A TERRIBLE MISTAKE

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10038, 12 July 1910, Page 2

A TERRIBLE MISTAKE

* BY I'. L. DACKE, g w Author o£—The Doctor's Secret, A Case for the Court, fU Jf Sir John's Beiress, A Loveless Marriage, £ Trenholme's Trust, .Etc. SL»

CHAPTER XXXlX.—Continued. j About this time another rensatinn occurred. Owen Davtntry w«s dead —Owen Daventry, who had benefited so extensively under the late Earl of Manthorpe's extraordinary will. He had met with a terrible accident, and succumbed to his injuries vviitiin a few hours. The papers were full of it. The young earl would soon reappear now ! At the last Daventry had been seized with a fit of remorse; he had done all that Isy in his power to restore to his cousin all that he had schemed to defraud him of, and he had sent a confession to Miss Glinton, which chilled her blood with horror. The same day the carriage from the Grange arrived at Harding Manor. | Lady Loeksley and Miss Glinton were privileged visitors, to that their unexpected appearance at any time occasioned neither comment nor surprise among the servants. Lady Loeksley was mildly excited, while Miss Glinton was unusually pale. 1 Hildred greeted Constance affec--1 tionately. I "I am glad that you have come," she said. "Mamma has been very much depresesd lately, and my own i spirits are not at their best." She ; smiled faintly, aDd her companion | saw that there were dark lines uuder the blue eyes./ | "Will you take me to your boudoir, dear?" Constance said. "I have something to say to you—something to show you. I am sure that Lady ! Loeksley and Mrs Deverell will excuse us!" She took one of Hildred's hands and led her from the room. She half teared that her courage would foisaKe her | at the crucial moment, j "Hildred," she said dpsperately, when they were alone, "to me, as to all who love you, you are now ; and henceforth Percy Clifford's wife. Don't start, dear one—your name has been often on my «ongue. I have heard it spoken softly, lovingly, by your husband; and for a little while 1 thought that I was jealous of you, as you have been jealous of rre. Several days since IVirs Devere 1 told us everything; and let rne welcome now one whom I already love with more than sisterly devotion.'' With fond tenderness she placed her arms round the startled girl. "I am not here to torture you, darlin , or i.eedlessly to irritate wounds that you btlieve will never heal. 1 have come to prove to yoij that the husband who worships you had no hand. in jour ui.happy grandfather's death." Wonderingly, breathlessly, Hildred read Owen Daventry*s callous confession; then the tears l)urst forth, and it seemed that her ctart would be rent in twain. Miss Glinton told everything unreservedly. This was no time for half measures. She juoged rightly that Lady Manihoipe would bs strengthened by a full Knowledge of the best and the worst that thai a was to tell The worst was the strange disappearance of the earl. Then began weary days of watching and wait- j ing. At last news came from Lord j Manthorpe himself. Be told a pathetic story. He had been at the gates of death, and he had no further interest in life, for his wife was dead. He was just able to hold a pen, and that.was all. He was still very ill and weak, but he had fallen into good hands. Constance shed tears of joy. But she must be circumspect. If he was so ill, a shock might kill him. She dared not yet breathe a word to Hildred.

Constance sent Lord Manthorpe a pleasant, cheery letter, and enclosed Owen Daventry's confession. This could do him.no harm, and might arouse fresh interest in life. A few days passed, and she was in a fever ot suspense. He promised to run down and see her at Lady Locksley's place; then he thought that he would go abroad. But he still lingered at Crowhurst; so Constance sent him a telegram,, trembling for the result. "Come at once, or we must come . <to you. All a mistake about ilildred. She is here, alive and well!" * * ♦ * * The sun was setting over the hszv hills. A keen, fresh wind was blowing. from the north, and the robins sang blithely Mrs Deverell was standing at one of the windows that commanded a view of the drive, her face full of anx;ety, .hei whole attitude one of expectancy. Suddenly there wa3 the'souud of wheels, and a closed carriage whirled along under the trees. The horses were white with foam. "Lady Locksley's carriage:" she exclaimed. "At last! And Hildred is quite unprepared." She hustentd to the door as the vehicle pulled op. The horses reared and plunged. 'I he footmen were hero ildered; such haste surely meant life or death! The carriage door was thrown open,' and a gentleman quickly alighted. He held out his right hand to Mrs Deverell. "I uuderstand all!" he cried. "Yesterday life was a blank ! Wow the gates of an earthly pamdise are ) before me! Let me enter! Where is

my wife—my darling Hildred?" Lord Manthorpe passed through the hail into a reception room bej ond. His footsteps were unsteady, but his heart was fiiled with joy. There was the sound of quick footsteps—there wiis a wile?, happy cry. 2 "Percy—Percy! My husband!" He folded his arms closely about the yielding form; he impressed ■mad, passionate kisses upon the shining hair, the tender lips, pure white brow. "I have found you, my darling, snatched, as Jt were from the very jaws of the grave. Oh, Hildred, my wife, we have suffered as few mortals ever suffer, but the joy of this moment annihilates the briet bitterness of the past, and, with Heaven's blessing, there shall never again be the semblance of a shadow cast upon our pure and holy love!" THE END.