KATE HOWARTH'S DEVOTION.

Cromwell Argus, Volume XLIII, Issue 2282, 29 January 1912, Page 2

KATE HOWARTH'S DEVOTION.

Copyright.

By the Author of "Thfc Heroine of the Mill," Etc.

INTRODUCTORY. John Howarth and his wife Nelly, thrifty mill-hands, had set np a shop and prospered. Then came one of the great Lancashire strikes, in which they and their customers were reduced to penury. Fever had followed in the wake of semi-starvation in the district, carrying off the weak, old and young, wholesale. John and Nelly lost all their children but little Katey ; and got so sadly behind in their payments for stock that ruin stared them in the face. Katey was called after a sister of John's, who had gone to London, and after contracting an imprudent marriage— above her station—had been lost sight of. In his extremity John went to his brother Dan, who had got on in the world, to beg for a loan of £25, wherewith to pay his most pressing account ; and Dan, who had loved Nelly, and given her up to John on finding her in love with his brother, nobly lent the latter double the sum he wanted. On his way home through a wild night storm, John heard the cry of a child by the canal, and discovered it to come from a bright little boy lying alone on the ground. He took up the foundling tenderly, and carried it home to his wife, who accepted it joyfully as a gift from Heaven. The child was the son of George Hoghton and his wife, Renie. George, heir of Lord Northenden, had been cast off by his father for marrying beneath him ; and a last desperate appeal to the peer for help had resulted in a stern refusal, except at the price of separation from his dear ones. Staggered by the cruel blow, George falls to the floor in a pool of blood, and his wife and child are driven from the Hall. Immediately thereafter, the old lord orders doctors to be summoned ; and his second son, Captain Stanhope Hoghton, rides off furiously towards Bolton, knocking down some frail body as he reaches the canal bridge in the darkness, and not halting to heed the low nae«a that struck on his ear, hoping that no one could have witnessed the "resident." But John Howarth, as tb-- lightning flashed, had fancied that he saw the agonised face of a woman followed by the flying figure of a horseman, a little while before he came npon the foundling he saved from the storm. After the lapse of seven years, the foundling boy, whose name has been discovered to be Freddy, from the markings on his linen, is recognised in the streets bj Capt. Hoghton, from his remarkable likeness to his father ; and later also by the old lord, both the aristocrats being strangely yet differently moved by the resemblance of the lad to their relative. PART 5. CHAPTER VI. AN APPARITION CLAD IN COURT COSTUME. The following morning the world generally was with Ibe fact that the Right Honourable Frederick Hoghton, third Viscount Northenden, had breathed his last, and that Captain the Honourable Stanhope Hoghton, his only surviving son had succeeded to the peerage. The death was called a sudden one, for the old lord had been reading in the open air that afternoon, the "Times" upon authority, stated. A sharp attack of heart affection, however, came on in the evening, when the family lawyer in Manchester was sent for, and after a private interview with that gentleman, which lasted for a considerable period, his lordship eeemed better. At two o'clock in the morning, however, the household was aroused by a furious ringing of the bells in the private apartments, and upon Mr. Wogan entering he found Lord Northenden doad in the new lord's arms. The latter was only partially dressed, and was in a state of great agitation, as may be easily imagined. The man who was feared and not a little disliked in his lifetime, was honoured at his demise. A grave in the Abbey was offered to his susviving relative, but everyone was amazed at his refusing the crowning honour of a statesman's life in brief not to say brusque tones.

Thus it came to pass that the funeral came ofl after all at Radcliffe, where the two former lords lay, and after this there followed calmness, and ultimately silence, regarding the old man's genius, his pride, his good qualities, and h7s bad qualities, alike.

When something like order was resumed at the old Hall, the new lord amazed the world by producing there not only a wife—society thought him unmarried—but a ready-made family, composed of a boy and girl, respectively about eleven and nine years. Both Ferdinand and Charlotte were high-spirited creatures, as the locality noon knew ; but their mother was the greatest surprise to the servants. This lady was tall, with black hair and piercing eyes. Her hands were white and large as any man's, and her knowledge of household affairs and particularly the culinary department, led some of her feminine subordinates to set afloat the rumour that the new Lord Northenden had married his cook. This however, was not the fact. Sophia Starck had been kitchenmaid in the royal household.

It will be seen then, by the discriminating reader, that the fault of the presuming defunct Hon. George Hoghton laj not in marrying a plebeian but in permitting his father to know the fact. Had ha been as careful and astute as his younger brother he might have succeeded his father in the House of Lords, and nobody except that brother, would have been any the worse.

Ab it was, you will confess, he mismanagcxl affairs in one sense j but

then honour, honesty an'l true liliai respect remained with him, ami his reward was something very like destruction. The couch upon which his supplanter had to lie was, however, not quite a bed of roses. To say that he was in debt would be to say nothing if the late lord had left any great personalty, because that was expected by moneylenders and tradesmen ultimately to pay off the favours done by them to the heirapparent. When the personalty was sworn under five thousand pounds, however, there was wailing and gnashing of teeth among the tribe of Judah, and curses not loud but deep upon the lips of retail commercial men of all nationalities. Debts were not the only great trouble which was always with the new peer. My Lady Northenden made no secret of her contempt and dislike of her lord, and invariably acted in complete opposition to his wishes.

She came bouncing in to the housekeeper's room one morning shortly after having taken over the control of the household and said : "Screel" —the housekeeper's name —" I have never had a maid, because I have been waiting for the old man's death in stuffy lodgings in Bryton." This is how she pronounced Brighton, but for obvious reasons we do not indicate too minutely the very strong German accent of the humbly-born peeress. " My husband now persists in sending an advertisement to the ' Times ' for a French maid for me. I refuse him because I do not want anyone who is cleverer than myself, as a Vrench maid would certainly be. Therefore, my good vriend, I want a leetle girl that I can train as 1 like—the girl of one of the people about here. I should like her brettie, and of course good and innocent ; and, if you blease, put on your bonnet, and we will give a call to Halshaw Moor. The carriage will be at the door in a few minutes —Ah !" as the carriage wheels were heard upon the gravel without — " you berceive the coach was retty." The coach was indeed ready and it was scarcely to be wondered at that Mrs. Screel raised her arms in amazement when she beheld a very old, heavy high-wheeled travelling chariot pass her modest little window. " Surely your ladyship is not going out in that !" she said. " I should think I am. I always said that when I became a lady I would let the world know it. There you are. That was the largest coach in the blace, so I orders it ", and I will have the footmen out too, and I have told them so." The colossal lady made sail, uttering these words for the terrace ; but the rubicund countenance of her spouso met her before she reached the hall door. " My dear," he said, " surely you are not going out in that old thing!" " Stand aside, my vriend," she said. " I shall go out in what I blease so there's an end of it." The mighty coach drove away, and half an hour later the people of Halshaw Moor saw the great thing approach, and were, of course, greatly excited. " My eyes are always open, my goot Mrs. Screel," her ladyship proceeded. " The day that I came over from Manchester, I saw right opposite the door of the inn the most peautiful leetle girl I have ever zeen. Those was the child I must have." The coachman was told to stop at the inn mentioned, and the viscountess uttered a cry of pleasure that was heard all down the street—a crj that disturbed the cause of it not a little. " That was the child I spoke of," she exclaimed to Mrs. Screel. " Oh, my lady, that girl is far too young !" returned the housekeeper. " She can't be more than nine or ten years of age." "I like them young," said Lady Northenden ; " call her ovejr." " Come here, my dear," said Mrs. Screel annoyed at being compelled to yeli at the top of her voice in the street. But the little girl, wbio was no other than Katey Howartfh—was timid, and instead of complying with the request, she ran into the shop and caught hold of her mother's dress. Nelly had seen the lady beckon to the child, and of course understood Katey's timidity. " What are you afraid of," she chided. " It's the new lady from the Hall, and she only wants to speak to you. Come, it's bad manners to run away like this;" and she led the little one out again. "Drive over to that child and the woman," said the lady to the coachman. He did as desired, and a footman got down and lowered the flight of steps leading to the lofty carriage. " What is your name, little one ?" asked Lady Northenden. " Katey Howarth." "I am Lady Northenden, as probably you know," the peeress continued, addressing the mother of the child ; and I haf a fancy to train up a girl to he a maid to me. I saw this leetle girl the day I come from Manchester, and I baf come for her. She is not too young because I will haf her taught everything ; and as for wages she shall haf the paj of a woman from the very commencement." " Oh !" cried Nelly, clasping Katey to her Womanly breast, and in her alarm forgetting the rank of the speaker, " I couldn't pert with my child." " Why," said the viscountess, "she is only a woman-child. I have one I would part with soon enough, and be glad to get her off my hazards—only that cannot be when one belongs to the upper classes. Of course it is different with a boy. Hollo !" continued the lady. " Now, .there was a handsome lad as ever I've seen. Is he yours ?" "Yes," faltered Nelly, turning to the door where Freddie had put in an appearance. " I should be delighted by-and'bye, when I am breeented at Court, upon coming to the title to have three

such boys as pages to carry my train. Upon my word, woman, you haf very brettie children." " Yes, my lady !" " And you do not like to part with this girl," proceeded Lady Northenden. " I will make a complete lady of her." The housekeeper thought she could not succeed in doing that for herself but she only said : " Howarth —Howarth ! Why that was the name of the boy that frightened the captain—my lord that now is—and his horse the other week—" bl't stopped abruptly, seeing the quick .;*-\ eyes of her mistress upon her, a cruei expression in their dark depths. " Frightened his lordship and his horse!" the lady repeated. "That must have been* very funny. You nust tell me it as we drive home, Soreel—l fio long for a hearty laugh;" and she laughed loud enough then to attract half the inhabitants in the neighbourhood. After a pause she went on : " And you are very fond of this girl ?" " Yes," replied Nelly, stroking Katey's dark flowing tresses ; " and to her father she is as the apple of his eye." " Now, that was very brettily spoken," cried the viscountess, " and I would not hurt your feelings for the world. We will wait until the little one was grown up a bit and then she shall decide for herself. If learns to like me she shall corn*. If not she shall stop away." " Thank your ladyship," said Nelly courtesying, inwardly very thankful that the big wife of a lord did not insist on carrying off the child. " Well, well," proceeded Lady Northenden, " I must confess that I am disappointed. But never mind, we must know more of one another. Come up to the Hall some day and have tea with Mrs. Screel. I will then show the children over the house and after some visits perhaps— What is her name ?" " Katey." " Katey was short for Catherine. Well, Katey might come to like me." " I am sure that was very good of your ladyship," murmured Mrs. Screel.

" Let me see if I have any motrey," the viscountess went on as she drew a shabby little purse from her pocket. " This was an old friend," she proceeded, apologetically —and then she handed the children half-a-crown each. '' You must buy what you like with these," she continued, " and com* up with your mother to the great house—let me see —say next Friday." " Impossible my lady !" interpolated Mrs. Screel. " That is his lordship's dinner party." " All the better—the very day—l shall be bored most. I shall leave the table very soon, and shall want something to put me in a goot humour. Mind you promise to come up next Friday with the children. I expect and depend upon you—mind that. Goot-bye—goot.-bye. Drive home." With these words the great equipage drove away, leaving Nelly Howarth bewildered with the great distinction of which she was the recipient. The Friday mentioned was an unlucky day for Lord Northenrden. He had invited the neighbouring gentry and his principal tenants —large farmers and several manufacturers — and that very morning he had received a kind of threatening letter from a principal creditor. We have hinted before that the Hon. Captain Stanhope Hoghton had been addicted to intemperance. At a period when men might be said all to drink excessively this was remarkable in him. Troubles from an early period of his life sent him to the Lethe of the bottle ; so on the occasion of which we speak he was more than " half-seas over " —to use a colloquialism— before the first of his guests arrived. The dinner was to be served at six o'clock, and Mr. Wogan was horrified to hear his mistress say in tones of scorn to her lord, as she swept out of the drawing-room. " Beast ! Pig ! I almost think I shall decline to sit at table with you." This kind of expression was not lillalj to improve his lordship's temper ; therefore the butler was not at all surprised a few moments later to find him at the brandy decanter on the sideboard of the dining-room. It is no part of our purpose to describe the dinner, which might have been a bachelors' party ; for no lady graced the board except the hostess herself, and she very quickly left the gentlemen to themselves. She had evidently not forgotten Mrs. Howarth, orjthe anticipated visit. As soon as she reached her own room she rang the bell. The servant that appeared was sent to the housekeeper at once to see if the village woman had arrived. Yes, the woman and her children were there. Throwing aside the rich silk dress she had worn for dinner, she put on a soft black- gown. Although her hair was black her complexion was very fair and she was seen to great advantage in black. A great fire glowed in Mrs. Screel's grate, but the lamp was a small one and was placed on a remote table. The mistress of the house descended softly and literally without noise pushed open the list-protected door. "Ah, there you are !" she said. Her face was still in the shadow ; but when she came nearer the children thought it looked very handsome and good-natured. She kissed Katey, and taking Freddie's hand in hers, she also saluted him. " You are a strange boy," she said —for she suddenly felt him tremble, as if stricken with ague. He afterwards told his mother that as soon as her hand touched his a kind of thrill ran through him. He first grew hot then cold, and he could not account for the matter at all. " Come," she said. " Mrs. Screel must be our guide. We will look over the picture gallqry. We will

“hot tdetTdisturb tne gentlemen." “ Shall I send for Master Ferdinand and Miss Charlotte 7” ‘‘ Oh, no ! I want to enjoy myself and they must attend to their lessons. We will do very well ourselves.” Soon in the hall they ascended the broad oaken staircase. Lady Northcnden went first—the children followed. " That was ft very funny story that Screel told me the other day of my lord being alarmed at the sight of you, and the horse, too. I laugh every time when I think of it ” and the lady btirst out into a laugh that would have done credit to a soubrette on the stage. When it died away a great chorus was heard coming from some distant part of the house. Then the rattling and jingling of glasses, and a stentorian rendering of the well-known lines beginning with, “ For he’s a jolly good fellow,” by at least fifty [voices. I The big peeress shrugged her fine 1 shoulders with an expression of con- [ tempt upon her fa r face. I “ That was a very nice picture ■there,” she went on after a pause. I “ Let me see —what do you call this i large picture. Screel 7” “ That yowr lads ship, is a painting of the late Lord and Lady Northenden in Court costume, on the occasion of the king’s coronation. The little gentleman was the present lord’s elder brother, the Honourable George, who died abroad,” was the description given by Mrs. Screel. i “ Very nice picture,” commented her ladyship. “ The late lord looked like a lord ; but I do not like j the lady—she looks as if she were afraid of him. As if any woman should be afraid of a man ! But what am I talking about? Wait ! [Stay ! Do not move. Now, that is very wonderful. Do not move, my j boy—do not move !” I Fred was looking intently at the : youth in the picture described as the j Honourable George. He was dressed as a Court page. The artist had caught the expression of the boy in 1 the act of looking up at his mother, ! and almost in the same posture that i Lady Northenden at that moment found Freddy Howarth. “I never saw such a likeness —such a resemblance, I mean !” she murmured thoughtfully ; and the other two women were equally impressed. ”Of course, it must be an accident and yet it is very strange,” and she drawled out that word as if the conviction / like something underlay the accidental likeness could not be dismissed. “In the old wardrobe in the next room,” began Mrs. Screel, “ I came upon that very identical little drees the other week. It was made for a great Court ceremony, on which occasion most of the peeresses had pages to bear their trains. He went with his mother, as jou see.” “ Ah, T have a gapital thought—excellent !” cried the viscountess. “Is there a light in that room ? Here, ring that bell for Poison. Get that dress am' send it to my dressing room. Very goot ! And now we will : go there and wait.” The drees was brought as directed, and presently there was great enjoyment as the peeress with her own busy hands partially undressed Freddie, and then decked him in the picturesque dress of the Court page. A flush of pleasure came to Nelly’s comely face ajad Mrs. Screel was perfectly astounded at the boy’s good look's and the wonderful resemblance he bore to the boy she had known so well. (To be continued.)