very often in these days that would account for everything or she may have taken the wrong train an express that did not stop this side of and hesitated to telegraph for fear of alarming you don t cry till you re hurt is an old proverb why neither of you act much better than as if her dead body had been brought home they heard him but neither replied they waited it seemed an hour for an answer to the message and it came simply this nothing has been heard as yet of miss the thoroughly distressed and father shrank before the gaze of the lover when this news was by mr what is this were the bitter words he heard have you decided on another husband for your daughter and come to break the news to me in this fashion mr interfered to protect the old man whose suffering was evidently already too acute hush he exclaimed can t you see that you are killing him be careful waved him back with a of his arm your advice has not been asked he replied i can see some things if i am blind that girl has gone to the man she loves the man he indicating the father wanted her to marry he is rich and i am poor and he has won it is plain enough and he pretended day by day to ray face that he had given her up for my sake a black and she put her arms around me and me into confidence in order to strike me the harder at the end well let him have her i wouldn t take her from him but there s an account between us that he may not like to settle when you see your friend tell him that mr heard terrible sentences like a man in a dream it could not be was uttering them the man to whom his young daughter had given the full affection of her innocent heart h was mad to talk that way mad mad you will repent these rash statements said the old gentleman rising faintly from his seat you will repent them sir in i wish with my heart that mr was here for he would at least try to help me find my child mr suggested that mr would be at soon as he had an invitation to the wedding no replied mr i received word from him to day that he could not attend he is out of the city gave vent to an expression of are you yourself deceived he exclaimed he will not attend my wedding certainly not j he is attending his own if indeed he does not compass his ends without that preliminary weak and old as mr was he have struck the speaker had not the third person in the room interfered do you dare to speak in that manner of my daughter he cried must you attack the where was not only of my best friend but of my child as well i thank god at this moment whatever be her fate that she did not join her life to yours with a majestic step he strode from the presence of his late son in law with a feeling that some one should accompany him followed but first he turned to speak in a low key to the do not go out to night unless you hear from me he said this may not be as bad as you think after all i will go to and return with what news i can get don t act until you are certain of your premises the young man was removing his wedding suit already i shall not go out he responded you might write a few pages on your novel suggested the critic as he stood in the there will never be a better a vigorous movement the door in his face before he could complete his sentence hastening after mr accompanied him home where the first thing he heard was that there was still no news of the missing one f a black chapter an awful night it was an awful night for the presence in the house of mr and mr aided him but little to bear the weight that pressed upon his heart it was better than being entirely alone but not a great deal together tliey listened whenever their ears caught an unusual sound twenty times they went together to the street door and opened it to find nothing before them morning came and still no tidings the earliest trains from the city were visited by servants for the master of the house was too exhausted to make the journey and at nine o clock the gentlemen who had passed the night at took the railway back to new york with no solution of the great problem mr had not been in his office an hour before the door opened and in walked the critic started from his chair at the unexpected sight and remarked that he had not expected to sec his visitor so early i presume you heard the news and came home at once he added mr was pale and wore the look of one whose rest has been disturbed i don t know what you mean he replied m i w called away on business that i could not ah awful night i and came back as soon as i could i fear the thought it rather rough of me to stay away from th wedding but i could not very well help it you were there of course everything went off well trust the speaker had the air of a man who tries to ap at ease when he is not his voice trembled slightly and his hands from one portion of his apparel to another then you have heard nothing repeated gravely prepare yourself for a shock there was no 