Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1882-08-23

troll, aud the constables, who stood q
short distance off listening to the con-
yersalion, did not for q moment sus-
pect that 1t was forced.
For u few minutes they talked SO,
and then Gerald said
You know am only In bachelors
lodgings, but ! have taken room for
you at the Royal. shall zee you
later In the day, must so of to my
office now, Well, officers he said to
constablcs, as hc turned from Gossett,
'have you got your man? Which Is
hey'
we haven't got him, aud VIC ain't
a-going to, The chap that We were
put on was tho very gent rs you've
been talking with
what, my friend HopkinsY That
is u joke,
Cant be no mistake, | suppose,
sirT
Mistake, man' Why, have
known him for years. We have been
down at the seaside together. In fact,
| saved his life once.
That's good enough, sir. It's quite
clear the people at home have gone
after wrong scent altogether very
likely put on it so as to render it more
easy for him to slip of in some other
direction.
Likely enough Gerald said care
lcssly. AT any rate, it is as well for
Mr.. Hopkins that happened to meet
him here. Imagine his astonishmcnt
at being seized and locked up. II he
had not had any one to identify him,
and you had detained him for couple
of months, till some one came out from
England to swear to him, he would
have had grounds for an action, and
would have got swinging damages
against all your people,
Twice in the course of the evening
Gerald called at the Royal, but each
time he was told that Hopkins was out.
He was relieved to find that the man
had guessed that, although he was
bound to call to keep the story of their
acquaintanceship, yet lie would far
rather that they did not meet. Next
morning when he called at the hotel he
was told Mr.. Hopkins had gone up
country, but that he had left a note for
him. =
Its contents were brief.
You are u grand fellow, Gerald
Mayfeld. You have saved me twice,
and have returned good for evil. If l
could undo the past, heaven knows that
l would. l am going up the country
to get work of some sort only got
off with enough to pny my passage
out
Ten months later, Gerald received
from the doctor of hospital at Bella
rat the certificate of the death of Paul
Gossett, mortally injured by fall of
the roof in one of the mines there. He
had lived a few days, had said who he
was, and had written to his wife. He
had ordered that the certificate Of his
death and his letter to his wife might
be forwarded to Mr.. Mayfeld, who
would, he was sure, see that they were
sent to his widow.
For another ten months Gerald May
field worked on at Melbourne, and
then, having been relieved by his junior
partner, he sailed for England. Maud
was, he knew, living at Brighton,
where she was supporting herself by
giving music lessons. having firmly de-
clined to touch the money anonymously
paid to her account.
Then he went down and porempto-
rily took possession of her. Maud had
determined upon resistance, for she
had schooled herself to the belief that
it would be wrong for her to marry
again. She acknowledged freely to
herself that she loved Gerald May
field. She had heard from her hus.
band how Gerald had saved him from
arrest she felt sure that it was Ger
aid who would have provided for her
she never doubted that he would come
back and claim her but she had as
sured herself over and over again that
she would never allow the stigma of
her name to attach to him, hard though
it might be to refuse him. But when
he came in and straightway took her in
his arms and held her there; when he
stopped her lips as she tried to speak
about disgrace, and wiped away her
tears as they fell, there was nothing
for her to do but to yield; and even to !
allow him, in his mastery way, to set
tie that, as the marriage would be per-
fecflv nnief there yyas no reason i'm the [