For Woman's Love Part- 2 by Mrs. E. D. E. N. Southworth (i love reading books txt) 📕

The Respite Of One Whole Day From The Society Of The Unwelcome Guest.

She Saw The House Set In Order,  Gave Directions For The Dinner,  And Then

Retired To Her Own Private Sitting Room To Resume Her Labor Of Love,  The

Life Of Her Lost Husband.

Earlier Than Usual That Afternoon The Iron King Returned Home

Accompanied By Their Guest And By Mr. Clarence,  Who Had Come With Them

In Honor Of The Duke. The Evening Was Spent In A Rubber Of Whist,  In

Which Mr. Rockharrt And The Duke,  Who Were Partners,  Were The Winners

Over Cora And Mr. Clarence,  Their Antagonists. The Evening Was Finished

At The Usual Hour With Champagne And Sago Biscuits.

The Next Morning,  When Mr. Rockharrt And Mr. Clarence Were About To

Leave The House For The Carriage To Take Them To North End,  The Iron

King Turned Abruptly And Said To His Granddaughter:

"By The Way,  Cora,  Fabian And Violet Are Coming To Dinner This Evening

To Meet The Duke. It Will Be A Mere Family Affair Upon A Family

Occasion,  Eh,  Duke! A Very Quiet Little Dinner Among Ourselves. No Other

Guests! Good Morning."

And So Saying The Old Man Left The House,  Accompanied By His Son.

Cora Returned To The Drawing Room,  Where She Had Left The Duke. He

Arose Immediately And Placed A Chair For Her; But She Waved Her Hand In

Refusal Of It,  And Standing,  Said Very Politely:

"You Will Find The Magazines Of The Month And The Newspapers Of The Day

On The Table Of The Library On The Opposite Side Of The Hall,  If You

Feel Disposed To Look Over Them."

"The Papers Of To-Day! How Is It Possible You Are So Fortunate As To Get

The Papers Of To-Day At So Early An Hour,  At So Remote A Point?"

Inquired The Duke,  Probably Only To Hold Her In Conversation.

"Mr. Clarence Rockharrt's Servant Takes Them From The Earliest Mail And

Starts With Them For Rockhold. Mr. Rockharrt Usually Reads The Morning

Papers Here Before His Breakfast."

"A Wonderful Conquest Over Time And Space Are Our Modern Locomotives,"

Observed The Duke.

Cora Assented,  And Then Said:

"Pray Use The Full Freedom Of The House And Grounds; Of The Servants

Also,  And The Horses And Carriages. Mr. Rockharrt Places Them All At

Your Disposal. But Please Excuse Me,  For I Have An Engagement Which Will

Occupy Me Nearly All Day."

The Duke Looked Disappointed,  But Bowed Gravely And Answered:

Of Course; Pray Do Not Let Me Be A Hindrance To Your More Important

Occupations,  Mrs. Rothsay."

"Thank You!" She Answered,  A Little Vaguely,  And With A Smile She Left

The Room,

    "Rejoicing To Be Free!"

The Duke Anathematized His Fate In Finding So Much Difficulty In The Way

Of His Wooing,  His Ladylove Evading Him With A Grace,  A Coolness,  And A

Courtesy Which He Was Constrained To Respect.

He Strolled Into The Library,  And Then Loitered Along On The Path

Leading Down To The Ferry.

Here He Found The Boat At The Little Wharf And Old Lebanon On Duty.

"Sarvint,  Marster," Said The Old Negro,  Touching His Rimless Old Felt

Hat. "Going Over?"

"Yes,  My Man," Said The Duke,  Stepping On Board The Boat.

"W'ich Dey Calls Me Uncle Lebnum As Mentions Ob Me In Dese Parts,

Marster," The Old Ferryman Explained,  Touching His Hat.

"Oh,  They Do? Very Well. I Will Remember," Said The Passenger,  As The

Boat Was Pushed Off From The Shore.

"How Many Trips Do You Make In A Day?" Inquired The Fare.

"Pen's 'Pon How Many People Is A-Comin' An' Goin'. Some Days I Don't

Make No Trip At All. Oder Days,  W'en Dere's A Weddin' Or A Fun'al,  I

Makes Many As Fifty."

The Passage Was Soon Made,  And The Duke Stepped Out On The West Bank.

"Is There Any Path Leading To The Top Of This Ridge,  Uncle--Lemuel?"

Inquired The Duke.

"Lebnum,  Young Marster,  If You Please! Lebnum!--W'ich Dere Is No Paff

An' No Way O' Gettin' To De Top O' Dis Wes' Range,  Jes' 'Cause 'Tis Too

Orful Steep; But Ef You Go 'Bout Fo' Mile Up De Road,  You'd Come To A

Paff Leadin' Zigzag,  Wall O' Troy Like,  Up To Siffier's Roos'."

"Zephyr's--What?"

"Roos',  Marster. Yes,  Sar. W'ich So 'Tis Call 'Cause She Usen To Roos'

Up Dar,  Jes' Like Ole Turkey Buzzard. W'en You Get Up Dar,  You Can See

Ober Free States. Yes,  Sar,  'Cause Dat P'ints W'ere De P'ints O' Boundy

Lines Ob Free States Meets--Yes,  Sah!"

"I Think I Will Take A Walk To That Point. I Suppose I Can Find The

Path?"

"You Can't Miss It,  Sah,  If You Keeps A Sharp Look-Out. About Fo' Miles

Up,  Sah"

"Very Well. Shall You Be Here When I Come Back?"

"No,  Sah. Dis Ain't My Stoppin' Place; T'other Side Is. But I'll Be On

De Watch Dere,  And Ef You Holler For Me,  I'll Come. I'll Come Anyways,

'Cause I'll Be Sure To See You."

"Quite So," Said The Duke,  As He Sauntered Up That Very Road Between The

Foot Of The Mountain And The Bank Of The River Down Which The Festive

Crowd Had Come On Corona Haught's Fatal Wedding Day.

An Hour's Leisurely Walk Brought Him To The First Cleft In The Rock.

From The Back Of This The Path Ascended,  With Many A Double,  To The

Wooded Shelf On Which Old Scythia's Hut Had Once Stood--Hidden. When He

Reached The Spot He Found Nothing But Charred Logs,  Blasted Trees,  And

Ashes,  As If The Spot Had Been Wasted By Fire.

A Ray Of Dazzling Light Darted From The Ashes At His Feet. In Some

Surprise He Stooped To Ascertain The Cause,  And Picked Up A Ring;

Examined It Curiously; Found It To Be Set With A Diamond Of Rare Beauty

And Great Value. Then In Sudden Amazement He Turned To The Reverse Side

Of The Golden Cup That Clasped The Gem And Saw A Monogram.

"I Thought So," He Muttered To Himself; "I Thought That There Was Not

Another Such A Peculiar Setting To Any Gem In The World But That; And

Now The Monogram Proves It Beyond The Shadow Of A Doubt To Be The Same.

But How In The Name Of Wonder Should The Lost Talisman Be Found Here--In

The Ashes Of Some Charcoal Burner's Hut?"

With These Words He Took Out And Opened His Pocket-Book And Carefully

Placed The Ring In Its Safest Fold,  Closed And Returned The Book To His

Pocket,  And Arose And Left The Spot. The Duke Turned To Descend The

Mountain.

At Length,  However,  He Reached The Foot,  And Then,  Under The Shadow Of

The Ridge That Threw The Whole Narrow Valley Into Premature Twilight,  He

Hurried To The Ferry.

The Boat Was Not There. Indeed,  He Had Not Expected To Find It After

What Old Lebanon Had Told Him. It Was Too Obscure In The Valley To

Permit Him To See Across The River,  So He Shouted:

"Boat!"

"All Wight,  Young Marster,  But Needn't Split Your T'roat Nor My Brain

Pan,  Nider! I Can Hear You! I's Coming!" Came The Voice From Mid-Stream,

For The Old Ferryman Was Already Half Across The River With A Chance

Passenger.

In A Few Minutes More The Boat Grated Upon The Shore And The Passenger

Jumped Out,  Tipped His Hat To The Duke,  And Hurried Up The River Road

Toward North End.

"Dat Pusson Were Mr. Thomas Rylan',  Fust Foreman Ober All De Founderies.

Dere's A Many Foremen,  But He Be De Fust. Come Down Long Ob De Ole Mars

Dis Arternoon Arter Some 'Counts,  I Reckon,  An' Now Gone Back Wid A Big

Bundle Ob Papers An' Doc'ments. Yes,  Sah. Get In. I's Ready To Start,"

Said The Ferryman,  As He Cleared A Seat In The Stern Of The Boat For The

Accommodation Of The Passenger.

"Who Used To Live In That Hut On The Mountain Before It Was Burned

Down?" Inquired The Duke As He Took His Seat.

"Ole Injun 'Oman Named Siffier."

"Where Did She Come From?"

"Dunno Dat Nudder. Nobody Dunno."

"Can't You Tell Me Something About Such A Strange Person Who Lived Right

Here In Your Neighborhood?"

"Look Yere,  Marster,  Leas' Said Soones' Mended Where She's 'Cerned. I

Can't Tell You On'y But Jes' Dis: She 'Peared Yere 'Bout Twenty Year

Ago,  Or Mo'. She Built Dat Dere Hut Wid Her Own Han's,  An' She Use To

Make Baskets An' Brackets An' Sich,  An' Fetch 'Em Roun' To De People To

Sell. She Made 'Em Out'n Twigs An' Ornimented 'Em Wid Red Rose Berries

An' Hollies An' Sich,  An' Mighty Purty Dey Was,  An' De Young Gals Liked

'Em,  Dey Did. An' She Made Her Libbin Outen De Money She Got For Her

Wares. She Use To Tell Fortins Too; An' Folks Did Say As She Tole True,

An' Some Did Say As She Had A Tell-Us-Man Ring W'ich,  When She Wore It,

She Could See Inter De Futur; But Lor',  Young Marse,  Dey Was On'y

Supercilly Young Idiwuts As B'leibed Dat Trash! But She Nebber Would

Take No Money For Tellin' Fortins--Nebber!--W'ich Was Curous. De Berry

Day As De Gubner-Leck Was Missin' Ob,  She Wanished Too. When De

Cons'able Went To 'Rest Her,  He Foun' Her Gone An' De Hut Burnt Up. Now,

Yere We Is,  Young Marse,  At De Lan'in',  An' You Can Get Right Out Yere

'Dout Wettin' Your Feet," Said The Old Ferryman,  As He Pushed The Boat

Up To The Dry End Of The Wharf.

The Passenger Astonished The Old Ferryman By Putting A Quarter Of An

Eagle In His Hand,  And Then Sprang From The Boat And Ran Up The Avenue

Leading Toward The House. There Was No Light Visible From The Windows Of

The Mansion. The Dinner Party Was A Strictly Private Family Affair,  And

Nothing But The Solitary Lamp At The Head Of The Avenue Appeared To

Guide The Pedestrian's Steps Through The Darkness Of The Newly Fallen

Night.

He Reached The House,  And Was Admitted By The Old Servant.

When His Toilet Was Complete,  The Duke Went Down To The Drawing Room To

Join The Family Circle.

The Dinner,  Quiet As It Was,  Was A Success. To Be