Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-09-11

| Without word Hervey turned and STROBE
away. Frank, with his head in ferment,
walked across to the library. Dimly he
| guessed at something-not the truth, but
| something which from its vague terrors was
worse than the truth. And in consequence
of that half-formed guess be turned traitor
at once and began to fight on Beatrice's side,
ready to aid her and to keep her uncles in
the dark. He paused at the door, and called
to Whitaker Whitaker came. ''You set
that fellow down properly, Mr.. Carru theirs"
be said. approvingly.
''Did Il If Iwere you, Whitaker, should
not mention the affair to your masters"
"Sir," said Whitaker, with emotion IT
should be ashamed to breathe a word about
it. Both Mr.. Horace and Mr.. Herbert
would be so mortified at the thought of a
servant of theirs being called such an op-
| probrious epithet."
II should not mention it to the maids
either, Whitaker
''Sir' exclaimed Whitaker, in tone Of
| great surprise.
"Ah, I forgot to whom was speaking
| [ beg your pardon, Whittakerl quite
| forgot'
''Yes, sir, you did," said Whitaker, with
True dignity; but, nevertheless, if only in
order to show there was no ill-feeling, tax
| ing the two half crowns which Frank ten
dered him.
Who was this man so anxious to ascertain
Beatrice's whereabouts? Leaving out of the
question his ungentlemanly behavior to
Whitaker, instinct told Carruthers that he
was not Of the class from which Beatrice
drew her friends. Spurious metal no eigh-
teen carat stamp anywhere, he felt certain
Horace and Herbert would look gentlemen,
whether dressed in the pink of fashion or
Longing about in rags-not that they ever
did the latter-so although he was too
modest to add his own name, would Frank
Carruthers. But this fellow!
Suddenly Carruthers started from his I'M
happy musings Why had he let the man
go? Why not have forced him to say for
what purpose he wanted the address, He
took his hat and ran quickly down the drive
and along the lane in the hope of overtaking
the man. He ran right down to the village
but saw nothing of him. Hervey had
caught passing cab, and was now well on
his way back to Blacktown, and carrying
the pleasant reflection that Beatrice's man
ner of getting out of her difficulty had put
him into cleft stick He began to wish he
had been contented with money, and fore
gone revenge. In the nineteenth century an
attempt at revenge proves a failure in nine
LYNNE cases out of hundred.
Although Carruthers did not find the man
he wanted he found some one else-Sylvanus
Mordle. Sylvanus and his tricycle. formed
the centre of a sympathetic group of vii
layers. Something had gone wrong with
the metal steed, and the curate, smiling as if
foundered tricycle. was one of the greatest
unexpected blessings that can visit clergy
man, was examining wheels, spokes, cranks
4,,I al,a
prompted by rustic wit, were hazarded by
lockers on: 'Got the staggers;" ''want's a
feed, poor thing" eight fire under him,
sir" etc., etc. Sylvanus took the jokes of
his flock in good part, but, presently looking
up, saw Carruthers among the spectators.
He left his helpless machine, and the two
friends shook hands warmly.
'Here," said Mordle, turning to his flock,
''bring that affair to my house, some of you.
Now, old fellow" to Frank ''come and have
chat Heard you were to be down this
week. Come to my lodgings" He took
Franks arm and swept him away.
Cant give you more than cup of tea,"
he continued, tobacco and tea-that's the
worst of being in the church. Can't dare to
offer friend whisky until after 10 o'clock
at night An enemy might go by I'M
awares.n
He ratified on merrily, and appeared to be
in the highest spirits This, of course, was
because he felt certain that Franks second
visit to Oakbury would not have been paid
had Beatrice remained an unattainable prize
Frank only came again because he felt sure
that second attempt would mean success.
''Lots to say to you-lots," jerked out Syl-
vanus as they entered his rooms ''Fan-
Shave writes me that you are going to give
&oh oh l,.&
wait till the teas made. Ever see me make
tea?'
Wonderful thing tea is" he continued
Cheap tea helps Christianity tremendously.
Great blessing" He put the already steam
ing kettle fully on the fire, and opened
canister. "I-I, Sylvanus Mordle, found
out the error of modern tea-making. People
make it as they made it twenty years ago,
when it cost seven and six pound-spoon-
full each head, one for the pot. I go on a
sliding scale, according to price" He abso-
lutely shoveled in the tea, and dashed the
boiling water on it. ''Now two minutes
and then pour. The aroma, the soul of the
tea, is caught. Taster'
Frank thought that even an aroma must
be cunning and subtle if it managed to es-
cape this bustling, energetic parson. The
tea was certainly good.
Now" said Mordle, stretching out his
long legs, ''tell me the newsn
During the process of tea making Frank
had been rejecting. He saw that he wanted
aid-more aid than Horace and Herbert,
whose one idea was to conceal Beatrice's
fight from the neighboring gossips, could
give him. He knew that Sylvanus was true
as steel, and would keep the secret. He
hoped to gather from him some useful partic-
81 10 yloxr
the last few months. So he told Sylvanus
the news-the whole news.
And having told it, Frank Carruthers saw
what few, very few in this world have ever
seen; that was the Rev. Sylvanus Mordle
looking the picture of utter misery and self
reproach. The change in the man positively
startled Carruthers.
"It's been on my mind ever SINCE" said
Mordle dejectedly.
whats been on your mind? For mercy's
sake speak out if you have any clue to give"
Il have been very wrong. ought never
to have yielded. But l did. l couldn't
refuse"
'Did whata Pull yourself together and
tell me what you mean"
Mordle did so, and gave Frank the whole
history of the expedition to Blacktown
Frank, who few hours before had heard
all about the Rawlings claim, tried to relieve
Mordle's mind, and to a certain extent sue
ceeded. However, the curate still retained
the impression that the visit to the Scat
and Compasses" was in some way responsible
for the girls fight Frank had some trouble
to get him to promise to withhold his con-
fession from the Talberts
He resolved to find this woman whom Bea-
trice had visited, and to learn what occurred
at the interview. He felt half inclined to
veer round to Horace's original theory, that
Beatrice had fled to insure her pets safety.
Perhaps the man with whom Whitaker had
struggled was lawyers emissary Beatrice
might have paid her mysterious visit in order
to delay proceedings If so, her strange act
was but an act of folly, and all would come
right in the end.
He tried very hard to take this view of the
case, but he could not. No. there was more.
much more, in the background, and he felt
that the man he had seen held the key of the
puzzle. He cursed his own unreadiness Of
resource in having let him go so easily.
CHAPTER XIV.