The Magnolia gazette., 1883-05-10

ing him that there was hot the ssisAeess
possibility of a reconciliation with Ma
| bel Cuthbert. 1t was so bold that the
mere idea afforded him infinite delight,
and rendered him absolutely oblivious
TO the fact that it was the laiit throw OF
the dice in his life s game.
The outlines of the campaign were
quickly mapped out; the details were to
be determined by the march of events.
His first movement was TO send very
formal note to Colonel Cutbbert TO the
elect that he had most important busi-
ness OF painful nature to discuss with
him, and that he would be extremely
obliged if the Colonel would call next
morning Saturday. at ten o'clock.
Should this hour be inconvenient the
Colonel could appoint any other which
would suit him, but the business could
on no account be delayed.
This missive dispatched, Mr.. Cal
thorpe calmly proceeded to occupy him
self with the ordinary affairs of the day.
At the end of two hours his messenger
returned with the information that there
was no answer.
mo answerPp exclaimed Mr.. Cal
thorpe, looking at Harris, the old coach
man, inquisitively; "you must have
made mistake. Who told you there
was no answer?"
"Fczy--' told me, sir; and being a
friend . Ftine,. he told me confidently
that there was something wrong up
stairs, and the whole sAuse was at skies
and sevens.h
''Indeed! Did he mention the cause
of the disturbance?i
Never word about disturbance,
sir, barrin' that the young missus was
took suddenly bad, and he was sent for
the doctor; and when the doctor comes,
master had talk with him, and he
went away without seeing her. The
orders was to keep The house quiet, and
quiet enough it was, for everybody was
lookin' as scared as though there was g,
corpse in it. ielt mortal queer like
afore ! had been two ininutes inside the
door,
II am afraid the young lady must
be seriously ill. That will do, Harris,
thank you.
Mr.. Calthorpe was quite content tc,
await the turn of events. This sudden
indisposition of Miss Cuthbert was most
significant. Since she as well as Maur.
ice was so much affected by the part ng
scene Of the previous night, it needed
little coniuring 10 bring them together
again-unless some very occult ele-
ment turned the currents of their lives
in the wrong direction.
There was an element at work for the
inluen,e which he did not make sui.
| iic,ent allowance in his calcula ions
That was the shock to which their
faith in each other had been sub ected,
and the stubborn fidelity Of both to anY
course to which they had committed
| themselves. This element in their
characters which, under ord nary cir
cumstances, would have made their
union as perfect as that OF any man and
woman can be, was now most likely 10
keep them apart. Mr.. Calthorpe would
have called this pig-headed obstinacy.
and if he had thought of it seriously
would have been unable to comprehend
the possibility of its withstandng fcr
any length of time even such reason
as they possessed in their calmer mo.
ments.
He was curious, but not impatient, as
the psss and dismal day dragged its slow
length along without bringing any mes
/ sage from Hollyford. 1t was not the
weather alone which kept him indoors.
He was confident that there would be a
message and one of some Importance
He was, therefore, not surprised when,
in the dingy afternoon, Colonel Cuth-
bert himself appeared.
lTO BE CONTINUED.