The Washington herald., 1907-05-12
CHAPTER ".
Nhnt Went Befare.

town up the slight hill toward the cdslle
1t seemed TO frown down upon the black
ened country beneath. II seemed 10 be
watching, as It had always done. from
its thick bed of trees. the busy life that
went on below.
How it all came back to Godfrey as he
looked How the years fell away from
him as he stood at the top of the hill,
looking up at the old castle!
Eight years. Was It only eight years
since he had last walked through the
great gates? Il seemed Ike a lifetime.
and he stood looking back across the
years as a man might look at his own
shadow.
Geoffrey's struggle had been hard. The
thought Of what he had undergone would
have broken his mothers heart ii she
had been alive to see IL; but at seven
teen had come a change. BY stroke Of
luck he had saved the life of the Earl
of Oldcastle's son, Lord Fanshawe. and
Lady Oldcastle, IN a passion of gratitude
had insisted upon removing him from the
mill and installing him at the castle. A
position was found for him as assistant
librarian, and it did not take long for him
and Lord FanshaWe TO become close
friends. and five years later, although
Lady Oidcastle was dead. Geoffrey Clayer-
ing was as sure of his footing in the earl's
household as though he had been one
of his sons.
So he had thOught-so in his blind fol
~ he had dreamed-untn the awakening
had come.
AS ne walked slowly past the great
gates now he lived through It all again
He had loved Hetty Lancaster ever since
he had been a boy OF twelve, when hls
mother had died, and Hetty's father haC
taken him home 10 the vicarage for Z
night or two before he got employment
for him in the mill at which he had
worked. He had loved her ever since h'
saw her then. a laughing child Of eight
until the time when he saw her last, un
til this very hour when he stood remem
bering it all again. He had loved he
from the very time when he had beel
a broken-hearted, motherless boy. an,
she had tried to comfort him in his darl
hour. until now. And now the question
beat up sharply in his hungry heart
where and how was she now?
He seemed to see her face again nov
as be stood. to hear her voice ring il
his ear again as it had rung then, eigh
years ago.
"Oh. Geonrey! it isn't true. it ism
true" she had cried. even though
reads as if it were
She was holding a paper. and Geoi
frey noticed that her hands shook a
she spread it out he took it and rea
the words she pointed TO.
Tt is rumored that a marriage ha
been arranged and VIII shortly be put
Iicly announced between Lord Fanshaw,
the Earl Of OIdcastle's only son, an
Evelyn Fanny. only child OF Sir Arthu
Walter
This alliance between the earls so
and the daughter of one Of our bigge.
ironmasters is one that cannot fail [
be popular with the whole country. S
Arthur. NJ. P. for Oldcastle now for II
second time. began life humbly as an ir0
roller in one Of the works which no
belongs 20 him. He is proud, as he We
may be, OF the success of his life; an
his daughters marriage will. no doub
prove a further triumph.
1T isn't true" Hetty repeated Wit
white lips. "You-you know it isn't tru
Oh, GeOTrey, say you know it isn't"
How Ler eys had shone into his
that gray, chill morning. How gtddy
had been as he had looked into them al
saw in them what he had refused
believe until then. It had seemed impo
sible-even though he had seen LOl
Fanshawe make love to Hetty. it n,
seemed unreal-until now.
SAY know. Hetty. you love Fa
shawe" he cried at last. Look at N
child You know you can trust me-y'
know, you must know, that l love you
/ can never love another woman in n
life again. and because I love you SO
feel I have the right 10 ask yOu-has
asked you to be his wife?
She turned away her head so that
could not see her face, and with sudd
sharpness he caught her hand In his a
swung her round
has he, Hetty-has he?" he cried
he has not, if he has played tricks wi
you, if he has deceived YOU. If he ev
deeeiVes you, if he ever Injuries a hair
your head he shall answer to me. so
swear And if he has not asked you
marry him, IL"
She clenched her fingers suddenly
his.
Hush Hush, Geoffrey. He has ask
me. and that is why am here now. VI
we have been secretly engaged for so,
time, and ! have come to see him no
and I want you to tell him that I
waiting for him in the old place. {
he must comei He won't fail me-
must see him. Oh, ] can bear anythi
as long as l know that he is true. I
can stand the secrecy and all that, /
this paragraph In the paper breaks
heart, and he must deny H. Oh, he Y
surely deny it, Godfrey
She looked wildly, helplessly into
face. and a strange, faint sickness sw
over him.
.'Hetty, he shall deny it. It is a n
take of course and I'll see him at on
directly I get to the castle and send +
20 you. You know how weak and-ca
less he is. L daresay he hirted lit
perhaps, with Miss Walter, and so
stupid reporter got hold OF H."
She nodded helplessly.
But there is nothing in it: Oh. J
will find there IS nothing in it-it 5
only be a silly rumOr, after all"
He broke off and turned away. str
Cling hard to crush back the helpl
despair that threatened to unman h
Even then he knew that he could h
loved her SO much better than ever F
shave could. How he would have Ii
for her and worked and cared for I
But what was the use Of thinking
that? Lord Fanshawe. with his re
less, handsome. dissolute face. had 7
her. as he might have known he wol
What chance had he beside him2 7
he knew him to be weak and changea
made no difference. Hetty, with
bright eyes, her girlish face. her child
trust, believed in him, had pinned
faith to his careless wurds and promi
The cold seemed to seize upon him