ONLY A GIRL'S HEART.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 2336, 28 August 1875, Page 4

ONLY A GIRL'S HEART.

BY MRS. SOUTHWORTH, Author of " Self Mado," " Brandon of Brandon," " Fashion nnd Famine," "Eudoru," Ac, CHAPTER XLlV.— (Confmued), On tho evening of their arrival in Washington city, Geraldine and Father Dubarry and his sister had put up at the same hotel as Gertrude. They had, on leaving the stage-coach, gone directly & up to the stage parlor, where the two \ ladies waited an hour, while Father Dubarry walked out to sea a Catholic widow who was the proprietress of a very select private boarding-bouse, and to ascertain from her whether she could accommodate his party for a few days. It was while Geraldine and her companion waited in the shadow of tho half-lighted, room that she saw Gerald Fitzgerald «nter hastily, accompanied 9 by a young lady dressed in mourning and closely veiled. He did not see Geraldino and her party, who were the only occupants of the room, aud who, from their dark dresses and their position in a shaded corner of the window, were invisible, and so he naturally supposed the parlor to be vacant. He tenderly placed his companion in a chair, saying : " Sit down here, Iraogene, and rest * and calm yourself. Of course I will go with you, bnt I must first step to the reading, room and write a note to let my wife know that she need not expect me home before sometime to-morrow." " Oh, for the love of mercy !" pleaded the veiled girl, clasping a pair of small, white nngloved hands — "for the love of mercy, do not stop for tbat ! One minute of delay may make us too late ! Oh, hasten ! hasten !" And in her eagerness she threw aside her veil, revealing a face of marble whiteness and of great beauty, notwithstanding the ravages of some awful sorrow. He paused for an instant, and then said : I "Very well, my poor girl, I will go you this moment. I can find a messenger and send a message or a jlwuote, I suppose." " Ob, yes, yes, I will find one myself; only come at once ! Come quickly !" she panted, in her eagerness. Gerald Fitzgerald took her quivering white hand in his, raised her to her feet, and supported her from the room. " That was rather a strange, scene," said Geraldine, who bad not lost any part of the short interview, but whose keen ears had caught every word and tone, whose piercing eyes had seen every motion and gesture of Gerald Fitzgerald and his mysterious visitor ; for those two did not sit in the shadow, as Miss Fitzgerald and her companion did. " I say that was a strange scene," repeated Geraldine, perceiving that her companion did not answer, and nnxions to know how much, or how little, the old lady bad heard or seen of tho interview. "Eh ? What scene, my dear ? I knew that somo people had come in, but I am too near-sighted and hard of hearing to know what they were about," said Miss Dubarry. " Oh, it was a young woman, who seems to have come here after a gentleman and carried him off," said Geraldine, evasively. " Hoot, toot .' A very improper proceeding ! This comes of waiting in the public parlor of a hotel. Bnt here is my brother, and I am very glad of it," said Miss Dubarry. And in fact Father Dunbarry entered at the same moment. He told them, in answer to their anxious inquiries, that Mrs. St. James would receive them into her house i with great pleasure, having a fine suite of rooms on the first floor now vacant, which she could place at their disposal immediately. He added that the carriage was at the door to convey them to their new lodgings. Geraldine said nothing of the strange conversation she had overheard. She

scarcely even wondered what ib meant, for her miud was completely occupied with planning how it might bo turned to her advantage and made to servo the one purpose of her life. First of all, she resolved to seize the opportunity of Gerald's absence from his little wife to go to Gertrude and work upon her heart, so as to produce an estrangement, or a total separation between the pair. These thoughts so occupied her mind that she continued silent during the short drive to Mrs. St. James's board-ing-house, where she and her friends were most cordially welcomed, and immediately shown to their apartments. Here, after seeing the two ladies settled, Father Dubarry bade them good-night and set out for Georgetown College, where he intended to seek a lodging among his priesthood. The next morning, after an early breakfast, Goraldine ordered a carriage and drove to "Fuller's," resolved, if possible, to see Gertrado and induce her to fly before tho return of Colonel Fitzgerald. When she arrived at the hotel she alighted at the " Ladies' Entrance," and giving her card to the porter who opened tho door, she asked if Mrs. Fitzgerald was in. Oh, how it galled her prido to be compelled even once to give this titlo to Gerald's child wife ! The man answered, however, that he believed the lady was in, and he called j the waiter, whose dnty it was to take up cards. " You need not take up my card, however. If tho lady is in, just show me up to her room. lam a noar rolative," said Miss Fitzgerald, with the easy assurance that enforced obedience. . . ,

The waiter bowed to the>visitor, and politely requested her to follow him. Miss Fitzgerald complied. As they passed the door of the office, however, a young man came out with a j lotter in his hand, and delivered it to the waiter, saying sharply : "Carry this letter up to Number 202. It pughtjjo havja been delivered last night. It was unpardonable neglect." " I wasn't on duty last night, sir," answerod the waiter, apologetically, as bo took the letter and passed on. When they got near the door marked 202, Miss Fitzgerald inquired : "Is not that note for Mrs. Fitz- ! Gerald ?" " Tos, madam." "Give it to me, then. I am going to call on her, and will take it in. My name is also Fitzgerald. Thero, you need not announce me ; just open the door," said Geraldine, with easy confidence, secretly rejoicing in what she called the happy chain of events that had taken Gorald Fitzgerald suddenly, unexpectedly, aud without a word of adieu away from his young wife, leaving her alono in a Btrange hotel ; that had mado her, Geraldine, a witness to his departure ; that had detained his note of explanation ; and that, finally, had delivered the note into her hands ; for the nnsnspicious waiter, without a moment's hesitation, gave her the notu and opened the door for her to pass in. " How easy to persuado the girl now," thought Geraldine, "that Gerald has left her for ever — that she will never see him more. And if she will listen 1 to reason, she herself will make my words good. She will never see him more."

With that interview and its total failnre, throngh the young wife's simple fidelity, we are already acquainted. But this must be said, in justice to the mad Geraldine, tbat all the argnments she had urged upon Gertrude, to induce her to leave Gerald, had been inspired no more by-her own desperate passions than by her deepest conviction of right. After leaving Gertrude that morning, she returned to her boardiughouso in a state of mind bordering on insanity. Here, waiting her .in the parlor, she fonnd Father Dubarry. In her desperation she told him where she had been and what she had done. Tho good priest, though disapproving the marriage as strongly as •he did, was neverthelessdeeply shocked. " I charge you," he said, with earnest sorrow, " I charge you, as the representative of an honoured race, and as a faithfal and obedient danghter of the chord), to think no more of Gerald Fitzgerald and his companion. Leave them to the retribution of Providence. Turn you to. other thoughts." " But, Father Dubarry, I shall go mad !"

" Nay, nay. Listen to me. Retire for" a few weeks into some religious houso. There by prayer and modest meditation compose your mind aud elevate your soul. It may happen that you may be called to the sacred soclnded life of the cloister," said the priest, softly. " That 1 may eventually become a nun ?" murmured Geraldine.

The priest bowed. She did not dare to stamp her foot at her pastor, so she tnrned quickly away to conceal the look of bitter wrath and scorn tbat disfigured her beautiful face.

" Yon will think of this, my daughter,' said the priest. "Yes, I will think of it," answered Geraldine, and for her life she could not have forborne to lay a contemptuous emphasis on the word. The priest arose, saying that he had to atteud his sister on her preliminary visit to the Convent of the Visitation.

" I hope Miss Dabarry will not take np her abode at the convent while I, remain here," said Geraldine.

"Certainly not," replied Father Dobarry. " She will stay with you as long- as you may need her protection." And he bowed and left the room.

[to be continued,]