The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1907-10-10

from the sea anu euNelOpeQ every
thing in midnight blackness. Morn
ing broke at last, wild and stormy.
Never had / seen the channel In such
a swirl of foam.
Fascinated, yet full of dreary and
soreboding horror, wrapped myself
in cloak and went out on the rocks.
Many others were there before me,
among them Lady Christine McDou-
gal! Her face was white with some
suppressed feeling, and her great
blue eyes were turned seward,
watching tiny white sail far out on
the horizon-a mere speck of light
in the darkness.
Then I remembered that her prom
ised husband was to come from over
the water, and I knew why her cheek
was SO pale.
After all her naughty GOODNESS she
loved him, thought, and my wom-
ans heart softened toward her; for
this was her wedding day. and maybe
her plighted husband was in deadly
peril.
IL
Great heaven! it was yacht, of the
same size and build I had seen once
before. I shuddered with something
that was not the cold and wet, and
chung to ragged shaft of rock for
support, for / knew what l was to
see.
The people on the shore shouted to
the yacht to keep off, and hurled i'm
precautions at the reckless voyagers
for their ,temerity in venturing so
near the hazardous coast; but all un-
mindful, the yacht stood on, making
for Little Good Harbor, just below.
Suddenly a great wave came thun-
dering along and enveloped the
wretched vessel from keel to mast
head. She careened, shivered, went
over, and the next moment her
broken timbers were hurled on the
shore at our feet. And through the
binding spray, and the death-cold
foam Of the waves, as scattered by
the sharp rocks, it pierced my gar
ments through and through, I saw
Richard Earles set face, and heard
his voice calling my name: "Eliza-
beth! Elizabeth! my love! my love!"
The first body which came on shore
was his. ! had it in my arms ere yet
the wave had left it dry upon the
sand.
Dead! but he had loved me in
dying. Could ever a woman ask for
more than this?
AS lifted my face from his pale
lips met the basilisk eyes of Lady
Christine glancing down upon me.
She fixed an iron hand upon my
shoulder.
What was he to your" she Kissed.
"My life's one love!" I answered
her.
"And my plighted husband. Well,
I understand now why / have hated
you'll"
I do not remember anything more
Of that dismal time.
When I was fully myself again,
was with my husband at our beautiful
country place in Middlesex, far away
from the cruel, glittering ocean.
My husband was kind and gentle
to me as my mother might have been.
He had learned everything from my
wild rawlings during my long illness,
and to his cautious and well-directed
inquiries I owe my knowledge of
Richard Earle's history after he left
ever the most generous of men-had
solved all the mystery, and when
was well enough he told me gently
what he knew.
Richard Earle and Lord Albert
Richard Trevelyn was one and the
same.
At the time of his visit to our vii
lage, he had taken the name of his
cousin, Richard Earle, simply to es-
cape notice. He wanted rest, and If
he travelled as Lord Albert Trevelyn
he would be obliged to receive great
many civilities from the gentry,
which he wished to avoid
He was not of age, and consequent
ly to some degree subject to his
father, and his father had selected
Lady Christine McDougal for his
wife. In consequence, it was neces-
sary for him to keep his love for me
secret until he should reach his ma
jority. BY some means his father
had discovered his ENHANCEMENT with
the daughter Of poor country
curate, and our letters were inter-
cepted. The Richard Earle whose
marriage notice had seen was Lord
Albert's cousin.
My marriage with Lord Newbury
had followed Immediately after, and
Albert had left the country, rich and
disguised with life
He had never ceased to love me,
but he would have married Lady
Christine. This was what Lord New
bury had learned, and what he told
me.
And if / had never loved him be-
fore loved him then, for his noble
and thoughtful forbearance toward
me.
But through every dark hour of
ny