The Queen of The Isle OR SIBYL CAMPBELL'S LOVE

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume IV, Issue 1110, 4 October 1904, Page 4

The Queen of The Isle OR SIBYL CAMPBELL'S LOVE

BY MAY AGNES FLEMING

Aufhoi of "The Heiress of Glen Gowcr," "The Unseen Bridegroom," etc

CHAPTER XXXII, (Continued,)

A summons to supper was too first S-ing that aroused him from his rcvorie, but with n giddy lisud, a bruin throbbing with intensity of tumulluou" thought, thu very sight of food >vas louthsimio to him, Rising to his feet, and standing with d'Hicnlty, owing to his strange dizziness, he said: "As you kindly invited me to remain all night, may I ask io bu shown to my room? Ido not teel quite .well, mid I belioyo I will retire." Thoold woman ga\c her husband a warning glanco that rovealcd pliiiner than words the danger of having so sus-

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pioious ft guest in tho house; but the" g:od lazy soul,' 1 totally rcgardloss oi it, in his hospitality, exclaimed; " Sattin, swtin, sir; but won't yon tako somothing first ? Do sit (town, sir, an' tako a littlo smack." " Not imy, tlmnk yon," said Willnrd, • faintly, as his headache grew more intense. " I wish to retire immediately. "Oh, vory woll, then I' said the old man, adding in ft distinct whisper: "Gab, you'll havo to give your room up to the gentleman, This way sir, if you please" Willard followed his hospitablo guide guide up a flight of rickety stairs into a small and soantily furnished little bedroom hung round with feminine apparel. •'I hope you'll sleep well sir," sail h'-; host, as he ushered him in. " It's ut rl"" for tho liko of you, but it's the best ur'.e got." "It'sall I could wish," 6aid "\Viil:ir.i, and ho throw himself on the hod ami strovo to forgot his hoavy tohitig bead and heart.

"A queer chap, that 1" said tho old man as he slowly plodded his way downstairs. " Looks as if he had seen some trouble lately. Well this world is full of trouble, .and always will be so to the ond, I do beliove." And with ibis hopafal and oncouragiug view of tho world in general, ho opened tho door and entered tho bosom of his family, "Well,'now,Jonathan," exclaimed his spouse, in a voice more remarkable for Bbrillneis than sweetness," 1 wonders at your harbouring every highwayman nud sulky stranger you don't know nothing about in this way, How do you know but he's a robber or suthin' ?" " 1 don't beliovo ho's a robber," said ' Jonathan, quietly, sitting down at tho table;" ho' don't look liko that. Seems more liko as if he had somo trouble or other a-weighing on his mind, Anyway you wouldu't have mo turn away a tired critter from tho door, would you, old woman ?"• " Well, if he wa'n't so .suspicions lookjog," grumbled the old woman ; but to sit there all tho evening and never spoak one word is a leotlo too much." "Peoplo dool talk whon thoro in trouble, I toll you 1" retorted her spouse. "And now I think on it, perhaps he's some friend or other of that poor gal that's goin to bo hung. I'm sure, if he is, its enough to make him silont. Fill up mr cup, Su'sau." • " He's real good looking, anyway," remarked oi:o of the girls, '■ with the loveliest of black eyes." " And the sweotest curling hair!" jaiu. tho other. / "And tho whitest teeth—didj/ou notice?" _ ~•..-■''"" " No; but I bauds; they was white as a lady's," "1 don't bjifevo ho's a had man; ho don't loolvfiko it!" to massy! if Wary ain't gone and fell in love with him," oxclaimod Johnny with a chuckle. "Ihainlt noithcr!" said Sary angrily with reddening checks. "Well, there, don't get qnarroiling about him," hroko in the mothor. " The man's e,oing away to-morrow morning." But neither that morrow, nor the next, nor the next, did Willard Diummond eo; for when the morning camo they found him tossing in the delirium of a fever, Querulous as tho good lady of the houso might seem outwardly, at heart she was kind and motherly, aud all her sympathies were arousod for tho sick young straugor. Sho batoned in wonder and pity to his wild ravings, from which sho could easily gather that he was in somo way connected will) the diro event that was occupying every tonguo, That ho was of a station far superior to thoir own they also could sco ; and with the most tender and unceasing caro they watched over biui night and day, But, with all thoir kind nursing, ihreo weeks elapsed beforo ho was ablo to leave his bed, and another passed boforc ho was strong enough to walk about. Of Sybil and tho rest ho had heard nothing duting all tho tjiuo. All evening topics they had been forbidden by tho doctor to speak of beforo him; and thai, as tho ono oxciting thomoof ovevy imj;;iic, in particular, In fae',, thoy had few visitors from tho outer world to tnoir quiet littlo cot. Ono oveniug, as still woak and languid, he sat by the window, thinking bitterly how his own lifo had been clouded, the lad Johnny camo in with wide-open eyes and mouth, all aglow with somo wondor< ful news, "Well, Johnny, boy what is it'?" said his father, who sat, as Willard had first soon him, serenely smoking his pipe. " Oh, father I i've just seen old Toller, from Westport I" said tho boy excitedly, "Well, lad, what's tho news from there'?" inquired his fathor. Willard, too looked round with a start, " Why, lit says peoplo aro crowding to it from overy place; that cvory bonsD is full of peoplo come to sue tho woman hung I" » Willar.l Drummoiid's face grew livid aud his brain reeled at tho words. "Ho says sho was raving crazy for a while, and that delayed it so long; but tho doctor's brought hor to; and now tho exocation's going to like plaoo day aftor to*, morrow."

His mother's warning glance towards ■Willard eamo too Into. With a look "of a madman ho rushed from tho houso. A horso the boy had been riding stood saddlod at tho gate, Ho sprang on his back, and dashed all', He saw not, heeded not tho coming storm; but one idea lillod his heail and brain-that of never again beholding tlio econe ol so many horrors, Nigh; was was at hand, bearing the storm that all day had been threatening, An oppressive stillness, a burning heat lillod the air, and the old trees creaked, groaned and tossed their long weird arms. A hot gusty wind lifted, at intorvals, the heavy dark hair oil'his burning brow, but without cooling it, Ho hai' reached Iho forest; and now his course becoming less rapid, ho could look around him and nolo the cliango of woather. By the hist sickly light of the dying day ho saw a tempest was at hand,

and ho hailed it with a sort of mud exul" lation, to think tli»t nature, convulsed} by the stone, would be so much more in union with the storm raging within his own breast.

He giivi; the frowning face of tho Bky but une moiULMitiry glnncc: for another mid far more lorribln sight was ever before his agonizod eyes; it was tho form, of his worshiped Sybil swinging between heavon and earth, convulsed in the agony of that horriblo death; exposed to tho gaze, to tho shouts and derision of the iunb; her lovoly fuee darkened and convulsed until death would morclfully put nn ond to her tortures.