Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1907-02-15
CHAPTER XII

SSoISCIy nave COIQ.
CHAPTER XI.
1t was long before poor Audrey closed
her tired, aching eyes that eventful night
she mad shed no more tears after that one
passionate outburst; she felt too much
pain and anxiety for this natural relief,
All she could think of was Jack Glendur-
WOOD, lying alone in the bracken, insen-
sIble half murdered. She accepted her
mothers tender comfort in vague,
dreamy way. All the sudden joy and
prlde that had sprung into being early
ID the evening, as she listened to the story
OF her birth, seemed to have vanished
beneath this great sorrow.
The sun was shining high in the heav-
ems when she opened her eyes, and found
her mother bending anxiously over her
Constance Fraser gained strength at sight
of her child's suffering. She was now
the strong, courageous woman; she put
| aside all her invalid ways, and rose SUI
preme to the moment.
Look after her WE'LL" she said to
Marshall, as she donned her outdoor gar
ments, and prepared to drive over to
Craiglands.
The duchess, proud, self-reliant, self
| possessed as she was generally classed
to be, was after all only an ordinary
woman, with a mothers heart beating
quick and strong in her breast. Her two
boys had been her darlings from the ear
| lest days of their childhood she had new
er been so fond or so proud of her one
daughter, who was too much like her
father in nature and character to prove
comfort to the other parent.
The tears came to the mothers eyes
as Constance Fraser, after speaking all
the consolation and sympathy she could
think of, mentioned the countess name.
Il will stay with you till Gladys
COMES" she said, gently; Il am sure
there is much l can do"
"Gladys will not come" the duchess
answered, quietly enough; and then all
at once she broke down. ''Oh, Con-
stance! My dear! Ny dear" she
moaned, what shall l do if lose both
my boys? Duncan's days are numbered
i know it only too well-and Jack,
my bonny, my dear, good, noble Jack !"
Then Constance knelt beside her and
cheered her again.
"You are alarmed by this insensibility;
il is nothing; it often happens with con-
cussion of the brain. | prophesy that
in weeks time you will have Jack out
of bed. or very nearly so. Now l want
you to look at me- don't you see change
in nv face? Yes, l see you do shall l
tell you all about it?"
And then, as gently, as briefly as she
could. Constance barred the secrets of her
heart to her friend.
"And YOU have found your child, Con-
stance? l an glad. | rejoice, my dear,
in YOUR happiness. You must let me see
her soon. l shall love her for your sake
| and for poor Franks; he was great
favorite of mine"
Constance Fraser covered her face with
her hands. and when she drew them away
it was ashen white.
"Hnsh ~ she said, almost inaudibly
"do not let us speak of him. The pain
is TOO deep. too great Such horrible re-
,,,orsa comes over me when l begin to
think, that [ fear for my reason. L
know now I was deceived, that / doubted
him wrongly; but-but that is all dare
let myself know just yet, 1t makes my
heart bleed"
rho duchess bent and kissed the sweet,
white face.
''Have courage remember your
child :" she whispered.
1T do! 1 do" answered Constance
hrokanly. 'In her l must live again.
God-mamma, l want you to promise TO
hafriend her, to stand by her always
"For YOUR sake and for hers, l prom
;se this. Constance she shall never want
friend while l am alive"
1obn Glendurwood's condition showed
no change. and although DIR. Sentance
declared he would pull his patient
through he nevertheless felt much DOUBT
and anxiety as to his ultimate success
"1t is the mind that is keeping hlm
boo,y ;, he declared over and over again
70 Mrs. Fraser, and at last yentured 10
oxnress the same idea to the duchess'
That very same evening as constance
vas dressing for dinner, carriage ar
rived from Craiglands with hurrieu
message from the duchess.
"Would Mrs. Fraser kindly drive over
soon &C nossible-her grace wished TO
see her particularly. 4,,
Audrey sat before the fire IN her n .4l
or,s room i: she was clad in pretty ,lt'ie
white gown made in picturesque iasiito'
and her hands already had lost the WORK
stains that had seemed so out OIL plaee %
tho,, She was scarcely conscious VI
rrbat was going on around her. Inc pdse
eon. dovs had Slapped her strength sue
ouod ~ do nothing, could do nothing ou'
- ~ wonder how her beloved, her nero
go How little did she guess tnat' DIS
W. cot there fearing, dreadlng every
sue r,o,1,ant that her lover was then
speaking her name as constance
bent over his bed. 10Th
He has called her SO otten' "a, ms "ob
rrb;snared with QuiVerlng Ups oA'