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CRUEL
IAS:
THE GRAVE ) t
The Secret of Dunraven
Castle.
i..
BY ANNIE ASHMORE,
Author of "Faithful Margaret,” Etc., Etc
CHAPTER X VII—I Con tlnued.)
The secretary, leaning heavily on the
back of a chair, heard this dismissal
with eyes lowered, and hands clenched
by his sides.
For a long minute after Lord Inchcape
had finished there was a silence, while
Sircombe struggled for strength to ut»er
one wild protest.
He might have injured Lady Inch¬
cape, who had never liked nor trusted
him; but oh! he had been loyal to Lady
Ulva?
How gladly he had consecrated his
scholarship to her use; how patiently he
had guided her girlish steps through the
sacred labyrinths of knowledge. Had
she not been given to him by her proud
father to be his pupil in lonely Sleat na
Vrccken? and If she grew from girlhood
gently into womanhood, and drew her
tutor’s unwitting heart after her, until
it had no pulse that did not beat for her,
ah! who was to blame?
And now—who loved her as he loved
her; poor, shamed, ruined, old John
Sircombe? For he loved without ever
having presumed to hope for possession
—loved for the simple rapture of loving
her! And now they spoke of sending
him away—of barring him from the
presence that made life endurabler
“I deserve death, perhaps,” he cried,
wiidly, “but I ha e got my death-blow;
I shall not live long to bear my shame;
let zne live out my poor days near you,
♦hen, my lord; do not—do not banish me
altogether!”
Ho fell at Lord Inchcape’s feet in an
agony of supplication; for a moment his
haggard face lookod up towards my
lord s with straining eye, then he sank
lower yet—he lay prone upon the carpet
—he was senseless, and tho red blood
oozed from his lips.
Poor, worn, midnight student!
The sweet passion which is duo at
twenty-one, had come upon him at sixty
—too late! too late!
CHAPTER XVIII,
*1 SHALL NOT FAIL VOt7.>
That very afternoon, in spite of Mrs.
Dellamere’s most anxious precautions,
Col. Accrington succeeded in obtaining
an interview with Loveday, and one
without witnesses.
l So determined had he been to catch
jthe young lady had alone availed that there himself is of little the
L, L how couiil L« haie
fSBHS&HpRHWas saunter
yon—what need have you of half a
heart, while mine—a man's heart—is
bound to you by an eternal love?”
“I am satisfied wi.h Auberon’s, and
have no desire to exchange it for yours,”
said the young girl, proudly.
“Ah, no, sweet soul; you little know
your own needs.” exclaimed the Colonel
in the low fervent tones he had so often
subjugated proud spirits with before
“It is no crude, boyish liking which will
satisfy a nature like yours; no dreaming
mystic can long rotain your warm young
living love!
“Give yourse'f to me; I am strong and
patient, and to win is life—to lose, death
to me. I can teach you how to love me,
and I know how to make my tender
darling happy as an angel in heaven-”
She checked his impassioned speech
by a gesture of hot repulsion.
“You sneer at Auberon Crecy's youth
and genius.” said she, impetuously,
while her eyes flashed wrath and scorn
upon the offender; “but how will your
past life compare with his? Is it as
crystal pure? Have you as little need of
concealments? Thanks, no, I prefer to
marry a man whose life has been as open
and honorable as my own to marrying
llicbard Accrington with his memories. ”
Accrington was ghastly: the stroke
had gone home to the one vu nerablo
spot in his indurated heart. The woman
ho madly loved know all—knew and do
spised him! but what could she know?
perhaps nothing but vague report.
“Who has dared to sully your innocent
mind with slanders of my past?” de¬
manded ho with a show of righteous
wrath. “Who could have had the Lad
heart to do it?”
“Can you disprove these slanders?”
said Loveday scornfully.
He believed thatshehad learned noth¬
ing definite, and said mournfully:
“A as! Miss Dellamoro, what man'?
past life is fit for a maiden's scanning?
We look to womanhood to redeem us
from our errors, and true love gives us
the future in which to make due repara¬
tion?”
“I will have no lover whoso record is
too shameful for me to read!” cried
Loveday fierily; then she fastened her
indignant gaze upon him and added:
“Why do you speak of reparation? have
you ever repaired the wrong you did
Lord Inchcape? and you ask me to love
a man like that!”
Accrington started back with a mut¬
tered curse, utterly overwhelmed.
She did know all—she had learned hfs
most shameful secret.
Ho was a liar in her sight, basest crime
In the calendar; he had lied away a man’s
honor, and then built his prosperity upon
his victim’s downfall.
Oh, if Loveday knew the blackest of
all his secrets ho might well despair of
winning her, even by force—she would
die before she would marry a liar.
And so he has lost her, this fairest,
dearest love of his life, the one thing on
the earth lie coveted most.
And the boy will marry her, they will
adoro each other. Are they not well
matched in purity?
No! death, lie destruction rather!
What! is to see her wrested from
his strong hands, in spite of a’l the fierce
passion which is urging him up to
desperation? is he to be robbed of the
being who is more precious to him than
the political prize he was straining for—
more precious even than revenge on
Lord Inchcape?
Ah, if she were his they would fly far
from scorning England to lovelier lands,
where he would drink sweeter happiness
than he had yet tasted*
^
foe at your command, tvtll yon bo
tion; agent? forgive ah, you me! shrink what from right tfye .have su^ a ■
;
expect any sympathy or sup® >rt W
you?” AcVcriniB \
“You wrong me, Colonel Loveday,®
indeed you do!” faltered
could all scarce the aid believe I him give for joy. beslj “if
you can you,
my heartfe.t gratitude. Yet 1 car®
see how I dare intermeddle in Ll
Inchcape's private affairs.”
“I exact no such imprudence; I sinij
ask you to bo the bearer of a do uiiu
which Lord Inchcape would give his 1
to obtain—for it will ostablish--”
“I will carry it to him.” LoveiMj i
terrupted hastily, shrinking socreraj fromjS
ing any more of the Earl's
his mako enemy. for all that “It is a sma'l retufl
the you are willing tiS
fer in cause of right. ”
Accrington could not quite repro
flitting sneer, but hastened towards
“I thank * you, Muss ... n De „ lamere; w
your co-operation I feel strong
to complete the saenheo without flint
ing Without it, I confess I dread
whlsner.ngs of my stuboorn pride
you must not forget how much I bit
about to lose if I do this thtng-the
of my ex stence.”
“I shall take the document to
Inchcape,” murmured Loveday
“When shall you send it me?
I shall not send it, 1 shall trust nl-J
human being save you with tho weapoti
which is to destroy me. I shall bring It
t0 U g stlooked
He paused; up
ly at his pale face and glittering eyes.
JS22& must come to me, » TSSSt t snail oe at yona.r
mu^coneVo o'”" ,USfy ° U - A ‘ ld ^
Loveday started, flashing a suspicious
*° “That'is
too much to expect,” said
she haughtily; “there can be no nocessf
yon 1 so 1 trustworthy 11 that^l should
trust trust vou you again again i I decline aeciine to to como como hero nere
alone to meet Colonel Accrington to
Ho flung on his heel with a short
laueh
“That ends the matter,” said he harsh
iy; “J, too. docline to grant Miss Bella
mere's prayer. Farewell!”
He was actually going, thought Love
day, and once more all her hopes wore
vanishing away; she could not but re
call the wily schemer, just as ho had in
tond0d
“You may have reasons for such a ro
quest; at least lot me hear them,” said
she anxiouslv
“I have, but I fear that they will have
little weight with Miss Bellamere, ” re
torted he bitterly. “My own safety de
pends upon the fidelity of my messnger.
Bah! why humiliate myself needlessly?
I will plead no more. You were not in
earnest, neither was I. Lot us consider
tho whole matter a jest. ”
“I cannot—I daro not!” cried sho in
great distress. “I should be wretched
forever if I were to abandon Lord Inch
cape, now that you make it depend on
me whether you will do him justice or
not. Is there no other wav?”
ste^y* “Am°I adogto fame tor Seated”'% thatUi
open distrust at tho time
are ready to accept such a terrible
rifice from me? Endogh; my safety re*
quires some precaution, being^| and
world you are the only .
feel inclined to trust it.
“I will como.”
thout the slightest attempt at excusa.
id——stayed out.
CHAPTER XIX.
down to his death.
ombling with excitement, yet nerved
be courago of desperation, Love
i approached the lonely gato In
i’all, and stood listening intense y
but tho sough of the wintry
through tho dry leaves, and tho
of the far-away hound,
jit the thickly lane on carpeted the other with side the of grass the
was easily be there
and he might and
a dozen ruffians behind him, no
fall be heard.
tho stable clock struck nine, and
baud knocked upon the
open door.
Jfcst convulsive bound of tho noart,
* Loveday found herself fa e to face
\ him she expected.
er eyes look of
f r “ f had , ho < aUK ht that
r * triumph ‘. S ho shrank back, and
.
™ , ‘ !oscd about her wrist; ho
to V ards blm with a burst of
■
not for the last time, my own
he n whispered, * beseechingly; “why
little kindness? You
L at: I am to-night.”
her hand lie in his, she let his
a ca . 'I 1 ’ 1 ' 11 « » _ u , a { a *. n /\ loucor
lif' \ U , hih- she felt his hand
h n0 more’than if she had
* Tt5?
•“ ^amoinstant *“ two stran
>« •«» - W T 1 tb :
, advanced on Accrington.
ton surveyed the intruders,
a licrce exclamation of as-
Rat! 11 you treacherous? Yon have
M ed “ e ’ hive staked life
fc- W T loyalty. couW Ah, this wei^ prizo my am you no
bound to give you snatched out
H an
showed it, tauntingly,
th »ompled U P ,u his " d '
I no, give it me; I have done notn- tl
L M forfeit it!” sho stammored. “
P#ept f™, your swift secret ’ magical . , trans . „ ‘
lc tor as a
Vfl 1 ' 011 ’ she and Accrlligti n
Bate, and the la w s
and ill t .
«y on Auberon
losed ho remained inside.
carriage, drawn by two mag
horses, which she ^ocogn ze as
s h|dlstance, Jngton s, dashed where they forwa' had evidently ,, t]v
U 1 '* stopping their owner’s to ' pleas ure.^am J
c 10t '
,
Vi|t' d s creams ’ toro °P '
proceeded to spring inside.
■ as flying, and ho was g
§®> ■ * maddening confession thought with him! dr J
ow
B *** fear; the heroism in gay
? PjlJI’^d^ a only 8 blood that bred Lord up, ■ P
, .liras at no stake, ' w and 8 ' that 10 wa . •
' ‘
B|epend J1 upon
i itllH hall mot break pi< i , l
‘^P/^Slround your
f hit» that he
re t0 r the carriage
1 ““
a it
I DEW BDUEIIT ffitMI
Engageinent With Fi ipinos Disas¬
trous to American Army.
cm, smsimit wuc m inti
American Loss Was Over Fifty,
Ouiy Thirteen Dead Filipinos Were
Found—Details of the
Fight.
A cable dispatch from Quengua, P.
I., Su'nday says; Four men of the
Nebraska regiment, including Col.
Stotseuburg, Lieut. Sisson and three
men of the Fourth Cavalry, were killed
and forty-four wounded in an engage¬
ment at Quengua. The Filipinos re¬
treated with small loss. i
Tho engagement developed iuto a
disastrous though successful fight
Tho iu8Urge nts bad a horse shoo trench
T . •
about a mile . long, encirolmg . a *
field on the edge of n wood. Captain
Bel1 with forty cavfllr y mon ’ enoount
’ bis
ered a strong outpost. One of
killed and live were wounded
by a volloy.
The Americans retired,
their wounded under fire and with
great difficulty, being closely pursued,
a fog enabling tho enemy to creep np
to them.
Two men who were carrying a com
rade were shot in the arms, but they
continued with their burden.
Captain Bell sout for reinforcements
to rescuo the bodies of the killed cav¬
alrymen, and a battalion of the Ne¬
braska regiment, under Major Bufford,
arrived and advanced until checked by
volleys from the enemy’s trenches.
Tho Americans lay about 800 yards
from tho treuohes behind rice furrows
under fire for two hours.
men were sunstruck, one dying from
the effects of the heat, as they lay
there xvaiting for the artillery to come
up. Finally tho Second battalion ar¬
rived, and Colonol Stotsonberg, who
had spent the night with his father at
Manila, came upon the field. The
11H immediately recognized him and
ra i a ed a cheer. Colonel Stotsenberg,
deokU-p y,7o\^Uffionlty, ^charge as the cheapest way
, a led the attack at
. 0
regiment. Ha fell with
FORTY HOURS A"f*S£A.
Fifteen Sailors of the Stonmer Whitney;
Rescued After a Terrible Struggle.
Considerable excitement was created’
at St. Augustine, Fla., Sunday by »•
small boat out at sea giving signals of
distress. Captain Allen immediately
went to its assistance in the Baldwin
yacht. Upon nearing the boat he
found it to be the missing lifeboat of
the steamer General Whitney, which
fonndered north of Cape Canavara.
during Friday night, Captain Allen
transferred the suffering sailors from
their cramped quarters to yacht
and brought them in to y
where a large crowd awaited thena.
The story of the disaster, as tolcS%?J
Mate Mattson and his meD, was su
thrilling one. One of the bulkheads!
sprung a leak from the heavy seas,
whioh were prevailing during the)
early part of Friday night. All hands(
were ordered to the pumps and worked
hard, but tho holds soon began to fill
in spite of their efforts. The officers
and men, realizing that tho
was settling fast and sure to founder,
took to the two life-boats. Captain J.
W. Haxvthorne anil fifteen men w ^nt
in the first boat and were never agaim
seen by the remaining men. Shortly -
afterwards Mato Mattson and the;
balance of the crew, fourteen men,,
took the second boat.
They spent all of Saturday
urday night at tho mercy of the sea,
which xvashed over their frail boat
frequently. Early Sunday morning
they sighted land, and with redoubled
energy, made strong from desperation*
they took their turns at tho oars.
When near enough to land they im
pro vised a flag ivith canvas tacked to
an oar, and it was then that Capthih
Allen went to their rescue.
amicable agreement.
Mississippi Slnto Hoard of Health Wllh
Not Quarantine.
The Mississippi state board of
Jiealth held its annual meeting in Jack
,on Saturday. The mooting will not
carry into effeot its threat of last year
establish a quarantine against New
Grlenus on the 1st of May, as an omi
cable agreement has been reached
between the two boards, wherobxM^j allfl
Mio;<i-.iiq.i inspectors ai<>
