Bad Hugh

He did not feel pain now in his anxiety, as he asked: "Who is it, Adah?

who's after me?" but he started when she replied, with downcast eyes and

a flush upon her cheek: "Major Irving Stanley. You were in his

regiment, the ----th New York Volunteers."

Dr. Richards drew a relieved breath. "I'd rather it were he than Captain

Worthington, who hates me so cordially. Adah, you must hide me; I have

so much to tell. I know your parents, your brother, your husband; and I

am he. It was not a mock marriage. It has been proved real. It was a

genuine justice who married us, and you are my lawful wife. Oh, pray,

please don't hurt me so." He uttered a scream of pain as Adah's hands

pressed heavily now upon the hard, purple flesh.

She scarcely knew what she was doing as she listened to his words and

heard that she was indeed his wife. Two years before, such news would

have overwhelmed her with delight, but now for a single instant a fierce

and almost resentful pang shot through her heart as she thought of being

bound for life to one for whom she had no love, and whose very caresses

made her loathe him more and more. But when she thought of Willie, and

how the stain upon his birth was washed away, the hard look left her

eyes, and her hot tears dropped upon the ankle she was bandaging.

"You are glad?" he asked, looking at her curiously, for her manner

puzzled him.

"Yes, very glad for Willie," she replied, keeping her face bent down so

he could not see its expression.

Then when her task was done, she seemed to nerve herself for some

powerful task, and sitting down upon the hay, out of reach of his arms,

she said: "Tell me now all that has happened since I left Terrace Hill; but first

of Willie. You say Anna has him?"

"Yes, Anna--Mrs. Millbrook," he replied, and was about to say more, when

Adah interrupted him with: "It may spare you some pain if I tell you first what I know of the

tragedy at Spring Bank. I know that 'Lina is dead, and that the fact of

my existence prevented the marriage. So much I heard Mr. Stanley tell

his sister. I had just come to her then. She was prouder toward me than

she is now, and with a look silenced him from talking in my presence, so

that was all I ever knew, as I dared not question her lest I should be

suspected. Go on, you spoke of my parents, my brother. Who are they?"

Her manner perplexed him greatly, but he controlled himself, while he

repeated rapidly the story known already to our readers, the story

which made Adah reel where she sat, and turn so white that he attempted

to reach her, and so keep her from falling. But just the touch of his

hand had power to arouse her, and drawing back she laid her face in the

hay, and moaned: "That gentle woman, my mother; that noble Hugh, my brother! it's more

than I ever hoped. Oh, Heavenly Father, accept my thanks for this great

happiness. A mother and a brother found."