, 1876-05-13
that that was the opera for tomorrow night,
and perhaps that would be the 1as1 time it
.rr171 ba ty1rnn / ~ @

that that was the opera for tomorrow NIGHT,
and perhaps that would be the last time it
| would be given
| And Ida stopped, with her hands still CLASP
| ed ind her eyes liked on the young man. d.
| George could not have done it; but ticn things
| that would have seemed forward aud ml1naidc!l-
| " in other girls, in Ida seemed so simple and
| artlcss and unconscious that you could not be
! disguised with her.
| Of course there was nothing for 3lr. Draytou
! to do but to say that be would be delighted tc
escort her, l caught one swift glance from
Georgie's eyes, and then Remembered that he
was 10 have taken her on that very even
to hear ;e seleoEated brat I RniSt t "no o,s va;
did not speak. She WAS only friend
and q sister, and must learn to tt
quietly put aside when others claimed his scrv-
ices. Perhaps the young man's conscience snlotc
him little, for be WAS unusually gentle and At,
tentivc in his ways to Georgic that evening, and
"You Know, George, that he will be here for
some time, and any night will do for him, but
Nillson may not appear as Marguerite again"
staud SsS ssil Geoe T e anS % L bis s saf net
quick enough to detect the little quiVer IN
her voice, nor his eye sharp enough to see
the tutter. of her lip, though my old eyes
and ears could perceive both, whose fault was
tuatl
Love is blind, they say; but calm, friendly
Indifference is binder than any mole.
/ scarcely saw Georgie the next day, but Ida
was in aud out, bright and blithe as usual.
When the evening came both the girls we're IN
the drawing room. Ida vas radiant. Her dress
vas Of black silk, but all trieked OF with soft
fine laccs, with Nccks Of scarlet here and there
Scarlet fuchsias nodded in her hair and dropped
at ller dainty throat. George looked like pale
shadow beside her, in her soft gray gown, unre-
n inak r$t. tt,ff fsAT w puA
SO sweet and fair in her brave, quiet composure-
Well, the evening crept slowly on, and Ida
grew impatient, fashiug hither and thither in
her quick, restless way, while Georgic, half
steadily at some piece Of soft ilcecy work, ap~
partntly unmoyeu. The carriage had been
Whiting at the door for an hour, and still no sign
Of Mark.
just rs Ida was for the fortieth time appeal
Ing to us to know ii it were not the strangest
thing VIC eTer heard Of, and where in the world
could he be, the door opened and A(r, Merton
entered. A tall, dne-looking man was this
brother of mine, with silver hair and
saf 1 of 9e eys seaa ana ts n tS 2e old p0 scneo
with the polished courtesy OF that by~,one class,
too, and the dignitied calm which Scarce any
thing could rutilc- So it startled us to sec u
shadow on bis face, which deepened after the
quick glance which he cast around the room.
s@WLat is the matter, brother Paul:"I asked;
and both girls looked up
slT,n, waved and nrYz1c1 - 1vas his renIy-o
most unusual m one for hi.n. Is came in hoping
against hope to lind Mark Drayton lere- You
have seen nothing OF linn !"
Mark Drayton! Ida listened in earnest now,
and even George dropped her work.
at is mosr perplexing thing" he went on.
IT would stake my life on the young fellows
truth and honor; yet what can have become OF
him2
Become Of him! 4 perfect hurricane Of ques-
tiotis arose; only George was silent Us death in
her obscure corner. As soon IS Ida could be in
duccl to listen and let the rest hear, brother
Paul told his story.
How that in the morning lady had entered
the store, lady regal III silks and laces, more
rcgal in port aid bearing, So brother Paul said,
tall and fur, with great ilashing hazel eyes, ld
hair Of palcsr gold; Hoy that this lady, after
est and costlicst goods, yelyets, silks
Of every shade, 1aces-ol1 : point, Hopi-
ton, guipure, Mechlin-" enough to dress
yon from head to foot, ida n-had
suddenly discovered that she hatl forgotten her
purse aid chcck-book. In sore perpIexity sho
sent her card to Mr.. Aierton-Al,s- Launce
D'Afleton was the name it bore-with request
for an interview. Explaining that she was
obliged to leave town that afternoon, she
with her to receive and bring back the money.
"So,'' said brother Paul, in conclusion, II
asked Mark to go as personal favor. It is
hardly his business, but thought could trust
ulIQ."
.ttIye,l. nan, a, said 1J,. ~ he napsed-
uWclI fh5t.;s iii }, sai1 hrother Punl
sAll. nanas R1,t TLere is 3Jarzln
uAh' fhat Is tI,,. question. Since he entered
the rarris1r viii N}rs n,ar1eton. nothinr hos
hcen seen IT t;m' The snm was = lar9s one.
and w]1ethcr hr has rie1ded tn thc sudden tcmn
fation~ln,t that Is i;nnossihie. Yet foul NAV.
thc on1y alternative trcms cnnally fmnosiible'
have sct the nn1it,. IN the track Init T mn ut-
tcr1v haf1ic1 and he,y;1icrct1. u
cannnt nrctenJ to flesrT;be the creme that
followed th;s ,nnoun,ement. + l,now that for a
moment there was dead silence in the room
We were all, I think, too much shocked aud
stunned to sneak. Ida still stood in the
middle of tie floor, with luce from
which every yestige Of color had fed.
Then Geortgje came forward, and. Us il her
lad snapped the spell, the silence
broke up suddenly, ,-gucstions, surrniscs, doubts,
suspicious, set aside as soon as formed, for none
of Us could really suspect OF any eyil-doing the
young man whom VIC had known so long aud SO
we'll. But all came back to the one horrible, un-
question, Where could hr be?
can ouly tell the story from my own point of
view, and there is no use in my trying TO enter
into the details Of the police search, of the re-
wards offered, Of the c1cws which they thought
they had found, but which Invariably led to moth
ing: Had the earth opened and swallowed Mark
md that mysterious woman, they could not have
disappeared more utterly. The detective sys-