The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1908-08-07
CHAPTER XIX.
Continued.

COnClnueu
"And you We're quite right in all you
thought of the Fergussons," said Gift
ford's first letter to Jane. "You were
quite right-there is nothing like pow
erty to be seen among them, except the
food, which is so bad 1 shall dine in
future ut the hotel. Mrs. Ferguson is
not at all improved from what she
used to be, and the other girl is very
vulgar in her manners, and I think
bolder looking even than Matty. They
are very rapacious as to settlements,
and have got a cousin here-Hartley
Ferguson, solicitor-I remember the
blackguard vel lat Baden-to back
them in everything. Ny dear Jane, ]
have made a great fool of myself, but
it's too late to go back now. They
dragged me yesterday to a beastly
out-of-door thing given by Mrs. Fer
gusson's greatest patron, Lady
Churchill, a monstrous fast, bad style
of woman to my mind, and 1 had the
pleasure of seeing my future wife play
Aunt Sally at which game she got
very warm and excited. 1 thought Of
you, and of your little hands and your
gentle face, and I can assure you l
felt sick as I looked forward to the
future However, I'm in for it, with
no hope of getting free. Lady
Churchill is going abroad in May, and
Mrs. Ferguson suggests, If the settle.
ments can be finished, that the wed
ding shall take place before that time,
in order that her dear friend may be
present at the ceremony"
Clifford to be married in May! And
this day when Jane read his letter was
the last day of March. In another
month Clifford Mohun was to be mar.
ried! And as she read she was looking
younger than she had looked for years,
and hope-hope so long dead-was stir
ring in her breast with the warm beat
of life, and her heart was futtering at
every footstep that passed along the
lane, at every figure that shadowed the
gateway in the indistinct cleaning OF
the gray spring twilight.
It would be a great deal too much;
it would, indeed, be against all estab.
lished canons, to say that Jane Grand
had already forgotten Mohun and waa
feeling true and honest hopes regarding
another man; one, too, who, as far
as she knew, had no intention whatso-
ever of asking her to be his wife. So,
without scrutiny too deep. l will record
the fact that she did feel young, and
not without inte. est in life, on this
evening when the vicar had promised
to call and see her, and at the same
time remind any very exacting reader
that it was now many months since
the first insidious whisper of heresy
with respect to Clifford had first crept
into poor James unsuspecting heart.
''Seyen, and he was to be here at six!
He must have got letters by the same
post that brought me Gifford's, and
have stayed to answer them. Probably
he won't come at all tonight. Well. 1t
matters little-nething can matter
much to me now Only 1 should just
like to have told him what [ mean to
do before taking any decisive step
about it-I should just liked to have
watched his face as | told him, and
have seen whether he really cares
bit about my staying at Chesterford or
notr'
And then, oddly enough. seeing that
nothing mattered much to her now,
large tears began to float in James
eyes-tears of which Clifford Mohun's
approaching marriage was not, remote
ly or approximately, the cause.
dreaming, as usual, Jane? Dream
ing as YOU have done all your life!
wonder whether a time will ever come
when you will cease to live in the
clouds? Depend upon it, the common
prosaic earth is a much safer ground to
rest upon. if you would only, once and
for all, bring yourself to think it so."
lane started from her seat; then
shrank back, with a strange sensation
of consciousness, as she found the
vicar close beside her in that fast-dark.
ening little room.
ST never heard you come in. Mr.. Fol-
lett How-how dreadfully stupid OF
Grace not to tell ME you were! L Will
ring for the lamp at once. l thought
you did not mean to come tonight.
And after this very lucid and CO.
herent speech Miss Grand neither called
Grace to be reprimanded, nor rang 1ol
the lamp, nor even gave her hand te
the vicar. but turned her face back
toward the window, and wished she
was a hundred miles away-with Glf
ford. with Matty-anywhere rather
than with Mr.. Follett at this hour ano
in this place to which she herself haG
bid him come!
"Grace did not see me, for the good
reason that came in, without ringing
by the side gate" said the wears quie
voice. "a great liberty, Jane, was i
not? But l have fancy that you ant
1 are going to return to, our old life
now, and that you will not be angry
with me for coming in and going out o.
your house again, as | used to do II
the days when you were a little child,
Then she turned her face round t.
his, and a great pain contracted hel
heart.
ITO the old days." she stammered
"Oh, sir, can that ever be? Can the
past ever come back to any Of US as il
Was?
I think it can to you, Jane. L thipR
when your present trouble is over, yo'
will be able to go back to life more
like your childish one than you have
known for years. l think so because
sec you walking abroad daily, becaus'
fife and health are on your face. Signs
Jane. if you would only think so, tha
your present sickness is rot unt'
DEATH
The vicar seated himself in the benz
If the BIZ window, which had been hi
favirte place for years. Jane felt, WIZ
n conscious sh:me that made he
cheeks burn hotly. that her lately cher