The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-23

on his fathers enemy, and instead of be- l ing the first gentleman in the neighbor- | hood lived as a farm laborer, unable to read or write, and quite without friends So twelve years passed. Little Miss l Catherine had grown to be a beauty like her mother. but with a deepness and ten
 derness of feeling that was like her fa- ther's She was kept close to the house and grounds and saw little of the outside world. Then, one day, news came that 1 Isabella had died and MT. Linton set forth 1 to get her son, Linton, and care for him. He found a sickly, peevish lad, who re- sponded selfshness. Hardly had he been
 installed in the Grange before peace fled from the place.
 Heathcliffs wild and passionate mind, far from finding forgetfulness with the years. had fed on it's torments and become , ever more black and bitter and revenge full. He haunted the grave of Catherine at night, like cursed spirit, he was. As soon as he heard of Lintons arrival at the Grange he saw another opportun- ity to stab the heart of his rival and so demanded his son at once. There was nothing for 1t but to deliver the boy to him.
 He sneered openly when he saw the puny, fretful creature. "Ill keep him alive though" said he. You may tell that to the master of the Grange. My son Is prospective heir. and don't wish him to die till Edgar Linton is dead and l can thus be sure of being his successor. Besides, want to see my descendant fair ly lord over his place and his child. That Is the sole consideration that makes me endure the whelp!'
 MT. Linton shut himself up more than ever after that and only permitted him. self to think of the name of Heathclif to | take precautions that his daughter Cath erine should never meet him. But Heath cliff had other plans and frustrated the simple gentlemans policy with his watch | full cunning.
 l The "whelp'' was losing his frail hold
 on life month by month. His loving father determined to assure his ownership of the
 Grange by a stroke that appealed to him
 doubly because it would hurt Edgar Lin- l ton In his deepest affection. He forced the | boy, i'll as he was, to ride abroad until
 they met Catherine The loving girl, l
 induced to meet him again and again. As
 she did not know any of the bitter history 1 of the family she accepted Heathcliffs
 statement that her father and he were
 unhappily estranged, and to save the parent she loved from pain she concealed
 her meetings from him.
 Try as she would, however, Heathcliff could not arouse the languid, indifferent
 boy to love his cousin, while Catherine's | affection and solctude remained so inno- cent and frank that he perceived that he
 would not succeed in diplomacy but would l have to fall back to the more congenial exercise of force.
 1 Catherine was 16 when the opportunity
 arrived. MT. Linton became i'll, and 1t be- 1 came apparent that there could be no
 hope for his recovery. Catherine discov-
 cred the truth, though he tried to keep 1t
 from her. From that moment the broken
 hearted girl grudged every moment that 1 did not find her bending over hIs pillow. l her face grew wan with watching. MT.
 Linton urged her in vain to seek recrea- tion. The whole world for her was
 bounded by the walls of her fathers room.
 1 One day, when 1t was clear that he was
 weakening fast, she received note from 1 her cousin begging her to come. She
 knew that the lad was extremely i'll and 1 tore herself from her fathers side to pay | him a visit.
 Hardly had she entered Wuthering
 Heights before Heathcliff came in and locked the door. q have turned your
 horse loose," said he. "Now, Miss Linton, you shall not quit this house till you arc
 married to that snivelling thing there.'
 "Mr Heathcliff," cried Catherine. "let
 me go home I promise to marry him, but i please do not keep me. Papa will be mis- erable if I do not return at once!"
 "silence" said he. T shall enjoy n.y. | self remarkably well in thinking your
 father will be miserable. You could not
 hit on surer way to make me keep you here"
 Send some one," begged Catherine Ito tell Papa that I am safe. Or have us
 married now" cried she, weeping bitterly
 .oh, dear papa, dear papa, what shall
 dor"
 | Heathcliff looked on her anguish with l out a culver. He knew that his son was 1 dying, and he was determined thaS ne
 should not die before he married Gather
 ine so that In case the master of Thrush
 cross outlived him the estate would still l fall into his hands. Even had his avarice played no part, the thought of his
 enemys misery would have been quite
 enough to lead his dark spirit to take this revenge.
 l Therefore he waited till the frantic girl
 was so desperate to see her father at any
 cost that she consented as one in daze
 to any means that would insure her liber-
 ation. When she was freed at last and
 hurried to Thrushcross Grange she was
 Mrs. Linton Heathclin.
 | She reached her fathers bedside only In time to see him before he closed his eyes forever. The evening after the funeral Heathcliff entered the Grange like the
 master of it that he was to all intents and purposes. Seizing Catherine by the arm, he said: "Tm come to fetch you home. Whether you like your precious mate or
 not, you must come. He's your concern
 now I yield all my interest in him to | you"
 | She had to bear with her mate only little while. When he was dead, Heath cliff showed her the will the lad had made, A.