The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-07-20
CHAPTER XIV.
MORE REGARDING THE LETTER.

| CHAPTER XIV.
MORE REGARDING THE LETTER.
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 astonished 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 assumption-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.
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 that when he thinks all is safe"
Mr.. Killuth had been pressed to re-
main for 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.
But his thoughts wandered. His
eyes were drawn in spite of himself
toward 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. now-T M
prejudiced against the girl. and | admit
it-but Dana wins on me. The moth
err 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-scandal9'
He gave her glance of utmost sur
prise.
mo mystery, certainly no scandal
Hardly what might be called an en-
tanglement. She had love affair
which ended unhappily."
1t was evident that Madame Earring
ton was in the dark regarding that mat
/ ter, and he did not care at that moment
| to enlighten 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 a 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 awfully in the West Indies
| that year after Power was married"
lin the West Indies!n
lin Havana. I'm very sure some
! thing unpleasant occurred there. for
Rose can't be brought to speak of that
time, and when asked Power about it.
he positively turned pale. Alicia. he
said" Miss Powers voice grew mascu-
line and dramatic. She had power of
mimicry which could be made very eff
fctive. 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 left for 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 herr
Does she want to take you captive that
you have such .frighte'd e'e'?"
If am inclined to be frightened at
any one it is not at Alicia. Launt,"
with conviction, Mrs. Oliphant is no
more like Rose Sangerford than l am.
She is the very picture of what Mignon
Almont might have become if she had
lived, and been worn upon by time and
trouble and perhaps remorse. l saw
1 l.
yesterday. For one solitary instant l
thought it Uds her, until remembered
that her hair was black and this woman's
yellow. Whoever she may be, she is
not Rose Sangerford. II it were posi-
BILE to believe could swear that she is
! that arch-sorceress, La June herself"
..But it is not possible. Black hair
does not turn yellow, the grave does
not give up its dead"
'.lt turns gray, as Alicia more than
limited Mrs. ELEPHANTS is. And there
have been mistakes made-impostures!
practiced as rank as that
"And Alicia Power has talked you
into this" said Launt. angrily. Il
hope to heaven, Killuth, that you
haven't, between you, imbued the
madame with a notion so absurd.
Inwardly, he was resolved to put a
check on Alicia Powers mischievous
tongue. If there was no other way Mr..
| Oliphant must be told of her insinua-
| tons against his wife. but another way
occurred before the evening was over.
It. was after dinner. and the party had
betaken themselves to the grounds. The
grand pageant of glorious sunset
| streamed out of the western sky, and
Mr.. Harrington, strolling away by a Sc
cluded path for the solace of his after
dinner cigar, found Miss Alicia id
garden-chair, a letter-or what APP
peared to be letter-in her hand. So
absorbed was she that she did not hear
his footsteps until he was close by her
side. She started then, and crushed the
paper quickly from sight
cit isn't a loye-letter." she declared.