Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-08-02
CHAPTER XIV,

Mr.. Quest appeared at luncheon, re-
manned to dinner, took his place in fact
among the guests in the house. No one
seemed to know Just how this had come
about. AleXia opened her eyes widely
to give him an aslonished stare. Sure
~, something new and strange had come
over Harmon Quest. He had a new
manner of carrying himself which diff
fered from his old assGmption-the
cheek of the needy adventurer-an
assurance and eXultance as if some
piece of good fortune had happened to
him. 1t was not alone that check for
twenty thousand which was reposing at
that moment in the, recesses of his
pOcket-book. ..&
So Though that" he reflected, is an
item not to be despised. It's the open
ing installment Of an account which
will be Swelled to five times that figure
before / am through. Poor old cove!
it IS rather hard on him to take his
money, and then to come down on him
with Mat when he thinks all is SAFE
Mr.. Killuth had been pressed to re-
main-fos the day. Tomorrow he would
90 back to his model bachelors estab-
lishment with its soft-stepping servants
and clock-work regularity, the peace
full and comfortable existence of eating,
waking and sleeping to which he was
welded. To-day he owed something
, to his old friendship for Madame Far
rington. q
But his thoughts wandered. His
eyes were drawn in spite of himself
the - hostess moving quietly
among her guests.
"How she seems to attract YOU,
cried madame, AT last. DO you KNOW
in an undertone, IL can't like her,
though Eve tried -Dana, noM-T III
prejudiced against the girl. and l admit
it-but Dana wins on me. The moth
er-" She stopped short. A thought
had come to her. "Killuth, You knew
Mrs. Oliphant before she was Mrs. Oil
plant. Was there any mystery in her
life, any ENHANCEMENT, Or-Scandal?'
He gave her 4 glance of utmost sur
prise,
"No mystery. certainly no scandal
Hardly what might be called an en-
tanglement. She had love affair
which ended unhappily." -
1t was evident that Madame PAIRING
ton was in the dark regarding that mat
ter, and he did not care at that moment
to cnlighten her. Il can't say that she
attracts, rather that she puzzles me.
find it hard to believe that she is really
the little Rose Sangerford | once knew
"And no wonder" 1t was not Mad
anne, harrington speaking now. Miss
Power had drawn near in time to catch
the last words. between n ruined
complexion and golden dye, and being
!, three inches. taller than when she went
away, she is changed out of all telling.
She must have liver complaint, / sup
pose, to have turned her SO yellow. or
perhaps it was yellow fever itself. They
did have it awfuIly in the West Indies
that wear after Power was married.
'.ln the West Indies!' $50
lin Havana I'm very sure some
thing unpleasant occurred there. for
Rose can'tbe brought to speak of that
time, and when Iasked Power aboutit.
he positively turned pale. A icia, he
said miss Powers voice grew mascu-
sline and dramatic. She had a power of
mimicry which could be made very eff
-fetive. Alicia. if could blot out the
fact that I was ever in Cuba from my
memory l would gladly DO so. You
Will oblige me by never referring to this
subject again? Now, Mr.. Killuth, Ma
dame harrington. what do you suppose
could have happened to them there?"
A wild, startling idea flashed for one
instant into MIR. Killuth's mind; the
next he dismissed it, but it required
again when the ladies moved away and
he-was lefS for a moment alone.
''She is enough like her." he NUT
tered, half-aloud.
WHO is enough like who, my dear
fellow? Are you dreaming of your first
love. and does Miss Alicia resemble her?
| Does she want to take you captive that
you have such a 'frighte' d e'e'?"
'AIfIkamzineEned TO be frightened a
an, one it is not at Alicia. Launt,
with conviction, Mrs. Oliphant is no
more like Rose Sangerford than l am.