Sword and shield., 1885-10-17
CIT.tpTI,l; NXTV.
AYol-reAGEoy wlf.TrAKrE.


Carrahefs. when Horace AMI Herbert
went toa.h At the c;,ll ot duty, had asked
that B..llricr's letter might be LEFT with him.
As hc haI flly proved Iii, right 10 be ad.
| nittad 10 the family c0anyl his request was
rcadl. granted. With tic letter in his hand
he went into tlie liaelly AM rond-rtd what
had happened 'fle question he .lisd 10 solve
was what motive could haze been strong
enough to force Beatrice 10 take such step?
lie had heard from Horace al about the
clam made upon the child, and this had eX-
planned matter which had f0r some days
been troubling him greatly, namely. Bea-
trltc'S abrupt departure from London. But
here he could see no strong motive. the
claim was abandoned, or al least lay quics-
cent. Besides, Beatrice, rs he Judged her,
was far more likely to fight than to fly. He
dismissed anything TO do with the boy, or at
| least put it aside 10 be inquired into cOllateI-
ally.
Herbert, too, had limited his ilea about an
attachment. Frank having ascertained that
no shadow Of suspicion of such a thing hung
over Beatrice sternly put it out Of sight Be
SIDES there We're one or two recollections
! which he carried always with him and which
rendered such vulgar, unworthy explana-
ton something not far short Of sacrilege
He reckoned Beatrice woman of superior
abilities, logical and perfectly ablcto foresee
| consequences. He felt that she would not
have acted as She had acted without care
fully considering what it entailed. No ro-
mantle giriisi impulse had hurried her
away; no cccenticity of character had led
her TO shape such Il course. The reason,
whatever ii might 5e, was to hermind amply
sufficient.
She was rga3ppy. Her own words said
50. 1at soli, danger oyerhang her? Did
some evil threaten her? What danger? What
evil? Why could not he Frank Carrnthcrs,
be al her side to shield and aid? Heaven
knows lie would do il and seek no reward.
He groaned. lie was very miserable and
cas-! down. II was in this very room ne had
bemaancd his first sorrow He had recover
cd from that and had encouraged himself TO
hope that the woman he loved would, after
all, be his. And now to come and find her
g0nc-gone without w0rd-gOne no one
knew Whither-no one knew why! To feel
that she was flying from some menacing evil
and yet not know what. lie was very un-
happy.
He had come down with such news for her
news which even as Il friend she would
have been glad to hear He had breathed
no word of it to her in London: had resolved
to say nothing about it until all was settled.
AT last he saw his way to giving up the
drudgery Of teaching what he bitterly called
fools. lie had for years been a thrifty man
and the money he had saved was not a small
sum. For years he had dreamed of litera-
ture as profession, and now hesaw his way
TO realisation OF that dream. His political
articles had attracted attention. He had
been offered an important journalistic post.
A manuscript from which he expected great
things was i'll the printers hands. He saw
certain amount of renown if not fortune
waiting for him. All this he had come down
to tell Beatrice before he went back to Ok |
ford wound up his affairs, and babe the |
classic town farewell.
1t seemed as if, whenever he counted on |
drainr., the cup of JOY, it was struck from /
his lips!
He must find Beatrice. Sacred as her
wish not to be traced might be to Horace
and Herbert, Frank felt that it did not affect
him. lie would not of course stoop to cali
ing in detective aid, but the utmost he could
do to solve the mystery should be done. To
Frank BcaiEine's aight appeared in a far
moe serious ii-siit t:l.n il did 10 her uncles
lie mns go and loal. at her portrait. There
was fine one in the drawing-room. lie
went there, stood before it for a long time,