The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1883-07-07

the swirl of Il crimson wrapper, Hut
ter of white hands. and Bertha was on
her knees with her arms around her
sister.
you did this for us-for me! For
give me forgive me.Oh, | didn't mean
1t, Erica, didn't, indeed"
A canary swinging in his gilded cage
burst into grand bravura.
Erica rose suddenly.
How shrilly that bird sings" she
exclaimed 1T is deafening" She
went out of the room. and Bertha sat
quite still where she had left her. Her
head lay within the hollow of her. arm,
which rested on the elbow Of the rocker.
Louder and more piercing came the
song from the bird-cage.
stop, Dick!" she cried irritably.
She caught the late September rose
from her bosom and flung it at him,
and laughed at herself for being so fool
ish, all in one breath.
Robert Sutherland came upthat even
ing. He was a man of % or there
abouts, with smooth, clean-shaven
face, absolutely colorless His nose and
chin were of type long and pronounce
ed, his eyes were light-blue. his hair
light-yellow.
The Braithwoods were all gathered
together in the parlor when he entered.
Rick lay full length on the sofa, deep
in the perusal of seductive French
novel, Dot and Dora drummed duet
on the asthmatic piano in distant
corner the younger children clustered
round the story teller of the family, who
just then was RECALLING them with
thrilling description OF fight with "ln-
juns."
Come in, Bob cordially invited
Rick, who had he ever had the honor Of
presentation to the late Prince Con-
sort would have called him "Al' on
their second encounter.
Erica, busy with the homely task OF
patching Willie's coat, looked up with
swift compression of her lips and held
him out her hand. Bertha rose half
eagerly, half shyly from her chair and
came little forward to meet her lover.
She was locking very graceful, and
slender, and stately in her picturesque
dress of dull Venetian red. with the
quaint brooch of tawny gold at her
throat.
"Sit down. Have a cigar-the girls
don't mind" murmured Rick in genial
histhoughts still with Celes-
tine.
They were not cermonious at the
The twins paused a mo-
ment to stare at the newcomer, and then
resumed their interrupted performance
with an energy which threatened to
shake every petal from the Last Rose
Of Summer" The sensational narrator
adown the room suspended his recital
in the middle of startling sentence,
''And the toma-," waiting long
enough to run the curiosity of his listen
ers up to fcver-heat before he conclud-
ed, "hawk fellr'
Thanks, no!' Sunderland replied,
II don't smoke. Let me move that
amp for you, Miss Braithwood-so.
Wen excuse YOU with a nod to Rick,
Ego on with your book. | am going to
talk to Bertha. "
Rick went back to Celestine.
Erica sewcd on with brown, bent head;
under its merciless manipulators the pi-
lno groaned agonizing crescendi and
sobbod gasping fortissimi. Once or
twice Erica lifted her eyes and looked
across the room to where Robert Suth-
,rland leant above her sisters chair.
He always talking in his slow, absorb
ed, nervous fashion, she listening, her
face lumincSls.
what does she see in him?" she ask
I'd herself desperately, and fell to plying
her needle more rapidly than before, as
though to stitch out an answer to her
question.
That will do, Dot. Goodnight,
DoraH' she said at last to the relentless
musicians. They ceased Immediately.
And on the sudden silence came distinct
" from the distant corner the blood
words, land Tiger Tommy,
pulling out his revolver, exclaimed
There was quick, spontaneous shout
Of laughtcrfrom the elder people, break
coated their intercourse. I
Tiger Tommy, 90 to bed!' chimed
in Bertha, gayly. Looking rather shame
faced, the youngsters scrambled up.
Robert Sutherland rose, too.
"What! going Bob? Where's tn
hurry? Oh, hang it, YOU. don't, you
know" eXpostulated Rick, dropping
Celestine and her sorrows ignominous-
ly on the carpet.
"Oh, | must! | didn't tell YOU Bertha,
did |, that / have to leave town to-
night?'
The girls dark, velvety eyes dilated.
No" she said slowly, you did not
tell me-
He looked up at her with smile,
at was such hard luck for me, my
darling; such difficult news for me to
tell, | naturally deferred its mention rs
long rs possible. lrcceived telegram
to-day containing information of the
death of my uncle in Paris. An uncle
only by marriage, n native-born Paris.
ian, he. | must 20 over to protect my |
cousin 5 inheritance from the devastating
grasp of those rapaciouS Gallo lawyers. |
OF what duration my absence will be
can form no conjecture, however faint.
This only know. However brief, brisk
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