The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1908-08-20

ner door lead "e' "o"'o's '''o"o'
ing to the room Lady Meg occupied
stood open. Sophy called softly, but
there was no answer. She walked to-
ward the door and was about to look
into the room, thinking that perhaps
Lady Meg was asleep, when she heard
herself addressed The Frenchwoman
who acted as their cook had come In
and stood now on the threshold, with
puzzled, distressed look on her face.
I'm sorry. Mile. Sophie, to tell you,
but my lady has gone"
"Gonel Where TOT"
ITO England believe. This morn
ing after you had gone out she ordered
everything 10 he packed II was done.
She paid us here off bidding me alone
stay till orders reached me from NJ. le
Marquis. Then she went Only the
coachmun accompanied her. think she
started for Calais At least, she is
gone"
"She said-said nothing about meW
'You'll see there's o letter for you on
the small table IN the window there"
"Oh, yes! Thank YOU
"Your room is ready for you tonight"
1--WE dined shall want nothing.
Good night"
Sophy walked over to the little table
in the window and for few moments
stood looking at the envelope which
lay there. addressed to her In Lady
Megs sprawling hand. The stately
room I'm the Rue de Grenelle seemed
filled with a picture which its walls
had never seen. Cid words re-echoed
In Sophy's ears: IF want you to go
I'll put Il hundred pound note In an
envelope and send II to you, upon
which you'll go, and no reasons givenl
Is It agreedi" AS II from a long way
of she heard servant girl answer, "It
sounds all right" She saw the old elm
trees at Morpingham and heard the
wind murmur in their boughs. Pindar
chuckled, and Julia Robins eyes were
wet with tears.
"And no reasons givenp 1t had
sounded all right-before five years of
intimacy and life transformed. 1t
sounded different now. Yet the agree
ment had been made between the
strange lady and the eager girl.
Nor were reasons hard to find. They
stood out brutally plain. Having
sent her prophet to the right about,
Lady Meg wanted no more of her me-
dium-her most disappointing medium.
'"rhey' would not speak through So
ply. Perhaps Lady Meg did not now
want them to speak at all.
Sophy tore the envelope right across
its breadth and shook out the fiimsy
paper within. II was folded In four.
She did not trouble to open II. Lady
Meg was a woman of her word, and
here was the hundred pound note OF
the Bank, Of England-"Upon which
you'll go, and no reasons givenp With
a bitter smile she noticed that the note
was soiled, the foldings old, the edges
black where they were exposed. She
had no doubt that all these years Lady
Meg had carried II about, 80 as to be
ready for the literal fulfillment Of her
bond
upon which," said Sophy, II CO."
The bitter smile lasted perhaps a
minute more, then the girl flung herself
into chair In mt OF tears as bitter.
She had served-or failed to serve
Lady Meg's mad purpose, and she was
flung aside. Very likely she had
grown hateful-she, the witness of In
sane whims now past and out Of ia
vor. The dismissal might not be un-
natural; but, for all their bargain, the
manner was.inhuman. They had lived
and eaten and drunk together for so
long. Had there been no touch of af-
fection, no softening Of the hearth 1t
seemed not-it seemed not. Sophy
wept and wondered "Oh that had
never left you, Juliaw she cries in her
letter, and no doubt cried now, for
Julia had given her friends love. II
Lady Meg had given her only what one
spares for dog-a kind word before
he is banished, friendly lament at
fro RE coNTfNuRn1