Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1886-04-01
CHAPTER XIII.

While the strange proceedings of the stew
ard were the subject of conversation between
Lady Lydiard and Mr.. Troy, Moody was
alone in his room, occupied in writing to Isa-
bel. Being unwilling that any eyes but his
own should see the address, he had himself
posted his letter, the time that he had chosen
for leaving the house proving, unfortunate
", to be also the time proposed by her lady
ship for his intery lew with the lawyer In
ten minutes after the footman had reported
his absence Moody returned. 1t was then
too late to present himself in the dra wing
room. In the interval Mr.. Troy had taken
his leave, and Moody's position had dropped
a degree lower in Lady Lydiards estima-
ton.
Isabel received her letter by the next
mornings post. If any justification of Mr..
Troy's suspicious had been needed, the terms
in which Moody wrote would have amply
suppliedit
DEAR ISABEL q hope I may call You
Isabel without offending you in your pres
ent trOuble)-I have a proposal to make
which, whether you accept it OF not, | beg
you will keep a secret from every living
creature but ourselves. You will understand
my request when | add that these lines relate
to the matter of tracing the stolen bank
note.
II have been privately in communication
with person in London who is as | believe.
the one person competent to help us in gain
ing our end He has already made many in
quiries in private With some of them | am
acquainted; the rest he has thus far kept to
himself The person to whom l allude par.
ticularly wishes to have half an hours con-
versation with yOu-in my presence. l am
bound to warn you that he is a very strange
and very ugly old man, and | can only hope
that you will look over his personal appear
ance in consideration of what he is likely to
do for you.
"Can you conveniently meet us at the far
ther end of the row of villas in which your
aunt lives, the day after tomorrow at four
o'clock! Let me have one line to say if you
will keep the appointment, and if the hour
named will suit you. And believe me your
devoted friend and servant,
"RoBERT Moody"
The lawyers warning to her to be careful
how she yielded too readily to any proposal
of Moody's recurred to Isabel's mind while
she read those lines. Being pledged to
secrecy she could not consult Mr.. Troy-she
was left to decide for herself
No obstacle stood in the way of her free
choice of alternatives. After their early
dinner, at three o'clock, Miss Pink habitually
retired to her own room, ''to meditate," as
she expressed it. Her ''meditations" in
variably ended in a sound sleep of some
hours; and during that interval Isabel was
at liberty to do as she pleased. After con-
siderable hesitation, her implicit belief in
Moodys truth and devotion, assisted by
ctr -
panlon with whom the steward had associated
himself, decided Isabel on consenting to keep
the appointment
Taking up her position beyond the houses,
on the day and at the hour mentioned by
Moody, she believed herself to be fully pre-
pared for the most unfavorable impression
which the most disagreealle of all possible
strangers could produce
But the first appearance of Old Sharon
as dirty as ever, clothed in a long, frowzy,
gray overcoat, with his pug dog at his heels,
and his smoke-blackened pipe in his mouth,
with a tall white hat on his head, which
looked as if it had been picked up in gutter,
hideous leer in his eyes, and jaunty trip
in his walk-took her SO completely by sur
prise that she could only return Moody's
friendly greeting by silently pressing his
hand. As for Moody's companion. TO look
at him for a second time was more than she
had resolution to do She kept her eyes
liked on the pug dog, and with good reason;
SO fer as appearances went, he was indis-
putably the fobler animal of the two.
Under the circumstances, the interview
threatened to begin in very embarrassing
manner. Moody, disheartened by Isabel's
silence, made no attempt to set the converse
ton going; he looked as if he meditated
hasty retreat to the railroad station which
he had just left. Fortunately he had at his
side the right man for once) in TIE right
place, Old Sharon's etfron.ery was equal to
any emergency
j am not a niaet, looking old man, my
ear am r. he Said leering at Isabel with
cunning. half closed eyes, BLESS your heart!
you'll soon get used to me. You see, am
the sort of color, as they say at the linen
drapefs. that doesn't wash well. Its all
thro@gh love; upon my life it is. Early in
this present century l had my young affec-
HJns blighted, and I've neglected myself
ever since. Disappointment takes different
forms, miss, in different men. don't think
have had heart enough to brush my hair
for the last fifty years. She was mag
nifcent woman, Mr.. Moody, and she
dropped me like hot potato. Dreadful
dreadful Let us pursue this painful sub
iect no further. Ha here's a pretty coun-
tryl Here's a nice blue sky! l ad-
mire the country, miss; l see so little OF 1t,
you know. Have you any objection to walk
along into the fields! The fields, my dear,
bring out all the poetry of my nature.