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Show I THE LION'S" WHELP I A Story ol Cromwell' Time BY AMELIA E. DARR. I Author of "The Bow ol Or.n. Rll.bor.." "I. Thou and Ih. Oll..r On." "The Maid of Maiden, La.no." Lie. "I nil,l, , Dea.l. M-..I 4 Cutni'UiT. AM o.hi, ti-,,.1 ) ' i CHAPTER VI. (Continued.) "Hut. mother, when look bxli io last August " "If you want In look happily forward for-ward ni'n.r look backward. I have alwaye found Dial one giaid hour brings on another " Ami June tk the rotinacl Into Ii.t Ii. art and nmn began to sing, when soon a loud. Jov-fill Jov-fill voice Joined her. nnd Iih owner enmo Into the room nlnuInK them. "Oh. Doctor Verily!'' June cried, "how glad I am to nee you." "I had neon here an hour ago. hut I had to wait on the l ady Mnry Cromwell. Crom-well. Hhe has sent you a letter, and coach la at your order, and yon are bid to Whitehall. And you will be nry welcome there." Then Jane ran to her mother, and her box of fineries wa quickly packed, and the itlrl came down for her vlalt glowing with hope and hap-plneiia. hap-plneiia. A they drew near to Whitehall. Jane aplrlla fell a little. Hue had not cauitht a glimpse of her lover, and he felt a midden anxiety about her position. Hometlmcs prosperity la aa fatal to friendship aa adversity, and the ftlrl tried In alienee to prepare herself for any change In affection that rhanKo of fortune might have raused. lint her fears were very transient; Mnry and Francos Cromwell, Crom-well, full of the Joy and pride of their Krent position, soon curried June all through their splendid apartments, and afterwards sat down together In Mary'a room to tnlk over old times and the friends and occupations that had made them happy and memorable. Their first Inquiry was for l.ndy Matilda Ma-tilda do Wick, and when Jann answered, an-swered, "Her father is dead, and I know not exactly what has betnllen her si u io his ileal h," the- girls were all silent a few minutes. After the pause, Mnry Cromwell said: "I remember her so well on her fine Rnrbary mare. How hnndsomo she vai! How proud! 1 wonder whero alio la." "It was said she would live with tier aunt. Lady Jevery; If so, aha mum be in London." "We have seen Lady Heneage often," aald Mary Cromwell, "and 'tla aald there la a purpose of marriage 1 between Alice llcncage and a favorite ; . Of my father's Lord Cluny Neville." "I have seen lird Nuvllle," said Jano. "He broiiiiht me your letters and the blue and itold ribbon you sent me. Ills visits wore dying one; be came and he went." "Like the knight In the story ho loved and he roilo away. He U coming com-ing here this afternoon. Is ho not, Frank?" "He said so. Ho was to make some copies of the hymn he unite, for Mr. Milton has sot It to music, and we are to practlco the aluglng together. Father thinks very highly of the words." "Dear me!" ejaculated Jnno, "Is he also a poet? I thought he wrote only with his sword. I fear that ho has too many perfections. Has he uot one fault to balance them?" "Yes; but nover mind them now." auld Mnry; "there la the lell fur dinner, din-ner, and we must auswer It at once or we shall grieve mother." They rose at these words and went quickly to the dining-room. Mrs. Cromwell, leaning upon the arm of her daughter, Mrs. Irelou. was Just entering II. and Jano wondered silently silent-ly at the slate theso simple country (entry had so easily assumed. "The fleneral dln-s with the Speaker," Speak-er," said Mrs. Cromwell; and she was herself about to say grace when Ikir-tor Ikir-tor Verity entered He was greeted with a chorus of welcomes, and readily read-ily took his sent at the fool of the table ta-ble and spoke the few words of grateful grate-ful prayer which sweetened and bloxsed the meal. Then he auld: "Aa I came through Jermyn street I aaw I.ady Mnlllila de Wick. Hhe looked daggers nnd pistols at me. Ooil knows. J pity hor. Hhe was shrouded In black." "Has anything been heard of Stephen Ste-phen do Wick?" asked June. "It Is thought he reached The lla-wie In sulety. IIU companion, rilr Hugh llelvard. Joined Prince Kupurt's pirate fleet there." !: At thlK mem. -lit Lord Clunv Neville entered Hie room. Ill' saw .lane on the Instant and Ii Ik ees ante her swift wel le while In the decided cvhll I million following hla entrance l.ove loimd his opportunities. Hut nninliK them wan none tliul pave him free speech with Jane, (hey were not a moment alone, citiny ltnl a fund of pleasant talk and soon there w as be;tid from a dlstnnt apartment the sound or music, low ami sweet, nnd full of heavenly melody. That Is Mr. Milton plating." snhl Mary Cromwell. "1 would know bis touch among a thousand." And then Cluny blushed a little, ami held out a small roll whh h he carried In his hand. It contained thiee fair copies ot his own hymn, and Mnry delightedly delighted-ly hurried Jane and Frank away with her to the iniixU lun He turned as they entered and bowed gravely, and the girls fell at once under the charm of his music, "(llory to (rod'" he sung, and the room rang with the lofty notes and seemed full of Presence, Pres-ence, and of flame like face, subllino and tender, while the ah- vlbraleil to the final triumphant crescendo, "dory to tlod! I! lory to Hod! (llory to Ooil In the Hlgheat!" And in his beautiful beauti-ful face there was sees for a few momenta mo-menta that face of tin soul wherein (iod shlneth. Then there was a short pause of spiritual sensitiveness allien was broken by the opening ol a door, ami all eyes turning towards It li"held Cromwell Ktmidlng on 'he threshold. Frances run to him with a cry of delight. de-light. Mary looked at hi in Willi adoring ador-ing pride, and then put Into Mr. Milton's Mil-ton's hnnd the roll uf manuscript Lord Neville hnil given her. Jane left her companions and tlmldiy advanced to meet the l.ord (ictieral. "Jane." he said tenderly, "Jane Rwaffham. I got your messugc, and it did me good; It did Indeed. And If ever I can uclp you or yours. June, come to me; I will he as good aa my word doubt not. Let us see what John Milton Is going to play for us. All eyee, turning, bshtld Cromwell. I'll warrant 'tis my young aoldler'i hymn, and In my Judgment, a good hymn." . They were advancing towards the organ as Cromwell spoke, and they Joined the group around the Inspired player. Ills trampling notes guve thu ensatlon of charging men and horses, and of the niliilslrutlon of angelic hosts. The exultant song ceased, but (hi Ir hearts were yet full of thanksgiving, and Cromwell walked iiIkmii the room wlih Frances and June at his side humming the mujoailc melody, or breuklng out Into some Hue of audible song, until, addressing John Milton, iio snld: ".We have sundry letters to write, and the plain truth Is. I could wish they were more heavenly. Hero Is a mun to answer who Is playing fust and loose with us nnd I will not huvu It. Hu is laying tou much weight on my patience; let him luke care Hint he break It not." Hpoiiklng thus, he walked towards the dour, and June marveled nt the until. Ills countenance was chutiKed; all Its wlsirul tenderness uuil exaltation exalta-tion hud given place to u aicrn. aloud taxt severity; his voice was sharp, his words struck like caustic, and the homelike, country gentleman wns suddenly sud-denly ( k illed with a great and majestic majes-tic deMirtnient. Neville left soon after the Lord ilen-oral, ilen-oral, and the girls hud a runic of hut-tiedoro hut-tiedoro and shuttlecock in the long gullury; then sewing, ruiidlnu uloud, the evening meal ami the evening exercise ex-ercise closed the day. The days that followed were little-1 different. On the whole. Jane wns not very sorry when her visit was over and she wus free to return home. In spite of the frankeat kindness. Hhe felt out of her clement. The Cromwclls had oulgrown their old friends, and not all their ramlliurltlcs Could dispel the atmosphere of superiority super-iority which surroundt d theiu; It wus unavolriuhle atid uueiiulvocul, though they were not themselves conscious of II. Then there came to Jane's mind In very sweet fashion the memory of Ma-tllcla Ma-tllcla de Wick. They hud quarreled almost al-most constantly for years, and Mutll da's etactlug temper and s'larp tongue had wounded her often; but for M that she knew Maul. la loved her. With her mind lull of kindly thought tounrds Matilda. Jane returned to her nnnie. and nlii v.ns delighted to find a letter fioni her filentl vnoiiig for her. "It enme this very morning." aald Mrs. SwnfTlimu. "and I told the man who liroii'-.lit It you would be here to lav. and no doiiht would answer It lurthwltli." .lane Inld n-lde her bonnet arid i.oened her letter. "She Is at Lady Jetery's house, mother, and she longa to fee mc. and Indeed I am In the same nilnd. We shall be sure to quarrel, but then " "You can both play at that game, and you bold your own very well. I would go to Jevery House In the morning. morn-ing. Whom dltl you see nt the Cock pit?" "I saw lord Neville several times, hut bad no private speech with him; ami I heard Mary Cromwell sny there was a purpose of marriage between htm and Alice lleneage." " TIs veiy like." "I do not think so. I am aura ha loves me." "Then he should say so, bold ard oulrlght." "He suiil last night he was coming to see my father and you. and though he spoke the words as If they were mere courtesy. I read In hla face the purisise of his visit. Mother, we shall need your good word v lib my fnther." "I can't go against your fath t, Jane. I would as siHin take hot coals In my naked hands. You will hnvo to do aa your father snys. Jnne: so make up your mind lo that. Father may have a purpose already of marrying you to someone else." "I will not niurry anyone else." "Your sister said the same thing, hut she limi t led Philip Armlngford; and now there Is no man In the world but Philip" "I will marry Cluny Nevlllo or remain re-main a spinster." "You will in the end do as your father and brothers say There, now! say no morn about your marriage. It Is beforehand talk, and that kind ot discussion amounts to nothing. It la mostly to go over uguln. I have been making Impilrles shout the Jcverys; they are what your father culls 'Trimmers' 'Trim-mers' neither one thing nor another." In the morning Jane an hour before noon was on her way to Jevery House. It stood cIoho by llrury Lane a mansion man-sion nobly placed uisui a stone balua traded terrace, and surrounded by a fine garden. In this garden the old knight wns ofteiiest found; he was there when June's carrlaue stopited at the iron gates. Hhe hud been delayed and almost upset In llrury Ijmio by the deep mud, so Hint the noon hour was striking us Hlr Thomas Jevery met and court ously wnlked with her to the entrance hall. Here there were a number of servants, and their chief ushered her Into a stately cedar salon, the walls of which were painted wlrlp the history of the (Hunts' war. Soon liella came hurriedly Into the room with an exelamntlon of delight. "Oh, Miss Rwaffhani! (Ih. Miss Jane!" sin cried. "My lady is impatient to s you." She led Jane up a magnlflceit stairway lined with portralla, and they soon r--a'-hed Matilda's apartment. As the door opened she ruse and stretched out her aims, "llaggage!" she cried with a west, hysterical laugh. "You dear little baggage! bag-gage! Yon beat, truest heart! How glad I am to see you!" And Jane took hr In her arms, and both girls erled a llttlo before the; could speak. Matilda was ao weak, and Jnne ao shocked to sue the change In her friend's appearance, that for a few momenta tears were the only possible pos-sible speech. At length Jnne aald: "You have been 111, and you never sent for me. I wen fit have stayed by you night and dAy. I would have been mother and sister both. Oh, Induei). my mother would have come to you. without doubt! Why did you not let us know?" (To be continued. I |