The daily Cairo bulletin., 1883-01-07


this was a matter requiring immediate
investigation. The grounds about tho
lake were private property; anyone
lurking among the underwood or trees
was probably cherishing "felonious in
TENT" he should, therefore give instruc-
tions the very next morning TO have his
own grounds searched, and advise his
friend, the squire, to follow suit. II
marauders were about, the sooner they
were discovered the better, If only in
order to put an end to the absurdly fall
lacious notion already freely whispered
abroad His man, Charles, indeed. but
an hour ago, having ventured to ask
his master, with an awe-stricken ex-
preston OF C0untenanCe as he removed
the coffee, whether lit wur true, sir,
that tn young gent upstairs were an
'aunted MANI
The two gentlemen having fully dis
cussed and enjoyed this joke, an omi-
nous pause suddenly ensued, broken at
length by the baronet, who startled
Dick by beginning abruptly and in a
strange low key
Dick, will ii bore you to listen TO an
old mans condolences, or only serve,
perhaps, to pass the timer Well, then,
| have that upon my mind tonight,
which il seems to me should not re-
main unsaid one single hour longer, for
after more than dozen years, the spir-
u for the first time moves mo now tn
drop the mask awhile, tear aside the
veil OF cold reserve Wherewith ! have
thus long decorosly covered up my
wounds, and conhde to You the lniser-
able secret which, throughout long
years, has robbed my days Of happiness,
my nights peace, tranquility, and that
repose which Is, after all, the only So
lace declining years may know"
Dlck was more amazed by this ad-
dress than he cared to betray. Sir Jas
per had always appeared to him calous
and impenetrable as tie sphinx. less
prone to indulge in sentiment, perhaps,
than any other human being OF his ac-
quaintance. To hear him, therefore.
give expression to n depth OF unavail-
ing regret, sayoring strangely of re-
morse, struck the young man as pitia-
bic and incongrlons, betraying, as il
did, much Of the unrecognized anguish
The lonely baronet must have endured
'llsuspected throughout long wears.
1t is needless TO add that Dick hast
ened to assure his patron Of the ready
sympathy any personal trouble could
not fail TO awaken in lis own hpart.
and begged Sir Jasper To coniide freely
to his ear every detail Of tho sorrow t.
which he had so paihclically alluded.
III can aid or serve YOU. sir, he con-
cluded earnestly; II tyUst protestations
o' eagerneSS in y0ur cause are unneces-
sary on the part of one 80 sincerely at
taclled and deeply indebted TO YOU as [
must ever remain"
Aye, there tie rub, lad; there's the
rub. murmurel the baronet vaguely.
\ outh is seldom altogether disinter-
ested, even though less merccnary. per-
hapS, than age. liut ! have given you
every reason, Dick, toto cherish al
most llmitleSS eHpectati0ns--a the
phrase goes-upon the death OF one who
has ever sought to benefit you in life.
What II tue revelations and the service
am about TO ask of you should appear
calculated toto injure Your prospects
and damp yonr hopesy What if
Say no more, sir, | beg.n Dick inter-
rupted warmly. Have |, indeed, Civ
ELI you cause to think me the meanest
OF men, the most ungrateful and unde-
serving OF my sexY Can y0u----n
"Ah, wronged you, boy--I wronged
you. returned the baronet, hastily;
"and ask your pardon III that, even
momentarly ! was unjust 10 you in
thought. Enough Of preamble howev-
er. Listen TO the story OF my youth.
the sorrows of my manhood, the-the
crime and duplicity of my old age!"
His voice, with the last words, sank
TO a mere whisper, then there was q
long, long pause. Dick welI-nigh stilled
his breathing, Straining his ears TIL the
tension of his nerves became almost
painful in his anxiety TO catch the
falntest murmur that might escape the
Others lips.
"Dick, you may or may not have
heard that | lived gay life when a
young man; your father and were at
college together, and he has, perhaps,
told you as much OF my collegiate ca
reer as ii was advisable you should
hear. No matter. Eventually | went
abroad to improve my mind by Ereign
travel, TO rub off something Of insular
prejudice, to see life-cnarge my ideas,
in short, with any and every object in
view, saving the one that ultimately
attained. fell in love, Dick, and, as 4
natural sequence, took to myself a
wife. She was Saxon by birth, French
by parentage, aud Marguerite was her
name. Her mother was---d0n't start,
Dick-a third-rate actress, and il was
behind the foot-lights that first saw
my Marguerite. She was beautiful as
an angel--as an angel, good and pure.
saw no sign nor symptoms Of lurking
evil, no disposition towards wr0Igdo-
ing, no trace of hereditary faint yet her
mother was common actress, Dick.
Bear this salient point in mind. Well,
my bride was lent to ne but one brief
year, then. as her babe saw light, she
died.
IA D.. IiauI,pHsyI