Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-05-31


glad 10 see mcy"
aGlad, my darling o." he cried. all
the care gone out Of his face; yes,
very glad. You know am glad
"And you do love me as much as
ever,n she pleaded, with her eyes fixed
so very anxiously on his.
"Yes," he said simply. Nor did
she doubt him now, though during the
last fortnight Of estrangement following
that wretched petty quarrel she had
fancied all sorts Of dreadful things.
"More and more every day, dearest.
II was ali my fault, Ethel. had been
worried and vexed by business, and
visited IL upon you"
The girl looked up at him with cling
ing eyes. as If il had been privilege he
had granted her. Then she said, but
not reproachfully, al have been here
half an hour; ! expected you before"
"Did you?" he answered. 1t was
so good Of you to be here, generous Of
you, like yourself! But you must come
in for minute with me, Ethel. The
house is quite empty. The care-taker
I know has leave to be away this after
noon; and Critchlow, our cashier, will
have left by now"
81 don't think ought" she said
smiling.
Nonsense :" he replied gayly. 81
must put my books away now, and
come back after tea. And see, if you
are thinking Of the proprieties, there is
policeman watching us with the most
unfattering interest
lie opened the door with his key, and
she came shyly in. Once inside, how
ever. and the door shut upon the inqui-
sitive policemen--well, it is no matter
to us how Crisp welcomed her. But
this satisfactorily performed, they went
up stairs, his arm round her waist--a
strange sight in that dusty place-their
steps echoing in the empty house. At
the top Of the stairs the door into the
large clerks room was ajar. Crisp
pushed it open and led her in. 4" And
this is where you do your work 2" she
asked, devouring with wide-open eyes
the long, bare room, with its four win
dows, its row Of desks and stools along
one side, and the glass-box in the far
corner.
NO" he answered, laughing, 81
am supposed to be a cut above this,
darling. Only ] am obliged to be very
careful not to throw stones" He led
her up the room, and, unlocking the
door of his glass house, took her in.
How delightful it was to help her up on
his high stool and hold her there, tor,
of course, being unaccustomed to it,
she might have become giddy! And
see her fit her little boots to the rail Of
the desk, and unlock the latter and
come at once face to face with her own
photograph And then to see her
blush, all pleasure at this proof of his
fidelity! 1t was all so delightful that
he wondered why, though they had
met in Change alley on Saturday after
moons before, he had never brought her
TO see his office.
" And where do those doors lead to?
Don't, Ernest; please leave my hair
alone. How do you know, sir, that
there is no one therc?"
lie stopped at once-whatever he was
doing-and dark shadow fell across
his face. THAT is Critchlow's room,"
he said. "and, by Jove, he's left his
key in it. There nice piece Of care
lessnesS 80 But there was no citation
in his voice. 1t seemed as if shadow
had fallen on them both from the mo-
ment her eyes were drawn to that door.
1t was not just in front Of them-the
door leading to the partners rooms
stood there--but in the corner on the
left.
"l'll take the key and convict him,
at any rate, of this" the young man
said, modify, and went out Of his glass
case and crossed the floor to the door.
The girl followed him, a strange. sud-
den feeling Of the emptiness of the house
upon her. How hollow Ernest's foot
steps rang. The sun. too, had gone
behind cloud, and the room seemed
dreary, dusty, and cold, too. for she
shivercd.
Crisp, after trying the cashiers door
and finding it locked, slipped the key
out and put it into his pocket. Then
he locked his own door and pocketed
that key also. 1t was strange, perhaps,
that he took no farewell kiss in the hall,
but opened the outer door hastily, and
seemed to breathe more freely when they
were ont of the alley and in the peOpled
streets.
They took so long a walk, Ethel tell
ing her lover of her latest troubles at
Maintrec House, young ladies' semi
nary where she was tolerated as teacher
Of English, and Ernest, confdng the
dreadful matter Of the error in his ac-
counts, that when they parted he gave
up all thought of returning to his books.
But YOU must not be late another
day, SIR" were her last words. He
thought nothing Of them then, but after
ward, when he was alone, they puzzled
him. There had been no appointment
made for that afternoon. no promise
given, no time fixed. SO how could he
have been late; 1t was odd. What
did she mean by saying he was late:
CHAPTER III.
Crisp's omission to return to the
books may have blunted his moral
sense, or it may have been mere chance
that led him to be nearly quarter Of
an hour late on Monday morning. As
he hurried up the alley he was sur
prised by the sight Of group collected
about Parkman's door. Among them
were one or two Of Parkman'S clerks
looking unlike themselves, and one or
two policemen unable to look at any
thing but themselves.
"What is upg" he asked lightly !;
but though they all seemed to be look
ing at him, no one answered. Instead,
a clerk, one Of the juniors, said audi
bly,, THAT is Mr.. Crisp; and
strange voice answered emphatically,
That is the man :" This seemed to
cause sensation, amid which a short,
stout person with blunt, hearty voice
and humorous eye, pushed through
the group and sand. This way, sir,
please" in a voice Of authority.
-, he. - ka at -