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Show - iff " ! The Bow of OraiTj Ilibboa j J A ROMANCE OF NEW YORK J Dy AMELIA E. BAR.R $ f Author of "Friend Ollvle.." "I. Thou and the Oth.r One," cto. 1 Copyright. 1880, by Dodd. Mead and Company t CHAPTER IX. (Continued.) "Ono Is wanting of tho dozen, mother. moth-er. At tho last cako-baklng, with tho dish of cako sent to Joanna It wont. Back it has not come." "For It you might go, Kathcrlno. I Hko not that my sets aro broken." Kathorino blushed scarlet. This was tho opportunity sho wanted. Sho wondered If her mother suspected tho want; but Ly shot's faco expressed only a little worry about the missing damask. Slowly, though her heart beat almost at her lips, she folded away her work. The nights wore yot chilly though tho first blooms woro on the trees and tho wadded cloak and hood woro not far out of season as to causo remark. re-mark. As Bho camo down-stairs, tho clock struck seven. Thoro was yot an hour, and sho durst not wait so long at tho bottom of tho garden whilo it was early In tho evening. .And this singular reluctance to leave homo assailed as-sailed Kathorlnc. If sho had known that It was to bo forever, her soul could not have more sensibly taken its farewell of all tho dear, familiar objects of her dally life. About hor mother this feeling culminated. Sho found hor cap a little out of place; and her fingers lingered In tho laco, and stroked fondly her hair and pink cheeks, until Lysbet felt almost embarrassed em-barrassed by the tendor, but unusual show of affection. "Now then go, my Kathorino. To Joanna give my dear love. Tell her that very good wero the cheesecakes and tho krullers and that to-morrow I will como over and seo tho now carpet car-pet they have bought." And whilo sho spoke sho was ro-tylng ro-tylng Katherlne's hood, and admiring as sho did so tho fair, sweet faco In Its qulltings of crimson satin, and tho small, dimpled chin resting upon tho flno bow Bhe tied under It. Then sho followed her to tho door and watched her down tho road until sho saw her meet Dominie Van Linden, and stand a moment holding his hand. "A message mes-sage I am going for my mother," sho said, as sho firmly refused his escort. "Then with madam, your mother, I i will sit .until you rotum,"ho replied cheerfully; and Kathorino answered, "That will bo a great pleasure to hor, Blr." A llttlo farther sho walked; but suddonly remembering that the dom-lnio's dom-lnio's vIbU would keep her mother In tho houso, and being mado restless by tho gathering of tho night shadows, sho turned quickly and taking tho very road up which Hydo had como tho ntght Nell Scmplo challenged him sho entered the garden by a small gato at its foot, which was. Intended for tho gardener's use. Tho lilacs had not much follago, but in the dim light hor dark, slim figure was undls-tlnguishable undls-tlnguishable behind them. Longingly and anxiously she looked up and down tho water way. A mist was gathering over It; and there wero no boatB in tho channol except two pleasuro shallops, shal-lops, already tacking to their proper piers. "Tho Dauntless" had been out of sight for hours. Thoro was not tho splash of an oar, and no other river sound at that point, but tho low, peculiar pe-culiar "wlsh-h-h" of tho turning tide. All hor senses wero keenly on tho alort. Suddenly there was tho sound of oars, and the measure was that of steady, powerful strokes. Sho turned hor faco southward and watched. Like a flash a boat shot out of tho shadow a long, swift boat, that camo Hko a Fato, rapIdV and without hesitation, to her very feet. Richard quickly loft It, and with a few strokes It was carried car-ried back into tho dimness of tho central channel. Then ho turned to tho lilac tiees. "Kathorino! My lovo, my wife, my beautiful wife! My truo, good heart! Now, at last, my own, nothing shall part us again, Kathorino never again. I have como for you como at all risks for you. Only five minutes tho boat can wait. Aro you ready?" "I know not, IUchard. My father my mother" "My husband! Say that, also, bo-loved. bo-loved. Am I not first?" "If ono word I could send them! They suspect mo not. Thoy think you aro gone It will kill my father." "You Bhall write to them on tho ship. Thoro aro a dozen fishing boats near it. Wo will send tho lottor by ono of thorn. My wife, do you noed more persuasion?" Sho had uo tlmo to consldor. Richard Rich-ard was wooing her consont with Wbsos and entreaties. Her own soul urged hor, not only by tho Joy of hln presence, but by tho momory of tho anguish sho had endured that day In tho terror of his desertion. She clung ,to hor husband's arm, she lifted hor ,faco to his, Bhe said noftly, but clearly, clear-ly, "I will go with you, Richard. With you 1 will go. Where to, I caro not at all." They stonped into t!u boat, and Hydo said, Onra." no1 a word wnB spoken. Ha held her within his left arm, close to his bIQp. ami partially covered with his military cloak. All tho past was behind her She had done what was Irrevocable. For Joy or for sorrow, her place was evermore at her husband's side. Richard know that every Vdouht and fear had vanished van-ished when her hand stole Into his hand, when" she Bllghtly lifted her face and whlspqred. "Richard." yy CHAPTER X. Popular Opinion. During that same hour Jorls was in tho town cpunrll. Tnere had been a stormy and prolonged session on tho Quartering Act. All tho way homo ho was pondering tho question, and when ho tound Dominie Van Linden talking to LyBbet he gladly discussed It over again with him. Lysbet sat b6sldo them, knitting and listening. Until after nine o'clock Jorls did not notlco tho ; absence of his daughter. "Sho went to Joanna's," said Lysbet calmly. Still, In her own heart there was a certain uneasiness. Kathorlnc had never remained all night before without sending some message or on a previous understanding to that effect. ef-fect. In tho morning Jorls rose very early and went into the garden. Generally this service to nature calmed and choorod him, but he came to breakfast break-fast from It silent and cross. Ho reached his store In that mood which apprehends trouble, and finds out annoyances that under other circumstances cir-cumstances would not have any attention. at-tention. Ho was threatening a gen-oral gen-oral reform in everything and everybody, every-body, when-'fl man camo to tho door. "If yduiare Jorls Van Heomsklrk, I havo a letter for you. I got It from 'Tho Dauntless' last night, when I was fishing In the bay." Without? a word Jorls took tho let-tor, let-tor, turned; Into his ofllco and shut tho door. It-was Kathcrlno's writing, and hold thojfolded paper In his hand and looked Btupfdlr at It Tho truth was forcing Itself JjujohlB mind and tho slow-coicflnitonvlctlon was a real physical agony to him. Through a mist ho mado out theso words: "My Father and my Mother I havo gone with my husband. I married Richard when ho was 111, and tonight ho came tor me. When I left home, I know not I was to go. Only flvo minutes min-utes I had. In God's namo, this Is tho truth. AlwayB, at tho end of tho world, I shall lovo you. Forgive mo, forglvo me, mljn fader, mljn moeder. "Your child, "KATHERINE HYDE." Ho tore tho letter Into fragments, but the next moment ho picked thom up, folded them In a pleco of paper and put them In his pookct. Then ho went to Mrs. Gordon's. Sho had anticipated antic-ipated tho visit, and was, In a measure, meas-ure, prepared for It. With a smllo and outstretched hands, she roso from her chocolate to meet him. "You seo, I am a terrible sluggard, councillor," sho laughed; "but tho colonel left early for Boston this morning and I cried myself Into another sleep. And will you bare a cup of chocolate?" "Madam, I camo not on courtesy, but for my daughtor. Where Is my Katherlne?" "Truth, Blr, I bollovo hor to bo where overy woman wishes with hor husband." "Her husband! Who, then?" "Indeed, councillor, that Is a ques-t'on ques-t'on easily answered my nephew, Capt. Hyde, at your sorvlco." "When were thoy married?" "In faith, I havo forgotten tho pro-clso pro-clso date. It was In last October." ' "Who married them?" "It was the governor's chaplain tho Rev. Mr. Somers, a relatlvo of my Lord Somers, a most ostlmablo and respcctablo person, I assure you. Col. Gordon and Capt. Earlo and my self wero the witnesses." "Twice over decolvod I havo beeli, then" ' "In short, sir, there was no help for It. And, ir you will tako tlmo to reflect, I am sure that you will bo reasonable." "I know not, I know not O, my Katherlne, my Kathorino!" "I pray you sit down, councillor. You look faint and 111. i protest to you that Katherino Is happy; and grlovlng will not restore your loss." "For that reason I grieve, madam. Nothing can give mo back my child." "Come, sir, every ono haB hla calamity; ca-lamity; and, upon my word, you are very fortunato to havo ono no greater than tho marriage of your daughtor to an agreeable man, of honorablo profession and noblo family." Then Jorls went homo. On his road ho met Bram, full of tho first terror of his sister's disappearance. Ho told him all that was necessary, and sent him back to the store. "And soo yon keep a modest face and mako no great matter of It." ho said. "Uo not troubled nor elated. It bolongs ,to you to bo very prudent. 1 will not aavo Katherino mado a wonder to Raping women." Lysbet was still a little on tho do-fenslvo, do-fenslvo, but, whon sho saw Jorls coming com-ing homo, her heart turned sick with fear. "Theo, Jorls; dinner will not bo ready for two hours! Art thou sick?" "Katherlne alio tins gone!" "Gone? And where, then?" "With that Englishman; in 'Tho Dauntless' thoy havo gone." Then ho told her all Mrs. Gordon had said, and showed her tho fragments frag-ments of Katherlno'a lottor. The mother kissed them, and put them In her bosom; and as she did bo, alio snld softly, "It was a great strait, Jorls." "Well, well, mo nlso must pass through It. Tho Domlnlo Van Linden lias gono to examine tho records; and then, If she his lawful wife be, In the newspapers I must advertise tho marriage." mar-riage." "'If,' if sho his lawful wife bo!' Say not if in my hearing; say not if of my Katherlne." "When a girl runs away 'from hor homo" I "With her husband sho went; keep that lit mind when pcoplo speak to tllfX" "What kind of a husband will ho bo to her?" "Well, then, 1 think not bad of Mm. Nearer homo thoro are worso men. I think my Katherino Is happy; and happy with her I will bo, though tho child in hor Joy I seo not." While they wero eating an early dinner, Joanna camo in, Bad and tearful. tear-ful. "What, then, Is tho matter with theo?" asked LyBbet, with great composure. com-posure. "O, mother, my Katherino! My sister Kathorlnc!" "I thought perhnps thou had bad news of Datavlus. Thy sister Katherino Kath-erino hath married a very fino gentleman, gentle-man, and sho Is happy. For thou ipust remember that all tho good men do not como from Dordrecht." "I am glad that so you tako It. I thought In very great sorrow you would be." "Seo that you do not say such words to any one, Joanna. Very angry I will bo If I hear them. Datavlus, also, he must bo quiet on this matter." "O, then, Datavlus has many things of greater moment to think about! Of Katherlne ho never approved, and tho talk thoro will bo, ho will not Hko it. Before from Uoaton ho comes back, I shall bo glad to havo It over." "Joanna, many will pralso Katherlne, Kather-lne, for she to herself has done well. And, when back sho comes, at tho governor's sho will visit, and with all tho great ladles; and not ono among thom will bo so lovely as Kathorino Hydo." And, If Joanna had been In Madam Somplo's parlor a fow hours later sho would havo had a moat decided Illustration Illus-tration of Lysbet's faith in tho popular pop-ular verdict. Madam was sitting at her tea table talking to tho older, who had brought homo with him tho full supplement to Joanna's story. Nell had hoard nothing. Ho had been shut up in his ofllco all day over an important suit and was lrrltablo with oxhatistlon, though ho was doing his best to keep himself in control, and when madam his mother said pointedly, "I'm fearing, Nell, that tho bad news has mado you 111; you arena at a' like yoursel," ho asked without much Interest, "What bad nowa." "Tho news anent Katherlne Van Heemsklrk." "What of her?" ho asked. "DIdna you hear? She ran awa last night wi' Capt. Hyde; stole awa' wi' him on 'The Dauntless.' " "Sho would havo tho right to go with him, I havo no doubt," said Nell with guarded calmness. "Do you really think sho was his v.ifo?" "It sho wont with him, I am sure sho was." Ho dropped tho words with an emphatic precision, and looked with gloomy eyes out of tho window; gloomy, but steadfast, as If ho 'wore trying to faco a future In which thoro was no hope. "But If sho Isna?" persisted madam. In a moment Nell let slip tho rein In which ho had been holding himself, him-self, and in a slow, Intense voice answered, an-swered, "I Bhall mako It my business to find out. If Kathorino is married, God bloss her! If sho is not, I will follow Hydo around tho world until I clcavo his falso heart In two." His pnssion gathered with Its uttoranco. Ho pushed away his chair, and put down his cup so Indifferently that it missed the table and fell with a crash. Jorls tried to put tho momory of Kathorino away, but ho could not accomplish ac-complish a miracle. Tho girl's faco was over before him. Ho felt her caressing fingers linked in his own, and as ho walked In his houso and his gardon, hor small feet pattered besldo him. For as thoro aro In creation cre-ation Invlslblo bonds that do not break Hko mortal bonds, so also there aro correspondences subsisting between be-tween souls, dosplto the separation of distance (To be continued.) |
