The west shore., January 01, 1885, Page 19, Image 19

THE WEST SHORE.
19
Presently a female servant entered with a sealed
packet
"What does this mean?" cried Urban, as he looked
at the superscription, pale as death. It was addressed to
" Sir Urban Ashford." He tore open the envelope and
read hastily. The letter, from old Herbort, the steward,
informed a new maBtor that Sir Randolph was no more.
For a very long time past ho had been in doplorable
health, and had seemed to have lod a paiuful existence.
The death of his boy had appeared to have brokon his
heart, and he had died suddonly. His cousin Urban, his
ouly remaining relative, was now the baronet, and the
heir to Ashford Hall and all the proud demesnes. His
attendance was respectfully requestod at Sir Randolph's
funeral, etc.
" Never, never will I claim the Wretched inheritance,"
cried Urban, as he flung down the lottor in groat excite
ment, and began pacing the room. '-No, no! I cannot
face the world I"
"The world will receive you now with open arms,"
urged his wife, timidly. " Urban, dear, you are too son
sitive." "I cannot, I say I will not!" and he hid his face in
his hands.
" Papa," said little Edna, solemnly, gently separating
her father's hands and looking in his face. " What are
you afraid of? Yon have never stained proud Ashford's
name. No doom of shame can fall on you you nood not
fear her Judgment Hall."
" You are right, my child," said Sir Urban Ashford,
looking up and kissing Edna. " Why should I le afraid?
My conscience is clear. My soul is free from sin. I
will go!"
II.
So Sir Urban Ashford took possession of Ashford
Hall, the proud residence of his ancestors. His wife
proved correct in her judgment of what is called "so
ciety." Urban Ashford was now the baronet, and the
possessor of wide domains. He was no longer the poor
outcast, whose name could be attacked, and whose honor
impugned, without cavil, by malice and scandal. The
" world " seemed disj)osod to obliterate the paHt from its
memory. The younger generation of neighbors
cially however the elder one might still shake iUt head
visited Sir Urban and Lady Ashford, and held out the
hand of joemingly unaffected oordialty to them.
A cloud, nevertheless, still hung over Urban Ash
ford's brow. He felt that, however the world to all ap
jMiarance might le inclined to forget, the old stigma on
his name was not yot removed; and the old calumny,
which accused him of the murder of Lis cousin Emorio,
might at any time be revived by enmity and malice. His
wife and child were a perimtual solace to his gloomy
mind, it was true; but even they could not fully chase
away that cloud; and Muriel Ashford ofton sighod when
the dark spirit fell on her beloved husband.
Edna alono was the ray of sunshine in the house.
Her strange romautio nature revelled in all the pictur
esque accessories of the HalL Her chief delight lay in
the collection of portraits of all the ancestors in the long
line of Ashfords which hung on the walla of the vast
gallery that, on the limt iloor, traversed tiie entire length
of Ashford Hall from end to end. Edna know all the
names of the ancestors by hoart, from Sir Eustace, who
livod iu the long gor.e-by days of tho Second Honry, to
the powdorod and patehod Sir Ronald and his pretty
wife, with tho sweet languishing eyes, known in family -traditions
as "tho fair and accomplished Lady Arothusa."
And, with a little wand iu her hand, sho would often go
alone from picture to picture, pointing out oach ancestor
or ancestress to an imaginary crowd of visitors, and relat
ing every legend or anecdote attachod to oach. ' At othnr
times she would talk to tho portraits as familiar friends
with pretty, childlike, alTootinnnto prattle, passing from
one to tho other with profound courtesies to each. Somo
times sho would pause and listen as it tho figure beforo
whom sho shxxl had aMkon to her, and then givo a quaint
answor to tho imaginary address, laughing at ono time,
at another shaking her linger archly as if in reproof, but
always with tho air of being on tho most friendly and
confidential terms with all tho Ashfords of tho past.
One object seemed to have inspired little Edna with
foelings rathor of solemn awe than pleasure This was
a huge organ, which occupied a large spaco at ono end of
tho gallery. Drought up, as Edna had boon, in aeclusion,
she had no acquaintance with any musical oxoroises; yet
she longed to touch that organ. It was closod, however,
and probably had been disused for a century or more.
Rallied as sho was in her examination of the instrument,
Edna looked on it as an object of mystery and, at tho
same timo, of veneration.
Christmastido was approaching; and, at his wife's
urgent exhortation, Urban Ashford hud resolved, at last,
to invito a party of so-called friends to a great supper
which was to Iw given on Christmas Eve-thnt anniver
sary having always been considered, by family tradition,
as a festival to bo specially observed With few excoj
tions the invitations had been cordially accepted; and
Muriel Ashford smiled, with legitimate pride, in her
husband's face, as each acquiescing answer arrived, in
her joy at seeing how sound had been her judgment and
advice. The "banquet," as Lad Ashford laughingly
called the supper, was to lo set out for the family and
guesU on tho largo round tahlo in tho great halL It was
a wido oak-panelled room, gloomy and mysterious in its
aspect, with heavy old-fashioned sconces on tho walls
scarcely a room, it might I hi thought, fitted for a festive
entertainment. Rut it had always been considered by
Ashford tradition as the fitting place for all family meet
ings; and in Edna's mind it was stamped as the awe
inspiring Judgment Hall, where tlio tolomn tribunal sat,
when Ashford pronounced its "doom of shame" ru the
unworthy scion of the race who hod "stained proud Ash.
ford's name."
And now Christmas Eve was there! Sir Urban tand
Lady Ashford were ready to receive their guesU in the
spacious and picturesque, though old-fashioned, drawing
room on the first floor, when Edna bounded excitedly