Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-10-09

peIHdpai Duu uOb Important
Certain circumstances, which VIII be i'm.
mediately explained, connected with this
meeting, made 10 an event Of very consider.
able interest to Iris, even though she did moi
suspect its Immense Importance So much
interest that she thought Of nothing else for
a week beforehand; that as the appointed
hour drew near she tTembled and grew pale:
that when her grandfather came up for his
tea, she, who was usually so quick to discern
the least sign Of care or anxiety in his face.
actually did not Observe the trouble, plainly
written in his dropping heed and anxious
eyes, which was due to his interview with
Mr.. David Chalker.
She poured out the tea, therefore, without
one word of sympathy. This would have
seemed hard If her grandfather had expected
any. he did not, however, because he did
not know that the trouble showed in his
face, and was trying to look as il nothing
had happened. Yet in his brain were ring
ing and resembling the words, ''Within
three weeks-within three weeks,h with the
regularity Of a horrid clock at midnight
when one wants to go to sleep.
"oh," cried Iris, forced, as young people
always are, to speak Of her own trouble:
"oh, grandfather, he is coming tonight"
who is coming tonight, my dearr' and
then he listened again for the ticking of
that clock: "Within three week.-within
three weeks" "Who is coming tonight,
my dearp .N. LIT
He took the cup of tea from her, and sat
down with an old mans elaboration.
which springs less from wisdom and the
fullness of thought than from respect to
rheumatism.
The iteration Of that refrain, "Within
three weeks,n made him forget everything.
even the trouble Of his granddaughter
mind.
"Oh, grandfather, you cannot have for.
gotten"
She spoke with the least possible touch Of
irritation, because she had been thinking OF
this thing for a week past, day and night,
and it was a thing OF such .stupendous inter
est to her that it seemed impossible that any
one who knew Of it could forget what was
coming.
mo, no." The old man was stimulated
into immediate recollection by the disap-
pointment In her eyes. mo, no, my deary,
! have not forgotten. Your pupil is COM
ing. Mr.. Arbuthnot Is coming. But, Iris,
child, don't let that worry you. / will see
him for you, II you like"
mo; l must see him myself. You SEQ,
dear, there is the awful deception. Oh, how
shall ! tell himP'
N deception at ALL" he said stoutly.
You advertised in your own initials. He
never asked If the initials belonged to a man
or to a m The other pupils do not
know. Why should this orel What does
it matter to him II you have done tho work
for which he engaged your servicesT'
but, oh, he Is SO different! And the
others, you know, keep to the subject"
80 should he, then. Why didn't heY'
But he hasn't And have been answer
ing him, and he must think that l was
drawing him on to tell me more about him
self; and now, oh, what will he think9 l
drew him on and on-yet I didn't mean to-
till at last he writes to say that he regards
me as the best friend and the wisest adviser
he has ever had. What will he think and
sayi Grandfather, it is dreadful"
"What did you tell him for, Iris, my dearG
Why couldn't you let things go on7 And
by telling him you will lose your pupil"
eyes, Of course; and, worse still, | shall
lose his letters. We live so quietly here that
his letters have come to me like news of
another world. How many different worlds
are there ell round one in London? It has
been pleasant to read Of that one in which
ladies go about beautifully dressed always.
and where the people have nothing to do
but to ANUS themselves, He has told mo
about this world in which he lives. and
about his wi life, so that / know everv-
thing he does and where he goes; and"-
here she sighed h~eavily-''of course it could
not go on forever; and / should not mind 30
much II 1t had not been carried on under
false p~retences"
n false pretences at all, my dear. Don't
think it."
"1sent back his last cheque," she said,
trying to find a little consolation for herself.
"But yet"
"Well, Iris" said her grandfather. 'ho
wanted TO learn heraldry, and you have
taught him."
For the last three months"-the girl
blushed as if she was confessing her sins
FOR the last three months there has not
been a single word in his letters about
heraldry. He tells me that he writes be-
cause he is idle, or because he wants to talk,
or because he Is alone in his studio, or be-
cause he wants his unknown friends advice.
l am his unknown friend, and / have been
giving him advice"
"And very good advice, too" said her
grandfather benevolently. "Who is 30 wise
as my IrisF"
II have answered all his letters, and
never once told him that l am only a grin
81 am g%ladyoudid not tell him, Iris" said
her grandfather; but he did not say why he
was glad. Sand why can't he go on writing
his letters without making any fussHn
Because he says he must make the ac-
quaintance OF the mantle man, he says
with whom he has been in correspondence
SO long. This is what he says"
She opened a letter which lay upon q table
covered with papers, but her grandfather
stopped her.
"Well, my dear, l do not want to know
what he says. lie wishes to make your ac-
quaintance. Very good, then. You are
going to see him, and to tell him who you
are. That is enough. But as for deeeiying'
paused, trying to understand this ex.
IRENE scrupulosity of conscience-'It YOU
come to deceiving-well, in q kind Of a sort
of way you did allow him to think his cor
respondent a man. l admit that What
harm is done to hint None. He won't DO
so mean, suppose, as to ask for bis money
back again"
Il think he ought TO have 10 ali back"
said Iris; Eyes, all from the very beginning.
l am ashamed that ever took any money
from him My face burns when l think Of
it."
10 this her grandfather made no reply.