The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1884-10-23

| Gc11 Hit
''Stop your raphsodies, foolish, man
Believe me, I am not worth them. I'll
acknowledge, however, that I am rather
fond of you, perhaps on account of the
spontaneity there is about you. Hope
it will last, though-there, don't gush
again. I believe you'll try and be true
to me, and'-with more seriousness Of
manner-''I will never he false to you.
He tried to take her in his arms but
she repulsed him gently, bidding HIM
be rational and discuss their future
prospects calmly, and SO, for awhile
they did, no illusion being made to
Cousin Barbara, or the part she was
likely to play in their lives.
On sudden Madge's eye fell on the
open drawer.
"Wilfrid Lane!" she exclaimed point
ing to some papers on which that name
was written. "Wilfrid Lane?. is he a
relation of yours? How odd I should
never have thought of that before"
"Why? Do you know him?
II know Wilfrid Lane! As we'll as
though he were my own brother"
Glow strange! He is my half
| brother"
eyes, he is much older than you are.
When did you see him last ?"
II have not seen him for seven
years."
"Ah! OF course; he is always abroad.
But you go abroad sometimes; why not
to see your brother?"
"There have been family differences,
Madge."
ooh! It will be awkward when we
are married if may never see Wilfred.
| wonder what he will say when he
hears that I am going to marry you."
A sort of shiver passed over Trevor
Lane.
my brother Wilfred is scarcely the
sort of man with whom I should care
for my wife to be on intimate TERMS" he
said.
ooh, yes, know he is vaurien, but
that can't hurt me, and he is very anus
ing. Quite treat to see his dear old
handwriting in your drawer"
HE ruined Cousin Barbara-that's
why she is here" persisted Trevor.
Every hkely. He ruined my father
md my father ruined him; that's why I
am poor. Yet owe him no grudge.
Trevor; why should you?" and once
more she looked into his eyes with that
strange mesmeric power she had, which
set every nerve i'll his body vibrating.
And from talk of Wilfred Lane they
drifted back once more to themselves
and their own affairs, murmuring to-
gether softly in the light Of. the pale
moon, which had risen and cast magic
spell over the scene; broken at last,
however, by little scream from Madge.
"What is it? I heard something
moving. Is it DOGGY or Cousin Bah"
:"Cousin Bab!" And Trever, indig-
nant lest Bah should have been listen
ing, went through the portieres into the
painting room, the moon, as it were,
followed him.
mo one to be seen-On into the gar
den he passed. Barbara was in her
room; he could see the reflection of her
form on the drawn blind. Instead of
returning to the spot where he had left
Madge he walked down the garden and
called her to come to him. "The night
was so beautiful, the moon so bright, "
he said, lit was better there than in
DOORS"
From the garden they stroIled into
an adjoining wood, along a pathway
leading to the. village where Miss
Craigie dwelt.~ The vicar was her un-
Gle, and she was on visit there for a
while. Nor did they come back to
Trevor's cottage that evening; on the
contrary he went into the vicarage and
stayed talking to the vicar till past 10
o'clock.
How he should tell Barbara that he
was absolutely engaged to Madge
Craigie puzzled him not little during
his walk home, and probably would
have engros7d him even more had not
his thoughts been diverted from
it by almost feeling of annoyance
that his Madge should be- on friendly
terms with the half brother whose very
name was never mentioned in Heath
field Cottage.
When he reached home all was silent
as the grave; the glass door leading
from the sittir g room to the garden was
ajar, as Miss Craigie had left it when
she joined him, the lamp was still burn
ing on the writing table, everything
was as she had left it. No-the draw
was still wide open, but the papers had
been touched. He noticed it at glance
those which had attracted Madge Graf
gie's attention, with Wilfrid Lanes
name on them, were gone.
Pearly drops burst forth on Trevor's
brow as he perceived it, and staggering
into the seat which Madge had but re-
Gently quilted, he remained there for a
time immovable. What did she know
of Wilfrid Lane was the question he
asked himself over and over again.
We're the details Of this mans shame
full past known:to her-had she aught to
do with them? Could it be possible that
she had made the excuse of sending
him away in search of bogies, while she
possessed herself of letters and docu.
ments inculpating Wilfrid Lane? No
no-the thought was madness.
Yet the papers were gone, and that
they did inculpate Wilfrid Lane very
heavily there was little doubt, since
more than one of them was forgery of
his half-brother's name, and it was by
the holding of them that Trevor sue
ceeded in keeping the vaurien out of
England, and his own hearth and home
in peace.
Cousin Barbara's warnings against
Miss Craigie rose like spectres into his
mind, and would not be chased away,
let him struggle as resolutely as he
would. Madge and none other had
been in that room, and the papers were
gone-the case was conclusive. And he
had promised to marry this woman
What should he do! Go to her as soon as
possible, accuse her straightforwardly of
the theft, demand the return of the stolen
papers, and then spurn her image for
ever from his heart.
That was the decision he arrived at
while he sat gazing at the open drawer,
and the clock struck four before he at
tempted to go to bed. ,,.- -
To bed, but not to sleep; and when he
met Cousin Barbara ct breakfast he
looked pale and haggard, and was very
silent, while Bah grumbled away in her
usual style over the thousand and one
petty annoyances which she managed to
find at every turn.
I At last Trevor rose and took up his
hat. $500. :, 81 -.
"Going out, Trevor, instead of to
work."
He leaned over her and kissed her.
Gay, only for a little while, dear cousin.
7 shall soon be back, and we will have
some long hours together in the painting
room. *+ ~
f"Yes-s silent hours. while Won are