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Flesherton Advance, 8 Dec 1887, p. 6

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Ul". â- ^rjp t^^mmmm ^ Tk« Old Woman of PetorliMMl. UT UAISTY DAVIM. nMre wa» «n old wtifD^n of I'aturheail. WIju blnndurod lii atinobt all hIia ii»id: lu Ulk at morn and talk ai Diitlit Bho umhI loiift word! with Kn>at dullRtit. But iiuld<.iii could Kut hwr Hyllabloa ri^ht, That wuiuau of i'vt«rhoad. When nobefl oo th« stari wore bttinK read TliiH quaint old woiiiau would ahakti bur Uea<l, And Hay, " No uaH tro-noiny for itie, 1 iievftr could tH-ar thoao coiuuiaH tu soe, And I don't btiUuvu thvru ouffbl tu bv Hucb (urmauta uverlicad." Vriiou told a KiuK or Qunen wan dead, ndtt quaint olf4 wotnaii of roti^rtiead Would algb, and nay with pUiutlvu air, " A ftovefultfu K'>ne I do duclare, 1 fnar that U^i\t\ Is KfowiiiK raru Down huru In I'uturhuad." Wbttn her h«!nB and ducklingH rnuit bo fed, Ttili quaint old woman of i'utt'rbuad Would cry &â-  uho tlitnly upnail tlui wheat-- *• Now, don't VfiraciuUMly Krab your muat, And miud you cahtltjatu what you eat, Or ula« you'll houu bu duad." Whon bur boys declintd tbuir muat or bread. â- it) would Huy, " Now, don't vibrato your head, liut H|Mmk out cloariy wliai you mnan; lioyii Hbould bo bnard and n<ft bo ttoon, And MhouM kuop their jdiyuiolo^fy clean, Ho my prueitptor aaid." Shu cried, ero mlnKlhiK with th*) dead, lliat iiuaint old wonniii of I'utorbtnul, " I'm hti-yiiltm otr Ufu'H mortal fltatju, I'm wnliuK ' IbiiH ' on thv |ia{;«; Don't Uft my di>atli yc<uri^rift aitHua4{e, Nor l\ll your hoartb witti droad." T^io oarlb no lonfftjr fitnU txT tr<<a<l. That iiiiuint t>ld wifhiiin of I'l-tdrtuad; hut iniui liir lift' tburo coUiMti to biuid A b-HSdu all may uinbrHlandâ€" Don't favor wordn loo biK and Krand ; Itu cluar in all ttia 'h Mtid. surely refuse to live for me. Do yon think you owe mo uothinj^ for all Iheec yoara of (l«»ertion, Oyatal ; was there any reaHon that, booauMj of that unhappy accident a rxioiuuiitary childiah paBnionâ€" yoQ Bhould break my heart by your desertion ?" " I could not stay," Hhe answered, weeping bitterly ; '* I could not stay to see the ruin I had made. Oh, Uaby, lot me t^o, do not for^»ive me SIR HUGH'S LOVES. "IIuhIi ! they nr« ^oiii)> in, we must wait It inoiiiL'iit. (,'ryHtiil in cryiiiij, and that kind crcaturv ih conifortiiit; iiur. We did not mean to liatuii, liuljy ; bnt it was nut Hafu tu iiiovtiaway from iho treea." " Yuu beard wimt »lui Haid, Margaret â€" hor ideal. Ileaviii bli'HH Inr awect inno- oenc« ; ghu ia aa nmi li a idiild an uvor. Do I look likd any woinan'H ideal now Mar- garet. 1 alwayH think of tlioBo linea in AuniTU l.tiyli, when 1 inia);inu niyaulf A iiiiiru l>«r» l>)'iiil Htniiu in i iio hIaKu of day, A Uiiiii, ii|>ciii ttiti DUtHido of thu»brth. Ah (lark aa titii fiM't uiKlor. in Ltie gravo-. Why that iiecniuil tiard. And yut, hUu really Haul it ; her ideal. Ah, well I A wuinana pity somvtiinea niakau her mad. What do you May, Ma);t{io ?" " That you are, that you ever iiave buen, Cryatal'H ideal." And after that tbuy walked bkck in uilence. " V<m and 1 will ^o again tu-morrow raornintt," Uaby said to her as they parted fur the niijbt; and Mar^^aret t'llted. I have boon your curse, and MarKarut'g too I" " Then como back and be our blegsinK ; come back in ynur beauty and youth to be uyca to the blind man, and to behiadarlin); and deli(;ht. (/ryatal, I am wiaer nowâ€" I Hhall make no more mistakeii ; indeed ' alwaya loved you, dear ', poor Mona wan no more to me than any other woman." " You loved me, Uaby ?" " Yea, tnoBt truly and deeply ; but yon wore HO yoiin|{, my sweet -, and I did not think it ri)<ht to fetter your inexperienced youthâ€" you were ao unconacious of yonr own rare beauty ; you bad seen ho few men. ' r,ot her (40 out into the world,' 1 aaid, ' and teat her puw^ and influence. I will not aak her to be my wife yet.' How could I know that you would never ehani'e, Gryatal â€" that your heart wai really mias." "It baa always been youra," she mnr- mored ; but, alaa ! those aweet bluahea were loat on her blind lover. " Yea, I know it now ; Margaret has helped me to understand thitif^s. 1 know now, you poor child, that yuu looked upon Mona aa your rival ; that you thought I waa falne to you ; that in my ignorance I made you endiiru tortures. It is I who ought to aHk your pardon, love, for all I made you Buffer." " No, no." " Wu muat both be wiser for the future. Now put your hand in mine, Cryatal, and tell mo that you are content to take the blind man fur your husband, that the thought of a long life beaide hini doea not frighten you ; that you really love me well enough to be my wife ;" and, as he turned his aiglitless facu tawards her, Crystal raised herself and kissed hia blind eyes suftly. " • Sho loved inu«h,'" she whispered, " ' b«<:aiise niui'h had been forgiven her.' Oh, how true that in ; 1 deserve only to bo hated and yuu foUow me aoroaa the world tu ask mu tu be your wife. Your love haa con(|ueru<l, lUby ; from thia day your will aball be iiiiiie." • • • • • Mias Campion had paaaed a long morn- ing at the vpringa, wandering about the grounds v^ith mx American friend. Cryatal wuuld have tiiiifhed her letter to l''ern Tralfurd lung ago, ahe thought, as ahu walked ijuickly down the hot road, and would be waiting for luncheon. Khe most decidedly when to take a tarn in be the "•,""'• I » 1 I 1. J 1 wunhl be waiting for luncheon. hhe was Kabyhada wakeful night, and slept • I uol a little surprised then when, on reach. Btllo heavily towards morning. I „ „,„ ^„,, .he heard the sound of I ing the cottage, ', voicoH, and found herself lonfronling a Very tall man in cleiioal drcsH, whose head Hi'i'ined almost to touch the low celling, 'while a Hwcet looking woman, in a long lOin him as usual to rea.l ins l-ttera to ' ^i^^,, ^„,, y„e|,eri«h bonnet, waa him, and make plans for their vi«it ; b,«,„i,„^ i,..llingCryatal'shand. I "Dear Mixs ('Hiii(>iun," exclaimed ('rya- tal, with a vivid blimh that stenied tu give [ liir new beauty, " some Kiiglish friends of ! iiiinu have jum arrived. Mr. I'urrers and ; his Huter." liut Haby's deep voice intor- ', rupled her. , , - â- ! " Crystal is not introducing us properly ; Campion lift" M<>»e down to the springs - I | „^„ ,,„^.^ ,„„ ,„^,H„^„ j,,„ ,„,^ ,,,^j _,,,, ,^ MW her pass alune. (.r)stal is writing Margaret had alreaily hiiislied her break f»8t when ho entered the lung iliiiing room, and one of the black waiters guidi'd him to hia place. Uaby wunderud that she diil not join him as usual to read his Ktters to liim, anil make plans fur their visit ; but a few minutes later she joined him in walking dress, ami sat duwii beside him. " Uavo you niiished yuiir breakfast. Baby ?" and aa he anawered in the aflirma- tive, sho cuntinued, with a little thrill uf exfliteinent in her sweet vuice â€" " Misa letters in the iiarlor -I saw her oome, my dear brother." Need she have put the i|Ue8tion. Charles, the In ad u alter, looked at Mr Ferrers us he walked ilowii the long ronm bliall wu Kven tu me, and that my rister in her lu it IS necessary fur mu tu explain engaged cousin : matters." "Is this true, child?" asked Miss Cumpluii in a startled voice , and, as tliough . , , , Crvstal'a face were a suflicient answer, she with his head erect. A Kâ„¢i[d looking j ^.„,,(i,,y,,j ^^^,,,y Bnglishiiian, he thought, and who would have imagined lie was blind. Margaret could hardly ket p up with the long strides that brought them so ijuickly to the corner house ; at the Mate she checked him gently. " We must bo quiet, Uaby- -very (juiot-- or ihe will hear our footsteps. She is sit- tiug with her back to the parlor door - 1 oan see her plainly. Tread on thia grasay border." And aa Uaby followed her direc- tiona implicitly, reetraiuiiig his impatience with difliculty, they wore soon standing in the i>orch. The door stood oi)en for cool- and the ' dn you mean that this IS ' he,' Crystal- tlio ideal wo were talking about laat night 111 the moonlight." " <Jh, hush!" returned Crystal, much confused at this, for she knew by thia time that theru had been silent auditors to that girlish outburst, liut Uaby'a hand pressed hers meaningly. " I am afraid that I must plead guilty to being that ' he,' MisH Campion. I beluve, if the truth must bo told, that Crystal haa been engaged to me from a child. 1 know ahe was only nine yeara old when she made me an olTer â€" at least she informed me ill the presence ,. , ,' 11 â-  1 '1 ' uio 1*1 hiiv u.c;vdi\.«> oi my latiier ness, and the htte sijuare hall, with its ,„,j ^^^^^ ^{^^^ ^^e meant to belong Indian matting and rookingchairR, looked very inviting. Margaret whispered that the parlor door was open too, and that they must not startle her too much ; and then, still guiding him, she led him into the parlor and quietly called Cryatal hO to nie " Uh, Margaret, do aak him to be quiet," whispered Crystal ; but her glowiLg, happy face nhowetl no displeasure. Home- thing like tears glistened in Miss Campion's shrewd eyes as she kissed her and shook hands with Mr. I'errers. â- * It is not often the ideal turns up at the right moment," she said, bluntly; "but I am very glad you have come to make Crys tal look like other girls. Now, Mr. Korrers, as only lovers can fetil on air, I propose that wo go in Hoarcli of luncheon, for the gong haa sounded long ago; ' and aa even Uaby alluwed that thia waa sensible advice, they all adjo'iroed to the boarding- house. 'J'he oooupants of the piax/a were sorely pu/./.led that evening and Mias Uellagrove was a trille cross. Captain Maudsley had been raving about the beauty of the wonderful brunette who waa sitting opposite to him at ainner. "She must be an Italian," ho said to Mias Rellagrove, who reoeivod his ooiittdenco sowewhat sulkily ; " one never aees those wonderful eyca and that tint of hair out of Italy or Hpain. Tanquevillo, who ia an artist, is wild about her. becauae he saya he haa never aeen a face with a purer oval. He wants to paint hor for his Uohecca at the Well. It is rather hard linos she should bo engaged to a blind clergyman," l'iuishe<l Captain MaudHloy. rather incautiously. Miss liollagrove a fair face wore an uneasy oxprcssion. " How do you know they are ongagcxl '/" she said, impatiently ; " I do not believe they are. Miss Kerrors docs not wear any ring." â- We are here, dear Crystal." And as Cryatal turned her head and saw Margaret's aweot, loving face, and Uaby standing a little ludiind her, she sprung from her chair with a half-stilled scream. liut before she oould sjHiak, or Margaret either. Kaby waa beside hor; and in another moment his arms were round her, and hia sightless face bent over hor. " Hush, darling, I have you safely now; I will never lot you go again," Alargaret hoard him say as she Ifft the room, quietly closing tho door behind her. Her turn would oome preaontly, she said to heraelf ; bnt now she must leave thoni together. OUAPTKR XXXV. uby'h wikk. Yet, Id one r««p«ot. Just line, lieloTCd, I am lu nu wlan changed, I love you, loved you, lovodyou ttrst and iait. And lovo yon on for ever, now I know 1 loved yuu always. F. It. Iirou'nv\g, Crystal never moved as she heard the sonnd of the closing door. Only onoe she tried to cower away from him, but he would not release his hold; and aH hia strength and pur[)osa made themselves felt, she stood there dumb and cold, until, suddenly over- come by his tenderness, sholaiil her head on hia breast with a sob ttiat aoemod to shako her girlish frainn. " Uaby, Raby I oh. I cannot boar thia." Then iu a tone of angniah, " I do not deserve it^" " No," he aaid, calmly, and tried to sooths her with grave kisses; "you have been a faithless child, and deserve to be punished. I How do you propose to make amenda , tor all the aorrnw you have caused nie .'" " Oh, if I could only die," she answered bitterly; "if my death oould only do you good. Uaby, tho trouble o( it haa nearly Jiled rao; you mast not, jou must not •peak ao kindly tome." " Must I not, my darling; how dons a man generally speak to his future wife 7" and as sho trembled and shrank from liim, he went on in the same quiet voice, " if you «re so ready to die for me, yoa wUl not ^^^^^^ j^e rest of the evoning, and snubbed he aaid Mr. Uogers iuvited her shrnblierias. Crystal attracted a great deal of notice in tho boarding. houso, but tho gave no nne any op|x>rtunity of addressing her. Uaby waa alwa)a beaido her, and she eet^ined completely engrossed with his attentions. As Miss Campion ubserved to Margaret, ahe might aa welt look for another compauiuQ for all the good Cryatal was to her. Hut one evening Margaret found Crystal sitting alone in a corner of the large drawing-room. Most of the company had gone into the tea-room, but one or two, Uaby among them were lingering in the garden. Uaby was talking rather earnestly to MissCampion. " Alone, Crystal 1" sitting down beside her with a smile. " Do you moan that Uaby haa actua^liy left you." But Cryatal's face wore no answering smile â€" she looked a little disturbed. " I asked him to go and let me think it over. I cannot make up my mind. Mar garet. Uaby waiitH me to marry him at once, before we go back to Kngland ; ho will have it that it will be better forme to go back to the Urange as his wife." " Y'es, darling, I know Uaby wikhes this, and I hope you mean to consent." " I â€" I do not know what to say â€" the idea somehow frightens me. It is all so -juick and sudden â€" next week ; will not people think It strange. A quiet little wedding in KandyclifTe church seems to me so much nicer. lii. I Uaby seems to dread the wait- ing so, Margaret," and here her eyes tilled with tears. " I think he doea not trust mo that he is afraiil I may leave him again ; and the idea pains me." " No, Nearest," returned Margar.'t, sootii- ingly ; " I am sure such a thought never entered Uaby's head ; but he has suffered ao, and I think all tho trouble, and his blindness have made him nervons ; he was saying so laat night, and accnaing himaelf of selfishnesa, but ho owned that he could not control a nervous dread that something might happ<n to separate you both, Cryatal," looking at her wistfully. " Is the idea of an imediate marriage so repug- nant ; if not, I wish you would give way in this." Crystal looked up, startled by her earnest- ness, and then she said with sweet humility, '• It is only that I feel so unworthy of all thia happiness ; but if you and Uaby think it liest, I will be guided by you. Will you tell him so? but no, tfiere he ia alone; I will go to him myself." Uaby heard herooming, and held oat hia hand with a amile. " You see 1 never mistake vonr foot- steps." he said, in the tone he kvpt for her ear, "I should distinguish them m a crowd. Will, darling?" waiting for the word he knew wmild follow. " ^largaret haa been talking to me, and I see she approves â€" it shall Iw next week f you wish it, Uaby ; that is, if MissCampion can spare me." " She will gladly do ao, especially as Margap't has ottered to keep her company for a fortnight ; after that we will all go back on tho saiiie steamer. Thaiiki>, my darling, for conaentiiig; you have made me I of tempest, very happy. I knew you would , to mo ?' nut refuse," lifting the little hand to his lips. " I f«el ai^ tliou;:li I have no power to refuse you anything," waa her loving answer; "kut I know it is all your thought ; for me. Uiby," pressing closer to him in j the empty dii? k, for tliiro Wcro no curious eyes ii|Kin lliein â€" only night inoth:i wheel- ing rcnind tlii'in. " Arc yuu never afraid of wlist vii'i are doing; do you not fear that I may diHsj puint Auii ' ' "No," lie answered, calmly, "I fear nothing" " Not niy unhappy temper?" she whis- pared and hu could feel the slight figure trembling as she put the question. " No, ' in tho same quiet tones that always soothed her agitation, " for I believe the evil spirit is exorcised by niu<'li prayer and fasting ; and, darling, even if it should not be so, I should not be afraid then, for I know better how to deal with it and you; no angry npirit could live in my arms, and I would exorcise it thus" -touching her lips. " No, have faith in me, as I have faith ill you, and all will be well." And ao he comforted her. There was a great sensation in the board- ing house at W when newa of the approaching wedding was made known. Captain ^laudsley triumphed over Miaa ISellagrove. " I told you the Italian beauty was engaged to the blind Kngliahman," he aaid to her . " but after all she is only half an Italian -her mother was a Florentine, and her father waa li^nglish. Fergusson told me all about it he is to marry them ; and old Dr. Kgan is to give her away. There is some romantic story belonging to them. I think ho has l>een in love with her from a child. Well, Heaven gives nuts to those who have no teeth," grumbled the young ollicer, thinking of the bridegroom's blindness. Crystal remained very quietly in the corner house during the rest of tho week. Uaby spent most of his time with her. On the eve of her wedding she wrote a little note to Kern, telling of her intended marriage. "I Bin very happy," she wrote; "but there are aoine kinds uf happiness too deep for utterance. When I think of the new life that awaits me to-morrow, an over- wheliniiig sense of nnworthiiiess seems to cruHli mu to the gronnd ; to think that I shall bo Uaby's wife that I shall be per- mitted to dedicate my whole life to hia dear service« I have told you a little about hiin,^ut you will never know what he is really ; I aometimea pray that my love may not he idolatry. When he brings me to the Grangeâ€" that dear home of my childlinod, yon muat come to me, and your mother alao. Raby says he loves you both for your goodness to me ; he has promised that you shall bo nur first guests. powers of influence would have been wasted if she had become Hugh Bedmond's wife. Oh, yes, be would have been good to her â€" pro'oably he would have worshipped her ; but one side of her nature would have been a mystery to him. You must not grieve for her, my child, for ahe has ceased to grieve for herself; the Divine Providence has withheld from her a woman's natural joys of wifehood and maternity, but a noble work is to be given to her; our Margaret, please (iod, will be a mother in Israel.' And. indeed, I feel Uaby is right, and that .Margaret is one of Uod's dear siinta." It waa on a golden Beptember day that ('rystal became Uaby Korrers' wife; the company that had grouped themselves in the long drawing-room of the boarding- house owned that they bad never seen a grander bride. The creamy Indian silk fell in graceful folds on the tall aupple figure; the beautiful head, with ita coils uf dark glos.-iy hair, was bent in girlish timidity. Margaret had clasped round her white throat the (learl necklace and diamond cross that had belonged to her mother, and which she was to have worn at her own bridal. " I shall not need it; it ia for Raby'awife," ahe aaid, as Cryatal protested with tears in her eyea; it must be your only ornamsot. Oh, if Uaby could only see how lovely you look." But the calm trani|ail content on the sightless face silenced even thia wish. Cryatal ceased to tremble when the deep vibrating voice, vowing to love and cherish her to her life'a end, sounded in her eara; but Uaby felt the coldness of the hand he held. When they had received the congratula- tions of their friends, and Margaret had ten- derly embraced her new aiater, and they were left alone for a little, Uaby drew his young bride cloaer to him. You are not afraid now, ray darling?" " No," ahe anawered, unsteadily ; "but it is all so like a dream. A fortnight ago -only a fortnightâ€" I waa the most desolate creature in God's earth ; and nowâ€"â€"" "And now." echoing her words with a kiss, "you are my wife. Ah. do you remember your childiah apeechâ€" it uaed to ring in my ears ; ' I am going to belong to Uaby ail my life long; I will never leave him, never.' Well it has come true, love ; you are mine now." " Yea," ahe whispered, leaning her fore- head against him, "yon will never be able to get rid of me; and oh,"â€" her voice trembling â€" "the reatof knowingihat it will never bo my duty to leas-e yon." He laughed at that, but aometliing gliat- ened in bis eyea too. " .No, ray wild bird; no raore flighta for youâ€" I have yiu aafely now; yon are bound to me by this" â€" touching the little circlet of gold upon the alender finger. "Now, my darling â€" my wife of an hour, I want you to make me a fromise; I aak it of your love. Crystal. If a shadow â€" even tho very faintest shadow, cross your spirit; if one accnaing thought senma to stand between your soul and. mine; one doubt or fear that, like the cloud no bigger than a man's hand, might rise and spread into the blacknesa will you oome and tell it Do you know onr dear Margaret will Nevertheless, 1 should not mind betting ' not be "long with na ? She intends to join a few dozens of gloves that they are," I a comniHuity in the East End of London, replied (Captain Maudsley, with a keen, mis- I and to d.vote heraelf for tho remainder of ohievous glance that rather disconcerted i her life to the service of the poor. I conld Miss lielliigrove. Jlo was ciuite awaro that | not help crying a little when she told me ho was teasing the poor little girl ; but the 1 this ; but sho only smiled and said that ahe she deserved punishment for llirting with that aaa Uodgers all last evening. Jack Maudsley was honestly in love with the was not unhappy. And yet she loved Hngh Itedmoiiil. I talked to Uaby afterwards, and he comforted me a little. Ho said that (Ih, Uaby, do not ask me." " Hut I do ask it, love, and I apk it in my two fold character of priest and husbainl, and it is the first request your husband makes vou. Come, do not hesitate. Y'ou have given me yourself; now, with «we<t generoiiitv, promise me this, that you will sharo with mo every doubt and fear that disturbs you." " Will you not let me try to oonijuer the feeling alone tlrst, and then come to you ?" " No. I wonid not undertake the res|X)nsi- bility ; I know you to well, darling. Come, I thnut:ht you promised something that sounded like obedience juiit now." " .\h, you are laughing at me. Rut this ia no light matter, Uaby ; it means that I am tu burthen you with all my foolish doubts andfancies- that I am neverto keep my wrong feelings to myaelf." " Promise !" was his only answer, in a very persnaaive voiw. " Yea, I will promiae," hiding her face on hia shoulder ; " but it will be yonr own fault if I am ever a trouble to you. Oh, Kaby, may I alwaya tell you everything ; will you help me to be good, and to tight against myself ?" " We will help each other," he answered, stroking her soft hair ; " there shall never be a shadow on the one that the other will not share- half the shadow and half the annshine ; and alwaya the Divine goodnesa over as. That ahall be our marriud life, Cryatal." CHAPTER XXXVI. silt hlt.h's nKrENT.\Ncs. And by comparison I see TliH UMjesty of matron grace. .Aud learn li >w pure, bow fair oau t>« My own wifw'i face ; Pure with all faithfal pasaioD, fair With teuder >uiiles that come aud go. And comfiirtiuK aa April air After the snow. Jfitn InQtk>w. Sir Hugh began to wish that he had never gone to Egypt, or that he had gone with any one but Kit/.clarence â€" he waa growing weary of his vagaries and unpnnc- tuality. They had deviated already four times from th* ptoposed route, and the consxiuenoe waa, he had miaaed alt hia letters ; and tho absence of home news waa making him serioaaly uneasy. He was the only married man ; the rest of the party oonaiated of gay, young bachelora â€" good enough fellowa in their way, but utterly careless. They laughed at Sir Hugh'a anxioua acruplcs, and secretly voted that a married man waa rather a bore in this kind of thing. What was the use of bothering about letters, they aaid, so long as the remittances came to hand safely .' Sir Hugh thought of Kay's loving little letters lying neglected at thedifferent postal towns, and sighed ; either he was not so her in bis arms 'and had said Qod bleaa her ; she was aach a child, and he was leaving her for a long time. it.nS) Sir Hugh waa becoming a wiser man, and was beginning to acknowledge hia faults, and, what waa better still, to try and make amends for them. It was too late to undo the efiacts of Fit7.clarence'a reckless mode of travelling, but he would do all he could ; ao in bis leisure momenta, when the other men were smoking and chatting in their tent, be sat down in a quiet corner and wrote several letters, full of descriptions of their journey, to amuse Kay iu her solitude ; and one .Sunday, when the others had atarted on an expedition to aee some ruin, he wrote the explanation that he had deferred so long. Hugh was an honest, well-meaning man, in spite of his moral weakness ; if that letter had only reached the young wife's eyes it would have healed her sore heart and kept her besidehim. Kor he told her everything ; and he told it in auch a frank, manly way, that no woman coald have loat confidence in him, though ahe read what Kay was to have read in the firat few lines â€"that be had not married her for love. Hugh owned his unhappy passion for Margaret, and pleaded bis great trouble aa the excuse for his reatlessness. He had gone away, be said, that be might tight a battle with himself, and return home a better man ; it would all be different when he came back, for he meant to be a good husband to her. and to live for her and the boy, and to make her happy, and by and by he would be happy too. And be ended his letter as he never ended one yet, by assuring her that he was her loving husband. But, alas, when that tardy explanation reached the cottage at Daiutree, Aunt Gristlda only wrung her thin white hands and cried, for no one knew what had become of Kay, and Erie was rushing about and sending telegrania in all directions, and Kay, with the shadow always on her sweet face, waa sitting iu the orchard of the Manse, under tho shade of the mossy old apple-trees, and baby Hagh lay on her lap, gurgling to the birds and the white clouds that sailed over their heada. When Sir Hugh had written that letter, he felt aa though a very heavy weight were off his mind, and he began to enjoy himself. Not for long, however, for pre- sently they reached Cairo, and there be found a budget awaiting him. Every one seemed to have written to him but Fay ; and when he saw that, he began to tear open the letters rather wildly, fur be f<>ared she must be ill. But by and by he came to^ her letter. He read Erie Huntingdon's first â€" an indignant letter, evidently written under strong excitement â€" " Why bad he not come home when they had sent for him ? He must knew that their search had been useless ; they had no news of either Fay or the child. Miss Mordaunt was very ill with worry, and her old servant was much alarmed about her. They had written to him over and over again, and directed their letters to every possible place he could not have mia8e<l. If he had any affection for his wife and child, and cared to know what had become of them, he bad better leave Kit/clareuce and the other fellows and return at once," and so on. Hugh dropped the letterâ€" he waa pale to the lips with apprehension â€" and turned to theothera. They were from Mi>a Mordaunt, and Mrs Heron, and l^llerton. and thu lawyer, but they only reiterated the same thingâ€" that all efTurts had been in vain, and that they could hear nothing of either Lady Uedmoud or the boy : and then they urged him to come home at once. Lastly directed by Mrs. Heron, aa though by an afterthought, waa the letter Fay had left him U[>ou the study table ; but, in reality, it had been forwarded t>eforo tho alarm had been given, for the aeal waa still unbroken. Mra. Heron, on learning from the meaaenger that Sir Hugh had started for Egypt, had redirected it, and it had only juat been posted wiien the distracted nurse made her appearance at the Hall and told her atory. When Hugh read that poor little letter, his Brat feeling waa intenae angerâ€" all his Ued mond blood was at fever heat. She had sinned beyond all mercy ; ahe had compro- mised hia name and hia reputation, and he would never forgive her. He had confided hia honor to a child, and she had played with it and cast it aside ; she had dared to leave him and her home, and with his child, too, and to bring the voice of scandal about them; she â€" Lady Uedmond, his wife- wandering like a vag- abond at the world's mercy 1 His feelings were intolerable. He must get back to England; ho must find her and hush it up, or hia life would be worth nothing to him. Ah, it was well for Fay that ahe waa aafely hidden in the old Manae, for, if he had found her while thia mood waa on him. hia anger would have killed her. When hia passion had cooled a little, he went to Fitzclarence, and told him rather abruptly that he muat return home at onoe â€" affairs of the utmost importance recalled him. Fitzclarence thought he looked very strange, bnt something in hia man- ner forebade all qnestiouing. Two hours afterwards he waa on hia way to Kngland. There is an old proverb, often lightly quoted, and yet full of a wise and solemn meaning, " I.'homme propotf, Dieu ditpoie." Poor, angry Hugh, travelling night and day, and cursing the tardy railways and steamers, was soon to teat the truth of the eaying. He had reached Marseilles, and was hurrying to the post-ofhoe to telegraph some order to Mrs. Heron, when he ena- denly missed his footing, and found him- self at the bottom of a steep, dark cellar^ with his leg doubled ap nnder him ; and when two passers-by who saw the accident tried to move him, they discovered that his leg was broken ; and when he heard that he fainted. And so fate, or rather Providence, took indifferent to her aa ho auppoaed himself , the reins from the weak, passionate hands to be, or absence waa making hia heart | that were so nn&t to hold them, and threw tender ; but he had never been so full of ' him back, helpleas and batlled onjiia bed of care and thought for hia Wee Wife as ho ' pain ; there to learn, week by week, through was then. Ho wished he had bidden her weary sickneaa and atiU more wearv con- good-bye. Ho remembered the laat time ' vales'cenoe, the lesson that only suffering he had seen her, when he had gone into his oould teach hiinâ€" that it were well to forgive study with the telegram in hia hand ; and other-" their sina,even as he hoped his might then recalled the strange wistful look she be forgiveru fair haired bep.uty, but' ho had plenty of though 1 1 ugh loved her with the whole had given him. He oould not tell why the I iTo beooBUnoed.! pluck and spirit, and would not ho fooled if strength of his nature, that he oould never ( '»""y l^°'^\^ haunt him, but he wishea so | ho could help it. Perhaps Miss Uollagrove, really have satisfied a woman like Margaret j ' " ' ""' '"" in common with the rest of her sox, liked â€"that in time ahe muat have found out that [ f ' a lover to bo a little masterful. It was he was no true mate for her. • A woman ; '*""•"« '"';' ""nselt a hundred times buy," said a Canadian and the ahoDkeeper o«'rtain that ahe waa on hor best behavior should never be superior to hor husband,' , f^" ^ '"'»"»'" P"" "over know what might had an attack of brain'fever trvinu tiJma^e u . .. . ... Margaret's grand intellect and h»rpe>'. He wished now that he had taken out what he meant lUc'h that he had Bien her again and taken tKo p....i;=v, i.«„ j / •^i?"- 'r;«. "'.^"â- _,.".'''^.„"f' ^- "- . ror^«ne^r"'f!7Viru^oreri.Tand%

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