The Marshall republican., 1909-05-21
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~ .1ynOLLY ELLIOT SEXWELL
ELLIOT SEAWTIL
CHAPTER TX.

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duction OF an heiress. Sic Peter Hawk.
shaw refused absolutely to counte-
nance Arabella; and my Lady Hawk
shaw, who never had bowed her head
or abased her spirit to mortal man or
mortal woman before. went upon her
knees. imploring Arabella to give over
her revenge-for revenge II was, pure
and simpie-but Lady Arabella laughed
at her. Lady Hawkshaw rose from her
knees, crying out:
"Yeu have some deep and unknown
reason for this; but Il will come to
naughts It will come TO naught."
But Arabella found a person ready
to her hand, who was most active In
the matter. This was Sir Thomas Yer
non OF Vernon court. II was he who
lodged the Information with the public
prosecutor against Giles. and assumed
the part OF Lady Arabelia's champion
OF course. there was some ground for
the version Of the story which was
started in Arabella's interest, that a
frightful outrage had been committed
by dragging her off against her Will;
and that only the most determined
courage had saved her from q mar
riage repulsive to her; that Sir Peter
and Lady Hawkshaw, her next friends,
had basely deserted her; and that Sir
Thomas had chivalrously taken up
her cause 1t is true that the relative
characters OF the Hawkshaws and Sir
Thomas Vernon discounted much OF
this; but the actual facts In the case
looked SO ugly for Giles that there was
no trouble in securing his prompt ar
rest and delivery in York jail,
The breach between Lady Arabella
and the Hawkshaws. as well as Daph-
ne and myself, was too great to be
bridged over; and, having thrown her
self, so to speak, In Sir Thomas Yer
mons arms. she accepted the protec-
ton of a relative of his, one Mrs.
whitsll, a decayed ~gentlewoman. and
went to live at a small town near
York until the assizes, when she
would be called upon as the chief wit
ness for the prosecution. Great stories
were Immediately put forth that Sir
Thomas Vernon was deeply smitten
with Arabeila's charms. and that, after
a visit with Mrs. Whitall to Vernon
Court she looked very kindly on Sir
Thomas. All this might be true, and
Sir Thomas might fiatser himself that
he had won her favor; but, knowing
Arabella well, I did not credit her
with any sincere desire to be kind to
Sir Thomas Vernon, although she
might make him think so, for her own
purposes. l suspected. however, a
motive far deeper, in any matter con
nected with Sir Thomas Vernon. Over
ton was the next heir after Giles; Sir
Thomas was extremely rickety. and
not likely to be long-lived; and II. by
merely telling what had happened,
Lady Arabella could safe her resent.
ment, which was deep and furious,
against Giles, and at the same time
greatly benefit Overton. l think she
would not have weighed Giles life at
o penny. MY Daphne. whose faith In
human nature was angelic, in her be-
lief in ultimate good. prayed and be-
sought Arabella to leave the country
before the trial came off; but Ara.
bella only said contemptuously:
You are a child and a chit. Giles
Vernon contemplated doing me the
greatest wrong a man can do a woman.
DO you think I shall let him go un
punished? II SO. how little do you
know Arabells Stormonty
Then 1, from loyalty to Giles and
not from any hope had from Lady
Arabella, went to her and made my
appeal. She heard all my prayers
without the slightest sign OF relenting,
playing with her lap-dog the while. Al
last, I said to her;
Tell me, at least, who is to be bene'
fted by the conviction of Giles Yer
non? Not you. certainly; for you viii
be loathed and Stunned by all"
"rhe person dearest to me In the
world" she replied; "the person | love
better than my life or my soui.p anC
then, as II she had admitted too much
she stopped. turned pale, and seemed
altogether Disconnected. She had, IN
truth, admitted too much. The person
she had ever loved better than hel
SOU was Philip overtoR.
/ had the self-possession to leave
her then, and went of by myself L
think over the strange motive which
had been revealed to me. Arabella'i
i~nfatuation for overton had always
heen abnormal. touched with unreason
And could fate have woven n elosel
web around Giles Vernon than in ma
king him fall so madly In love with
az