Omaha daily bee., 1885-09-03

ran-do not be uneasy will write tonight.
They were greatly surprised, and marvelc
on what errand could she have gone to Lon
don't No doubt it was all right. She ha
most likely gone to her fathers. PerhaI
Sir Maingay was i'll. Beatrice might hav
intercepted n telegram and impulsivel
started off at once. But why take the chi
and the nurseY Whyl There they wer
unable to make head or tail of the matter, S
could only wait for the mornings post.
Beatrice might have been more explicit,
said Horace, looking at the telegram ono
more.
eyes," said Herbert, "she mad nine word
to spare"
kilograms are one of the pests of moderi
life" continued Horace. People dash of
these in-worded, un~punctuated phrases in
stead of a proper letter. No one can write
decent letter now"
Horace, who had the gift of writing pecu
liarly well-constructed and elegant, if ratheI
too lengthy, epistles, felt keenly on the ten
dency of the age to conduct its correspond
ence by means of short, swapping sentences
after the manner of Mr.. Mordle's style q
talking.
II hope she will be back soon,n said Her
bert. "Frank comes to us the day after to
morrow"
"He is in good health now, isn't her
splendid, 1 b~elieve.n
"Then l think we can give him the $50 thi.
time-the Ais growing low."
This was not meanness. It was but the
caution a Wise man exercises over his cellar.
Besides, who could complain of the delicate
graduationl 1868 is a fine wine; many prefer
it to 1917.
Beatrice's promised letter came in the
morning. Horace reed it first. His face was
u perfect blank. He read it again before he
handed it to the anxious Herbert, who, al
though he saw from his brothers face that
something strange had happened, was for
once unable to make the slightest guess at
the truth. Here is Beatrice's letter:
"My Very Dear Uncles: I should be migrate
full for the kindness you have shown me if /
left you in any anxiety a moment longer than
| could help. sent you a telegram yester-
day afternoon to how you that no evil had
befallen me.
Il scarcely know what to say to you. /
can at present offer no excuse for what l am
about TODD. lean giveno explanation. When
| came to Hazlewooi House l hoped to be
able to make it my home for so long as you
would keep me. Now, l find, 1 am forced to
leave you and make a home of my own. More
|oNSAs l. Ai' " " W iAllS Nl tNt0b hNt
silence as to where that home may be. At
this moment | have not even determined. 1t
will, however, be out of England. l cannot
even tell you why this must be SO. VIII you
ever forgive mei
"Please do not fear on my account. / am
growing old and can well take care of my
self; besides, Mrs. Miller will be with me,
also Harry, so that l shall not be dull.
eff l cannot promise to tell you where I
am, 1 will at least let you hear from me now
and then. Please, oh, please, do not try and
trace me, but do endeavor to think kindly of
your loving but unhappy niece, BEATRICE"
''What does it mean, Herbert?" said Hor-
ace in sepulchral tones.
''What can it meanF' echoed Herbert.
They sat staring at one another and feel
ing that such an unlocked for catastrophe
had never before happened since the world
began to be peopled by ladies and gentlemen.
Their niece, the feminine counterpart of
themselves; the embodiment, to their minds,
of all that a well-bred, well-born woman
should be, to be guilty of such an ~escapade.
1t was awful, perfectly awful
They read the letter again and again,
discussed the meaning Of sentences, even of
words; but this Analysing process helped
them nothing. SO they turned to reconsider
in a new light Beatrice herself as they knew
der or fancied they knew her.
Although neither of the Talberts had ever
felt the tender passion, it was thought by
many that if either were attacked, Herbert
would be the victim. A widow anxious vo
the holy estate of matrimony would
nave directed her attention to the younger
man as being of a more malleable material
than the elder. There was, indeed, a vague
t,oJ;tion Hootipp about that HarIarf h,I
once upon a time looked rather tenderly upon
some young lady, and that had not Horace
with praiseworthy selfishness promptly inter-
fered and nipped the affair in the bud he,
Horace, might now be living in solitude with
all the cares of Lakewood House on his
shoulders. So it was Herbert who first ap-
preached the puzzle from the romantic side.
"You don't think" he said, that Beatrice
could have any-any unfortunate attach
ment of which we should have disapprovedw
'sHow could such a thing be posslbleg"
"We thought such a thing as her leaving
US like this an impossibility."
This argument impressed Horace. He
the matter carefully over. "No,"
be said, with the air of a judge giving a dc
cision, 'ft is impossible. She has given nc
of such a thing. She has seemed quite
happy and CD ntented. Her appetite has, I
hGnk, been vay good"
ayes, very good" said Herbert.
'Besides, who could there be' She is also
her own mistress, and if she wished to marry
we have no voice in the matter. She is quite
of having her own way. Witness
her leaving all that money idle"
Horace had never got over that present of
seven per cent. to the bankers.
Herbert, in obedience to his brothers views,
the unfortunate attachment theory
and began to look for another. 81 wonder"
he said sadly, and after a long pause, 81
wonder If we have misunderstood Beatrice's
characterf'
Il am almoSta afraid it is So" said Horace.
"She seemed so quiet and contented,"
sighed Herbert. ''True, that affair about
those people and the boy upset her."
'Now," said Horace. ~ believe you are
nearer the mark. Can it De possible
any fear that the child would be taken
from her induced her to make this foolish
can call it nothing elseF'
Herbert objected in his turn. Beatrice had
been so certain that the claim would come to |
nothing, and events had proved her sagacity.
So they talked and talked, suggested and rea- |
soned, but never got near the truth. They |
could not even frame a theory. Nothing in
this world is more annoying than TO be with
out IA theory.
AT last Horace rose. "Something must be
he said, decisively.
YES" assented Herbert, inquiringly.
"We are, it appears to me, placed in a
most unfortunate position. This mysterious
fight involves the most %grievous couse-