KATE'S HERITAGE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 2976, 8 January 1881, Page 5 (Supplement)

KATE'S HERITAGE.

By Eliza A. Dupuy, ATTTHOE OF "THE CLANDESTINE MAEEIAGE," KTJLB OR lUTIN," &C. CHAPTER XXVII. THE WAENING-. —JUDGE CHILTON AND HIS SCOT. When Mrs Wentworth and her daughter took possession of Beech Grove, two more servants were added to the establishment, a house-maid and a boy to attend to the ponies, and for a few clays Agnes revelled in her new state, enjoying everything with a zest which was heightened by the knowledge which came to her that the residence of Harry Chilton's father lay in the same valley, and was not more than two miles away. " I shall now have the chance to set myself right with Harry," she thought, " and not allow him to think that I was really in earnest in that last flirtation with Rufus. I'll not betray the crime committed by him and the old dragon from whom I am free, thank Heaven! but I will tell him all the rest, and he must exonerate me from all blame. Heigh-ho! I wonder if he won't come to call on us. They are old friends of my mother, and, of course, they will come to see what her daughter is like. I wonder if Harry knows that in her he will find the girl he seemed to like so well when I met him at his uncle's house this summer."

Speculating thus, Agnes moved through the prettily arranged conservatory which opened from the parlor of her new home, Bnipping off dead leaves, and watering flowers from a small tin sprinkler she held in her hand. Her mother came into the adjoining room carrying a package of books, and called to Agnes to ioin her there. She came in, looking bright and expectant, and Mrs Wentworth said:

" Here are some books sent over by Judge Chilton 5 he gets everything new from his bookseller once a month, and he is always kind enough to remember my fondness for reading. He has been a good friend to me, Agnes, and I wish you to like him." "Of course I will as soon as I get a chance to see him. How long have you known him, mother ?"

" Ever since that dreadful time when I had to appeal to a lawyer to save me from the cruelty of my own husband," replied Mrs Wentworth, in a changed tone. "Mr Chilton was not then so distinguished as he has since become ; he had a large practice, but he undertook my cause, obtained a separation for me, and has been my fast friend ever since. He brought his wife to see me, and I found her as lovely as the choice of such a man should be. I have always been a welcome guest at their beautiful home, and I gladly availed myself of the opportunity to become their neighbor."

" I am pleased to hear that they live so near us," said Agnes, frankly. " I met with Chilton when he was visiting his family this summer, and I shall be renew our acquaintance. Mr Grey too, and I shall see, and tell him Kate, if Mr Judkins is so unfortuto miss him."

W" He will hardly do that, for he strikes me as a man who does not allow himself to be foiled in what he undertakes to accomplish. So, you know Harry Chilton. He is a great favorite of mine, but you must not allow yourself to become too deeply interested in him, Agnes. The Chiltons are my friends, but they are very proud people —not the mean pride which boasts of money, or family prestige, but that innate sense of honor and truth which stamps men and women as of the elect of earth."

"Pharisaical, eh? lam afraid I shan't like them."

" Oh, no indeed! nothing could be further f from them than that. They are thoroughly L good and pure people, and they arc? naturally B anxious in selecting a wife for their son that I no stain shell cling to the chosen one. I I only meant to warn you, my darling, jiot to finsl this ycung man too attractive; you can easily understand why." Agnes flushed, and then grew pale. " Yes —my father's misconduct makes a pariah of his child in the opinion of these self-righteous people; and, however courteous they may be to you, however highly they may estimate you for your personal m qualities, they look down on you all the w, same as one of the toiling million. I honor

you for your independence, and I love you '. for the efforts you have made, more for my i* sake than jc own; but I must accept htimiliation as my birthright from my ' father, though he is a man of as good family as any in the land. Nohlesse oblige does not seem to have been stamped on his escutcheon, and, as you imply, it is the watchword of the Chiltons. You need have no fear that I shall attempt to attract their son after what you have said." "My dear," said her mother, softly, "I fear that you are misjudging my friends, but when you know them you must liko and appreciate them at their true value. I thought it right to speak in time, Agnes, because I would not have you enter any family without being welcomed as cno they would have chosen above all others, and the chances, you must see, in this case, are against you. My darling, I have touched your pride, but I was bound to warn you." " I believe 1 fully understand all that you wish, mother, and I assure you that Mr Chilton is safe, so far as I am concerned. To be perfectly frank with you, I must tell you that Harry Chilton seemed to admire me very much, and I was attracted by him just at the time I was most bitterly resenting the duplicity of Ruf us Manners. I accepted his attentions ; I was not in love ■with him —I am not now —but I did regret that he should have heard of my supposed engagement to Ruf us, and it is my purpose to explain to him, when we mcefc, what induced me to play that farce. There will be nothing wrong in that, I hope." After reflecting a moment, Mrs Wcntworth « ifo—l think not. Harry will naturally hear the whole story when Lucien Grey comes back among us, and it is but fair to permit you to show what were your motives ' for allowing the impression to get abroad I that you intended to marry Mr Manners." k "Thank you, mother. I shall know & what course to pursue now, Let us look

over the books and see what has been sent."

The strings of the package were cut, and Agnes seemed soon to be immersed in the pages of a new story from the exquisite fancy of Bulwer, then" in the heyday of his fame.

But when she was left alone the young girl put her book aside and paced the length of the conservatary again and again, trying to put down the resentful feeling that she might not be considered good and true enough to be the wife of any man, in spite of her father's failings and her mother's position as mistress of a millinery and fancy store. She had liked Harry Chilton better than she knew, and her heart was sore within her over the warning she had received not to suffer herself to became attached to him.

While this conversation went on at Beech Grove, two gentlemen, mounted on thoroughbreds of great beauty and speed, were riding through the woodlands in the direction of the cottage. One of them we have seen before in his bright, eager youth, and the other was a dignified, elderly man, with grey beard and hair, and a mingled expression of blandness and keenness which showed the kind heart, combined with the acute intellect which had made the reputation of Judge Chilton as a popular man and a successful lawyer.

His son had reached home only the night before, and the two were now on their way to call on their new neighbor and her daughter. Harry did not look as gay as in the early summer, and something to sadden him had evidently fallen on " tho spirit of his dream."

His father glanced afc him, and said : " Something must have happened to you while you were gone, Hairy, for you are more silent since you came back that I ever remember you. You used to be full of mirth, and now you are as as solemn as an owl."

" Thank you for the comparison, six , ," said Harry, with a laugh. " The bird of wisdom is not particularly attractive in appearaTtce, but other qualities compensate for that, I suppose. How long is it since Mrs Wentworth came to live at the Grove ? I was thinking of her and her newly found daughter. How happy she must be to have her with her. Have you seen the young lady yet, sir ? And what is she like ?"

" I have not seen her, but from all accounts she is a very pretty and attractive girl. The mother has had a hard life, and I do hope she will be compensated for past suffering by the happiness she will find with the daughter so long kept from her by a base, unprincipled father." " How did she get possession of the young lady at last ? The father is dead, I suppose." " There is no such good news as that. The girl ran away from him, it seems. I have not heard from Mrs Wenworth for several months, as I have been away from home since May, but I shall hear all the particulars from her to-day while you entertain the young lady." A cloud passed over the young man's brow, and he almost curtly said :

" I've no fancy for young ladios. lam disgusted with their false, flirting ways, and I had rather talk to Mrs Wentworlh, if it's all the same to you, and leave you to cultivate her daughter." The judge turned and looked quizzically at him.

" How long is it, young cynic, since you repudiated the fairer part of creation. I have hitherto thought you were a decided lady's man, and something serious must have happened to produce such a change. Come—make a clean breast of it, Harry. What charmer has been leading you a dance, making you believe that heaven was in her eyes, when it was only a sparkle from the demoniac side of her nature ?"

Harry's fair face flushed hotly, and he bit his blonde mvistache with vexation.

" You may jest, if you please, sir, but it is no laughing matter to have one's illusions dispelled at a blow, as mine have been. Since you are so curious, I will tell you the truth. I've been made a fool of by a girl I met with while I was gone. She smiled on me, encouraged me, and all the time meant to marry another fellow." " And you had really fallen over head and ears in love with her ? It must have been a rather sudden affair."

"As all true love is, in my opinion, father. I saw her, I loved her —that is the whole story ; and I truly believe that no other woman can ever enter my heart and take it by storm as she did. Yet she was only playing with me, while it seemed to me that such feelings as mine for her must command a return. They did not, and that is all."

The father looked serious at this, and more attentively regarded his son. He presently said :

" You take it hardly, Harry ; but it is only a young man's initiation in the wiles of womankind. The young ludy wished to give you a lesson, and it is you who must profit by it. By the way, there is an old proverb about the heart being ' caught in the rebound.' You must not allow yourself to be entangled in the meshes of a new passion by the young girl we are going to visit this morning. You know my prejudices, and those of your mother, on the subject of race, though no doubt you forgot all about them when you were running your head in a coquette's noose. Whatever their position in life may be, the family from which your future wife comes must have a clear and honorable record. That is the only thing I shall require in the choice you may make, Harry, and it is more vital to your future happiness than you may think." " I am not likely to fall in love with Miss Wentworth, but I really thought that you look on her mother as the salt of the earth —as one of the heroines and martyrs of modern days."

" So she is," said the judge, with extreme gravity. " Mrs Wentworth is as true and noble a woman as ever lived, and she came from a race of good people, though not successful ones. Her husband descended from a distinguished family, but he i 3 the black sheep of his race, as she found to her cost. If it wore not for her father's lack of principle, the daughter of such a woman as Mrs Wentworth would be welcome to me as your wife j but she may inherit some of the

traits of her father, and bequeath them to those that may come after her, if she should marry and have children." Harry laughed with all his old buoyancy. " That is looking far into the future, father."

The judge did not smile, but earnestly went on:

" I believe this : that, if the higher order of human beings would be careful to mate only with their peers, both morally and intellectually, a race might be reared on this earth but little inferior to the gods endowed by writers with supernal gifts. But, as things are managed now, men and women marry in the most extraordinary manner; some for a passing fancy for an attractive person; others for position, money —anything that promises to better their condition —and we see the result in the slow progress of the world toward that ideal perfection which is to be ours when the millennium comes."

" The longer that is put off the better," said Harry, dryly, "for the end of the world, we are told, must come before we are translated into the beatific state. 3?or my part, I shouldn't like to sacrifice my individual preference for the sake of future generations, even if they might claim kindred with the gods. Love is a sacred thing to me, and should not be outraged by mixing it up with theories, even from the wisest heads."

"That is the way boys always reason," said the judge, in a disgusted tone, " and you are no wiser than the rest of them. I beg, however, that you will remember one thing —that you are not to fall in love with the young girl we are going to call on." " I may safely assure you, sir, that there is no danger that I shall fall in love with any of Eve's daughters, for in my estimation they are all equally vain, heartless, and unreliable."

"A sweeping conclusion, truly—coming, too, from one who has such a mother as you have."

Harry flushed, and looked annoyed. "My mother is an exception, and exceptions only prove the rule, you know." By this time they were in sight of the cottage. Mrs Wentworth was on the portico training a vine which had run wild, with the assistance of a negro lad, who was nailing up strips to support it. When her guests dismounted at the gate, she dismissed the boy, and advanced a few steps on the shaded path to meet and welcome her old friends.

The greeting on both sides was Tery cordial, and she smilingly said : "It seems a long time since I have seen either you or Harry, Judge, and I cannot tell you how pleased I am to welcome you in my new home, and make known to you the dear child who has asserted her right to come to me as soon as she could evade the bondage in which she has been held. She will need no introduction to Harry, however, as she tells me they have already met."

Harry looked slightly dazed, and stammered :

" I —l do not remember. Ido not think I have ever known any young lady of your name, Mrs Wontworfch."

Sho paled slightly, and, with effort, asked :

" Are you not aware that I do not bear the name of my husband, Harry ? I resumed my own when I parted from him finally, and undertook to work for the living I was too proud to owe to him." " I beg a thousand pardons; I do remember, now, hearing that when I was a little fellow, but I have quite forgotten the name you are entitled to, and therefore I cannot identify your daughter among my recent acquaintances."

Agnes Wilder remembers you, and will be glad to explain some misunderstanding which she tells me has arisen between you. You will find her in the conservatory, I think, and yon may go in to her while I walk here a few minutes with your father, to whom I have much to say."

At that name Harry became deadly pale, and the words that followed it filled him with dire confusion, self-possessed as he usually was. He bowed and passed on to the house, though ho felt much more inclined to turn in the opposite direction, mount his horse, and ride away from the temptation he knew he was going to meet.

CHAPTER XXVIII. A DECISIVE INTEBVIEW. With his keen insight, Judge Chilton divined the true state of the case; he had seen his son's face when Agnes was named, and knew at onse that she was the girl who had fascinated Harry and then flouted him for her own amusement. But what was this promised explanation? Had the young coquette determined to bring him back to her feot now that chance had thrown them together again ? and he frowned heavily at the thought. Mrs Wentworth divined something of what was passing in his mind, and, as they moved forward, she said, with a faintsmile : " I wish my daughter and your son to be friends, and I thmight it best to let them have out their little tiff before we join them. Agnes has been warned, Judge, and there can be no question of love between those two. I know your prejudices, and I respect them too much to allow your son to be tempted to forget them. My daughter likes Harry as a friend, but no more, and her pride is too great to permit her to trifle with your boy, since 1 have made her understand her painful position. " You take it on yourself to answer for your daughter, it seems," replied the judge, coldly j " yet mothers, who have lived constantly with, and had the training of their children, are often deceived by them. Yours has been open enough, however, to tell you about the flirtation with Harry."

" I did not understand that; there was anything of that sort. Agnes is a peculiar girl, and she lias exposed herself to misconstruction for the purpose of serving a friend ; when I explain that to you, as I ara going to do, you "vvill understand why she wishes to set herself right with one who probably heavd her blamed, and even misrepresented." "That is but fair, I suppose," was the reluctant reply. Then more frankly ho went on:

" You and I are old friends, Mrs Wentworth, and we can speak the plain truth to each, other without being misunderstood, or thought hardly of. You know my peculiar ideas as to the transmission of hereditary traits —you know how you hare yourself suffered from—well, we won't go over that ground—it is too well known to both of us; and you can understand why Bob Wilder's daughter would not be my choice as a wife for Harry. If she belonged to you alone, with no wild strain of blood in her reins which may lead to mischief, I would gladly take her to my lieart of heart, for you know that I think there are few such noble women as you ai*e "

" I hare explained all that to Agnes, and she fully understands. Ido not blame you for objecting to a girl in her position as a fit mate for your only son, though in herself she may be all that is lovable and attractive. Her father's career reflects disgrace upon her, and my calling, may, in the estimation of the world, place as great a barrier to such a choice for a young man so highly placed as Harry Chilton." The judge took her hand in his, and earnestly said:

"It would be a very shallow world that would judge so superficially as that. You are an honor to your race, and, in maintaining your independence, you have shown other women how possible it is for one of their sex to stand alone and win from the world respect, friendship, and fortune, although you were more unfortunately situated than most of those who are thrown upon their own resources. If Agnes could only claim a respectable father, no single objection could be brought forward to a union between our children."

" Thanks for your high opinion of me, and now let us talk of Lucien Grey and his affairs. Are you expecting him back, and when?"

" When I reached home two days ago I found several letters from Grey, telling me that he had successfully attended to the business I entrusted to him. He spoke, in one of them, of making an extensive Western tour; but the last one, to my surprise, informed me that he would certainly be back in as brief a time as possible after hearing again from you. He may be here any day now, though I think it would be better for him to carry out his original intentions. His health and spirits had both suffered much from a cause I am not at liberty to explain, and I am surprised that he wishes to return so soon."

" I know the cause, and the remedy has been found, so you see the sooner he comes back the better for himself and for somebody else too. I have a long story to tell, and we had better sit down on this rustic seat while I explain what has been going on at G-lendale, where Kate Forrester has been spending the summer."

The judge took the seat, his interest deeply aroused, and as briefly as possible Mrs Wentworth put him in possession of all the facts which tended to show the iniquitous efforts of Mrs Manners and Ruf us to produce a breach between the lovers, and bring about a mai'riage which would give the heiress of Glendale to the latter as his wife.

When she had finished ho said

" Upon my word, it was a plot worthy of Abby Eosslyn. I knew her first husband well, and the life she led him was enough to break any man's heart who had tenderness of pride in his nature. Her second husband avenged him, though, for he made her know that she had a master. The nephew seems a worthy relative of such a man, and knowing what she did of him and his precious aunt, Miss Forrester ought never to have remained at Glendale after your daughter left."

"But the old lady is dying, and Mr Manners left in disgrace. He will hardly venture back before Lucien can return and take measures to protect the young lady from any schemes they may concoct."

Judge Chilton shook his head doubtfully

"Such people are never to be trusted. And your daughter had sagacity to penetrate tneir plots, and courage enough to expose them ? Upon my word, she must be an extraordinary girl, and I niust make her acquaintance at once. Come, let us go in, for I have a great desire to see her since you have told me this story."

They arose, and, with a faint smile, Mrs Wentworth said:

" The young people have had ample time for their explanation, and we may as well join them now. Can we do anything to forward Lucien's views, or protect his interests, before he arrives himself ?"

"I am afraid not. We must hope for the best, though there is no knowing what may happen to Miss Forrester in that secluded place, left to the mercy of such a woman as Mrs Manners, with her unprincipled nephew to aid and abet her plans."

" I wish it were possible to rescue Miss Forrester from their power without waiting for Lucien's return. The use that may be made of the singular magnetic influence Mr Manners has established over her Mis mo with uneasiness on her account.' .

"The position is a critical one, but Grey must be here to-day or to-morrow, and I cannot see how anything is to be done till ho returns. He will lose no time, of course, when this Mr Judkins explains to him the state of affairs at Glendale."

" I hoped that you could suggest something, but I suppose the only thing to bo done is to wait as. patiently as possible till Lucien comes. Let us go in now, for lam impatient to present my child to you." While this interview was passing, another of far greater interest was going on in the conservatory. Harry made his way to the parlor, found it empty, and, suddenly plucking up courage, ho walked boldly through the open door of the conservatory, and said to the paie girl who had seen him coming, and was vainly trying to keep down the throbbing of her heart as she advanced to meet him :

" xour mother sent me in to claim you as an old acquaintance, Miss Willder —I beg your pardon —Miss Wentworth, as I believe you are called now."

" Ye3 —henceforth I shall bear the name my mother goes by. I have repudiated the slight tie that 'bound me to my father, and I choose to be known as Miss Wentworth. When did you get back home, Mr Chilton ?"

He was chilled by the cold precision with which she spoke, but, experienced as he was, he saw that she was struggling with some strong emotion she found it difficult to conti'ol.

Intuitively [taking advantage of this, he drew near her, took the hand she had not offered when they met, and pressing it more vehemently than he knew, irrelevantly said : " Agnes, when we last parted, I could not have believed that our next meeting would have been so formal as this. You have broken my heart, but who could look in your face and not forgive every wrong of which you may have been guilty ?" " I have done you no wrong," said Agnes, in a low voice, which was almost tremulous in its tones. "I am anxious to explain to you the occurrences at G-lendale which led to the belief in the neighborhood that I was betrothed to Eufus Manners. In justice to myself, I must do this, though I do not wish you to imagine that I am more anxious to exonerato myself in your estimation than in that of any other friend. Our mutual position forbids that." "I cannot understand whyifc should, Agnes. I have already said things to you which bind me as a man of honor, provided you can really explain that dreadful entanglement to which you referred just now."

She shook her head, and quietly replied : " You are bound to me by nothing that you have spoken, Mr Chilton. You are scarcely more than a boy in years, and I ought really to be a school girl myself, so what nonsense yon may hare spoken can go for what it is worth ; it cannot bind you — especially as your father would never consent to accept the daughter of Eobert Wilder as one of themselves."

With repressed vehemence, lie replied : " You say this very calmly, Agnes ; but I can see that beneath it all there is some deep emotion at work which gives me hope. Do you suppose that I will permit my father's crochets to stand in the way of our happiness ? I say our, because I cannot help believing that you care something for me. You have not explained, yet I have forgiven you the suffering of the last weeks of my life, occasioned by the belief that you had only been trifling with me. Oh, Agnes ! if you could only know—could only understand how desperately I love you, you would know that I could forgive anything to you —yes —anything —even guile and deceit, though, when I look at you, I believe you to be incapable of either." She covered her face with her hands and stood trembling before this outburst of genuine emotion. All the audacity of her nature seemed quelled—her spirit quenched before this boy whom she" intuitively felt to be her master, young as he was. But she remembered what her mother had said to her so short a time before — pride came to her aid, and when she again suffered him to see her face, color had returned to it, and she seemed quite composed. She replied to his last words : " Yes —I am incapable of deceit, and therefore I will not mislead you. We can never be more to each other than we are how, Harry; for your father and my mother have both decreed that it must be so."

"But you —you, what do you yourself say?" " That I will never enter into any family as an intruder. There! dear boy, say no more, for I cannot listen to it. Sit down with me by this fountain, and let me set myself right with you concerning Eufus Manners, and then we will join the others."

Harry meekly obeyed, now that his worst fear, that she had only been playing with him, was lifted, he felt himself strong enough to fight his battle, and win it in the end. He was saying to himself :

" Does she suppose that I am going to let others decide our fate for us ? Not if I know myself. I may be young, but I know what I want, and I will have it, in spite of them all."

With this determination strong within him, ho sat down, and listened with vivid interest to the story Agnes had to tell him. [to be continued.]