Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-12-18

step. Nor had she ovetestimated her pow
er of adapting herself to the new circum-
stances. She had at once assumed the
main burden of the management, and, by
dint of her transparent good sense and
unobtrusive firmness, the latter state of
the inn was made better than the first
Mary Lambert was not afraid of her
guests, nor did she allow her servants to
get the upper hand of her she was unaf-
fected, economical and liberal, and her
affairs prospered.
1t was only few moments that she
stood there then she said, addressing
Austen with some appearance of effort,
81 am glad to see you here, sir. had
sent Horkns on an errand, so answered
the bell myself. You shall have the wine
Immediately" And having spoken, she
began to blush, retrospectvely as it were,
until her face was pink all over.
"Wait a moment, Miss Lambert-Mary
exclaimed Austen. aS she turned to retire.
Don't run away from an old friend like
that / introduce my friend Ferris to you
Ferris Lund-capital fellow-brought
him down here to see you. How is the
old gentleman Ask him to come in and
finish the evening with us-you and he
together--or if he's bashful, come your
self and be sociable we'll be eternally
indebted, by Jove ~
THAT is impossible-you must excuse
me, gentlemen" said Mary Lambert, with
a sparkle in her honest eyes and the color
left her face as quickly as it had come.
"Do not include me, Miss Lambert" in
terposed Lund quickly. 81 should not
have presumed to make such a request of
you. But l shall ask permission to meet
your father and you tomorrow.
Her eyes met his once more, for an in
slant she said THANK YOU" just audi
bly,, and the next instant she was gone.
AS the door closed the two men con-
fronted each other. Both were angry,
but Austen disguised his irritation in or
der, perhaps, to give it the fuller vent
laughing demeanor. Isn't she little
peach ?'' he said. "Why the deuce, my
dear fellow, couldn't you have stepped
into the next room for five minutes She
had misgivngs about you, but if I'd had
her alone she'd have dropped all that di-
rectly."
None of that ~ exclaimed Lund i'm
periously. The tone startled Austen, but
he passed it over with a sneer. After a
moments silence Lund continued, keep
ing his voice down. 81 don't want to
quarrel with you, Austen, and can't eX
plain myself in way you would under
stand. But will tell you this much
that young lady who has just gone out
has my love, and with her own consent
and Gods blessing l mean to make her
my wife. 1t may seem incredible to you,
but you must take my word for it at all
events you must oblige me by not refer
ring to her again in the tone you use to-
wards other women"
Austen's first, and best, impulse had
been to resent this speech in some overt
ana practical manner but before Lund
had finished speaking another idea had
crept into his mind-a base unmanly idea,
which, we may hope, he would have dis
carded had he been sober and in good hui
NOR. But there was a knavish, depraved
streak in the man, and-as will sometimes
happen with what is worst in us-it OBJ
tanned the mastery of him now.
"My dear sir" said he, 81 have no de-
sire to NEEDLE with your property, or with
anything that you intend to make yours.
You may marry the Queen of the Canni-
bal Islands, for all care only, you know,
considering what | know about-well
about the people in this neighborhood ;
and considering what | was telling you
the minute before-we were interrupted
you understand-you must excuse me for
being a bit astonished. A fellow doesn't
making such n COMPOUNDED fool-hOwever
as you say its no affair of mine. If that's
your taste, enjoy it in the devils name ~
Had Lund only been content to let the
matter stop here all might have been we'll
But there was vague flavor of insinua-
ton in what Austen had said it gradu-
ally forced its way into his secret con-
seriousness, injecting a cold misgiving into
the hot current of his thoughts. He
struggled against it for awhile but, after
all, it is difficult to stand firm upon mere
intuition-to make ones future pivot
upon dream. On the other hand the
more convinced he was of being in the
right the less danger was there that any
thing could prove him wrong. Was it not
wiser to dare to face the worst that could
be said against it &?
II am not aware that there had been
any talk between us about Miss Lam
bert" said he.
II tell YOU" exclaimed Austen, tossing
his half-smoked cigar in the fire and
thrusting his hands in his pockets, 81
wash my hands of it If you're the sort
of fellow who has an appetite for other
mems leavings-well, it's nothing to me ~
o G%na stepped Mp to e then s wh RS ys
words or explain them p' said he
"Pll do neither !" retorted Austen,
doggedly II know better than to try to
save a mailman. Manage the business to
suit yourself, and don't blame me for
it,"
"You said something about other mems
leavingS'-"
"Well what if I did, My leavings, if
that suits you betterW
"Now-be careful '' said Lund, in a
whisper.
AuSlel HIS lS Ill very
tragic" he said, "but, upon my word,
it's more absurd than tragic to see two
sensible men like you and me, who were
good friends five minutes ago, glaring at
each others threats because OF a good
for nothing little coquette like Mollie
Lambert AS soon as you come to your
proper senses you'll laugh as much as
do. Holy wars, man Can't you tell a
hawk from handsaw ? OF course, ]
wouldn't betray the girls secret without
good reason for it, there are five hundred
Marys in this town, and the story told
you just now might have applied as well
to one as another, SO far as you could ever
have known. But you have taken, as
luck would have it, the one single method
possible of compelling me to identify her
and | only wish I'd taken you to Lands
End or the middle of the English Chan
nel instead of bringing you here !"
Lund drew deep breath and moisten-
ed his lips. Austen" said he, "you are
either telling me the truth, or you are
telling the most dastardly lie that ever
man uttered because, if it is a lie, l can
never know i'll can never prove it on
you. So | ask you once more-and re-
member, that what you say shall be-
tn ta1l ;c