The Red Cloud chief., 1884-09-12
CHAPTER XIV.

MIR. wHIrTLESTAFF Is GOING l. TO DINNER.
"There's an invitation come asking
us TO dine at Little Arlesford to-day"
This YVES said oon alter breakfast by
Mr.. Whittlestaif to Mary Lawrie. on
the dav after Mr.. Gordon's coming.
81 think Wei 20"
Gould YOU II O leave me behind?"
'.Dy no means. | want YOU To become
intimate with the girls. who are good
girls"
but Mr.. Gordon is there"
Exactly. That is Just what | want.
1t will be better that You and he should
meet each other. without the necessity
of making a scene" From this ii may
bc understood that Mr.. WhittleStaif had
explained to Mary Is much as he had
thought necessary of what had occurred
between him and John Gordon, and that
Mary's answers had been satisfactory
Il his feelings. Mary had told him that
she was conteEted with her lot in life.
rs Mr.. Whittlestatf had proposed it for
her. She had not been enthusiastic :;
but then he had not expected il. She
had not assured him that she would
forget John Gordon. He had not asked
her. Size had simply said that if he
were satiSfied-so was She. Il hin
that with me, dearest, at any rate, you
will be safe" Il am quite sure that |
shall be safe.' she had answered. And
that had been sufficient.
But the reader will also understand
from this that he had sought for no an
swer to those burning questions which
John Gordon had put 10 him. Had she
loved John Gordon the longest? Did
she love him the best: There was no
doubt a certain cautious seliishneSs i'm
the way in which he had gone to work.
And vet of general selfishness it was
impossible to accuSe him. He was will
inc to give her everything to do all for
her. And he had first asked her to be
his wife. with every observance. And
then he could always protect himself on
tie plea tina. he was doing the best he
could for her. His property was as
sured-in the three per cents, as Mrs.
Bagge:t had suggested: whereas John
Gordon's was all in diamonds. How
frequently do diamonds melt and come
to nothing? They are things which a
man can carry in his pocket, n lose
or give away. They can not-so
thought Mr.. Whittlestaff-be settled in
the hands of trustees. or left to the
charge of an executor. they can not
be substantiated. Who can say that,
when looking TO a lady's interest. this
bit of glass MAJ not come up instead
of that precious stone? 'John Gordon
might be a very steady fellow; but We
have only his own word for that'-aS
MIR. Whittlestaff observed to himself.
There could not be a doubt but that
Mr.. Whittlestaff himself was the safer
staff of the two on which a young lady
might lean. He did make all these eN-
cuses for himself, and determined that
they were of such a nature that he
might rely upon them with safety.
But still there was a pang in his bosom
"A silent secret-which kept on whis-
perirg to him that he was not the best
beloved. He had, however. resolved
steadfastly that he would not put that
question to Mary. If she did not wish
to declare her love. neither did he. 1t
was 4 pity, a thousand pities, that it
should be so. A change in her heart
might, however. take place. 1t would
come to pass that she would learn that
he was the superior staff on which TO
lean. John Gordon might disappear
among the diamond-felds, and no more
be heard of. He, at any rate, would do
his best for her, so that she should not
repent her bargain. But he was deter
mined that the bargain. as it had been
struck. should be carried out. There
fore, in communicating to Mary the in
vitation which he had received from
Little Arlesford, he did not find it
necessary to make any special speech
in answer to her inquiry about John
Gordon.
She understood it all, and could not
In her very heart pronounce . jude,