Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1908-04-02

relation was Miss Lynch to herr Was
there, in reality, any relationship be-
tween them? What did they do when
they went to London once in thref
years? They had no visitors; they had
scarcely ever any letters; there was
evidently something exceedingly o4d
about them; and they had small M
come
Perhaps it was that last sin Of omis-
sion which threw out all their other
transgressions and shortcomings into
such fearfully strong relief. One fact
was certain; good society In general
had not a dissentient remark to offer
whenever the names of Miss Grand
and her governess were mentioned.
They were not visited: they were living
under cloud.
"But you are taking desperately
bold step in asking me to your ball.
Mr.. Mohun. suppose you think no
one will be angry with you, whatever
you do, but I can assure you hardly
think Mrs. Tenant and her daughters
will be able to breathe through the
evening with me in the room. Jane
Grand at Yatton! the very idea Is too
shocking"
do you think so?" said Clifford, IN
his tender, melting tones. "Now to me
the very idea is too delightful-Jane
Grand at Yatton"
It was q week now since the first
meeting in the woods, but Mohun ana
Jane felt as If they had seen each other
daily for years past; as If no break IN
time had existed between the days or
valentines and this delicious rose-col-
pred present. AsJaneprotested against
the honor of meeting all the county on
terms of equality at Yatton she was
standing-not in a romantic position,
reader.-but picking raspberries in her
,wn little cottage garden, with that fine
gentleman, Mr.. Clifford Mohun, humbly
holding basin Of very ordinary yellow
ware by her side.
1--WE shall see what the Tenants
think and do" she went oil, In that
happy voice into which no ring OF sor-
row had ever as yet entered. But l
can hardly picture to my Imagination
what shall feel when l find myself
actually in the presence Of them all.
OF course, you know, Mr.. Mohun, that
am not, and never have been, visited
! by any of the country people?"
II suppose Miss Lynch has not
thought you old enough to go out yeti"
said Mr.. Mohun. hotly.
This fact of James not being visited
was just the one thing about her that
he liked the least. The woman he ad-
mired ought to be at the head OF So
ciety-courted, looked up to, popular
as he himself meant to be.
"It is simply absurd to think of such
people as the Tenants not wishing to
visit you. I should be very sorry III
deed to think of your being intimate
with them"
"Why, Mr.. Mohun"
IT think I told you once before why
I disliked them. Old Tenant mado
his money dishonesty. 1t is disgrace
to all the people in this nelghborhood
that they let his past life be buried for
the sake of his present money
"But there are other people In the
county beside the Tenants, and they
none of them know me. No, Mr.. Mo-
hun, the fact can neither be denied nor
explained away. am quite old enough
to get out; Miss Lynch would have let
me 90 to parties for the last three years
if had been invited-but never have
been; and the strangest thing is,' she
added rather mournfully, that l have
no idea why I am communicated.
am sure Miss Lynch is as nice and
we'll educated as any lady IN the
neighborhood, and have been brought
up by her, and have never done any
thing that know Of to prejudice peo-
ple against me. But still the prejudice
exists. Yes, Mr.. Mohun, am not WIS.,
tied, and however kindly you mean IT.,
you are taking bold step in inviting
me to Yatton."
If she had known all the hidden
weaknesses of Gifford's heart, Jane
could not have played upon them with
greater success than she did by the
wistful earnestness of this little simple
speech. 1t was disgusting, no doubt,
that a girl he meant to love-(he had
actually progressed thus far in the last
ten minutes)-should have been, hith-
erto, in subordinate position to such
people as the Tenants. But was he
not Mohun of Yatton? the possessor OF
the Oldest name, Of the best blood, in
half the country? Would not his wife
be a member Of his family? Would 1t
not be delightful to see the homage
with which all the neighborhood would
receive her as soon as they perceived
her to be, as 1t were, hallowed and en-
nobled by her presence?
The idea did not present itself under
the aspect of vanity or intense selfish
ness to Clifford. He thought he should
be performing singularly honorable
action in putting public opinion on one
side for the sake Of Miss Grands
pretty face; and his voice shook with
genuine emotion as, bending over her,
low-and this time taking her hand,
without subtsrfuge or concealment,
in his-he began to whisper about the
Importance Of what they thought OF
each other, not Of what the world
thought; and how he would not give a
ball or any other festivity unless Jane
promised to be there; and
"And I hope, Miss Grand, that that
will not be the last time you will come
to Yatton"