The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1885-08-13

up but Talbot with his splendid team.
And while we were telling him and ask
ing advice-for we five women felt as
helpless as babies in the emergency-in
walked Frank with the return telegraph
from the office where Rob's business
was.
"Not here. Left for Northington at
1910"
Lefty read it, and shrieked, "Oh, I
knew it! l knew it!'' And for one
dreadful instant perhaps we women
all had the same thought; but it was
too outrageous possibility for Sis
ter's heart, and Pam stifened at once.
It's probably some business affair"
she said, "something we know nothing
of. The trouble isnow we don't know
how to reach him."
"Reach him" Lefty burst out.
ooh, heis beyond that now! Oh, that
l could have been so blind all these
weeks! You were right, Mira"-this
to me. might have known the silly
creature would bring trouble; but l
didn't believe-I couldn't-that my
own husband could be guilty.
"For shame, Letty!" cried Pam.
"Don't dare to say another word
against my brother There is not u
particle of reason
"And saw them together last night"
Lefty went on, utterly beside herself,
'planning it all out, and never sus:
pected-little fool! He gave her money
yesterday-her months wages, hesaid
but who knows? And oh! oh! to
rob me of my child, tool" But what
more she said I can't tell, for it was
too dreadful. The family skeleton
was paraded before them all, and our
efforts to hush her only made it worse.
Pam had grown white at her first
words, but now she just turned to the
gentlemen and said, as quietly as pos
sible: II beg that you will not think
she meant anything. She is out OF
her head over tho child"
"Of course Frank Truman said,
but he certainly looked a little dis
gusted. "But what we have to do now
is to prove her wrong by finding Mr..
Graham. If you will give me your
horses, Mr.. Talbot"-cool as you
please to the nabob-"I can catch the
l: so train for Northington; and if he's
there, as of course he is, can find and
bring him back in three hours. And
meantime, Mr.. Talbot can direct the
search here for the child. We have
them both to hunt up now, and my
half is the easier"
GLOW good you are!' Pam said,
putting out her hand. "And"-she
flushed and hesitated-"you will not
tell him-except about the baby. II
am so ashamed and so sorry for poor
Lefty. may trust you, | am sure,
as-as one OF ourselves" And she
didn't think, till Frank had bowed over
her hand and said, fervently, "A thou
sand thanks, dear Miss Graham" and
then with one glance at Annie rushed
off-she didn't think till she saw that
glcam of his eye and Armies answer
ing smile, what she had said.
We got Lefty to bed with some dit
ticulty, and Mr.. Talbot went for the
doctor. BY that time the servants
had begun to come back, but all the
satisfaction they brought was that a
slender, dark eyed man, supposed to
be a foreigner, had been seen hanging
about Marie for the last few days.
They're confederates of course" 1said
at once, and it is all q plan to steal the
child for reward"
"Perhaps it is sweetheart, "Annie
suggested.
"My DEAR" I said, little sharply,
! "of course you think So"
at is as natural suppositiOn as
the other" said Mr.. Talbot which
was what was to be expected from
him. But could have told him that
Annie needed none OF his support. She
| no IN, T n4f v1,c
jealousy just made her faith in-some
one-deeper and truer, sort OF ten
der pity every time the poor child
shrieked out some fresh arraignment
of Rob.
Wehad miserable afternoon, thouh,
thanks to an anodyne, we quoted poor
Lefty after a while There were con-
situations and plans, and messengers
sent off on vague traces which thepolice
fancied they had found. Practically
we were waiting for Rob, in the hope
that with him Harold would appear,
and at last, just as Lefty was rousing
again and asking for news, Annie, at
sight or sound Of something, rushed
down the avenue, and then there was
cloud of dust, and Talbot's team,
which he had sent to the station on
the chance OF their coming on the five
o'clock express, appeared. There sat
Rob, holding the baby, and Frank and
Marie, she very fearful and he very
triumphant, were on the back seat
In another instant Rob was down,
and we were all about him, and the
queen-dowager would have torn Har-
old from his arms if he hadn't been
firm.
mo, no; let me give him to his
mother" he cried. "Poor, poor Lefty!
to have had such q fright" There
was a shrek above as he rushed into
the hall, and Lefty came running
down. They met halfway and it is a
wonder the child wasn't smothered
between them. But it was pretty as q
picture, Rob half kneeling, and Lefty
leaning down, all in white, and her
golden hair streaming, and the light
of the stained window on the landing
bathing them in crimson.
ut was my fault, darling" weheard
Rob saying "but never dreamed of
your having such fright
And Lefty answered wildly: "No,
no, it was mine-to doubt you so.
Oh, how could II"
That was all very we'll as sentiment,
but not precisely explanatory. We
had all that presently, however, and
simple enough it all was. In the city,
the day before, Rob had met his old
friend Carthame, theportrait painter,
just out for q few days from New York,
and at sight of him the idea had fash
ed ON him that a crayon sketch of
Harold would be the prettiest pos
sible surprise for Letty's coming BIRTH
day. Carthame had special reputa-
ton on children, and his being in
Northington was a chance not to be
missed.
"Ali right" Carthame had said;
"I'll do it for you, though I wouldn't
for everybody in such a hurry. Bring
the boy down to Northington to-mor-
row, and I'll manage q head for YOU,