The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1915-08-14

diSgrHceu through my fault III you
won't take me before the magistrate.
draw out a declaration Of your inno-
cence on paper and I will sign II. Do
as 1 tell you. Godfrey. or I'll write 1t
to the newspapers-I1l 20 out and cry
II In the Streets
We win not say this was the language
Of remorse; we will say 1t was the Ian
guage Of Mysteries. Indulgent Mr.. God
frey pacifed her by taking a sheet Of
paper and drawing out the declaration.
She signed 1t in a feverish hurry.
SHOW II everywhere-don't think of
me-" she said as she gave 1t to him.
Before another word could be said
by anybody a laundering knock at the
street door startled III all. Rachel start
ed and composed herself. She crossed
the room to her mother.
They have come to take me to the
flower show" she said. Zone word,
mamma, before / 60. I have not dis
tressed you, have IT.
The drops had produced their effect.
My poor aunt's complexion was like IT.
self again. mo, no, my DEAR" she
said. go with our friends and enjoy
yourself" *
Her daughter stopped and kissed her.
/ had left the window and was near
the door when Rachel approached 1t to
go out. Another change had come over
her-she was in tears. l looked with
interest at the ~momentary softening Of
that obdurate heart. l felt inclined to
say a few earnest words. Alas! My
well meant sympathy only gave Of
Tense. What do you mean by plying
me?" she asked in a bitter whisper as
she passed to the door. Don't you see
how happy l am? I'm going to the
flower show. Clack. and I've got the
prettiest bonnet In London" She CON-
pleted the hollow mockery Of that ad-
dress by blowing me a kiss and so left
the roorh.
l wish I could describe in words the
compassion that / felt for this miser-
able and misguided girl. But am al
most as poorly provided with words as
with money. Permit me to say my
heart bled for her.
Returning to my aunt's chair, / OBJ
served dear Mr.. Godfrey searching for
something softly here and there In diff
ferent parts Of the room. Before l
could offer to assist him be had found
what he wanted. He came back to my
aunt and me with his declaration Of
innocence in one hand and with a box
of matches in the other.
Dear aunt, a little conspiracy" be
said. Dear Miss Clack, a pious fraud
which ever your high moral rectitude
will excuse! Will you leave Rachel to
suppose that I accept the generous
self sacrifice which has signed this pa
per? And will you kindly bear wit
ness that I destroy 1t in your presence
before l leave the house? He kindled
a match and, lighting the paper, laid
II to burn in a plate on the table.
"Any trihing Inconvenience that may
suffer is as nothing" he remarked,
compared with the Importance of pre-
serving that pure name from the con-
terminating contact of the world.
Rachel will never know what we have
done. How do you feel? My precious
friends. how do you feel? For my poor
part 1 am as light hearted as a boy
He beamed on us with his beauti-
full smile. He held out a hand to my
aunt and a hand to me. | was too
deeply affected by his noble conduct to
speak. 1 closed my eyes. I put his
hand in a kind Of spiritual self forget
fulness to my lips. He had gone.
Finding myself alone with Lady
verinder, l turned naturally to the OBJ
ject Of her health, touching delicately
on the strange anxiety which she had
shown to conceal her i~ndisposition and
the remedy applied to 1t from the OBJ
servation Of her daughter.
My aunt's reply greatly surprised me.
"Drusilla," she said-if I have not
already mentioned that my Christian
name is Drusilla permit me to mention
it now-"you are touching -quite inno-
Gently, l know-on a very distressing
subject"
keep me company. then," she said,
"for another hour. / have something
to tell you which I believe you will be
sorry to hear, and 1 shall have a serv-
ice to ask of you afterward If you
don't object to assist me-"
1t is again needless to say that, so
far from Directing, l was all eager
ness to assist her.
"You can wait here" she went on,
"till Mr.. Bruff comes at 8. And you
can be one Of the witnesses, Drusilla,
when l sign my will"
Her will. l thought Of the drops
which / had seen in her workbox. I
thought of the blush tinge which l
had noticed in her complexion. A light
which was not of this world-a light
shining prophetically from an unmade
graye-dawned solemnly on my mind.
MY aunt's secret was a secret no
longer.
ST have been seriously Ill. Drusilla.
for some time past" my aunt began,
land. strange to say. without knowing