The Barnwell people. (Barnwell, S.C.) 1884-1925, April 28, 1892, Image 1
v .
T« Ptoplt Pitsses.
Lkuai^ Mercantile and mie-
—eellaneoue—
dob Printing
!*
xocittod promptly and in tin
et'Pty lea outlie I’Konxl’reeK
You. XV.
BARNWELL COURT HOUSE, S. C., APRIL 28, 1892.
y ■ . * - ^ T ■ . .
No. as
A LOVE STORY, MERELY.
' ' r a
— 4
by joh:i ct2a:;ge vhtt^h.
Copyriglit, IS^L by the AutUors* Alliance.
tell you. ft was only that
of dear old (Jeorgcy and 1 couldn't
bear to think hp should be made un
happy for no real reason, for you do
like him, don’t you, Vo re? ^ Oh, ray
dear, you don’t know how <U .ir and
kind and pood he is—you’d never think
he was a penius if there wasn't all his
lovely pictures ,4iung' on the line every
year to prove .it. And he hod never
asked anyone clsg before Vere, for he
told me so—”
‘‘And he will never ask me ntrirr,”
sobbed Vere, inV a piteous, strangled
voice.
“Well, so he said,” said Mrs. Jock re
flectively—“but then men say a great
many things that they don't stick to,
»«i miTTWwr*—i m»t' rrri
I'm so fond Aon J i worry about Vere.
<' CHAPTER L
Mrs. Jock Airlic was a happily mar-
Hed woman, and having resolved to put
her friend, Vere Nugent, into a similar
Ikgrceable wedlock with George Luiri- [
ley, had Invited the two young persons 4
out to her summer homo at the flsh ^
ponds. This was very magnanimous on j
Atrs- Jnekrs-nacl. for Weorge iHimlev. Uto.. t f
Art ist, was so old and good a friend as old George a& well as any oilier man,
to be considered quite her own proper-j And 3'ou do really like him,
ty. The unaware victims of Mrs. Vere?”
Jock s plot were in loVC With each other j N Yero, however, had rajthing definite
before a week of association was over, rthis.subject, but slie cried ^a
The artist had begged her to sit for a great deal and Mrs. dock gathered that
sketch of Penelope, to 1)0 used in a pro- h ^ ie jast as heart-broken i’or tews of
Jected nainting, and sho hnd sunp.lwtte ^ CeorrcT.umtey as G^eornr? Lomley was
balla<ls u for him, as few could sinp bet- heart-broken for love of her.
ter. But she misconstrued him. never
theless, and believed that his tenderness
You made m
bit of mistake, or sheditL- Anyway, I
happen to know that she : ll come like a
bird,b and that %ecmed t^ satisfy him.
80, f wired off for you both at ouce.
Why, my dear girl,” he broke off,
» “you’re not vexed about it, sUrcly,” for
Vere had hidden her face and was weep-
Ing bitterly.
“No—no, not at all. You po away a
bit She^ll be all right. She's a little
bverwroupht,” interposed Mrs. Jock,
bastily. “She'll be all right in five,
minutes if she's not worried. I'll take
her upstairs presently,”
b Vere was soon smithed into qtnet-
’ ness again, and then Mrs. Jock took
her up to the pretty room which the
pretty
►renared next to Mri
McaMMWMfr-, -'*0.3
“1 don’t think he will have ty do
that,” said Vere, coldly.
‘ No—ah, well, we shall see,” smiling
disagreeably. r *
“Mrs. Hope,” said Vere, with an. ef
fort, looking her enemy—she felt that
this womai&was her enemy, by a sure,
unerring instinct—Ktrjiight in the eyes,
“you have implied a good many thiaps
during the last toll minutes. May I
yon a plain question, and will ypuipvo
me a straightforward answcib
“Certainly.”
“Doyou ui-dt me>W"mderstand that
yon are eugagecMo Mr. Lmnley?”
“If yon lagvdiio objection,” said Mrs.
rTope; tT^umphautly.
objection, if I have one, has
imp to do with the fact. 1 asked
he said quickly, “there’* no re«- and cix>mg, I imagine,’* with m ,wtkT
Burnley f son why the doctor, and everyone else laugh ‘ ■
Vert | for that matter, should not know.** I am bound to say that when Lnmtey
with ineredufou* eye* had rear I the pool 4
child's letter bev^o far from being,dl»-
And he had positively vowed that he
Was his pastime merely.
They were sotted on a bench, after as
game, of tennis, when George Lumley
began hi* declaration of love.
“Please don't say any more about it,
Mr. Lumley,” she Interrupted, coldly.
*T would rather you did not, indeed.”
She was positively trembling under
the touch of his eager hands, her heart
was beating *0 loudly that she thought
be muni assuredly hear it, she was
tele-
tmi
oa vr or tcxms.
longing, longing with all her heart and
soul to let herself drift into the full de
light of hearing hi* words of love—but
ho, he nil* a flirt, it wo* his way. he
meant nothing, ant) site was proud, and
firm, ami resolutely strong
“May I say ■***
with oh! such 1
would never ask her to marry him
again!
Two days later, Mrs. Jock go!
gram from the city.
“Vere, Vere,” she cricjiybroathlcssly,
“I knew it was all right—I knew my
dear old George Wouldn’t sulk. I knew
it would l*e rfll right in the end.”
“Is he coining?" Vere asked. She had
grown very white and her lips were
trembling as were her hands.
[ “Coming. No, poor dear, it will bo
long enough before h • goes ai ■ where.
Bet Joqk went up to town—1 wm ’
1 uneasy, and he wires to say”—ami she
tried to *m K>th the bit of fluttering
1 paper out, which, as a bri >k breeze was
blowing, she found^ery difficult—“sac,
••this is what Jock says: ‘iTouad George
. in bed. bad bud aecidcnt. letter un-'
I opcm*»l Come up to town at once and
bring Vcro w itli you.* So you is'e,
dear child, it was all right after all.**
Vere looked at her with profound div
mny. “Where is it all right. I'd like to
know?*’ she cried. “lie is lying with a
' broken leg or head orsomethiug, t?v> ill
“ to open your letter—and y<>4 call it ail
I right. I don't nee how m4Wrs could
. bo very much more wrong. Aid when
; he doe* come to himself 1 <t«vn*t suppose
Im will be any more forgiving toward
me,” she ended, with » sob itf her throat.
Jock’s own.
And after this Lumley was desperate
ly ill. For many days the djxrors came
and went.- T^’o fresh irrirses arrived,
and Mrs Jock was ;dviost beside herself
with anxiety amJ/fSar. She and Jock
certainly sruMf their friend bravely.
“They rw~?T left him—day and night
one orofher of them was always with
hiprfsee’ng Fiat everything that could
fie done fpr him was done. And Vere—
well, poor girl, she, wretched and ai-
mom- dunxbwith anxiety and want of
sleep, sjx'tit the tong and weary days
wandering in and out of the rooms With
no reasonable and legitimate occupa
tion excepting the answers ofYiotes and
telegrams, which came in by shoals
from morning till night. She. too. tar?
a good many people who called to in
quire for him and insisted upon seeing
some one not quite a servant. She was
generally believed to be his amauuen-
sbu and people-*1 a 1 lies^especially—won
dered that the painter should havo^o
young a lady in that capacity. *
One day came a Mrs. Hope, a hand
some widow; and ftlapkwond. weary o
her Importunity f *r information, tolu
her tkali Mr. and Mrs. Airlie had lieeu
•tavir * in the horse for > eve nil days,
and t’aat |)erhaprr-»>Irs. Airllo would see
her.
“Oh! In fMien* the lady wjth
renewed interest, “I will e»r.ic in. Mrs.
Airiie is surd t > co*jc <low n to soc me.
fm^o verr anxious nb ntt Mt. Luni iey.”
N«»\y it happened that if Blackwood
a brin'd and a loathing for any
an being nn curth tliat j/ 'ivon was
y t m »*■ ■
Tne a strrdghtforward answer.” —
“Then, I do most decidedly wish you
to understand that,” said Mrs. Hope,
promptly. ' /
la less time than it takes to. write it
a complete realization of the awful
.truth JJhiiicd.. IlaiJi in Vere NugentV -
brain.
CHAPTER II.
• lock Airiie did not much cafe about
Mi'S. Hope, although she was by way of
l eing an intimaU^ of his wife’s. Ahop
- somehow in his solid presence, Mifte 4 * 1
lloT'e always felt more or loss hop«dess,
and as if her Mock in trade of looks 1
end coquetry were all^ecidedly impo
tent.
“Why. even Miss Nugenthas not Leon
allowed t(t look into the room yet,” he
said bluntly. “You know the poor old
chap IWfClTad t heY^ry nearest shave in the
wh< ’ world - infact,wecfuitear • l v ny
* tie’s out of the woods yet. Ruth is si in- .
ply worn out and dead asleep at this
moment, and I'm not much bettor.”
“Ihit surely 1 could be of some use,”
she pleaded.
“Well, candidly, I don’t think you
cosiiJJ’ he said bluntly, “and of course
cv, rYV.t.'a 010 in the hou>e makes it
asUed her ii she had ever seen such for- j don’t,
get-me-nots jn town befor®.
opened Ins >. eyes—and smiled,
shivered. * - /p [ “Ah! a now nurse, I see.’*, said the
“How.good of you to be here,” he said, ' doctor by way of cbuvSieutrah'd'to spare
in a strange^weak voice, a voice very Verc’s blnshcs'wimewhat.
unlike hWwvn pleasant, mellow accents ! q’lie girl was not blusldng—you must
—audthen ho lay looking at her as iL-y be happy ol* ashamed to,blush, and she
every sight of her was all sullleicnt was neither; she was only utterly
fordns contentment. t wretched and lodged »t. Indeed the j
Vere bent down over the bed. “You doctor thought he had never seen a
are better, much better,” she said, very j saddcMooking girl to be a man's happy ,
tenderly. She had not forgotten that ho sweetheart, -p~
was bound to another woman, but ho So a few more days passed on, Lum-
was so weak, so pitiably weak,%hat she Icy with each one improving more and
dnl not seem to thiidi it worth while td more, grnwing Klrttlgcr und less
remembernnything else. . ~ ; troubled by the Undek on the h'cad
“Yes—I got sniashed." Then after a which had laid him lo\u and wltli every
pause—“Canh you sit down?” hd^r that Vere spent In hi* company
tressed by it, went off into the wildest
fits of laught^M
*‘Thorc** nothing to langh at,” rt^
marked Mrs Jock, vexedly 8heherself
liad l»een langliing almost hystericallj
but a moment liefore. J
“No - but the situation even in sng-
gestion Is (no funny,” he cried. “Still,
to lhi serious — how could she have got
such an idea?”
“I imagine Mr* Hope tokl her *0."
“Oh! she c'mtldn’l—it’s impossible."
"1 don't imow Ttqyway, you art
quite sure that you are nob mixed up In
ngol lho kind?!*
&at down facing him, then by some in- contented with his Hie.
stinct of tenderness she laid her cooljf And during all this time Vere Nugcni
firm hand upon his whit^ wasted one as nurses tfle knowledge that although he
it lay outstretched upon the coverlet. ! had apparently forgotten the fact, he
Ilis fingers closed willingly over hers j wua engaged to another woman, that
and he smiled again. she was helping to build his health up
‘.‘Stay there,’’ he said, drowsily. And •; to an end which she would not lie able
tlufr'i Vere staved. to share, that when he talked, n* he
The painter sank into a sound sleep &d, so happily end glowingly of the
and
her
Vere was a prisoner, for he held
tightly so that sho could not
5t v V' R i fT
11a cLASiitD iir.K u.vxn.
11
nolhknq cIm*?** lie said.
W(»rM of entreaty and
yearning in hi* v«*iee nral eyea.
**Thvrv t» nothing else to say.” ahe
said, in a frozen voice.
An hour later, Lumley *nU
Jock: “1 want youtod*) me a mvt.r I
m.(st get to town early. Will it be pos
sible for mu to catch the eight o'clock
train?”
“Of eonrre. But George—yen are
coming again?*’ anxiously.
*T say, Mr*. Jock, it's kind of von to
ask me to e<*me again, but I can't while
Mis* Nugent is staying with you.”
“But why? I —I thought you liked
her so,” the little woman exclaimed.
“George, has anything happened?"
•“Miss Nugent deUnitely re fa me
last night,” he said, in un odd, unmoved,
wooden kind of voice.
“George, I am very sorry," she saki,
winking hard to keep the tears out of
her eyes—thet were plainly to !*• heard
In her trembling voice—“but indeed 1
think there is quite a misunderstand ing.
1 am sure Vere like* you—how could
she help it,” she added, with uncon
scious flattery.
“No”—shaking his head—“it is no
uso. I wouldn’t ask her to marry me
again if you told me she wa* breaking
her heart /or me. I b'licve in a lad^
knowing her own mind when a insn of
fers her all tha| ho lias and is and ever
will bo.”
In two minutes he was gone and Mrs.
Jock saw the tail of Vore’s blue sor,.,-
gown disappear into the drawing room.
Mrs. Jock went after her and riiut the
door. “Vere," she said abruptly, “why
did you refuse George Lumley?”
“But Mr. Lumley never asked me to
marry him,’* the girl stammered. “He
said something about the sitting for his
I’cnelope, and then—he—he said some
thing very vague and uncertain about
his wishes, and all' that, and—and—1
knew he was one of the greatest flirts
in Loudon, and—and—I cut 1dm short,
that was all. But he never asked me
to marry him, Mrs. Jock, I swear to
you. ”
“Oh! you silly girl,” Mrs. Jock almost
fecreamed, “as if any man goes down
bn Ids knees and offers his hand and
his heart formally nowadays. And
you’ve sent him away—wretched—
■wrctchedt”
“I am wretched, too," Vere burst out,
indignantly.
“ s So yoxi ought to be, so you deserve to
--bo," Mrs. Jock retorted, passionately,
‘‘And then yon say he’s a flirt. Who
told yon that? Not I! He can’t help
half the women in London being in
Jove with him'; lie can't help being the
most charming, delightful man in the
world- But a flirt he never was. I’ve
known him for years—years. I never
haw dear old George flirt yet, though
I’ve seen dozens of women trying hard
to flirt with him. And you’ve broken
Mr*. Jock laugl
not a very real
there was a susph
her eye*. “It w«
you and I to stay
rli- It was
led, alth-
f-onnding h.ueffiT ahd
*iou* brightness about
*n't help natters f«>r
wrangling here, dear
—we have to catch the train at six
o chick. Jack is silre to meet us with
the ThTest news.”
But he did not do so. On the con
trary, wh- a t!ie train rnn into Liverpool
Btlri t t ft ion there woa not a s ; ,ti of
and the h. ’ f t.
had
hum;
Mrs.
that Mr*,
suoh a iltk
mistre*-* l
John'* wp
. TTe l
UopeJi
g were
f the
no
od
< kTv tiettAr.
Intention if
f becoming
um* in Su
had a not
1 r.n event
ad no oK-
tr.arrieU—
'n going. But It’s awfully
you to have come; I’ll let him
know ns soon a* he's fit to hear of out
side Int( rr ts. By the by are you driv-
if 1 ;f ♦ -r M;all 1 gall v mi a enb?”
“tdi. no; I'm driving, thanks," sho
replied.
She was boiling over with passion a*
she err*sed -the bull -aud went down..
o to her carriage.
ycot Vere, who had gone slowly
•arily up to her room -face to
t!i a new end terrible trouble
fore the weight of the first aw-
hrd Tilled fro.n ’her heart.
sho said, in
the
s\
nnJ
f.icc
eve;
ful
Con
>ne
etl 1
d prr
n f.
irri
ost
’XV
Mr. Airiu
women sank as they realize 1 t!ie
“Oh! but there H lliajkwo'Ml.
»r v*
of h
if.» In
Jock exclaimed
relief “1U
m.iu —crider!
ing ht:n. Here
she c
t r..H.
him. H
I
1C to t
“Ye*. ma'aT
i did not lik.
“And how i
t was t*
two
fact.
IPgod,” Mrs.
uMenly, In a tone rf
u«*l U Ueiir *e*» own
« like I. . v-
wc are, Hlaekwood,"
T suppjs.* you have
l!<
meant n
look but
f - 0*1
morning
sitting.;
1,” ho rep
to le u fl
he? Wh:
aeo
• 1; “Mr. J
• master."
sva* wron
Mrs. J.
“Mi
in
d t!
*nt,
% t(
to Blackwooi
Ir.ty of his lu
•r billet. He
ladr into t:
1 re Miss Nng
himself
of tl'.O
i*r to
trirrh
.■Mr
If
• t really be true that he had g«no
'i,,-tv ut-ii en'rt'TPd him self to
women in the world?
way
IK*. <
and
if all
-t
tit*
’da
th
th
tu.-t have, gme t.« 1 1 r and
. her nt once on arriving in !*m-
it l.’d’.t during the course of that
awi
t»u«
si
Hot
r-
Waat was tbo accident
aa!r**d, eagerly. - — ——— r — __
*‘A cub accident. ma*n»n. My m:
was knocked down in trying to
child from being rnn over.”
“And much hurt?” anxiously.
“Very seriously hurt, m-Vam—
enssion of the brain- Mr. Lumley
not kuown anyone until thi* ai
noon.” .
“Wa* Mr. Airiie with him then?.”
“Yes, ma’am—and I think ho wax
r e nn i »;i, wlu n I enm.* a’q . v. 1
hare the brougham here, ct-VunY”
In a few miuuU*.* they w. c com
fortably installed in- LuralcyV eor.y
broughntn, and at ln>t*tlu y turned into
the pleasant tree- Jtndcd road in vvi ich
tlie stodio, as Lumlcv’s hou.-o v.uj
called, was situated, and m-a-i’v/upio of
minutes later hud turned in ut the gate
and driven up to the house.
Vere walked in, eon'cions that t>.o
entrance hall was large and softly
carpeted and hung with many pictures
and trophies of various kinds. A large
jeweled lamp hung overhead, shed
ding a soft light around, and a big dog
came to meet them. Tflen Jock
Airlic came hurriedly down the
‘tlwW
10 haul.
“I am
very
much Turpriwd;*
• _ ,,.11
reptM k O
■
f • !.
. prt::
aptly, “liiwerw
;is more
-Mirnrisc;
1 iu R
j.v life. 1 unilerstf
kkI from
Blackwi
*>l t:
iaft Mr. and Mr
s. Airlic
\ e ; U:
lyiiTT
here." • ’
con-
1, ^
She sp
ok c i
n a tone find wit
h a Rig*
nlficanc*
• will*
■a jent the bliKxl
rn&liiag
t:
otu lUorktvood they had learned
Mr. Lumley had returned about
j o'clock, having sent l»'s luggago
ip tn the rtudte in a exb tlirM l»,Hir*
urli.'r. that ho had dre^-cd ar.J gone
>ttt, telling Black wood that ii'* might
.s-ihly nut return till lat»* ut nigliL
“I 1 a\e to ? c** a lady in tjuern’s Gate
t|K'Ut u sitting,” he said, “and if I’m
•• ml:-r ho»r.e to dinner I'll scud you iw.
,ii:e ul*out iialf-p-a- t hlx.”
He had, however, lieen brought homo
I’xmt nix o'clock in a cub by a |*dioc-
nau tmd instrnnre gentleman, w ho told
iiluckw »< l of thu sceideut, nnd that
ms words he had *pok>
e me home—not a hos-
;d accordingly they had
Tnk
into the girl's j'ale fap«V “Mr. and Mcs.
Airiie are slnving here," she replied,
v. i‘,Ii <miet civility.
“Oh’real5y—well, iti*iw» well! Where
is *Mrs. Airiie? I will go to her at
CU'V.”
. “I don't t* hdc yon had b~tt
that,” said Vere. very firmly—“hi
she is sittirp with Mr. Luiniey.”
“'Well’’—and Mrs. Hope drew 1
up and looked at tiuvgirl as if
Was
ty
that there
should not
h
“i don’t think
“that you quite
no reason
Mrs. Jock,
r do
ecausc
IvHrpclf
t > say
why she
neve rt he
ron
" said Vere, patiently,
understand how very
ill, dau’gerous.ly ill,/ Mr. Lumley i.x. No
one is allowed to see him at all—indeed,
he would probably not know you if you
did see him.”
Mrs. Hope became suddenly dignified.
“My dear Miss Nugent," she said.
UOUtr
terms upon
-understand the
Mr. Lumley and I
KIQ DOO CAME TO MEET THEM.
saying: “I'm so glad you’ve both,
come. This is a terribly bad business.
cnap s in a very
I’m afraid the dear old
bad way:”
“Jock,” said Mrs. Jock, wistfully,
“did—did he mention Vcro when he
his heart, sent him away wretched and knew you this afternoon?” „
miserable, and I wish I'd never asked j “Well—I did.” #
you to come down here at all, or him “Yum oh, don’t keep us in suspense,”
either—yes, 1 do.” • • g tfte little woman cried. “Don’t you sco
“No, I don’t,” returned Vere, simply.
“If anybody can he allowed to see
him, surely I am that person," Mrs.
Hope conthiucd. -
“i don't think so,” said Vere, who
fljWiroaly undewiteed her.
“No? Then—but no. it is not neces
sary that 1 should jexflmfn myself to
you. I-will make it very clear to Mrs.
Airiie when she comes down.”
“Mrs. Hope, don't you think I had
better tell Mrs. Jock to write to you?”
“No, certainly not—.thousand thanks.
I will wait - here,” and MrS. Hope sat
down in the .coziest chair with a de
termined air.
Vere, why wai busy answering notes
of inquiry, went on steadily with her
work, replying to Mrs. Hope’s various
remarks with the fewest possible words.
‘T do so often wonder that George
en were—
I •
: I».
She remembered now ro well Mr*.
Jock’s comment un hearing Llaek-
\vo !*s story. “Ah, I wonder if he had
been to see Mrs. Hope. She lives in
(Jtii-cvi’s <iat«*. yon know.”
Well, it was evident that he had been
there, and from what Mrs.*Uopc had'
t aid it was equally evident that lie had
t’. mv m anger and despair and
r to Like ] sc* of t!;.r
• 1 .■ 1 • I that • vere*
*l.nd r. • •’.! l.'.it oh—no, no, not the
heart; < f the life, the name, the fate, if
you will, but the heart was hers—all
hers even ^ 11. Had he not asked for her
iu Irs first conscious moment, had ho
not wished for her presence? Ah, yes
whatever Jin’jpcncd in'the time to com,
she was sura that his heart was and
would be hers forever!
Aral oh! how unutterably wretched
she was! She had no tears left! Her
anxiety, her sleeplessness, her grief
at the mintakes of the past had taken
all her tears—in this, the most crushing
blow of all, her eyes were quite dry,
but her lu art seemed like a lump of
lead. Her future looked black and
blank, her flower of hope was withered
ar.d dead. —
She was Et'll there when
knock sonndctFon- the doorr
> it. “I can't mow,
a whl r n> the nurse.
“No, vou’ll do more good sitting
there,” <,hc ' t\ hispCred back. “The
poor thing ha* Worried lifs heart out
nWii y«*v ever since 1 came. . You juat .
sit there.”
80 Jock, with a friendly pat on her 1
shoulder, and a cheery smile, left her, j
and prrvntlr Mr*. Jock came in on ti{>- *
toe. and put ht r arm around her neck
uad kissed her tenderly, with a murimtlr
that she had %nowtq all alongjliat it
would Ik? all rigli^yunr^I m ^^"glad
darling, so glad," she* ended.
Then she, too, crept away and Lnm-
lov still slept on, (piictly on, and the
girl who loved him wntehed steadily for
the awakening which would moan to
her the birth hour of utter det*olaiio». j
After about three hour* Lumley
awoke, still firmly holding Vero’n hand.
Ho did not look surprised to see her
there, but smiied at her and said in a
voice that was perceptibly stronger and
more like id* own: ‘‘Darling, Uovv good
of yon to rtny there*." • , „
Her heart grew sick nt his words, but
nho was brave, aye, and slie wr* loving, j
L - *), for she smiled back ns if the tears
were nowhere near to her eyes and the
future w as us golden as the sunset of a ,
^summer day.
*-*“! have been here ait>ng time,” she
said, gently, “and now nurse is goingto
turn rac out."
— 44 And M is* Nugent must have her
dinner,” put In the u«^e, seeing the
'shadow of remonstrance in bis eyes.
“Yes, go and get your dinner, dear
est,” he said, all at once assuming a
tone of proud possession of her. “put,”
anxiously, “you’ll come back after
wards, won’t you?”
“Oh, yes, sir, she shall come hack,”
Rauf the nurse. “I’ll take care of
that."
“I will come back," said Vere.
S!iq got r-afely into the shelter of her
own room before tlie Airbes knew that
Lumley was awake again. And once .
there she gave wmy altogether and hid •
’her face in the bedclothes, sobbing pit
eously: “Oh, how shall I bear it? Ho
has forgotten—he ha* forgotten! And
every day will make it worse und
worse, harder and harder! Oh my dear,
iny dear, it would be easier if you did
not love me quite so well.”
She was still sobbing when Mrs. Jock
came in search of her.
“Oh! ray dear, ray dear,” she cried,
“but you must not cry like thki. It is
all well with him now—he will soon
pull round again. You are not used to
Rccing Lira like this, but it won't be
for long, dear child, and he is so seraphic-
ally happy. It did ray heart good to
see his dear old face looking as pleased
as Punch in spite of its pallor.”
Vcro got up of? her knees.
^-fyotupsoi » bii, I think," she said,
future she woifld not-, l»e with
when It came. And as each da
by she grew more sick at lie
showed her trouble plainly In
and.wistful eyes.
At hast the happy day came when
was able to get up and he vyas allowed
to totter downstairs in a very cautious
nnd uncertain fashion amb^was com
fortably installed in a wide and capa
cious lounge nnd given Vere to “keel*
him very xjnict-nnd good.” And some
how duringAhnt afternoon Vere came
to a rcalizu/ion of Jthe truth that t^e
sooner she v.eut away from SL Juba’s
' Wood the better.
With startling vividness her mind re
called this, episode at the Fish Ponds.
| Vere played quite as well a* she sang,
nnd one evening two or three dreamy
airs stole out fr^m under her skillful
fingers until at last she felt that she
was telling any who might be listening
too much of what was in her heart.
8be would -play no more—she would
sing—and almost without her own will
and knowledge a pathetic little air
shaped itself into melody.and she sang'
“ Fst» cares between,.
Our ilrrara * a* o'er.
And for ever sod for e\#r—wo ore twa”
Lumley jumped up and strode over to
her side. “For God's sake, don’t sing
that to-night,” be muttered, in a shak
ing voice.
“Why'nrit? ,v *Mrf asked tvithout look
ing up.
Ho rested hi* hand heavily on her
shoulder for an instant. “It’s Itka sn
evil omen." ho answered, then dropped
back into hi* chair again, not daring to
trust himself to stand beside her any
longer.
Now Vere remembered that Incident,
and felt that it had been prophetic. It
helped her to decide upon going away.
So when Mrs. Jock came down to break
fast the following morning ahe found a
note addressed in Vere’s handwriting
lying beside her plate. “Why, wbat'a
this?" she exclaimed.
“Dearest Mrs. Jock," it said, *T have
suffered all that f know In silence ever
since that afternoon Mrs. Hope was
here, because it waa plain that Mr.
Lumley had forgotten his engagement
to her, und I wished him to get well bo-
fore I went away, unless he n m .
be red it. He is well enough'now not to
*^rtry in*
ad saTd. id a
sure. ___
“Do you remember what yftflRIid thd
afternoon that you h:ul your accident?”
“Yea—I went to see several people,
Mr* Hope among them."
“Why did you g:> to rcc her?”
“Because she wired me to go and m4
her on important husiuess.”
“What was it?” c~ . .x
“Well —I don’t tltfnk I ought to tell
lhritf”j.be said, hesitatingly.
dek’a tone expressed volnmeu.
ey went on eagerly: “But I am
ectly sure of one thing, that l.did
leave her house in anyway pledged
en In fact. I had
on in spite of what I had
very bad temper to you, of asking Vere
again before very long I really don’t
think Mrs Hnpw could have given her
to understand that. Sho must havo
mistaken something I Raid since then.
Anyway, I shall get up and go down U>
the Fish Ponds and atop her going
nway."
“You wilt do nothing of the sort*
George.” Mrs. Jock cried.
“Ch. yes, I shall. You’ll go with me,
won’t you? and I dare say Jock will ha
good-natured and go. too. And then
there’ll be Blackwood, who U a boat In
himself.”
“I won’t answer for the conse
quences,” Mr*. Jock said. In a scared
tone.
Hut Lnmley did not mind, lie made
a remark In a perfectly quiet and an*
moved lone such aa made Mrs. Jock
feel more a&-->tired than anything elaU
could have done u to Mb state od
health, for he said “I
DON T bIXO THAT EO.NO.
have a relapse and l_sliall be nt the
Fish Ponds before you receive this. I
nm going to put all ray things together
nnd it will bo the most icind if you will
just let me take my own line from now.
I think I shall goto Switzerland for the
summer—1 have plenty of money for
that—and in the autumn look out for
work of some kind.
1 “You’ve been awfully good to me,
dear Mrs. Jock, and I am most grateful
Be good to me still in not trying to keep
rac in England. Your grateful and
loving Veke.”
licht steadily. “As yon say, Fm not used to
It."’ —
It was not often that Mi's. Jock
worked herself up into a* 1 - regular,
passion, though she could, as Jock
could have borne w itness; on that par
ticular occasion, however, she was in a
boiling passion, and what the end of it
nil*would have be£n I really cannot
Say. had not Vere created a diversion
by suddenly flinging herself down upon
the nearest sofa in a positive agony of"
reproachful grict For a moment or so
Mrs. Jock was startled into silence,
then her kindliness reasserted itself and
. she saftiteWiymd drew the sobbing girl
to her heart. .
“There—there, deat. I was horiqd
and unkind and a perfect lieast to yon,”
al.e cried. "Don’t ert like that, darl
ing. pray deaV-f never mean half !
•aj when 1 m in aVs^e, aa Jock wo&l
.that she Is half mad with anxiety, and
.1, too? What did he say?” • . j
“Well, of course they told me how
tery serious it. was,” he answered.
“Blackwood, in fact, was fn‘the very
act of writing a telegram to rn<>?' I
went in and spokJ to him, and I sup
pose the voice or sbmethingroused him,
for he knew me nt once. ‘Don’t go
away,* he said feebly ‘Fm about done
for.’ I Raid: ’Nothing-of the kind, old
chap. . Yqu’ve had a bad knock over,
but h e’ll hare you about again in nq
time. I’m goit)g to Band down for Hulh
to come up to help nursfc you.* „ 'Yes
tloj lu: said; .‘ard—* ‘And Vere?' I asked,
thinking he might mean that. T don’t
think * she wili,’bo said, shutting his
it’s,such*a mistake. (>t course lean
quite understand his exceptional rude
ness to me.”
“We haven’t found Blackwood rude
at nlL’Nsaid Vere, simply. “He isdread-
fully anxious about his master, of
course, and you know if he were to al
low anyone who chose to go upstairs
he would be severely blamed for it by
everybody."
’ “Oh! yes, anyone who chose—but I
“Come in,” she said, w hen it sounded
a second time.
'1 ho dour was opened a couple of
j inches. “Vere, can you come?” It was
Jock’s voice.
She ran to the door, her heart in her
mouth, and flung it wide open. Jock
Airiie was standing on the landing,
j- “Fould you-eonie?” he said. “He’s ask
ing for you and is quiet and seusible.
Ruth’s asleep still.”
“Oh, yes,” she said, nervously, “I will
come.”
j “And you will remember how miser
ably ill and weak he is still? You’ll bo
quite steady and calm?” he said, anx-
fously.
—“f v. ill’ he perfectly dalm,” she sr.i l,
unhesitatingly. “But tell me, - how did
he know I was here?"
“I don’t know. lie asked for £6u,
nnd I asked him what made him think
you were here. Ho says Le's known
all along-’’
The girl reeled a little and stopped
Short. “Is anything up?” Jock asked.
“Oli, no—I’m all right,” she replied,
steadily, but’ in that one moment the
iron of anguish had entered yet deeper
Some instinct prompted her to say
nothing of whet she had learned about
Mrs..Hope and her engagement to Luin
iey. For she l^pl resolved that while
she was necessary to his well-being, ley alone,” Mrs. Jock said.
shS would let things remain on their leave un?”
CHARTER HI.
“Well!” cried Mrs. Jock. Then she
wont off to Lmn ley’s room. “Can 1
come in?" she asked.
"Oh, yes," the nurse replied.
“Nurse, I w«»nt to speak to Mr. Lum-
‘Will you
qneneua,” und then he looked up at her
with a langh and* said: “Really, Mrs.
Jock. I beg your pardon. How vxorexi^
tngly rude of met”
But he was firm, all the aaflae; neither
friends nor nurse nor doctor made the
smallest Impression on bis resolution.
He had made up his mind to go down to
the Fish Bonds to pul everything right
with the girl he loved, and all their ar
guments were simply as so many words
uttered to tho winds.
. Blackwood alone, who had gathered
a very fair idea of the position of af
fairs, en coy raged him in his purpose.
•I’ll telegraph to the groom to meet us,
air,” he said, suggestively.
“Yes; and tell him to say nothing hi
the house about It, 1 * said Lumley,
promptly
Eventually Mrs. Jock agreed that
Lumley and Blackwood and the nurm
left in charge of the case should go
down by the twelve o’clock train and
that she and Jock would follow two
hours later; snd in due course, feeling
thoroughly shattered and with a split
ting headache. Lumley and his attend
ant.* arrived at the station for the Fish
-Bonds..
- To ease bis master’s mind Blackwell
at once made inquiries—and through
him Lumley learned that Miaa Nugent
had arrived tn the early morning, that
sbe bad hired a rough spring cart which
was generally used for conveying lug
gage and parcel* about the country,
and had reached the Fish Bonds looking
very pale and weary Lumley knew
that cart, having URcd it on several oc
casions himself, and did not wonder at
it. lie also gathered, however, that
Miss Nugent waa very busy packing
bet things, w ith the help of.-her maid.
1
present footing. When he was once
more strong and well, she would go
quietly’away so that, there should be
lio embarrassment, no complications.
There should bo no torrent of reproach
es from Mrs. Hope on the score of her
trying to make Lumley break faith
with her.
Lumley did not forget—whatever
“Certainly."
Lumley turned his eyes wonderingly
on the resolute little lady, who was [nst
then looking more resolute than ever*
“Is anything the matter, Mrs. Jock?’*
he asked, but not in an alarmed tone ut j
all. ,
“Something may lie very much the
matter,” she replied, gravely. “Can
Otlicr failings-bn had la. titp way-of for- 1 you Hunk yet, George?” ~
n't quite coine-tlnder the '<f V>idfierebiUcriy iato herxooL
‘anyone* in this house, my d.M.r young '
lady.- 1 don’t think you quite under
stand the position of affair^.” .
“1 don’t^” answered Vere, looking up
frow note. •
“No, aur (Ws Black wood. utiporenB-
lie will tKiderstand better when he
getfulncss—that she had promised to
go bn :k to him; and as soon -.as Miss
Nugent had finished dinner his nurso
came downstairs with a request that
she would go to him. “I am goingto
lied almost immediately, Miss Nugent,"
she said, “bnt Nurse Collins will be in
charge, tffid will give'yon a hlht when
you ought to go away. Keep him ub
happy und satisfied as you can—it nil 1
be the salvation of him.”
“And yon do think," said Vere, anx-
iously,‘*that Mr.’Lumley is better?”
“Oh! yes, distinctly better,” slie re
plied. “I expect the doctor will -bo de
lighted when lie comes nr last thing,"
2>*» tlie doctor unmistakably Was] He
‘Oh, yes, tolerably well.”
j - , • “Well, then, do jrou think you ever
isked .Mrs. Hope to marry you?” *
He stared nt her for a moment as if
the idea bad not won any
! ing from him. “1 don’t-
i follow you
way.
"No? Then I’ll make it clearer,
arc not engaged to Mrs. Hope?"
“Td Mrs. Hope?- Good God, no! 1 ana
engaged to Mi&s Nugent," he answered,
* promptly.
I |*att(sf h
ad ac’d fliid:
’You keep yourself qnmt, 6.J ehup.
finds that be bes
other rilaratioo.?
ter look cut for an-
The room in which Lumley lay was s
little lets dark than it Lad been during
the days that had ju tgone by. .Vere
walked quietly in and as quiptlj to the cryne in soon of £t r ten o’clock and
side of live bed wherein Lumley, gaunt found Nugent sitting by the bed,
and‘white ui.nJ wc„U us a, child, was --her hand fast clasped in Lumley’a
lyLig. | wasted one.
“Mr. Lmn’ey," xheaaid. xoftly. Jock j Veru tried to draw It away but Lem-
drew the curse to the wualofi and l y would Luve uoua of iL
and that she lunl told the groom that
she should want him to drive her down
to BafkestoWn that evening so as to b«
In time for the Antwerp boat.
And It was wonderful bow coolly
Lumley took it, perhaps because hi<
poor battered head was aching so badly..
They drove up to the house by the
back way and stopped at the side en
trance instead of going round to the
frontdoor “Miss Nugent is at lunch,
air,” the parlor maid said iu reply to his
questions. >* .
Co Lnmley walked, tottered. 1 ought
more correctly to say, to the dining ,
room und there distinguished himself
by fainting dead away
- “I was afraid it would be too muetl ^
for him," was IDoeUwood’x comment,
white in hix^icart he thought that escape
from MFs. Hope was worth a litilc.suf
fering and over-fatigue of body. “No,
understand- j don’t gut flurried. Miss Nugent—a littld
think 1 quite. ( brandy and water, not too weak. Yes,
be said, in a perplexed that’s it. lle’U be all right in a mientu
or two.”
Lumley was lying on the sofa In the
drawing-room when be came to himself
again and Vere was bonding anxiously
over him with all l»cr heart In her eyea.
“It’s all right—don’t be frightened."
he was able to say . ’
“Obi bin you oughtn’t to have come,"
ahe cried, reproachfully
“Neither ought yon,” he retorted,
weakly
But he waa soon almost himvdf rgula,
and that rmiuc afternoon, as he lay at
her feel no the larf, they
Uuctsfwi arttU*! arderstaoditlg.
“I tk/fc l Lo.» s-v evulU
You
“So 1 thought,” dryly. “Vere, howev
er, apparently thinks otherwise.”
“Of course she does. How could she
under any circumstance* oonUunplate-a
situation so lodi rur,s as my being en
gaged to Mrs. Hope? It’s absurd on
the very faeobf it”
"I know H is. but, Wre docs think so.
And ahe has yAoe off to the Fish Bonds
to get out of the »sy of —of your buiuig