The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-07-28

|
you. This. my pledge on It," and draw
Ing his face down she kissed him Oh
the lips. II
She spoke as earnestly as though
hers was pledge OF purest love ~
stead OF one OF cowardly. treachero,s
d1shonor, threatening ruin ana disgrate
TO an innocent man and life-lons
misery to pure; sweet girl.
CHAPTER III
"The Marriage Must be Hastenedn
MY Dear Miss Parmenter.--willyc,
let me write to express to you NJ
intense regret that J. should have a,
lowed myself to be carried to such a,
excess In my interview with you to. DAY
as to have detained you by force. |
am. however, man OF emotional I'M
pulses; and to-day my feelings for YOU
swept me beyond all control. I earnest
~ beg your forgiveness. even whib
feel ! have but made my cause more
than hopeless. But shall never casa
to love you. That love has become a
part Of my life. / will trouble Vol no
more. however. unless Fate shouldbffer
me an opportunity OF serving you
Meanwhile am compelled in ionor
to repeat what | said TO you Tster-
day-that Lady Belboroush has Denly
ing the heiress to your father'f va Al
fortune could induce her ID receive you
into her family. I make 40 chage OF
the sort against her son. Mr.. Fetytck:
believe him to be an honofahlet man
~ man; but were fortune to robvou OF
your wealth. you world findfthst both
Lord and Lady Belborough roud for.
bid him to make you his Wife.
say this in all earnestnes 4 your
friend
Your in sincerely.
GILBERT MERRIEw."
Olive received this letterpn the
morning afte- her birthday: nnat pro-
duced some of the effect uporwhich
the writer had calculated. shl knew
that Lady Belborough did not Ii her.
for the nistressHof the castle "a on
more than one occasion made hefecl-
inEst Enthusiastically plain.
The truth was that she was arered
by the influence which Silverbeechad
gained in the villa sc Of Be!borousand
the district round; she envied Its, Kn
er's immense wealth; and was inteely
Jealous OF Olives personal popul1ty.
Lord Belborough's, income wa so
small. owing to the heavy mortges
om&the estates, thatsit was only III
tho narrowest Cheese pairing mani.
naent the castle was kept going atIl.
This was well known all over the Cd
try; and his wife's endeavors to condl
the fact under the cloak OF exaggerab
polnp and dignity. were recognized q
ridiculed. Moreover, s she herself Il
ONO famiiy--Lord Belborough havs
married her in his teens when she VI
on the stase-her insolently patronizii
airs had made her intensely dislike
But, until Mr.. Parmenter's arrival
= ca al a {r,fJ !,
been undisputed: and then the chanl
had come. gradually but surely.
There had been no display, no oster
! talon. no. squandering OF money "a
| the sake Of personal advertisement Bl
no appeal for any worthy cause eve
| passed unheeded. whether large q
| small. The church needed restoring
Mr.. Parmenter found all the ,nonel
New schools, a village library. work.
! mans institute were wanted; Mr. Par
mentors cheques paid tile builders A
hard winter tried the rural populationl
/ and 1t Silverbeech was started an exl
tensive rlan for the rebuilding Of every
rotten, tumbledown cottage in the dis
trict. giving work and wages to. all
! who asked for them.
AS a result, the whole countryside
looked to s!lverbeech for the lead In
| all movements; and Lady BelporouSh
resented the transfer OF allegiance as
, bitterly as II 1t had been a wilful per-
| sonal insult.
! Latterly, Olive, clever. clear headed,
| shrewd-witted girl that she was. had
1 taken charge Of these matters, greatly
to Mr.. Parmenter's delight; and on
/ more than one occasion she and the
mistres of the castle had come inl con-
| flict, In one instance, a movement
| affecting the whole county was con-
| cerned; and Lady Belborough. stro,g in
her belief that all would follow her,
I made made 1t trial of strength be-
| tween the two interests. Olive. had
quietly but firmly held her CROWD;
/ and the county had sided with Ter.
Lady Belborough had never torgten
what she regarded as a humiliatio,
Then had come the unwelcome n!vs
| OF Jacks love affair; and his moter
bad done her utmost to prevent the h.
i gagement But he had shown Gt.
and, having his father on his Side Id
! won his way.
Olive knew therefore. that Mt
Merridew had said was likely eno|h
4 to be true; and the words ranked. hs
she was sure OF her lover. Whenlo
! had first asked her to marry him, tAo
had been no more thought Of moneM
| his mind than there had been
knowledge Of his rank in hers. II
/ loved each other; and desp,tek
mothers hostility, Olive had set ait
the task OF preparing for her-Wed i
/ with heart that would havesn en-.
1 tirely light and glad, but forie con.
dition of her fathers health
| And a day or two after thtor,,o,
4 engagement an incident occu.revhic,,
1 caused her the grayest concern th,s
I account
! a servant came hurrying tow a.
] say that the master Of Silverhea M
| had a fainting fit, and was ILL., Esn-
ling to the library, she found hlns,ng
on a, couch, faint and Ill. and gs,ns
hard for breath. On. the floor clotnss
4 side him lay a. telegram. whicRb,
j read IN the hasty glance she ca,at
It: