"A SECRET SORROVV."

Thames Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 8619, 25 March 1897, Page 1

"A SECRET SORROVV."

BY MES MAY AGNES FLEMTNG,

Author of "A Mad Marriage," "Carried By Storm."

CHAPTER XXIII,

(Continued.) Kate cosed the door, and taming to the house-keeper, demanded,in an agitated whisper— , . ; ■;'• ' ■ ;/';. '■. 7-„ • Bow is—how are the familj ? Are they all here now P' * Ob, hearen! Miss Kate, ii it jou, or isityour thoatP 1 ' Ghost! do—what nonsense!' •Then it it you! 1 exclaimed Misss! Dickstt. • Well I m «tad, and no mistake. Oh, law, I thought Fd never clap my two heyes on you again— ao I did.' I •Well, never mind that at present,' •aid Kate, impatienty. 'Can you not answer my question ?' ' Welt, it's all very fine—so it is !' said Miss Diekett, placing her hands on her sides, and drawing a deep breath, * bnf snch • thing as Dirritole'a tamed out to. b* of >te, I ; s e*er ajaii^^efe;^* HiTice»ne aoes hoff with'er«elf some' where, where nobody e«n find her boat. Then you goes hoff without hever tellin' nobody, and then the heart he takes his* self hofPlonc with the rest. Mr. Chawles he goes back to that nasty Dublin, which I can't abide no way?, 'cange it's so wolgar—-though I ain't a sayin, nothink against bis goin', 'oanae he was alters • oaakin' 'atnrbance while ho waa 'ere. Thea Mist MaKgifl, the imperent little thinj, she fullers him, an' I'm blessed if I wasn't glad to get rid of her, alters a taking me off, ' Madam Maria, »heVaUen_ill npitaira and won't 'low nobody to 'tend her, 'cept 'tis that nasty old nigizer, which I can't abide no ways—so I can't. My lady won't speak a word to nobody 'cept that eon* ceitad litt'e furriner, Bess L'Olise, while she was 'ere , bat she's gone too, ' long with Mies Maggie, hoff tc Hireland. Lord Arndale comes streakin' down here and then tears hofl again like a comet lookin' erery where 'cept, J s'pose, in the right pace for Miss Alice. And 'ere Ts left, like a poor hold singed cat. with nobody to look after me if I went to hold Scratch—so there!' Kate listened impatiently to this tirade and now she broke in with— ' Ton do not mean to say that my nncle and all are away do you r 1 Well, be ain't away now, cause he's 'ome,' aaid Miss Diekett. * He 'rived' last night, and now you follers him. Mebbe. the rest'il come bimeby, and things Ml begin to look as they used to.' Kate paced rapidly up and down the room for several minutes; then, turning to Miss DicVett, she said untiringly: • And has no news been received iron

Miss Alice yet. 1 : 1 Law! no, not so much as a single scrape o' a pen. Hu'a very curia, so it ia—but, deary me! there hisn't no 'counting'forjladics'notiofis nowadays,' This was followed by a ikniflcant look, as though Bhe intended £ate to understand she considered her 'curis' as well as Miss Desmond. Bat Kate was paying tery little attemiou to her, beingabsorbed ia her own painful reflectioni. Could it be tbat the earl had carried A'ice off with him somewhere the? It must be so; e'se how could she account for her sudden departure Wi h the two servants from the old Moor Manor? ... : . ■« Passing lier band over her brow, aa « to dispel her sad thoughts, she turned to the old housekeeper, who stood watching her, with mouth a^ape, and said, briefly

1 Go and inform the earl thai I b»ve artirtd, and with to see him immediately. Break the new«»i carefully as possible, so that it may not take them by sutfpnse, and make haste.' .... Miss Dickett quitted th* apartment, and again Kite resumed her nervous, hurried pace up and down. How, oh! how should she break the fatal news to him—bow tell him the disgrace that had fallen on hi* honoured name? And site, her Mat, how would she hear it, of the M.dolme of her cousin s storyP This must be the key to hereecret sorrow—and how would she le«rn that he whom she'had loved 'so vainly aod so well' lay now, cold and dead, m the old Moor Manor? „ ■v • Xhe hearl snys for you to wa'k right up,' said Miss Diekeit, putting ber head in at the door. , . , Kale's heart throbbed so loudly that she grew faint. ■ ' Becovering herself by an efEort ehe ran upstaire, and entered the room where me earl acd contess sat. The meeting was a cold one on all sidos. The earl, convinced that she knew Of his viMny, felt particularly uncomfortable but still not as he once thought he should at such a meeting. . ... Since the d»y when he recognised his . long-lost eon in thejperson of the pirate chief, a marked aud risible chan*e b»i pawed over him. His hair had Brown roowr white, deep furrows nia-ked hi* forobW, bo waked stooped and <eeble, as ihouali a fudden load of trief had been laid aa his shou ders—an old man I'iefore his time. , „ Convinced • bat the hand of heaven was on him in punishment for his misdeeds, he had relolved to seek Alice on his return, seek her sforaiTeness, and brave he set tn of the world. To ka surprise andhor ror, he learned, qp his arrival, that noilinw had been heard of cither he Accromp"«sied by Lord Atndale, to whom S PdWo«od all. fr*:*s£ either could be fo^J- Vv at the power she possesses^ °*e*J*..~ . As for Kate herself, all he^-■£•£«• £ just indignation uajre way ask ■*?"? hkA change ihe sufEen'af and sor.^'T j"" made ia him. She comld only ™mv^*2*r that she was about to add a still Rra ~£ load to what he already evidently sux ' fered. My lady lay back amoni the eusbions, ia the weary, listless manner of other days. No change had passed over her, as coldly, serenely beautiful as ever, with the long black lashes sweeping her pearly cheeks, and veiling the large, mournful, dark eyes. She looked np, and with a faint smile of we'eome, extended her hand. Kate raised it to her lips respectfully; she ■ might' have Te <tly erred, but bad she not " likewise gilhtly HnfferedP—and sorrow

goes far to atune for sin. There was a moment's silent constraint on alt sides. Then, determining to know tbe faith of Alice first of all, Kate looked fixedly up in her uncle's face, and said, with brief sternes,a— •My lord, before I lell you the business which brought me here at this late hour at night, I would fiiat learn what has become of Alice Eesmond.' He groaned aloud, and turned away his head. • Good heavens ! exclaimed Kate, horror-struck at the thought which flashed across her mind, ' it she dead P' 11 know not,' answered tbe earl, yehemently; '»s God lireth, I know sot. Whether she is tiring or dead I cannot tell.' White with fear, Kate stood h«teniuy with clasped hands. She could not doubt his words—she felt convinced he was speaking tbe truth 1 But, w*iy—how—did you not fine her that nixh> in the old manor P' she aake'l in a bewildered tone. • I did. I found out likewise you hao l««ft there; and maddened at the dia coTery which I saw must take place, I de-

eraan«fd to prerent it. I had found another biding pace for Alice, but wulrag 'o be rid of the servants firat, I to* - hem to » place of wfety. When I r»- i urned, the old minor «v emptr. Alie* was gone. I know nothing of her. I o nnot diioorer her. Whether she it amons? the living or de«d, I cannot telL Vrudtte is now in search of her. Herat

g: ant that he may be more fortmsat* {ftu

Kate tank on a teat, and eorered her face with her hand*. All was for the momrat forgotten, saw poor A lie*. The carl had risen to hit feet, and began paolrig the floor rapidly np aid dawn. Svddenly renumbering what waa yet : to come, Kate took her hands from bsbw her face, and said, in • voice that trembled in spits of all bar effort* to render it firm— ' My lord, yo« remember, yo« omwot ha»e forgotten poor Walter!' Then wm a pssti mat* eKolaatftiem from the earl. My lady gave a •light start, her hand wm involuntarily half raised, and then dropped heavily in her ; 'Forgethim! Oh, Waiter! Waller 1' !he.exclaimed, bitterly. 'Speak, girt— what of him P* , ' Yo» thouflht hi. Q^e4-?«.alL4saV isaioV&to, apeaktns; vwjr rapNlty, * baft we Wire mistaken -he w*a not drowned.' He did not exclaim or seemamastd, ac i she tbonght ho would,. He only gwaaed and wrung his hands in bitter sorrow. 'He lived, my lord,' went on Kate; ' huskily, 'hot driven to despair, he — he——' - H«f voice faltered. * Became a pirate! I know it! I kaowit! I know it!' he broke in, passinaa'elf. IHe disgraced his name, he has broaght. ' shame on hit family, he has whitesed my bain, and brought me with sorrow almost to the grave.' , (My lord!' said Kate.^risisg, 'speak notthuu, Whatever his crimes may have been, he has atoned for them bf death. Yoftr son has gone befon a higher tribunal than any of earth to be judged.' •Dead! Walter dead! 1 He seemed stunned, bewildered, diny, like ose struck by some sadden blow. He reeled in'o a seat and sat gaiiag vacantly into her face. And my lady—a shadow, like the. shadow of death, had fallen on her white face; her arms lay heavily by her aide, as though the poweref life bad been saddenly stricken from her heart •How? WhenP Where did he dieT asked the earl, brokenly, looking inJEate'a face with a look of hopeless bewilder* moot - -

Briefly, in a voice choked by teare, Kate related all—the story of her capture—of r^ , Syra—of her jealousy—of hie tragical death, and his dying story. Only one part - was kept secret—that relating to Mado- >■ . line. The dark eyes of the coantouaH hen towards the close with a lookoTgnftv^ tude, aa if si'ently thanking, her far herrrdelicacy. He listened like one in a dream to the close. Still he tat Rasing in her f tee with oh! such a look of utter, hope'eas trouble. •My word—my dear uucte,' said Sate, touohed in spite of herself by hii silent anguish, • grieve not! It» better at—lm could never be happy here. Let us hope he is at rest!'

•Dead—dead!' he Mid, slowly. ' W»l'»r dead. Bo young, so fair, *o noble bautedldear), and by the hand of an assassin! - dead! and it is I who hap* driven him to this—l drove him from home—l struck him—l forced him to be- - come an outcast on the face ef the earth, l withouuwhere to lay his Ji«ad. Pn<(|di^ v „ leu and homelrai, he grew dcsperet*. "- And bow he ia dead! Oh, Walter I Walter! Oh, would to heaven I had died lor thee—my son—my ion!' {To be Continued.)