The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-11-18
The House of Ill-Luck
By BLANCHE EARDLEY.
By BLANCHE EARDLEY.

| room In silence. When she had closed
the door, she turned and faced him. 7
wanted 10 ask you 20 find another COM
panion for Lady Mallaby," she said slow
| ~ AS you are going 20 town, you can
perhaps ind time 10 do it.
He looked at her steadily. you wish
to leave Luck House,
She threw out her hands despairingly.
How can / stay and know that | am
eating the bread of the people whom l
| have been the means of rObbing OF their
| right?" she said. DO you think | don't
! know of what you must be thinking every
/ time you see meE'
IF you knew that, It would not drive
/ you away" he said.
Il must go. she repeated. ''Since
| those awful people told me the truth l
have been miserable. and each day makes
| it harder for me to bear"
Then you did not change your name
when you came here because you knew
/ stephen Usher was my cOusin?' Sir
Douglas asked quickly.
II knew nothing" she repeated. II
/ changed my name to that Of the dead
/ girl whose bag had. because 1 was
afraid those awful people would find me.
! Then, when Mr.. Craven and his sister
| came. recognized them az once and
| they did me-but the other''-she paused
and fiushed-'I fancy he learned
/ through a book ! had dropped with my
/ real name in il. Oh, can't tell you what
/ / feel" she went on passionately: II
/ who was so anxious for you TO find hap
! piness and wealth, 10 be the person who
] has lost It for your
Perhaps not quite lost" he said gent
ly; there is a chance that stephen Usher
might not be my cousin. after all. Mr..
/ Dacre has found out that henry cousin
was SO i'll with consumption that he
/ died IN Switzerland"
Rosemary raised her head and looked
at him with startled eyes. Then you
may have the money, after alp she
| breathed "Oh, ! am so glad-so glad.
/ That VIII be some recompense for every
thing else"
do you think anything could make
! up 20 me for the loss of your" he cried
/ sharply. 1t was bad enough 20 think
that you might have been the wife OF a
man rich enough 10 give you a good
/ home, but this chap may be an unspeak-
able blaekguard. without a penny 20
bless himself with. ana l hate the idea
/ OF your belonging 20 him. Rosemary. ]
would rather have seen you dead"
| Il do not belong 10 him. she said in
a low voice. HE viii never be more
/ than he is 10 me now, and I hope I shall
never see him again He has spoiled my
life, but he shall never see me again,"
II cannot let you so away like this
alone and observation-disclosures" he went
/ on. Won't YOU stay-for my mothers
sake-for mine?" he added in a hoarse
voice: because. though I love you with
| all my heart and soul. I would keep away
! from you. dear. If you wished H. and
never speak 10 YOU. II would be happi-
ness enough TO know that you were here.
/ breathing the same air with me-liVng
/ beneath the same roof"
/ Il won't promise that I viii always
stay" she murmured. II could not-be-
| cause-oh. don't you see, dear" she
/ burst out-'f ! saw you every day
| should hate ever TO go away. II love
you"
His hands caught and held her fut-
/ tering ones. God bless you FOR those
| words be broke out. at first, when
/ saw you with that man. instead OF com
| Ing 10 me in the library. as I asked you
/ in the note ] left at your door. I thought
you had ceased 10 care. and / was
/ wretched."
| I never got any note" Rosemary said
/ quickly. Il remember now that Miss
/ Craven shut her door as I went past
/ wonder il she knew anything about it?''
Sir Douglas face hardened as he re-
| membered how Laura had been In the
/ library instead Of Rosemary. and how
she had tried TO instin doubtNn his mind
| against her.
Il suppose she intercepted IT," he said.
/ but IL doesn't matter now. darling" he
went on. Through eli that has happen
| ed we both know each others hearts"
| Rosemary did not SPEAK. Her lips qulv-
cred. aud her eyes filled with tears II
/ only she had never never gone 10 the
! agency on that foggy day she would
never have met Philip Craven, nor have
/ gone 10 that house in the gloomy square
/ TO go through that hideous marriage
ooh. why did I ever consent to such
an awful thlng?" she cried bitterly. THE
more l think Of it the moro I hate and
/ loathe it,"
And yet II you had not gone out that
| day We should never have met" Sir
/ Douglas answered. 7 cannot think il
was all evil, and. perhaps-who knows?-
one day We may wrest happiness from
/ Fate at the eleventh hour"
Rosemary looked at him with tears IN
/ her eyes THANK you for comforting
me, dear she whispered. II shall al
/ ways love you-always, alWays-your love
| is the only bright memory in my life.
And now I must say good-by," she went
/ on, after pause; Lady Mallaby will
want me-"
TO BE CONTINUED TOMORROW.
| Copyright 1909. By The North American Companyl