CHAPTER LXIX.

"I'LL TAKE YOU HOME AGAIN, KATHLEEN."

I know you love me, Kathleen, dear, Your heart was ever fond and true, I always feel when you are near That life holds nothing dear but you. Oh, I will take you back, Kathleen, To where your heart will feel no pain, And when the fields are fresh and green I'll take you to your home again. THOMAS P. WESTENDORF.

But true love is never selfish. Teddy Darrell's heart bore that cruel wrench gravely and in silence. They took Ralph and Kathleen home; and a few days later, when the girl was stronger and better, her noble young betrothed came to her and bravely gave her back her promise.

"I know all your love for Ralph," he said. "I know how bravely you have held to your promise to me. I have not one unkind thought of you, dear, and I give you back your vow, for I know you would be happier with him than me. But think sometimes of me, Kathleen, for I shall always love you."

He meant what he said, and he thought it would be so, but something happened just a few weeks later that changed all the world to handsome Teddy Darrell.

Far away, in a beautiful Southern home, where the magnolias bloomed and the orange groves drooped their white blossoms down on her dark head, a beautiful young widow laid aside her pen too often to dream of one who had been her lover in the dear old days, before that fatal quarrel had driven her into a marriage for pique with the proud, rich man who had now been lying for more than a year beneath a costly granite shaft in Howard Cemetery.

To-day, in a magazine that she had been reading, some sweet, sad lines had touched her heart. Obeying an uncontrollable impulse, she drew pen and ink toward her, exclaiming:

"What if I copy these sweet, sad verses and send them to my dear old Dark Eyes? He is not married yet, I know, and I will send him the notice of Bob's death with the verses; for I love Ted still, and I would give the world to win him back!"

And so the letter came to Teddy from that far-off Southern home, and he read with tender eyes the little poem, entitled "Dark Eyes," which it contained:

Which eyes do I love the best, Dark or blue or gray? Each are beautiful and blest In their way. But I think if some sweet soul Dearer to us than the rest Shone through light or dark, we'd love _That_ color best.

One I loved in happier days, Under happier skies, One whose looks breathed only praise, Had _dark_ eyes. Darkly radiant eyes that rest Nevermore to wake, And I love _dark_ eyes the best For _his_ sake.

Dark eyes, oh, you haunt me yet With your magic splendor! All my heart holds one regret Deep and tender. Oft you come as all sweet things, Memory-saddened, come; As the scent of roses brings Dead perfume.

As the sadly dying strain Of a song we used to know Stirs the heart to sudden pain, You come and go; Shining on me in my dreams With the light you used to wear, Deepening with your starlight beams My despair, Till the sad heart in my breast Throbbing seems to break, And I love dark eyes the best _For his sake_!

Teddy's dark eyes grew dim, but he smiled as he exclaimed:

"Bob had blue eyes, so she must mean _me_, for she used to call me her 'Dark Eyes.' Poor fellow! I'm sorry he died; but I do believe all the old love for Gussie is coming back again. I'll take the first 'flier' for the South." And, sure enough, it was only a few months later that he bore away from the Crescent City the fairest flower of the Magnolia State, his bonny bride.

But it was long before Teddy's wedding-day that he had cards to attend a grand reception at the Carew mansion on Commonwealth Avenue.

It seemed that Mrs. Carew really meant to stay abroad for years, for Madame Rumor said, in a week after their departure, that the handsome old house had been rented to a rich and eccentric old man, a relative of the late Vincent Carew. Kathleen herself was surprised when she received that letter from Uncle Ben, far away in his country home, telling her all about it.

"I wanted to give you a big party on your betrothal to that grand young actor, Ralph Chainey, my dear, so I rented the house from the agent, and I want you to be sure to come, Kathleen," he wrote. "Never mind about buying a new dress, dear. Uncle Ben is not as poor as he looks, and you must come in your every-day dress. Go up to your own old room, and you will find there a new dress and jewels, a gift from Uncle Ben."

To know that Uncle Ben was rich was surprise enough, but when Helen and Kathleen arrived with Mrs. Fox and Mrs. Stone at the mansion, she was transported with joy to meet in the hall her aunt, Mrs. Franklyn, her cousin Chester, and beautiful, happy Daisy Lynn.

"Uncle Ben invited us on a long visit," they exclaimed, and hurried her upstairs to the beautiful rooms once her own, but to which, for almost two years, Kathleen had been a stranger.

Kathleen, now the happy promised bride of noble Ralph Chainey, could not keep back the tender tears as she crossed the threshold of the familiar rooms; but Daisy wiped them away, begging her to look at her new dress.

"The people will be coming presently, and you don't want Mr. Chainey to see you with pink rims around your beautiful dark eyes," she said, gayly, and hurried her into the beautiful white dress costly enough for a bride.

"And here are these diamonds, Kathleen, that he gave you to replace those that you lost by the villainy of Ivan Belmont," continued Daisy, lifting a set of glorious diamonds from their white velvet bed.

They slipped through her white fingers like rivers of light, and Kathleen uttered a cry of rapture.

"They are worth a fortune! Oh, how good Uncle Ben is to me! I must put them on and go down to him, Daisy."

But when she was going along the hall in the beautiful, bride-like robes, she paused suddenly at the library door.

"Daisy, I must go in alone to see papa's portrait first," she said, and tears came into the lovely eyes as she crossed the threshold.

Again she knelt before the portrait, weeping for the loved and lost, but suddenly Uncle Ben came in and stood by her side.

"He wronged you, my darling, and left you to fight the bitter battle of poverty alone. How can you forgive him?"

She put her hand in his, and answered, sweetly:

"My step-mother was to blame, I'm sure, Uncle Ben, and so I have never harbored one unkind thought of my dear, dead father; and, oh, what would I not give if he were alive to-night to bless Ralph and me in our happiness!"

"My angel daughter!" cried the old man, and he flung aside the disfiguring disguises in which he had masqueraded while unmasking his wicked wife. There he stood, tall, dark and handsome, although with a sadness that would never leave his face--Vincent Carew, her beloved father!

She flew to his arms, and they had a blessed half hour of sacred rejoicing and love. Then there came a light rap on the door.

It was Ralph Chainey, handsome as a prince in his evening suit.

"They told me to come here for you, my darling! Oh, how beautiful you are!" he cried, taking her into his arms.

Vincent Carew came forward into the light.

"See, papa has come back to me," she said; and he smiled on the pair of lovers. He had had a rooted antipathy to actors, but for Kathleen's sake he was willing to accept Ralph Chainey for a beloved son-in-law. Kathleen had whispered to him that she was to marry her lover soon, and he shook hands most cordially now with the young man ere he turned away and left them together for a few sweet moments before they joined the guests.

Ralph took beautiful Kathleen in his fond arms, and kissed that radiant face with adoring love.

"My love, my bride so soon to be," he whispered; and then she drew him away.

"We must go, although I had rather stay here with you, dear love," she whispered; and they went along the hall arm in arm, happiest lovers the world ever knew.

Daisy Lynn was singing at the piano when they entered the crowded drawing-room. It was a song that Vincent Carew had chosen. The words rang out in sweet and jubilant echoes on the air:

"I'll take you home again, Kathleen, Across the ocean wild and wide, To where your heart has ever been Since first you were my bonny bride. To that dear home beyond the sea My Kathleen shall again return; And when thy old friends welcome thee Thy loving heart will cease to yearn!"

THE END

THE HART SERIES

Laura Jean Libbey Miss Caroline Hart Mrs. E. Burke Collins Mrs. Alex. McVeigh Miller Charlotte M. Braeme Barbara Howard Lucy Randall Comfort Mary E. Bryan Marie Corelli

Was there ever a galaxy of names representing such authors offered to the public before? Masters all of writing stories that arouse the emotions, in sentiment, passion and love, their books excel any that have ever been written.

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1--Kidnapped at the Altar, Laura Jean Libbey. 2--Gladiola's Two Lovers, Laura Jean Libbey. 3--Lil, the Dancing Girl, Caroline Hart. 5--The Woman Who Came Between, Caroline Hart. 6--Aleta's Terrible Secret, Laura Jean Libbey. 7--For Love or Honor, Caroline Hart. 8--The Romance of Enola, Laura Jean Libbey. 9--A Handsome Engineer's Flirtation, Laura J. Libbey. 10--A Little Princess, Caroline Hart. 11--Was She Sweetheart or Wife, Laura Jean Libbey. 12--Nameless Bess, Caroline Hart. 13--Della's Handsome Lover, Laura Jean Libbey. 14--That Awful Scar, Caroline Hart. 15--Flora Garland's Courtship, Laura Jean Libbey. 16--Love's Rugged Path, Caroline Hart. 17--My Sweetheart Idabell, Laura Jean Libbey. 18--Married at Sight, Caroline Hart. 19--Pretty Madcap Dorothy, Laura Jean Libbey. 20--Her Right to Love, Caroline Hart. 21--The Loan of a Lover, Laura Jean Libbey. 22--The Game of Love, Caroline Hart. 23--A Fatal Elopement, Laura Jean Libbey. 24--Vendetta, Marie Corelli. 25--The Girl He Forsook, Laura Jean Libbey. 26--Redeemed by Love, Caroline Hart. 28--A Wasted Love, Caroline Hart. 29--A Dangerous Flirtation, Laura Jean Libbey. 30--A Haunted Life, Caroline Hart. 31--Garnetta, the Silver King's Daughter, L. J. Libbey. 32--A Romance of Two Worlds, Marie Corelli. 34--Her Ransom, Charles Garvice. 36--A Hidden Terror, Caroline Hart. 37--Flora Temple, Laura Jean Libbey. 38--Claribel's Love Story, Charlotte M. Braeme. 39--Pretty Rose Hall, Laura Jean Libbey. 40--The Mystery of Suicide Place, Mrs. Alex. Miller. 41--Cora, the Pet of the Regiment, Laura Jean Libbey. 42--The Vengeance of Love, Caroline Hart. 43--Jolly Sally Pendleton, Laura Jean Libbey. 44--A Bitter Reckoning, Mrs. E. Burke Collins. 45--Kathleen's Diamonds, Mrs. Alex. McVeigh Miller. 46--Angela's Lover, Caroline Hart. 47--Lancaster's Choice, Mrs. Alex. McVeigh Miller. 48--The Madness of Love, Caroline Hart. 49--Little Sweetheart, Mrs. Alex. McVeigh Miller. 50--A Working Girl's Honor, Caroline Hart. 51--The Mystery of Colde Fell, Charlotte M. Braeme. 52--The Rival Heiresses, Caroline Hart. 53--Little Nobody, Mrs. Alex. McVeigh Miller. 54--Her Husband's Ghost, Mary E. Bryan. 55--Sold for Gold, Mrs. E. Burke Collins. 56--Her Husband's Secret, Lucy Randall Comfort. 57--A Passionate Love, Barbara Howard. 58--From Want to Wealth, Caroline Hart. 59--Loved You Better Than You Knew, Mrs. A. Miller. 60--Irene's Vow, Charlotte M. Braeme. 61--She Loved Not Wisely, Caroline Hart. 62--Molly's Treachery, Mrs. Alex. McVeigh Miller. 63--Was It Wrong? Barbara Howard. 64--The Midnight Marriage, Mrs. Sumner Hayden. 65--Ailsa, Wenona Gilman. 66--Her Dark Inheritance, Mrs. E. Burke Collins. 67--Viola's Vanity, Mrs. Alex. McVeigh Miller. 68--The Ghost of the Hurricane Hills, Mary E. Bryan. 69--A Woman Wronged, Caroline Hart. 70--Was She His Lawful Wife?, Barbara Howard. 71--Val, the Tomboy, Wenona Gilman. 72--The Richmond Secret, Mrs. E. Burke Collins. 73--Edna's Vow, Charlotte M. Stanley. 74--Hearts of Fire, Caroline Hart. 75--St. Elmo, Augusta J. Evans. 76--Nobody's Wife, Caroline Hart. 77--Ishmael, Mrs. E. D. E. N. Southworth. 78--Self-Raised, Mrs. E. D. E. N. Southworth. 79--Pretty Little Rosebud, Barbara Howard. 80--Inez, Augusta J. Evans. 81--The Girl Wife, Mrs. Sumner Hayden. 82--Dora Thorne, Charlotte M. Braeme. 83--Followed by Fate, Lucy Randall Comfort. 84--India, or the Pearl of Pearl River, Southworth. 85--Mad Kingsley's Heir, Mrs. E. Burke Collins. 86--The Missing Bride, Mrs. E. D. E. N. Southworth. 87--Wicked Sir Dare, Charles Garvice. 88--Daintie's Cruel Rivals, Mrs. Alex. McV. Miller. 89--Lillian's Vow, Caroline Hart. 90--Miss Estcourt, Charles Garvice. 91--Beulah, Augusta J. Evans. 92--Daphne's Fate, Mrs. E. Burke Collins. 93--Wormwood, Marie Corelli. 94--Nellie, Charles Garvice. 95--His Legal Wife, Mary E. Bryan. 96--Macaria, Augusta J. Evans. 97--Lost and Found, Charlotte M. Stanley. 98--The Curse of Clifton, Mrs. Southworth. 99--That Strange Girl, Charles Garvice. 100--The Lovers at Storm Castle, Mrs. M. A. Collins. 101--Margerie's Mistake, Lucy Randall Comfort. 102--The Curse of Pocahontas, Wenona Gilman. 103--My Love Kitty, Charles Garvice. 104--His Fairy Queen, Elizabeth Stiles. 105--From Worse than Death, Caroline Hart. 106--Audrey Fane's Love, Mrs. E. Burke Collins. 107--Thorns and Orange Blossoms, Charlotte Braeme. 108--Ethel Dreeme, Frank Corey. 109--Three Girls, Mary E. Bryan. 110--A Strange Marriage, Caroline Hart. 111--Violet, Charles Garvice. 112--The Ghost of the Power, Mrs. Sumner Hayden. 113--Baptised with a Curse, Edith Stewart Drewry. 114--A Tragic Blunder, Mrs. H. Lovett Cameron. 115--The Secret of Her Life, Edward Jenkins. 116--My Guardian, Ada Cambridge. 117--A Last Love, Georges Ohnet. 118--His Angel, Henry Herman. 119--Pretty Miss Bellew, Theo. Gift. 120--Blind Love, Wilkie Collins. 121--A Life's Mistake, Mrs. H. Lovett Cameron. 122--Won By Waiting, Edna Lyall. 123--Passion's Slave, King. 124--Under Currents, Duchess. 125--False Vow, Braeme. 126--The Belle of Lynne, Braeme. 127--Lord Lynne's Choice, Braeme. 128--Blossom and Fruit, Braeme. 129--Weaker Than a Woman, Braeme. 130--Tempest and Sunshine, Mary J. Holmes. 131--Lady Muriel's Secret, Braeme. 132--A Mad Love, Braeme.

The Hart Series books are for sale everywhere, or they will be sent by mail, postage paid, for 30 cents a copy by the publisher; 6 copies for $1.00. Postage stamps taken the same as money.

THE ARTHUR WESTBROOK COMPANY Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A.

Transcriber's Notes:

This story was originally serialized in the _New York Fireside Companion_ story paper from December 19, 1891 to April 16, 1892.

Thanks to Deidre Johnson, Joseph Rainone and Northern Illinois University for assistance in locating story paper installments in order to restore text omitted from the Westbrook edition.

Some inconsistent hyphenation retained (e.g. bedroom vs. bed-room).

Italics are represented with _underscores_.

Page 3, changed "Darrel" to "Darrell" (twice).

Page 5, restored chapter head poetry from Fireside Companion version.

Page 7, restored chapter head poetry from Fireside Companion version.

Page 11, restored chapter head poetry from Fireside Companion version and changed "heydey" to "heyday."

Page 12, changed "drooping lips" to "drooping lids."

Page 15, restored chapter head poetry from Fireside Companion version.

Page 19, restored chapter head poetry from Fireside Companion version.

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Page 28, changed ? to ! after "having saved your life."

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Page 40, restored chapter head poetry from Fireside Companion version and changed single quote to double quote after "again."

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Page 57, restored chapter head poetry from Fireside Companion version and removed unnecessary comma after "throwing."

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Page 66, changed period to comma in "Now, listen to me."

Page 70, the Westbrook edition was missing the poetry from Daisy Lynn's book. This text has been restored from the original Fireside Companion serialization along with the chapter head poem.

Page 73, changed "Watnut" to "Walnut."

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Page 93, restored chapter head poetry from Fireside Companion version and changed "recontre" to "rencontre."

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Page 101, the Westbrook edition was missing the word "put" in "put me into a lunatic asylum." The word has been restored by checking the original _Fireside Companion_ appearance of the text.

Page 102, restored chapter head poetry from Fireside Companion version; in Fireside Companion, this chapter is entitled "TURNED OUT INTO THE STORM TO PERISH."

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Page 113, restored poetry and introductory paragraph ("Some burning words...") from Fireside Companion version.

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Page 124, restored lengthy passage of Teddy reading poetry from Fireside Companion version; removed unnecessary comma in "Teddy Darrell, came."

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Page 146, Page 146, restored chapter head poetry from Fireside Companion version and changed "money-moon" to "honey-moon." and changed "money-moon" to "honey-moon."

Page 147, restored two omitted poems from the Fireside Companion version.

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Page 173, the Westbrook edition omits some poetry on this page; it has been restored from the original Fireside Companion appearance.

Page 175, restored chapter head poetry from Fireside Companion version.

Page 179, restored chapter head poetry from Fireside Companion version and changed "a animated" to "an animated."

Page 180, restored poetry and introductory paragraph ("Some touching verses...") omitted from the Westbrook edition.

Page 181, restored chapter head poetry from Fireside Companion version.

Page 184, restored start-of-chapter poem found in Fireside Companion edition but omitted from Westbrook reprint.

Page 185, restored poetry omitted from Westbrook edition.

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Page 189, removed unnecessary comma after "romantic heart."

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Page 194, changed period to comma after "Never."

Page 195, restored chapter head poetry from Fireside Companion version.

Page 197, restored song lyrics removed from Westbrook edition.

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Page 205, restored chapter head poetry from Fireside Companion version and changed "subtile" to "subtle."

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Page 210, restored poetry and related paragraph to end of chapter LV and restored chapter head poetry to chapter LVI.

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Page 214, restored chapter head poetry from Fireside Companion version along with several song lyrics and accompanying text

Page 217, restored chapter head poetry from Fireside Companion version.

Page 218, restored poetry cut from Westbrook edition.

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Page 238, changed "you passage" to "your passage."

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Page 240, added missing close quote after "fickle" and restored poetry cut from Westbrook edition.

Page 242, restored missing poetry from Fireside Companion version.

Page 244, restored poetry missing from Westbrook edition.

Page 252, restored chapter head poetry from Fireside Companion version.

Page 253, restored "Dark Eyes" poetry from Fireside Companion version.

Page 256, changed "you heart" to "your heart."

Back cover, changed "Barabara" to "Barbara"; changed "Heart's of Fire" to "Hearts of Fire"; changed "Gorvice" to "Garvice."; changed "Daphane's" to "Daphne's."; changed "Passions Slave" to "Passion's Slave."

End of Project Gutenberg's Kathleen's Diamonds, by Mrs. Alex. McVeigh Miller