The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1885-08-07

other way either-that he made IL his
duty to discountenance the whole
thing. He sent Frank Truman off to
the west for q few weeks to look after
some business for the firm, and In the
meantime he brought down oldTalbot,
senior partner in the Tuckahoe mills,
where he had a third interest, to con-
sole Annie. | should have thought
Lefty would have liked the other
match better; but she seemed to think
that if Annie marriedthe old widower,
who was as rich as all of us put to-
gether, that would balance things
perfectly. And as Frank, when he
came back, was too proud to speak,
and none of us felt sure it was indeed
matter of life and death with Annie,
and so inclined to let things take their
course, we were presently in as pretty
a snarl as heart could wish. Tucka-
hoe vas only ten miles off, and Mr..
Talbot used to drive over once
or twice a week; and when he was not
ut u house he was at Rob's. Hewas
really rather nice, though beingtwenty
or more years older than Annie,
it didn't seem reasonable match, and
/ sometimes wondered ifhe didn'thave
an eye on Pamela, or if he couldn't be
brought around to that. Pam was
stately and impressive, and much bet
ter suited in years and dignity. 1t
would have been a perfect match for
her; and then little Annie could take
Frank, and the double wedding would
prove our democracy beyond dispute.
Pam was gracious to him, too-all on
Armies account, she said; and the
queen-dowager pretended to help, so
that plainly the Talbot bark was on
sunny seas.
And it was while We were al Il this
tangle that Harold was lost.
1t was all from the French nurse, as
/ said at once to Pam; and ! hadsaid
often before that nc good could come
of getting a chattering foreigner to
care for the child, and makshim learn
her tongue before he could his own.
1t was the queen-dowager's idea, Twas
sure, and / had no patience with it.
But Marie seemed a good girl, and she
certainly vas picturesque and hand
some In her peasant costume, and it
was pretty to hear the little fellowlisp
his 'festce-ques." Rob made rather
more other than ofthe other servants, /
noticed; but he was generous to them
all, and it was Gully natural that he
should have moreto say to Prince Har-
Odds handmaiden. But when one soft
September prince and hand
maiden disappeared together-why,
Lefty remembered it.
1t appeared from the incoherent ac-
count Lefty gave when she came over
distracted, to tell us, that Marie and
Harold had gone out, as usual, a lit
tie before ten that morning. She had
given orders to keep him out in the
pretty little parkuntil lunch time, and
she had delayed lunch a little when
they did not come, and then she had
sent one of the servants after them,
and she came back with a distressing
tale that Nurse and child had been seen
to take the ten-o'clock train for North
ington. She had bought her ticket, SO
the agent said, chattering anindistinct
something to him about Monsieur
Graham and q message. Now North
ington was a great junction twelve
miles off, and one could go east, west
or south from it, and of course we
all leaped to one conclusion. near
" bit my tongue off to avoid saying,
81 told you sol" and to keep out of
temptation ] set off for the little POI
lice station, while Annie, too distracted
to think of the carriage, rushed down
to the mills; for Rob had gone to the
city that morning on business, but we
didn't know what or where, and one
can't send q telegram at landom.
Frank Truman offered to send the
messages, and proposed also to wire
the chief of police, and to bring up the
return messages himself, and Annie was
glad to accept. Then while we were all
running about distractedly s~endingthe
servants here and there for informa-
tion, and watching over Lefty, who
threatened Mysteries, who shouldd drive
up but Talbot with his splendid team.
And while We were telling him and ask
ing advice-for we five women felt as
helpless as babies in the emergency--in
walked Frank withthe return telegraph
from the Office where Rob,s business
was.
"Not here. Left for Northington at
1910"
Lefty read it, and shrieked, ooh, I
knew it'll I knew itl'' And for one
dreadful instant perhaps we women
all had the same thought; but it RAJ
too outrageous a possibility for a sis
ter's heart, and Pam stiffened at once.
ut isprobably some business affair
she said, Something we know nothing
of. The trouble isnow we don't know
how TO reach him.
nReach him." Lefty burst out.
"Oh, heis beyond that nowl Oh, that
i could have been so blind all these
weeksl You were right, Mira"-this
to me. / might have known the silly
creature would bring trouble; but /
didn't believe-I couldn't-that my
own husband could be guilty"
"For shame, Lettyi' cried Pam.
Don't dare to say another word