The west shore., October 01, 1885, Page 314, Image 22

314
THE WEST SHORE.
tended Inn'mnd and lir sister-in-law with a yiew of
elucidating tho strange momentary scone in which her
mother Mini herself liml surprised tlim in tlm stable. If
that annuo mnnnt anything, it meant nt least, tlmt limy
hud met lforn. Tlmt there had been no time for ex
planation 8lly could h., for their manner was still oiio
of HUirAHHo amn.mnent nt each other's presence there.
Dirton'a eyes, tiMi, fell continually on tlm dress worn by
Helena, ns'if thin worn mi added riddle to liiH perplexity;
though to Hully it ws IIih ohm feature in tlm rise which
wns no mybry. Sully could see tlmt whatever Helena
might know of l).irton, she knew nothing of how the
drea entered into hit inb irriwmnent. And nt momenta
th young ir I would have ersunied herself tlmt Dar
lon's looks nt her sister-in-law were entirely tlm fruit of
tlm clothe query, lint Hiirely nt other times a more ex
tensive range of Hix-ciihitiuii mid sentiment was expressed
by her lover' eye thun tlmt which the changed dross
Would account for.
Jnpheth Jolum nt last withdrew for the night, going
off to tlm Sheiif of ArrowH, whither Dm ton promised to
follow him in a few minute.
Il'ilf mi hour iiMrel, mill then Mr. Darton also rone
to env, Silly and her aisbir-ill-lnw simultaneously wish
ing liiin K sul-uigjit iih they retired up Htuirn to their
room. Itut on Iih arriving nt tlm front door with Mrs.
H ill m shnr,) Hhower of ruin Is-giin to come down, when
tlm willow sugg wtod that he should return to the fireside
till tlm Htorin c 'ihiiI.
Darton accepted her proHisid, lint insisted tlmt, iih it
wns g"tting lute, Hinl Him wuh obviously tired, itlin should
not nit up on hid ncooimt Hi nee he could let himself out
of the limine, nud would quite enjoy smoking a pipe by
tlm lienrth nloim. Mr. II ill nsHeuted, mid Dnrton wiih
left by himself. Ha Mprend liin kuts to the brands, lit
up bin tolmeeo mm he hitd Hiiid, nud Hilt L'li.inir into the
lire nnd nt tlm ii'ilehcs of tlm chimney-crook whioh hung
nltove.
He mm begin to d i. i. II iw long he reumined in
thi half-unconscious sbiUi he did not know. He sud
denly oHiml his eyet. Turning bin head, he saw Philip
II ill wife standing nt the entrance, of the room with a
bed rninlle in one hand, a hiiiiiII bras ten kettle in the
other, Mini lint dross, hh it oerttimly seound, ntill upon
her.
" Ilelmm!" said D irton. nturtinir no.
Her countenance pxprcssed disiuuy, nnd her lirrtt
word were mi apology. "1-did not know you were
here, Mr. Dnrton,' mIiu said, while a IiIuhIi lliixl.,.,1 t, l,..r
cheek. " 1 thought every one hud retired -1 wuh coining
to make a little water boil; my liiinlnmd seems t be
w"r!M, lH'rnnl kitchen fire cnu I mi lighted up
" Don't go on my account lly nil iimiih put it n
Imrw mm you intended," said D irtoii. "Allow me to help
von," lie went forward to bike tlm kettle from her hum!
but aim did not mIIow him, Mud phuvd it on the tire her!
elf.
They stood .urn way apart, oim on each sidu f the
fireplaoe, wailing till tlm wUr should boil, th .Hii.IU u
tlm mantel between theiu, Mini Helena with her ey.. on
tlm ketlk l)trtu' rm travebsl fro,,, the kettle to
Helena tw, limn back to the kettle, then to the face
for rather Imt Unm. "Ho 1 am not U know nnv
tliliill of tlm myntery that hat dwtnu'UsI me nil the even,
iugr IiommuL "How ia it that woman, who refuel
nmb.v4Ui (M I .up.we,) my p,.ti,i w llllt UlMK,
enough for imr UhUi, i found to U. the wife f n ,,mu
who rerUiuly wniM to Im wonw off Hum If-
" lla had tho rior claim," Maid alio.
" Whall yott kw him Mt that Um?H
"Yen, yes. Please say no more," she implored.
" Vlmtever my errors I have paid for them during the
laht five years."
" Well, von mipbt have hem my wife, if von hud
choHon," he snid. " But thnfs all past and gone. How
ever, if you are in any trouble or poverty, I shall be clad
to be of service, and as your relative dv marriage l shall
have a right to be. Does your uncle know of your dis-tress?"
" My nnele is (lend. He left me without a farthing.
And now wo have two children to maintnin."
" What, left you nothing. How could he Im so cruel
as that?"
" I disgraced myself in his eyes.
" Now." said Dnrton earnestly, " let me take care of
tho children, at least while yon are so unsettled. Yon
belong to another, so I cannot take care of you."
" les, you can, said a voice, Biid suddeuly a third
figure Btood beside them. It was Sally. "You can,
since you soem to wish to," she repeated. " She no longer
belongs to another. My poor brother iB dead!"
Her face was red, her eyes sparkled, and all the
woman camo to the front " I have heard it!" she went
on to him passionately. "You can protect her now as
well as the children!" She turned then to her agitated
sister-in-law. "I hoard something," said Sally (in a
gentle murmur, differing much from her previous pas
siouate words), "and I went into his room. It must
have been the moment you left He went off so quickly,
and weakly, and it was so unexpected, that I couldn't
leave even to call you."
The two young women hastened up stairs, and Dnrton
was again left alone.
After standing there a short time he went to the front
ili Mir and looked out, till, softly closing it behind him, he
advanced nnd shxxl under the large sycamore tree. The
stars were flickering coldly, and the dampness which had
just descended upon the earth in rain now sent up a chill
from it Dnrton was in a strange position, and he felt
it The unexpected appearance, in deep poverty, of
Helena, a young lady, daughter of a deceased naval
ollicor, who had been brought up by her uncle, a solicitor,
and had refused Darton in marriage years ago; the pas
sinuate, almost angry, demeanor of Sally at discovering
them; the abrupt announcement that Helena was a
widow; all this coming together was a conjuncture diffi
cult to coi with iu a moment, and made him question
whether ho ought to leave the house or offer assistance
Hut for Sallys manner he would unhesitatingly have
done tho IntUtr.
He was still standing undor the tree when the door in
rront of him opened and Mrs. Hall came out
" What can I do iu this trouble, Mrs. Hall?" he said.
"Oh, ImthillU. thnilk von. lmtl.imr" uli aui.l in loor
ful voice. She told him in a few words the particulars
of her sou s arrival, broken in health indeed, at death's
"j u.or, mougu inoy um not suspect it and suggested,
as the result of A mnVAruntinn ktutaan Iwt nn.l lint
. ' vwii uijvntcu uui nuu ia
daughter, that the wedding should be postponed.
les, of course," snid Darton. " I think now to go
Hiraigni w t no inn and tell Johns what has happened."
It was not till after he had shaken hands with her that
he turned hesitatingly and added: " Will you tell the
mother , h,8 children that, as they are now left father
less, I shall be glad to take the eldest of them, if it
wouljt be any convenience to her and to you?"
. II t i l'10111'! that her sou's widow should be
UHd or the offer, and they parted. He retired down the
rooty slope ami disappeared in the direction of the Sheuf
Arrows. Meanwhile Mrs. Hall had entered the house,
oaiiy was down stairs in the sitting-room slone, and her