The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-04-29
CHAPTER XVII.

TCOR three weeks Bertha remained a
prisoner in her own room. She
could not put her loot to the
ground, and was altogether so i'll that
she seemed scarcely to notice anything
that was passing around her.
She seldom spoke to any one, except
when circumstances absolutely enforced
it, never to Lady Muriel, ave in the
merest monosyllables.
Christian she had not seen since the
evening he carried her up stairs, and
though during the first week of her ill
ness she had been frequently told by
Lady Muriel of his inquiries after. her,
she had evinced so little interest in the
matter that of late his name had never
been mentioned, and she did not know
whether he was still at Dale House or
whether he had left England for for
eign climes, as she had overheard him
express his determination to do.
AT the end of three weeks Bertha was
on her sofa, struggling through a weary
convalesccnce. She could just man
age to walk a few yards, but what
puzzled her doctor and attendants was
her most unjoyful state.
She who used to be SO bright-looking
and full of young life. it was indeed
Sdu " Wdl1t t1i CO oAS ~ -
ing to read a book, of which she scarce
ly ever turned a page, black rings
about her gray eyes, her white checks
sunken and %haggard.
Once or twice there were traces of
tears on Lady Muriel's face as she
walked about Dale House with a
stealthy step, and the servants who
saw them observed to each other that
"If there was a being on earth Lady
Muriel loved. certainly that being was
Miss Yorke.'
They could not know that Lady Mu-
riel had a private sorrow that dis
tressed here even more than Bertha
helpless state. and it was well, per-
haps, that poor Bertha could be used
as the screen behind which. as had
been the case for some long time past.
Lady Muriels most poignant phases of
10y and sorrow could be hidden.
Christian was the real cause of her
deepest misery now. Christian, who,
say what she would, was still deter
mined on exchanging into a regiment
on foreign service. His leave had eX-
pired two days after Bertha's accident,
and he had been compelled to go; but
his letters of inquiry to Lady Muriel
about Bertha We're so closely Yelled
that she had failed to discover in them
the deep love for her young cousin
which these affectionate missives to
herself concealed.
Christian almost feared Lady Muriei,
and he dared not be true While his
darling was in this woman's charge.
His darIingi He little knew with
what contempt Bertha had learned to
regard both himself and Lady Muriel,
how she was fretting her young life
away because in the two people she
had loved best and trusted most on
earth she had discovered falsehood and
deceit.
She is lying on the sofa in the sun
shine with little Eric by her side; she
Is humming in a low tone to the half
mesmerized child, a p~laintive dirge-like
melody, when Lady Muriel burst into
the room with an impetuosity to which
she is prone, but which she has kept
in a state of dead-locked subsection
ever since Bertha has been i'll. 1t can.
however, be repressed no longer, ana
she cries out angrily:
"Only think, Bertha, Mr.. S%chippheim
has his intention of marry
ing Patty Urske.'
She became first 50 erimson-red, even
10 ltI NGIN tGlilDitss lily ~ StiN@N'e
white. that Lady Muriel VAS quite
alarmed, and regretted the temerity of
her announcement though why it
should affect Bertha thus she could
not conceive, except that she was too
weak to peal any excitement.
"My poor, dear Bertha. l am sorry l
told Won. You are not we'll enough yet
TO be bothered with factory gossip.
Don't trouble, child l daresay We
shall find some means to put this non
sense out of Mr.. Schippheim's head; at
any rate, we will try. Have some soup,
Bertha dear, and don't worry your lit
tie self"
Now l am all right. tell me what
you know about this affair"
Getting all his money out of him
and haunting about and giving herself
airs as if she was a queen. They say
| she is actually going to buy a share in
Mrs. Bligh's laundry. with money she
pretends her grandmother left her; or
course. it is Mr.. S~chippheim's."
ST daresay her Granny did leave her
some money; she was a provident old
dame" suggested Bertha.
Don't be so horribly trustful, Bertha
you always believe every one
DO II" and Bertha turned her large
gray eyes on Lady Muriel, who linched
Just a little as she met their gaze, and
hurriedly pursued the subject under
discussion. "Of course, it is Max
! Schipplkim's money"
"But if he is going to marry her,
what does he want to put her into q
laundry for?" asked Bertha. praeti-
cally.
"It is a blind, dear-a mere blind. IN
order to assert what they are pleased to
call the girls independence-her de-
pendence, l shall call it; but. of course,
the marriage must be stopped; at all
hazards it must be prevented"
at will not make much difference"
half murmured Bertha.