THE STORY-TELLER.

Waikato Times, Issue 863, 29 December 1877, Page 2

THE STORY-TELLER.

WIFE IN NAME ONLY.

Bif the author of ' Dora Tbo kite " <• On Her W^'mura-MoßN,*' - ha. bbmbe'-d ay Lqv*,' •• A Woman's War.' &o , &o,

(Continued from last Saturday's issue.) CHAPTER V. This time the visitor did not take any pains to conceal his tir(e. Hg droye to tlie ' Castle A rms,' and t from there went to tho Doctors's house. He found it closed and empty. The first person he asked told him that the Doctor had been for some weeks dead and bi^ed, The young Earl waa terribly shocked. Dead and buried — the kindly man who h d befriended him m tlie hour of need! It ,-cenied almost incredib'e. Aud why bad no one written to him 1 Still lie remembered the address of his child's foster-mother. It wai Asbwo'od Cottage ; and lie went thither at once. When he found that too closed and deserted, it seemed to him

that fortuue^WdSii^h^ife'g b"» » triek r 7~ ------ --■- ■ •■■—■-■ -- believing thai this at least was but a case of renjpyal,. going to the Rebtor^bfthe parish, whom he wett remembered. He aut ely would* be able to give him all information. Mr I^nley looM up m wonder at the aiinouncemeutfbf his visitor's name -the Earl of Mounjdean. What could the Earl possibly want with him ? His wonder deepened as he recognised iv the Earl the stranger at the burial of whose young wife he had assisted 'three yearsi before. i-.3S.hf> Earl held out his hand. ' You at c surprised to see me, Mr Durnlej ? You me, I perceive.' The Rector contrived to say some, thing about his surprise; but Lord IVlount.leau interrupted him hastily — 'Yes, I understand. I was .ravelling as Mr Charlewood wbeu my terrible misfortune overtook me here. I have .returned from Italy, where. I have been spending the last three years. My father has just died, and I am herein "^rou of my child.. My child,' contln^echthe Earl, seeing the Rector's b'^'UK face — l where is she % I find "'" my poor friend .the Doctor is dead, and the house where my iittle one's foster-mother lived. is empty. Can' you tell me what it means V. He tried to speabcalmly, but his handsome f*ce had grown quite| •white, bis lips weie dry and hot,; his voice, even r tp^ himself, bad a strange, har-h sound. j '■ '■•-'■■ ' i,r . \ 1 Where is she V he repeated. 'The little one —my Madaline'-i child 1 I have a ati ange feeling that all is not well. Where is my child?' He saw the shadow deepen ©ri the Rector's face, and he clasped his arm. < Where is she ?' he cried. < You cannot mean that she is dead ? f Not • dead, surely*? I have" not seen her < since r tft her a little feeble baby, but -JfiVnas. lived iri my heart through all these weary years of exile. My whole soul has hungered and thirs ed for her. - Bynight-and by day I have dreamed of her alwap^ii^v^!D^aline'g^f|^rT* She has spoked sweet worflsTlo a rae m my dreams* always jn Madajine's voicß.i; Lniu^t; see her^ l/I bear this suspense. You do not. . answer. 1 "• Can it" bieJlHat she too is dead?' ' "" '■~-~-"~ i ~ '■ ... 'No, she.is not dead,' yeplied the Rector. 4 1 saw her two months since, and she-was then living-fv well, beautiful, and happy. No, the little one! is :not. dead.' .. .--.-§- ----' Then tell m<*, r foc pity's slke,. where she is ! ? . crifed; tbejEarl, man agony of impat 'ence._< y. y ;,' -y. ;;- -llca(iiiob. Tw,o pioathe sine© I whs at Ashwood Cott ge. Margaret Doruhani's worLhless ; husband ! .was iv some grejft trouble. I went tjo console his wife, and then I saw th> little one. I held ber Jn my arms, and thought, as L looked at . her, that I had itnver seen such a lovely face. Then I saw no more ot heir, and ray wouder was aroused on hearing soine of 'he tradespeople say that Vlvs Dornfiam had n«»t been m the towjh fp^^me weeks. I believed and went to ■: see^ Bly''~ r woni^Swas as great as your owa finding the house clpsjed.-^HuSbim^r^^^^nd child ha d^sajil^^gl^PMfh by magic fra^W<|il^^Bt^^ D Sr clue iir ivM^^WiJSMl^^^ The keetori,wa^ ai-^^^alarmed ' at the eff ct of his "words. Tbe young E.trl fell back m his chair, ' looking as though the shadow f of death had fal-en over him. It was but a chdd, the Rector thought to himself, wjjom its father had seen but ;a few4^^-. He did i^^^derßta ; nd thajjj^pioi'd Mount-;^-ffv|hiß wife's l%fcy-^-wa,s the oneTaopect. m life^— that *she v^a§ all ,tha^ remained |to him. of a loVe- thisit T -iS«?be|n dearer than liife itself^., Qomjmpn^iwje wor.!s of comfort^os&^l^jtpl^^ the Earl did nPtey^hesff^^^r He looked up suddenly, "witlPrae ghastly . pallor Si ill on his face. * How foolish r/im to'^arm myself so greatly i'^he -said. ' 'Some One Qr other ; will; be su,re ,tp know, whither the woman has gone, , She may haye had soue mppetary trouble, and sd have desired to keep her whereabouts a secret j' but some one or other. willAknow. If she is m the world I will fiud her. How foolish I am to be. so terribly frightenel! If the' cHild J is living, ' what haVe I to fear ? ? ' [ -'' '■■ ■ But, though' his Vords were brave aud courageous, bis hands trembled, and the R'jctbr saw signs of great agitation. He rang for, wine, but Lord Mduntdean cduld^nbt take it — he could do nothing until he had found his chitd. In a fe»v worda he told the Rector the story of his marriage^ < I thought,' he said, ' that I could not do better, for the little one than ieave her here m the Doctor's care. • . .'.Sou wero right,' returned the Rector; '-ti.e poor Doctor's love .for thb child was talked about everywhere As for Margaret Dornham, I do tot t Mi.ik, if she had been her own, sl.« could have loved her better. Whatever else may ha.c gone | wr ng thke my word for it there was no lack of love for the child. She could aot have -been better c*red. for —of J;hab I am quite sure.' ' I am glaa to hear you sa^ so, thAt is some coufort. But wh v did no one write to ne when the Doctor died?' ;..- ----' I dp not tbiuk fee-left o»e shared

fi paper containing any allusion to yonr- lordship.- All his effests wor« claimed by* a distant cousin, J who ihow resides Jn his house. I was Risked to look over the papers, but there was not a private memorandum amongst them — not one; there -was nothing m faot but receipted..bills.. ; , | Lord Mouutdean looked up. f * There must be some miatake', j he observed. * I myself placed m bis charge all the papers necessary • for the identification of* my little ? daughter.' ' Bf ai? jtl. jask of what they.coi-sis-. ! ted l ?'Wd*tlie Rector. * Certainly^— the certificate of my marriage, of nay . beloved .wife's death, of my little daughter's birth, and an agreement between the D.>otor and myself as to the sum that was to be paid to him yearly while he had charge of my child.' ' Then ■ the Doctor knew your nairie3itl'6. and address V ' * Yes I — l had no motive m keep? ing theta, secret, save that I did not wish my marriage to be known to my fatler untill I myself could tell him — aid I know how fast such news triiyels. I remember distinctly Mhere he placed the papers. I watched him.' To be Continued.