"A SECRET SORROW."

Thames Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 8614, 19 March 1897, Page 1

"A SECRET SORROW."

BY MRS MA.V AGNES FLEMTOQ.

Author of '«A Mad Marriage," " Carried By ' Storm." I CHAPTER XXI. ] Stba's Revenge. . 1 It was a glorious moonlight nieht. I One by one the stars came out,, jtuddins i liire diamonds the deep blue sky. Serene y calm, the lady moon sailed on i her way, smiling as brightly on the deck 1 of the pirate brig m on the mott aristocratic mansion in Old England. , t Kate Sidney sat in her favourite Best I on deck, gazing thoughtfully orer the bi i/s side, and watching the wares flash* < ing like eilcer sheen in the moonlight. i Standing beside her, silent and thought, i f ul, was Captain Raymond, seldom speak- | ing save when addressed by. K»te. And , j | amid the shadow* croacked dyra, waiehi J in^ tbem both witlf her burning, fiery 11 eyes. Since the night on which the interview on dick occurred, Kate aod Syra seldom met. Feeling that Miia Sidney knew her determination to hare rerenge, Syra bad shunned her as much as possible. And Kate shrank from her, not with fear, but with a sort of involuntary dislike; so whole days passed without their meeting. Bat no word, no look aor action of Kate escaped the jealous eyes of Syra ArRUS himself seemed not to hare more eyes; every, action was misconstrue!, and, however innocent, served to add fresh fuel to the already burning flames of b*r jealousy, There was a look a demon might hare envied on her beautiful face, as she Bat watching them now. When shal we arrive in England, captain P' said Kate, looking up, after a pause. ' To-morrow night if the wind holds as it is now.' ha replied, quiet'y • And then I must pass long, dreary months in that desolate o'd Moor Manor!' ebesad, with a sigh. Taere was a moment's silence,, during whii h Captain Raymond seemed to be attentively watching tha foam daaeing iv the wake of the .brig, as she cut heir way onward. Then, locking np, he said, suddenly— 1 Miss Sidney, during the last few days I have come to tbe resolution of changing my mode of life. You look surprised. Well yon may lie, bat it is even so, I am sick of scenes of blcosl and carnage. I have too long been a scourge to my fellow-men, and ny career of crime his ended. My last cruise is over. You shall be restored to your friends as soon as we arrive in England; or, ai least, as soon as my men can be oat of reach of the law, for, wild and reckless as they are; they are attached te me, and have served me faithfully. There is not one of them, savage as they look, bat would lay down his life tor me. Therefore I must nob consign them to the tender care of the hangman.' >'

The amasement with which Kate listened to this speech may be imagined. She oou'd scarcely beliere her senses, la • tor 4%~b she woald %t<kin be free— would tread her natire land a capMre no longer. What a strange being this pirate chief tain was! „ „ She 'ooked up to thank him. He stood «zioi ateadily with a fise4, i&faf' a «rro# «nd remorse that went to beui. InTolttntarily, eh& laid be* ha«d on hi*", *d^ looking op in hi* face, Mid, earnestly— ' Aud you - wha' will become of you r &c smiled slightly at her earnestness, land answered— . . • Oh, it matters little. The sooner the world is rid of snch a bloodthirsty monster as I am the better. But shonld 1 escape the gaUowa, I shall see America. In the New World, amid its boundless prairies and towering forests, I will try and forget the past. Ia that refugiuvi peccaiorum I may yet became a harmless member of society. There the crimes of the pirate chief may be unknown. There, under an assumed name, I will spond the remainder cf my days. You see Ido not fear to confide in you ; yom are the only one left in the world to whom I can speak freely. AU has gone—friends, and home, and boneur, and lovoj—all gone, ail gone, and what remains?' There was a bitterness and sorrow unspeakablo in hid tone. Kate's eyes grew dim with tears, as she turned away her head in ci euce. Yes, guilty as he was, her heart yearned toward* hild, and she longfd to be able to remere that fettled look of despair from these deep, nionrnful blue eyea. •Idon't know why my thoughts go back to the past so Btrangely to-night, he said, dreamily, after a pause. 'The ■present fades from tiew like a dream, and my boyhood tises before me—a rivid reality. Strange, strange! Things I hare fprge«i.«n for years come back to me now w ;th su*& singular force; faces and forms [ shall nev&t see again stand beside me ac in the day* of long ago; voioes that tike grate stilled many a year ago are aitigine again the Aearo'd songs I lored ii my boyhood ; w*r4s that I thought I had forgotten 1 hear again, and the touchin- promise, 'Though ycur Bins be bcar'.et they shall become as white as sntfw, leeps constantly Bounding in my ears. My mother often used to read me out of the bo©k from whence to is taken. Ah, if she had lived,. I might ba*e been* far different ma« from what I am. The.sun of j*v W, W*4& I tyJWMW^MpI! erer, seemsiotha^ n&fc t^rnight again. Strange that it sho.ul^be so J Perhaps it is only to set in garner night.' He leaned hjs head on his hand, vh^le a sad, dreamy eacpritsjon OTprclo»(ied bja handsome face. Kate WM si ill sijent; she knew not what to say. And after a few momenta Captain Raymond turned away to give some orders to the men. SFor nearly an hour Kate stood si'ent •ad thouabtful, gasin« into the bright waters. She would soon be free—re stared to her home once more, but in spit* of all, a deep depression had settled ,ra her heart. . A presentiment of some impending xjujiy weighed down her spirit' a feel* ? fdtcad hung over her. She strove ing o c o jj w £ tn t jj e conv jciion that [? j ending words of the young capthe desp ibe but the effon w^e tain were x what aQ i ncompre hensible T"»;«,v he w»£-nob:e and highborn, K^and,ising, 8he APTdlsrL V- Pepped from her contaten?and ./^ beffieher. Kate aW shrieked as .W'* l»r Often before had she seen .Vr almost frantic with passion, but now- -^a, now! a galcorpse might bye .'ooked as she d?d, with just B nchliTia\ features, bloodleaa lips, and glassy, «hwis« eyss. f Shuddering with horro-r, Eate corned h 3t face with her hands, »nd retreated to tL c cabin, with the firm, coimetion thai *he was insane. The girf stood ga«og ifL - her, until she disappeared. Then turn, infi »way, ehe muttereil•s, c will fly to America, and she ml accm. P»«y im- N?' neve T 2?: m*i' ™%? La destiny and mine. I shall make SI fail t efEort, and if I fail-tben his snn shall 1» de«d set; if I cannot be his here, I SSI ■!» i«»st g°with to the w Mrl i °i it A^mm Those eyes £ love so well shall k love on her again; those lips !I!r Kr« »the words of affection in her IJ OmL ' I would haTe slßin her« but now I arTfc +** l tailed- No» lether lire; my reT«O» c «}" be greater, whether J Theiu/nL Uwsy as she spoke, and approached Van. s P° rj vrher<s Captain Haymoad sa%

He looked up with a start at seting the girl before him, with her deep, burning eyes, and her f.cc look in tr (Wly pale in th, moonlight.. For ths first time he noticed the change thithad com? over , heroflate. The rosy hne had faded from her cheek, the brown h«« of har akin bad light had died out of her eyes, and in its stead there was a fie cc, lund gle»m—tbe baleful b lghtness of jealousy, her step had lost its buoyant lightness, and moved before him the shadow of her former aelf.

• Well, Syra! you hereP' he said, looking op in surprise. •la there anything the matter? Is your mistress ill PV • No, my mifitress is well, 1 said Syra, withasborr, bifer Uu«h. *You need feel no anxiety about her.' Captain 1 Raymond looked at Syra, completely astonished at the tone in which she spoke. Absorbed in his own , thoughts, he had not not noti.-ed her growing dislike of Kate, and was therefore quite at a loss to ac^ouat.for it. - 'Perhaps you are ill ytmrttTl,' he said, kind'y, 'Yon look very pale. What is the matter ? What can Ido for yon P* The tone in which he spoke thril ed to ho? heart. He had never apok n so' gently to h?r before in bis life, and her heart thobbed hi;h with hope. . ■ • You can save me from death. Yom can render, me happy for ever. On yo« alone it depends whether I shall live or ' die.'

• What!' said Captain Raymond, looking quite bewildered. 'I do not understand yoa. I save you from death! Yom •re crazed, poor girl!' 'I am not erased. I 'peak truth. On* word from yon must decide whether I shall live or die.'

* Well, I confess th<i passes my eomprohensioo,' said the young captain, growing still more mystified. ' Pray esplain. Syra; I certainly have no intention of condemning yon to death.' ' Yon aregoin?away;l shall die if ytm leave me!' she detained, pnawnattely. 11 cannot live separated from yoa.'

' What!' exclaimed her companion, thunderstruck with amazement. 'Is if poasib'e, Syra, that you ——' . ' That I love you! Ob, yes, yes, yes!' she interropted, vehemently. 'Oh, take me with yon! I cannot live if yon ks>vo me! 1 Fora moment the young chief remained. speechless with amazement at the words. Then a whole flood of circumttancrs rusbed On his mind of which he had never

then eh t before, bat which tended now to confirm this starting ttutb. And startling it was to him, for he knew the fiery nature of the girl, and felt convinced her words were true. The change that bad come over her of late was now accounted for. Very gently and sad'y he looked on her as he replied — 'Impossible, Syra! You know I can never love anyone, Scenes of bloodshed and death turned my heart to marble long ago. - I can never love anyone sfaia.' (To be Contnued.)