The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-10
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OLIVER'S BRIDE.
A STORY BY MRS. OLIPHANT.
PART Iv.-CHAPTER VII.

most emergencies of her life is compelled to
wait while others do what is to be done. Move
ment is hope to her. and gives her confidence
that all must come right.
Tom and l are going Tom has business Of
his own, and he takes this opportunity. And he
thinks may as well go with him, and this rnys-
terry will be cleared up l shall telegraph to you
at once, the moment have seen him, Grace"
Grace was greatly startled by this sudden res
olution, though she said very little. But when
they started by the afternoon train she was there
at the station to meet them.
II think will go too" she said. you know
have a great deal of-shopping to do" And
not word was said by which a stranger could
have OWNED that this was an expedition, not OF
shopping, but Of outraged love and despair
They arrived in London late, with sort
be done that night. But when the
ladies had been settled in their hotel, Mr.. Ford
went out to take, as he said, walk he went
through the gloomy streets; through the Strand,
divers chambers were. He had not told his
wife even, where he was going He thought
there might be something to learn which it
would be better the women should not hear; and,
perhaps, he thought, too, that it would be a
triumph without their aid to bring the wanderer
back. He went all that long way on foot, think
ing within himself that the later he was, the
more likely he was to find Oliver, and turning
over in his mind what he should say. He
would represent to him the folly of his behavior,
hopes away. Ford was very anxious, more
anxious than he would have confessed to any
one. He did not. indeed, think Of such posi-
bility as that which had really happened; but
his mind was prepared for some complication
some ENHANCEMENT that had to be got rid Of;
perhaps even tie made in earlier years
which Oliver had believed himself to have got
rid of, and which had come to life again, as such
things will. Who could tell? He might have
married. and have thought his wife was dead,
hava mt
the terrible news that this was not true. Such
thing is not uncommon in fiction, for instance;
and Mr.. Ford like many busy men was great
| novel reader. He was ready even. terrible
though it would be- to hear that this was the
cause of his'brother in-laws disappearance. But,
| perhaps, he hoped it might be something not so
bad as that
He was long time gone, so long that Trix
got alarmed, and in her uneas"ess burst into
Graces room, who was going to rest, to wait
with what patience she might for the morning,
which, she said to herself, must send all sus-
pense. Her self-restraint was sadly broken by
the irruption into her room Of Trix with all her
fever.
Where do you think he can have gomez Oh,
what do you think can have happened to him?--
such dreadful things happen in Lo.4don," Mrs.
Ford cried, rising gradually into higher and
higher excitement. She thought of earotters;
of roughs who might have followed him along
the embankment Though she scarcely knew
where that wasl. and already her magma
ton figured him lying on the pavement sense
less, perhaps unconscious unable to tell anyone
where to carry him.
1.-THE only address that would be found upon
him would be our address at home, and If they
telegraphed there how much time would be lost
And it is too late to telegraph" she said,
the miserable anticipations gained upon her.
But what could two women do in London
| hotel? They could not go out with lantern
| and search for his body about the streets, and
| they did not even know where or in what di-
! rection he had gone. 'He has gone to find your
brother Grace sue eested once; but Trix would
not hear of this. Never" she said, without
letting me know"
At last, when it was after midnight, hanson
drove UP to the hotel, and Mr.. Ford appeared,
exceedingly pale and with an air of great agita-
ton and distress. He told them that Oliver was
very. ILL that he had found him in a
able to get a doctor and stop the mis-
chief He would not be more explicit; they
had managed to stop the mischief, that was all
he would say. He had letter in his hand
as he drove back. and by the dying candies in
Wentworths room into which he had almost
forced his way He told his wife that he had
found on divers desk this long letter addressed
which brought such a shrek from Trix as sound
ed through the partition and startled Grace
once more in the solitude to which she had re-
turned again. She appeared between the hus-
band and wife minute after in her white dress
ing gown, white as the gown she wore. There
is something you have not told me- Tell me
what it is," she said. 1t had been momentary
relief to her to know that Oliver was i'll. If that
was so, everything might be explained; but.
And now she heard that there was something
more.
"Oh. Grace, 60 to bed; oh, go to bed. We
don't know ourselves yet. Tomorrow morning,
the very first thing after you have had nights
rest"
u - II.
| lips, until / know. There is nothing that can
| not be borne," she added, moment afterwards,
except not to know"
They made a curious contrast Trix all
| flushed with excitement and distress, her voice
choked with tears, her eyes overfowing and
| she who was even more concerned, she who be-
! leved herself to be Oliver Wentworth's bride,
| in that breathless silence of suspense afraid to
make sound, to waste word, lest perhaps she
should miss some recollection, some indication
of what to her was life or death.
II have something here to read, if you think
| you can bear it 1t is not good news"
"Oh, Tom, for the love OF heaven, don't.
! Grace, 60 to your room, Gear Oh go to bed,
and I'll come-Ill come and tell you as soon as
1T is divers hand" said Grace II can bear
whatever he has written. But let me have it at
| once, for this suspense is more than can bear.
"Grace-Grace!"-
But Mr.. Ford interrupted his wife. He saw
indeed, was capable of nothing but knowing the
truth. He brought the easiest chair for her,
with that pathetic instinct which makes us SO
careful of the bodies of those whose hearts we
She would have done anything nything,
so long as it brought her nearer the
end Ford had the discrimination to
see this, and that the only thing
to read the letter. of which he had already told
the chief parts to his wife. The two candles
| fickered placed together on the mantelpiece,
and drearily doubled in the mirror behind,
while the bare hotel room. with its big bed and
ground. Mr. Ford stood by the mantelpiece,
and read slowly, in a voice of which he had not
always command Trix behind him, sobbing
crying, exclaiming, unable to restrain herself.
was moving up and down, sometimes stopping to
look over his shoulder, sometimes throwing her.
self into seat In the center, the white figure,
all white, motonless sat in her chair. She was