CHAPTER XL.
Not a muscle of Pluma Hurlhurst's face quivered, but the woman uttereda low cry, shrinking close to her side.
"Save me, Pluma!" she gasped. "I did it for your sake!"
Basil Hurlhurst slowly put back the curtain, and stepped into theroom, clasping his long-lost daughter to his breast. Daisy's arms wereclinging round his neck, and her golden head rested on his shoulder.She was sobbing hysterically, John Brooks, deeply affected, followingafter.
Like a stag at bay, the woman's courage seemed to return to her, asshe stood face to face after all those years with the husband whom shehad so cruelly deceived--and the proud-faced man who stood besidehim--whose life she had blighted with the keenest and most cruel blowof all.
Basil Hurlhurst was the first to break the ominous silence.
"It is unnecessary to tell you we have heard all," he said, slowly. "Ishall not seek redress for your double crime. Leave this locality atonce, or I may repent the leniency of my decision. I hold youguiltless, Pluma," he added, gently. "You are not my child, yet I havenot been wanting in kindness toward you. I shall make every provisionfor your future comfort with your father," he said, indicating JohnBrooks, who stood pale and trembling at his side.
"Pluma, my child," cried John Brooks, brokenly, extending his arms.
But the scornful laugh that fell from her lips froze the blood in hisveins.
"Your child!" she shrieked, mockingly; "do not dare call me thatagain. What care I for your cotton fields, or for Whitestone Hall?"she cried, proudly, drawing herself up to her full height. "You havealways hated me, Basil Hurlhurst," she cried, turning haughtily towardhim. "This is your triumph! Within the next hour I shall be Rex Lyon'swife."
She repeated the words with a clear, ringing laugh, her flaming eyesfairly scorching poor little Daisy's pale, frightened face.
"Do you hear me, Daisy Brooks!" she screamed. "You loved Rex Lyon, andI have won him from you. You can queen it over Whitestone Hall, but Ishall not care. I shall be queen of Rex's heart and home! Mine is aglorious revenge!"
She stopped short for want of breath, and Basil Hurlhurst interruptedher.
"I have to inform you you are quite mistaken there," he replied,calmly. "Mr. Rexford Lyon will not marry you to-night, for he isalready married to my little daughter Daisy." He produced thecertificate as he spoke, laying it on the table. "Rex thought herdead," he continued, simply. "I have sent for him to break thestartling news of Daisy's presence, and I expect him here everymoment."
"Pluma," cried Daisy, unclasping her arms from her father's neck, andswiftly crossing over to where her rival stood, beautifully, proudlydefiant, "forgive me for the pain I have caused you unknowingly. I didnot dream I was--an--an--heiress--or that Mr. Hurlhurst was my father.I don't want you to go away, Pluma, from the luxury that has beenyours; stay and be my sister--share my home."
"My little tender-hearted angel!" cried Basil Hurlhurst, moved totears.
John Brooks hid his face in his hands.
For a single instant the eyes of these two girls met--whose lives hadcrossed each other so strangely--Daisy's blue eyes soft, tender andappealing, Pluma's hard, flashing, bitter and scornful.
She drew herself up to her full height.
"Remain in your house?" she cried, haughtily, trembling with rage."You mistake me, girl: do you think I could see you enjoying the homethat I have believed to be mine--see the man I love better than lifeitself lavish caresses upon you--kiss your lips--and bear it calmly?Live the life of a pauper when I have been led to believe I was anheiress! Better had I never known wealth than be cast from luxury intothe slums of poverty," she wailed out, sharply. "I shall not touch adollar of your money, Basil Hurlhurst. I despise you too much. I havelived with the trappings of wealth around me--the petted child ofluxury--all in vain--all in vain."
Basil Hurlhurst was struck with the terrible grandeur of the pictureshe made, standing there in her magnificent, scornful pride--a wealthof jewels flashing on her throat and breast and twined in the long,sweeping hair that had become loosened and swept in a dark, shiningmass to her slender waist, her flashing eyes far outshining the jewelsupon which the softened gas-light streamed. Not one gleam of remorsesoftened her stony face in its cruel, wicked beauty. Her jeweled handsuddenly crept to the pocket of her dress where she had placed thevial.
"Open that door!" she commanded.
The key fell from her mother's nerveless grasp. The detective quietlypicked it up, placed it in the lock, and opened the door. And just atthat instant, Rex Lyon, with the letter in his hand, reached it.
Pluma saw him first.
"Rex!" she cried, in a low, hoarse voice, staggering toward him; buthe recoiled from her, and she saw Stanwick's letter in his hands; andshe knew in an instant all her treachery was revealed; and withoutanother word--pale as death--but with head proudly erect, she sweptwith the dignity of a princess from the scene of her bitter defeat,closely followed by her cowering mother.
Rex did not seek to detain her; his eyes had suddenly fallen upon thegolden-haired little figure kneeling by Basil Hurlhurst's chair.
He reached her side at a single bound.
"Oh, Daisy, my darling, my darling!" he cried, snatching her in hisarms, and straining her to his breast, as he murmured passionate,endearing words over her.
Suddenly he turned to Mr. Hurlhurst.
"I must explain--"
"That is quite unnecessary, Rex, my boy," said Mr. Tudor, steppingforward with tears in his eyes; "Mr. Hurlhurst knows all."
It never occurred to handsome, impulsive Rex to question what Daisywas doing there. He only knew Heaven had restored him his beautiful,idolized child-bride.
"You will forgive my harshness, won't you, love?" he pleaded. "I willdevote my whole life to blot out the past. Can you learn to love me,sweetheart, and forget the cloud that drifted between us?"
A rosy flush suffused the beautiful flower-like face, as Daisy shylylifted her radiantly love-lighted blue eyes to his face with a coyglance that fairly took his breath away for rapturous ecstasy.
Daisy's golden head nestled closer on his breast, and two little soft,white arms, whose touch thrilled him through and through, stole roundhis neck--that was all the answer she made him.
John Brooks had quietly withdrawn from the room; and while BasilHurlhurst with a proudly glowing face went down among the waiting andexpectant guests to unfold to them the marvelous story, and explainwhy the marriage could not take place, the detective brieflyacquainted Rex with the wonderful story.
"I sought and won you when you were simple little Daisy Brooks, andnow that you are a wealthy heiress in your own right, you must notlove me less."
Daisy glanced up into her handsome young husband's face as shewhispered, softly:
"Nothing can ever change my love, Rex, unless it is to love you moreand more."
And for answer Rex clasped the little fairy still closer in his arms,kissing the rosy mouth over and over again, as he laughingly repliedhe was more fortunate than most fellows, being lover and husband allin one.
The announcement created an intense _furor_ among the flutteringmaidens down in the spacious parlors. Nobody regretted Pluma'sdownfall, although Basil Hurlhurst carefully kept that part of thenarrative back.
"Oh, it is just like a romance," cried Eve Glenn, rapturously; "butstill we must not be disappointed, girls; we must have a wedding allthe same. Rex and Daisy must be married over again."
Every one was on the tiptoe of expectancy to see the beautiful littleheroine of a double romance.
Eve Glenn, followed by Birdie, found her out at once in the study.
"Oh, you darling!" cried Eve, laughing and crying in one breath, asshe hugged and kissed Daisy rapturously; "and just to think you weremarried all the time, and to Rex, too; above all other fellows in theworld, he was just the one I had picked out for you."
Rex was loath to let Daisy leave him even for a moment. Eve was firm.
"I shall take her to my room a
nd convert her in no time at all into averitable Cinderella."
"She is the pretty young girl that carried me from the stone wall, andI have loved her so much ever since, even if I couldn't remember hername," cried Birdie, clapping her hands in the greatest glee.
In the din of the excitement, Pluma Hurlhurst shook the dust ofWhitestone Hall forever from her feet, muttering maledictions at thehappy occupants. She had taken good care to secure all the valuablesthat she could lay her hands on, which were quite a fortune inthemselves, securing her from want for life. She was never heard frommore.
* * * * *
Eve Glenn took Daisy to her own room, and there the wonderfultransformation began. She dressed Daisy in her own white satin dress,and twined deep crimson passion-roses in the golden curls, clappingher hands--at Daisy's wondrous beauty--kissing her, and petting her byturns.
"There never was such a little fairy of a bride!" she cried,exultantly leading Daisy to the mirror. "True, you haven't anydiamonds, and I haven't any to loan you; but who would miss suchtrifles, gazing at such a bewitching, blushing face and eyes bright asstars? Oh, won't every one envy Rex, though!"
"Please don't, Eve," cried Daisy. "I'm so happy, and you are trying tomake me vain."
A few moments later there was a great hush in the vast parlors below,as Daisy entered the room, leaning tremblingly on Rex's arm, wholooked as happy as a king, and Basil Hurlhurst, looking fully tenyears younger than was his wont, walking proudly beside his long-lostdaughter.
The storm had died away, and the moon broke through the dark clouds,lighting the earth with a silvery radiance, as Rex and Daisy tooktheir places before the altar, where the ceremony which made them manand wife was for the second time performed.
Heaven's light never fell on two such supremely happy mortals as wereRex and his bonny blushing bride.
Outside of Whitestone Hall a motley throng was gathering with therapidity of lightning--the story had gone from lip to lip--thewonderful story of the long-lost heiress and the double romance.
Cheer after cheer rent the air, and telegraph wires were busy with thestartling revelations.
The throng around the Hall pressed forward to catch a glimpse of thepretty little bride. Young girls laughed and cried for very joy.Mothers, fathers, and sweethearts fervently cried: "God bless her!"
All night long the bells rang from the church belfries, bonfires werelighted on all the surrounding hills. A telegram was sent to aBaltimore marble firm countermanding a certain order.
All night long the young people danced to the chime of merry music,and all night long the joy-bells pealed from the turrets of WhitestoneHall, and they seemed to echo the chorus of the people. "God blesssweet little Daisy Lyon, the long-lost heiress of Whitestone Hall!"
THE END