Northern Weekly Gazette. — 1907-07-13 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

CHAPTER XIX.  TRUE GOLD.  Sylvia's health seemed for a time to improve wonderfully in Ireland, and she wished so much to stay that Frank took a house for a, year. She selected an ideal place, close to Ilton Cottage, and a strange friendship sprang up between her and Mary. Frank's feelings were mixed, and a puzzle to himself; but at least he was thankful to see the girl he had married look less miserable, and she was pleasanter and less exacting than of old. Of Mary's feeling he had no idea.. She was always cordial, friendly, and interested in all that concerned him, and she showed a great love for little Franlde, and was more of a mother to him than Sylvia, whose chief interest in life seemed to be kerself. .  _ But she was lovable in spite of her selfishness, a creature made to be petted and shielded from every rough blast that might wound her or ruffle her delicate, sensitive love of ease. She was just a spoilt child, craving for pleasure, that could never satisfy. She fluttered through the summer like a butterfly. Her beauty returned. Her gay laugh was constantly heard, and if Mary was with her she was happy. It ,seemed as if her shallow nature had found a. rest and support in the strong sincerity of the Irish girl's great heart. And Frank was grateful to her for her kindness to his wife. He had failed to make her happy, or even content. Now she was apparently satisfied. Everyone was good to her. Sir John and Lady Porter ran up frequently in their motor to see her. Mrs Barlow, eagle-eyed, bu.t kindly as ever, paid her many visits. The young Earl of Stramare was her open admirer (and Sylvia dearly loved a title), but it was Mary who acted the part of a good angel ,to her, and as time went on she began to look for her almost daily, quite unconscious that she might become a tax, or that she was more than a. little exacting; but Mary was very patient; mare than that, it was a happiness to her to know that she I had the power to give- 'Prank's wife a little pleaSUM. _ . .  When the autumn came her false strength failed :)u.ddenly, and the dread diseme hhe had been threatecned with gripped her in its most rapid form. _ _  They thought she did not realive that it was the beginning of the end, and no one could tell her. indeed, it seamed impossible to believe that the dark shadow of death was closing round her with awful speed—she was so bright, so full of interest in the things of the moment. Frank was unfailing in his devotion to her now. He read to her, sang her favourite •son.gs in. his pleasant untrained baritone, which to her was the sweetest music., and would sit for hours by her bedside when she became too weak to get up for more than an hour or two in the afternoon. But no matter who was there she wanted Mary, and the girl was seldom long away from her room. One day in glancing over a New Zealand paper he saw .an account of Kanota's death. The dwarf had never been caught, and so had escaped punishment for his attack on Mr Dalton. lie had been found, dead from starvation, outside the door of the Hut. There was plenty of food to be had, and evidently this was the method be had adopted to commit suicide, and so punish himself for hie crime. _ _ . - .  _ Frank read the paragraph to himself, but Sylvia was watching him, and she saw his face change. "What is it, Prank?" she asked. "What. are you reading now?" "Not much," he answered, turning the paper. "I want 19 find something pleasant to read sou."