The weekly banner. (Athens, Ga.) 1891-1921, July 07, 1891, Image 13
DERRICK VAUGHAN, NOVELIST.
and stuck to her like a burr for the rest of the
time.
d broken down the bond of union that had
ee Misted between them. From either side
t; looked at each other—Freda with a wonder-
L perplexity, Derrick with a dull grinding -j- — - — D —.
: st his heart. highly enthusiastic. Freda enioYftd« t hftJ n ei»
pageant hWmore Ijke the Freda of
i*. ti;—niTruraohjanJ-a . the n£t, Ijlkt^k w<Uh^
wied London drawing-room was hardly tho | belnme.l toby an impassable
' -u^'eHsreahyouV;Ihe«dheraaj
fuliv well in his uniform. He was riding a_ spir
ited bay, which took •'Freda’s fancy amazingly,
though she reserved her chief enthusiasm for
Lord Starcross and his ate ed. It was not until
all was over and we had returned to the draw
ing-room, that Derrick managed to get the talk
with Freda for which I knew he was lonmng,
and then they were feted, apparently, to disa
gree. I was standing near and overheard the
close of their talk
‘■u;wui is iu4**»j — ——
him in that deep, clear voice of hers.
»the design on tho cover.” _
■ oh. have you read the book?” said Derrick,
orinc. ' , ,
' Well, no," she said, truthfully. “ I wanted
read it. but my father wouldn’t let me—ho is
jy particular about what wo read.”
That frank but not very happily worded answer
alike a stab to poor Demck. He had given
the world, then, a book that was not St for
t to read. This “ Lynwood,” which had been
titten with liis own heart’s blood, was counted
hagerous, poisonous thing, from which she
nst l* guarded.
Freda must bat e seen that she had hurt him,
f >he tried hard to retrieve her words.
"h was tantalizing to have it actually ta the
>"i>e. wasn't it '< I have a grudge against ‘ The
our.’ (nr it w as the review in that which set my
th'T against it." Then, rather anxious to
“re the difficult subject—“ And has your
other quite recovered from his wound?”
I think she was n littlo vexed that Derrick did
ft show more animation in bis replies about
iwrence's adventures during tho war; the
• responded the moro enthusiastic she beci
t l I m perfectly sure that in her heart she
®sing: ‘ v
.'He is jealous of his brother’s fame—lam
^appointed in him. Ho has grown dull, and
"'■nt, ami stupid, and hois dreadfully wanting
small talk. I fear that his life down in tho
'■s is turning him into a bear.”
brought tho conversation back to his
hat there was a littlo touch of scorn in
ireive, as if she thought to herself: “I sup-
" -i" is nne ( ,t those pec.tile who can talk only
i subject- bis own doings.” Her manner
as almost brusque.
■ our novel baa had a great success, has it
■ she asked.
’’ instantly perceived her thought, and re-
u with a touch of dignitv and a proud smile:
, ha tic emitrarv, it has been a great failure ;
j Jhfee linn Ireu and nino copies have been
I wonder at that,” said Freda, “for one so
a ”"ars it talked of.” .
e pr imptiv vhanged tho topic, and began to
ris of tli- march-past “I want to see Lord
Ur 're>s. ’ i„. lit ui e( i. *■ j have no idea what a
‘fro is like.”
a *J th u Lady Probyn came up, followed by
Is. 1, v harpy in spectacles ana false, mneh-
fringe.
-Mrs. Carstoen wishes to be introduced to
•• Mr. Vaughan: she is a great admirer of
® writin~ ”
And
Close Ol xneir iaia. , - ,,
I do believe you must be a member of tne
Peace Society TBaid Freda, impatiently. Or
* . £ a -j Tint T want
j. eace oocievv * wmu i -
perhaps you have turned Quaker. But I want
to introduce yon to my godfather, Mr. Fleming,
yon know it was his son whom your brother
I heard Derrick being introduced as the
brother of the hero of Saspataras Hdl; and the
PTOtner OI me uero ui i»oi-. v -”~ ——- >
next day he received a card for one of Mrs.
Fleming’s receptions, Lawrence having pre-
viouslvheen invited to dine there on the same
m $hat happened at that party I never exactly
understood. All I could gather was that Law
rence bad been tremendously feted, that Froda
had been present, and that poor old Derrick
was as miserable as he could be when I next
Taw him. Putting two and two together, I guessed
onwjau*.* n .. . 1— - mere sight of I
“Freda will be my sister-in-law,” he said,
rather as if stating the fact to himself than
answering my question. . — -* —*•* *
“ Imp0Si*ihuk v> t
TT AB if to silence he thrust the letter inbyhy
hand. It ran as follows: ’
Dead Dkbbick,—For the last few days I have
been down at the Fleming’s place in Derbyshire,
and fortune has fevored me. Now, prepare
yourself for ft surprise. Break the uews to fito
governor, and send me your heartiest congrats-
lationa by return of post. I am engaged to
Freda Merrifield, and am the happiest fellow m
the world. They are awfolly feBtidiousi sort of
people, and I do not believe Sir Richard would
lave consented to such a match had it n it been
for that lucky impulse which made me rescue
Dick Fleming. It has all been arranged very
quickly, as these things should he, but we
have seen a good deal of each other—first at
Aldeishot the year before last, and just lately in
town, and now these four days down here—and
days in a country house are equal to weeks else
where. I enclose a letter to mv father—give it
to him at a suitable moment; put, after all, he
ia sure to approve of a_daughter-m-law ^th
such a dowry as Miss Membold ia likely to
have. _ _
“Yours, affly,
“ La whence Yapohan.
I gave him hack the letter without a word. In
deadsilence we moved on, took a turning which
led to a little narrow gate, and passed out of the
grounds to the wild moorland country beyond.
After all, Freda was in no way to blame. As
a mere girl she had allowed Derrick to see that
she cared for him ; then circumstances had en
tirely separated them; she saw more of the
i .i a T xtimnnAO tpaa TiPTn(ITid ftt*
sawhim. fitting two and two togetter, I |pes8e^ o«^ ^ Lawrence,’was perhaps first at-
be^ pos^fwv^rtiSod^iy 1 to him by his likeness to derrick, and
but he would say
P°or Derrick, who was then unused to
: ‘D'ci-'s. bad to stand and receive a flood of
. mosl fuls.ime flattery, delivered in a strident
a »'l to bear the critical and prolonged
01 Hie spectacled eyes. Nor would the
‘I 1 - ''Wily release her prey. She kept him
;o if" :lillHt Mis will, and I saw him looking
tally now and then toward Freda.
iJ.. t i amua ? 8 me >” 1 8ai d to her, “ that Derrick
“Mould bo so anxious, to see Lord
iati”, asa ' ll reminds me of Charles L*™b a
Sf, e Kosciusko, ‘ for,’ said he, ' I have
iiiiif of 1 *! 1 a Mero; I wonder how they look,
j a f M" time ho himself was living a life of
■ o' ^H-sacrifice.” . , .
J , ' angbaa, I should think, need only look
Mrother,” said Freda, missing tho drift of
i 'leech.
t,; tf * tell her what it was possible to toll
WeTi i “ Mfe, but at that moment Sir Richard
i i'v, -‘|i introduced to his daughter a girl in
Mat and great flopping sleeveB, Miss
[r^n, whoso picture at the Grosvenor had
muc M talked of. Now the little artist
-3° one in tho room, and Fred* saw fit to
ducS.® 1 ? friendly to her. 8ho was mtro-
ladl r-® 0 ' and 1 Sid my best to talk to her
bdS Ftt *? a at liberty as soon as the harpy
from4.\ 8ea derrick ; but my endeavors were
wend'd, for Miss Isaaoaon, having looked me
Mat i Ter ’ decided that I was not a* all intense,
sctuu ® ere . common-place, slightly cjtu«s»I
and having exchanged a tew lnke-
^ remarks with me, she zetarned to Freda,
men enjoyinglong f^e-o-ietea; but ho would say
Uttfe or nothing about it, and when, soon after,
he and the major left London, I feared that
the fortnight had done my fnend harm instead
of good. ^
CHAPTER VO. *
Then in that hour rejoice, since only thns
Can that proud lie irt grow wholly piteous.
Thus only to the worhl thy speech can flow
charged with the sad authority of woe.
Since no man nurtured in the shade cau sing
To a true note one psalm of conquering,
Warriors must chant It whom our ow “ e^es se*
Red Irora the batile and more b r ul ?® < i‘ 1, an we,
Sin who have borne the worst, bave known the
Have feUth’e last abeyance or theronh ^ MveTg-
Annrrr the beginning of August I rejoined him
at^Rhydtog The place 1 suited the major
admirably! and his various baths took up so
great a part of each day that ^ ^cot
Ime to himself than usual, and • A-t Stnfo got
ter. P The major breakfasted in hw own room,
and being so much engrossed with his baths,
did not glneraliy appear till
and i breakfasted in the great
MSa“Sedfotothe e dS^ng-room to se4 if
^^nTfo^^^Tro^kel^nding him *
th ‘‘ ! From < Ij^rence 1” he exclaimed.
“Well, don’t read it in here ; the doctor will
be coming to read prayers. Come ontin the gar-
d< We went out into the beautified grounds,andhe
» SiTAS
SSS1'“»*
^matfsnn^xsaid." But he read on without
lowed m
walker t3
sssipto* gKjggsgaga
won Cl, mu* JjJIWIDULD, yvatiiyw , r J
tracted to him by his likeness to Derrick, ana
finally fell in love with the hero of the season,
whom every one delighted to honor. Nor
could one blame Lawrence, who had no notion
that he had supplanted hia brother. All the
blame lay with the major’s slavery to drink, for
if only he had remained ont in India I feel snx©
that matters would have gone quite differently.
We tramped on over heather and ling and
springy turf till we reached the old nun known
as the Hunting Tower; tbenDomck seemed to
awake to the recollection of present things. Ho
looked at his watch.
“I must go back to my father,” he said, for
the first time breaking the silence.
“Ton shall do no such thing 1’ I cned.
“ Stay ont here, and I will see to tho major, and
give him the letter too if you like.” ■
He caught at the suggestion, and as be thanked
me I think there were tears in his eves. So I
took tho letter and set off for Ben Rhvdihng,
leaving him to get what relief he could from
solitude, space, and absolute quiet. Once I just
glanced back, and somehow the scene has
always lingered in my memory—the great
stretch of desolate moor, tho dull crimson of
the heather, the lowering gray clouds, the Himt-
ing Tower, a patch of deeper gloom against tbo
gloomy sky, and Derricks figure prostrate on
the turf, the face hidden, the hands grasping at
the sprigs of heather growing near.
The major was just ready to bo helped into tho
garden when I reached the hotel. _We sat down
n the very same place where Derrick had read
the news, and when I judged it politic, I sud
denly remembered with apologiesthe letter that
had been intrusted to me. The old man •
received it with satisfaction, for he was fond of
Lawrence and proud of him, and the news of
the engagement pleased .him greatly. He was
still discussing it when, two hours later. Derrick
^“Here’s good newsl" said the major, glancing
nn as his son approached. “ Trust Lawrence to
fall on hia feetPHe tells me the girl wiU have
a thousand a year. Ton know her, don t you?
^^ha^rueifher,” replied Derrick, with forced
ssnwte : ?®wryj3e
before any girl with a dowry will look at you I
what, women like ia a bold man of action; rial
they despise, mere dabblers in pen and ink,
writers of poisonous sensational tales such as
yours 1 I’m quoting your own reviewers, so you
noedn’t contradict me!” . .. ,
Of coarse no one had dreamed of contradict
ing; it would have been the worst possible
P °“ Shall I help yon in?” said Derrick. “It ia
just dinner-time.”