, 1874-11-14

troubled mo, when my mind was ouBy With him
For instance. l,o waa subject to tho strnngoat
1aisca into siionco wl,on llo md I wcro tal|t.ng
together. At tlleso tmas hiB cyes nss,tn,o,l 4
wonry, absons look. mud lila mind aoonod 10
wander aHay--fsr from thc. convorealiun and
Tar from mo. Ito was perfectly unawaro of his
s ont nc o as Il no[eoa tsas sS
l,c lad not boon attshalt,g to mo. or Il aaloH
loaa to oomprohcn1 "hat I meant. Ii puz.
inE Of !n theae paasoa nf bIunco, It was
impoaslhlo to guess;;. His faco, At other
oamo a'moat porfoct blnnk. lind ho suffered
spne terIiblo allock at Romo past pur!ol Of hla
liio. mud had his mind mover quito recovered III
'onEed 10 ask hin, tho question, md yet
distressing Him; Of, 10 put IL il plaihor Words
| wns 10 truly and teillcrIy fond OF him
Then, again, though lo WAS ordinarily. sln-
coroy hoiteye. tho most go1ltlo mud most loyablo
Of men. thor9 were occasions when Lo would
| Burnriso mo by viulont outbreaks OF ton,or.
oxeltod by tho mercst triltea. A dog barking
suddenly nt his lcols, or a boy throwing
stones ,,s IN tho roaa; 9r r. III unfortunate shop
that he did io. want, would throw him Into /
fre0zy OF ragc Which was, Without exaggorntion,
rcally friFhtfnl to sec, Ifa alHayn a1ologzcd for
those ontbfenhst iii tormB Which showed that llo
wus sincerely ashaned Of Ills own vtolonoe. Dnt
Tho 1apBos into passion, Iiito tho ispaes into
slonee, took him into their own possession. aud
I d!d With him. for the limo bclug, juat as thoy
One moro example Of Rolana'a poculiaritIcs,
a,sd have done. Tho straugonesa Of his con-
duce, III tha caso was noticed by my fataor and
my M brother % woli as BY mo. !,
wtcthor he camo 10 dinner or to ton, lie inyarla.
b1y loft us exactly at Do'c1ooI. nv ma wa msrht
to persuade Linn to stay longer, 10 always no.
likely but positively rotusol, Even I Ind no In.
nuonco over him ii this matter. Whom prossod
| eti1l retired exactly rs tho clock struck O. Ho
gave no roaaon for tlis strange proceeding 10
only sait} tint 1t was habit Of lis and begged
us to indulge him in IT, Without aslslng ior al ox-
| planaton. Ny father mud my Lro}Lor lIoiue
inen) succoedcd In controlling ll.eir curiosity.
| For my pnrt {being a womau) oyery dav that
| passed only n,ale MO more ind moro oacer to
| pouotrato tho myBtcry. privately resolved to
1 choose my time, when Roland was In particu-
| larry accessible humor and then to appeal to
him for the explanation which lo lind hitherto
| refused, as q special faSor to myself.
II two days ], more found 70 l my opportunity.
EasLbournc, proposed a picnic party to tho
fanoas -. nolshboting citf called Beaehey
Head. Wo accepted tho invitation. The day
wns lovely. aud lilo gypsy dinner was, aa usual,
infinitely preferable flor once in a vav) 10 a
formal dinuer indoors. Towar1a evening our
lttlo party separated In twos and thrcea to cx-
poro the noighborhood. Roland and / found
ourselves together, hs matter Of course va
were happy, and wo were alone. Was Il tho
right or the wrong timo to nsli the fatal qrea-
ton? I am not ablo to decide only know
that asked It.
III.
"Mr. Cameron" ! sud, twill you mako n1-
lowaucas for weak woman ?--and wll you toll
mo something that am dying to know ="
Ho walked straight, into the trap,-with thai
ontlre absence Of ready Wit or small suspicion {l
80 much like mon, and 80 little lfko women.
"Dt ..!1 eoarsG ac l WIZ" ,, ho ansvotod ,
sist on leaving us at o'clock 7"'
Flo started. ana looked at mo'-so sadly, so re-
proachlully,-thnt would havo given erery-
thing possessed to rcoall tho RASH words tint
had just passed MY lips.
"lf consent to tell you, ho replied, after
momentary atrngglo Will, imsclf,-" will you
Promise to answer 1t t7'
gave him my promise, and waited eagerly for
What was coming 1.oxt.
5lies Bradug," ho said, tell mo honestly
do you think nm mad +"
1t was impossible to laugh at him; ho spoke
those strange words serfousl y-stcrp1y, I might
almost say.
mo such thought ever entered my head" I
answered.
Ho looked at me very earnestly.
~ You Say that on your word Of honor? 2"
"on my word Of honor"
answered With I'erfec: sincerity and eyi-
aontly satisfied linn that had spoken tho truth.
10 took my hand und raiHod it gratefully to Ills
lips.
"Than1s you," ho aail amply. "You ENCOURAGE
mo to tell you worry sud story"
'Your own story j" I asked.
"My own story. Lot mo begin by telling you
why persist II. leaving your house, always al
tho game curly hour. Whenever 70 out. am
bound by promise to tho peraon With wioul [
atn living at Eastbouruo to return at q quarter
past O'clock"
''rt,o person with whom you arc living ?" re-
peatcd. F" You aro living at boardiug-houge.
nre you not? ?"
II am living, Miss Birding, under the care OF
DOCTOR who keeps an asyiutu for tho iusaue.
In tic tlay timo, on tic condition that Il faithfuy
perform my promise ut night. It IL d quarter Of
an hours walk from your house to lilo 1octor's;
and 1t is rno TINT tho patIouts retlro ut half
past o'cloc's."
Here wns tue myatcry whtcl, bad 80 sotciy pcr-
picked mo, revealed at last / Tho disclosure
literally struck me bpeeclllcss. Uucou1cIot1sly