wife," cried the young earl;
"she has been sacrificed to your sin.
and your pride She was asked to eA
plain these notes, and refused; she
was asked why she was in the Lady
Wall. her bracelet was found there
she would not tell; there was some
terrible mistake, and your daughter
| has left home. | know not where
she has gone; l cannot find her. and
begin to despair of ever seeing her
again. Oh if you had but told me the
truth"
DO not reproach me-" said the
dying man; ''has not my sin founo
me out? could have died more easily
with my childs face near me
Through my own fault this one hope
is lost to mel shall never - ner
again"
He lay there, murnluring to himself
that his sin had found him out. From
that moment, when he heard that his
sin and pride had destroyed his child,
he seemed to have no more hope. A
blank, awful despair seized him; the
expression Of his face alarmed Lord
Bayneham.
Can nothing more be doneT' he
asked of DR.. Arne; has he seen any
one? Could not some one pray with
him"
IF he wishes it, said the doctor.
Lord Bayenham," ale added, 81 see
many death-beds, and the most
wretched and dreary death is always
that of the wording who has never
thought Of the time when he must die
Candidly speaking. my lord, nothing
can be done for his body and l fear
but little for his mind.
we Will draw a curtain over that
death-hed they who were present
ended at last, and the man who reaped
never forgot It, The awful scene
as he had sown went to his judgment
CHAPTER XxxV.
1t was not until Stephen Hurst had
been dead for some hours that the
mystery of that fatal mistake flashed
across Lord Bayenham's mind. He