The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-08-06
CHAPTER X.-.CovTINuEp.

CHAPTER N.-'CONTINuED.
At this moment Mr.. Whittlbstaff
came down into the road. "Oh, Mr..
Gordon! good-morning, sir. You find
us in rather Il disturbed condition this
morning. am sorry did not think
Of asking you to come 20 breakfast.
But, perhaps under all the circum-
stances, il was better not. That dread
. full man had put us sadly about. He is
the unfortunate husband Of my hardly
less unfortunate housckecpcr."
"Ycs, sir, he is my husband, that's
true said Mrs. Baggett
1'm very much attached to my wife,
II you knew all about it, sir; and |
wants her 20 come home with me-.
Service amt no inheritance; nor vet
amt wages, when they never amounts
to more than twenty pounds year.
"Its thirty, you false, ungrateful
beast" said Mrs. Baggett. But Mr..
Whittlestalf had led the way into the
garden, and John Gordon had followed
him. Before they reached the hall
door, Mary LawIie had met them.
'Oh, Mr.. Whittlestafp' she said, sis
it not annoying? that dreadful man
with the wooden leg is here; and col
lecting n crowd round the place. Good
morning, Mr. Gordon. Il is the poor
woman's ne'er-do-well husband. She is
herself so decent and respectable that
she will be greatly harrassed. What
can We do, Mr.. Whittlestaffl Can't we
get policeman" In this way the con-
Versation was led away to the affairs Of
Sergeant and Mrs. Baggett, to the in.
efrable distress of John Gordon. When
we remember the kind of speeches
which Gordon intended TO utter il must
be admitted that the interruption was
provoking. Even il Mary would leave
them together, IL would bc difficult To
fall back upon the subject which Cor.
don had at heart.
But John Gordon could not postpone
, his moment. He could not 90 ON resid.
ing indefinitely at the Claimants Arms
till he could dnd proper opportunity
for assuring Mr.. Whittlestaif that II
could not be his duty TO marry Mary
Iawrie. He must rush at his subject,
let the result be what 1t might. lie
had no hopes as TO favorable result
Was Il natural that man should give
up his intended wife, simply because he
was askedP Gordon's present feeling
was an anxious desire TO be on board
the ship that should take him again Ia
fhe diamond fields, so that he might be
at peace, knowing then, as he would
know, that he had left Mary Lawrie be-
hind forever. At this moment he al
most repented that he had not lef
Arlesford without any further attempt
But there he was on Mr.. Whittlestaff'i
ground, and the attempt must be made
il only with the object Of justfying hi
coming.
Miss Lawrie," he began, "if yol
would not mind leaving me and Mr.
Whittlestaff alone together for a few
minutes, will be obliged to you
This he said with solemnity, so that Mr.
iWhittlcstaf' drew himself up, and looked
hard and stiff, as though he were dc
termined TO forget Sergeant Bagget
aud all his peccadilloes for the moment
"Oh, yes; certainly; but" Mr.
, WhittlestaG looked sternly at her, a
though he bid her go at once. "Yol
must believe nothing as coming from
me unless IL comes from out Of my owl
mouth" Then she put her hand upol
his arm, as though half embracing him
"You had better leave us, perhaps,
said Mr.. Whittlestaf. And then sh
went.
Now the moment had come, an,
John Gordon felt the difficulty. 1t ha,
mot been lessened by the assurance Civ
en- by Miss Mary herself that nothing
was 10 be taken as having come from
her unless Il was known and heard =
have so come. And yet he was thor
oughly convinced that he was altogeth
or loved by her, and that had he ap
peared ON the sceno but day sooner
She would have accepted him with a.
her heart "Mr. Whitttestaff, he said
81 want TO tell you what passed yester
day between mo and Miss Lawrie."
"Is 1t necessary~ he asked.
"I think 1t Is"
GAS far as l am concerned, / doub
the necessity. Miss Lawrle has said
word to me; as much I presume, as sh
feds 10 be necessary ~ rN llAi
Il do not think her feeling In th