pose, where is she."
"In the study, sir."
The stranger was standing by the fire-place, as he entered she made an
impatient gesture for him to close the door, then threw herself at his
feet passionately imploring him to help and protect her, and throwing
aside her thick vail, disclosed the features of Louisa, but so altered
that he was perfectly shocked and amazed. He could scarcely believe that
the haggered emaciated being before him, was indeed the pretty,
impulsive, fiery, Louisa, but such was the case, and anger, compassion
and indignation filled his heart, as he listened to the recital of her
misfortunes.
As the reader is already acquainted with a portion of Louisa's story,
we will not repeat it here, but only record such circumstances as have
not appeared in these pages. On arriving at her grandfather's she
encountered a storm of angry abuse, and was driven from the door with a
stern command never to return, as she had forfeited all claims upon him,
and might die in a ditch for all he cared. She managed to get about a
mile from the house, and then overcome with fatigue and misery she sank
down exhausted.
How long she remained there she had no idea, when she recovered she was
among strangers, who were very kind. She had had a brain fever, and was
in the hospital When asked for the address of her friends, she replied
that she had none. But afterward she remembered that her Uncle Charles
had always been kind to her, and had occasionally procured her little
indulgences from her stern, cold-hearted, grand-mother, and that it had
been mainly through his interference that she had been sent to school.
She therefore determined to seek his aid, and accept a small loan from
the doctor, to enable her to do so, long and weary had the journey been,
and she implored Charles not to send her away. She knew she said that it
would not be for long, and entreated him to let her die in peace.
Charles assured her that she should want for nothing, and commended her
for coming to him, and expressed in no measured terms his disapprobation
of his father's cruel conduct, but was abruptly silenced by Louisa
falling senseless on the floor. His violent ringing of the bell, brought
not only the servants, but Ada also, to his assistance; medical aid was
quickly procured. That night her child was born, and when morning
dawned, Louisa lay still and cold in that last long sleep from which no
mortal could awake her. Sleep in thy marble beaut
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