Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-05-24
III

pAY after day Fcnella waited at
~ home for Victor, denying herself to
..rhodv else. Every afternoon she
s..s.ed herself in some gown he had
..,a bc liked her in. She dressed her
..,, too. in the way he liked best
put still he did not come.
4. length she determined to write to
Aim writing was n terrible ordeal.
Her pride fought with her love and she
s.uM never satisfy herself with her
.,.,,ers. First it was
"Do,r Victor - Don't you really
.,,,t you've stayed away long enough?
Remember your 'Manx oncs'-specially
,our lovely and beloved Manx women
xon't they be talking"
mt no, that was too much like
.,ro,tcnipg him, SO she began again
"Dorl,ng-'Did you really think I
u.,nt nj, I said that day? Don't you
.now n woman better thar that? l
.nrnose YOU think I am very hard
hearted and can never forgive. but
80
No. that was wrong, too.
"v;ctor-Don't you think l have
,.,n runished enough? 1t has been
...r hard for me. yet I love you still
."
M, the trembling of her handwriting
hstrayed the emotion she. wished 10
conreai, At last, after long day OF
solitude and abandonment, two little
INV. "v,c--I am so lonely. Come to me.
yorr broken .hearted-Fenella.'
Rut nil her letters, with their cries
and supplications, were torn up anu
thrown into the fire.
Why aid he stay away? Did he ex.
,.ct her 10 bridge all the gulf between
thsmY At length she thought he must
No III. The idea that he could be suf-
f.,ine (for her sake perhaps) swept
down all her pride, and she determined
to 20 to him.
I,ut Just as she was setting of for
Ballamoar somebody brought word
that Stowell was staying at Fort Anne.
That quenchcd her humility. SO near,
ret never coming to see her! oh, very
we'll! Very we'll
For two days she felt crushed and
sbased. Then she heard that Stowell
was constantly to be seen at the Law
Library, and that brought n memory
and an explanation. She remembered
that she had said Gin that wild moment
| when she didn't know what she was
aying) that she would never forgive
him while the girl Bessie lay in prison.
That was it.! lie was finding a
solid legal ground on which the pris.
oner could be liberated, and when he
had convinced the law officers Of the
Crown that this was a proper case for
the exercise Of mercy. he would come
up to her and say. "Bcssie Collister is
free the barrier between us is broken
down."
For n full day after that her heart
was at ease. Nay more. she was almost
happy. for hidden away In some secret
place Of semi consciousness was the
thought that the measure Of StOwell's s
efforts for Bessie Collister was the meter
Of his love for herself.
At length her impatience got the bet
ter Of her tranquility and she became
eager to know what was going on.
There was only one person who could
tell her that--her father.
Coming down to breakfast on the
sunny morning after the storm. she
saw among the letters by the Cover
hor's .plnte. large envelope super
ecribed, Home Secretary" When her
father had opened it she said; as II
casually:
ANY news yet about that poor thing
In Castle Rushen?"
Yes. there's something here"
'M course. she's pardoned?"
has been confirmed"
"ConRrmed:"
Yes. she's to die. and it only re.
mains Tor Inc to fix the date of the exc.
cution."
The sun went out es before n thun-
eetrNorm. and, rising from her unfn =
Snea breakfast. Fenella fed from the
% room A great wave Of pity seemed to
sswecp s"p down every other feeling. She
aelermihed to 80 to Castle Rushen agaiu
S"H oreak the news tenderly to the un =
nappy woman.
on her way to the railway station
.m arr hlihd swung back to Stowell. After
~ ~ he could have done nothing to save
the. he sIrls life. 1t wns incOnceivable
S.u Saa .ne authorities in London could
,So 'e oseh indifferent to the opinion OF
"e MSudgc who had tried the case.
,,.t,. NO. nc cnn have done nothing
noImhing whatever"
tneh camc shock to her also.
,oin M ner carriage dipped into the hill
IN hn .ka