Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-01-23

suited.
ct was quite sudden ma'am;" said the
| woman she saw. "Miss Huntington had Deen
quite unwell. Mrs. Huntingdon was anxious
and thought she needed q change. That was
They did not return to North Babant
Ineir friends heard of them occasionally as
being sometimes at one mountain resort,
to remain more than few days anywhere.
Are you fleeing from some purs9er, Ne a
baye dece esery wrote once hiding a, ana Jack
Hamilton was when he was in London. 1t
seems that Prof Chatterton recognized him,
done something 50 dishonorabfe when he was
| In London that he barely escaped the penalty
Of the Law, law through his cousins sins e1Gfts and
1t was very late in the season: The last scar
let, yellow and brown leaves had futtered to
kingdoms town house was opened, and at first
| there was some doubt as to whether 1t would
not soon be closed again. as Mrs ,an %o
| abroad. Miss Huntingdon was not exactly
strong, and the voyage and change might be
| beneficial to her. But this plan was abandoned
| when Donald Huntingdon announced his in
| tentiOn of coming home.
| 1t was an intention announced quite sud-
denly, and the letter containing the news ended
| by saying that he might follow ON the next
| steamer.
| A year before Nelrs pleasure at hearing this
| would have amounted to delight, but now when
| her mother closed the letter and looked up at
her she saw new shadow In her eyes. She UNI
| derstood its meaning later, when In the course
| OF the day Nell, standing near the IRE with her
| back towards her, said:
/ Mamma, you are very clever, You know.
You can always arrange things"
Ys there amysh i e arrange an Me :. that
| tell any of the stories about him when can
hear them? 1 should not like to hear them,
| ~ will arrange 1t, Nell" her mother an
swered. That was all. They rarely referred
to what had passed. The next few days Nell
Il hmm ovS nf ton GI,x
took the arrangement of her brothers rooms.
She made many changes in them and many
grimages to town and filled every hour. The
| rooms were very charming and complete when
she had finished, and. indeed, the whole house
As the arrival might be expected almost any
day, it was her habit each day to spend halt an
in the jars and so it happened that one after
noon about week after the receipt OF the
letter she was in the parlor when servant who
| and ushered In q visitor.
She turned, her branch of yellow roses In her
her; the visitor himself did not see her until he
had advanced towards the fireplace. There
be stopped with start, quickly putting his
| about to sit down in, and turned towards her
| the agitated face of Jack Hamilton.
| when She had seen it last: and there was. as he
| looked at her, such a dumb sort of misery in
his great dark eyes that she could almost have
| "For PHYS sake" he said, "don't go away for
| few minutes. asked for your mother. did
s mot mean a TO ,oree nyse upon y st put
wouldn't If you knew how desperate feel"
He came step nearer and looked at her more
"You don't look as If you had been WE'LL" he
said. "They told me you were not strong
| they said you were going abroad; that was why
He came still nearer, and Nell unconsciously
| shrank back.
OF his old fierceness. Then with a sudden hum
| bleness, II beg your pardon, but you don't know
until think sometimes I'm not quite myself
You don't know what it is to be possessed by a
feeling that fortunes you-something you can't
| Nell made a slight movement again.
After you said your last words to me-" he
went on. 81 told myself 1 should be a fool to
| let myself be stabbed to death again. 1 vowed
| would get over 1t. tried, but it was stronger
than was. never shall get rid of it. And
and arguing about them until I had frantic
fancies. 1t seemed as If, after all, didn't de-
serve them. was In love with you and when
| you seemed to dislike me so could not give up.
l couldn't help it, but that wasn't contemplate.
Any man who loved you would feel it go hard
with him to give up all hope. And SO at last 1
began to think, perhaps, you had heard some
thing against me which was not true. And If 1
could know might explain it. 1t may seem
Heaven, ii you knew how have sufferedv'
Somehow he seemed SO much at her mercy
nad seen oon IN beqe lace shGh
| seemed impossible that such earnestness should
| cover such wrong.
81 thought 1 would come to your mother" he
| said. "Whatr'
There was a sofa just behind her. She made
one desperate effort to control herself-to look
| at him steadily and speak in a calm Voucher
| lips parted, but only to CULVER. She sank on to
the sofa and dropping her face upon her arm
| He flung all caution to the winds then-he
| actually dropped on one knee by her side
"Have said TOO much?" he cried, implor-
ingly. ayes, I have. Don't do that-don't.
never saw a woman cry before and TO see you
do it. Only say one word and will go. Have
you Ss heard e, anything g; a; against me"
| yes" she said, .you shall know-you shall
| know-you might have spared me the telling
Do you think a man can be dishonored and
base-base-"
He sprang to his feet.
Base" he almost shouted. "Dishonored!
Tell me what you mean! What have done to
| be dishOnOred? / swear some one has lied!
Ask your brother-ask Donald If am such a
at was Donald who told us, She said.
Donald he cried with flashing eyes,
And then the door opened and some one else
entered-a tall, young man, whose keen blue
eyes regarded the scene through his eye
glasses with an expression OF some bewilder-
ment.
Nell started from her sofa with a little cry.
She made a movement towards him, but Jack
Hamilton was before her. As the new conner
advanced he met him half way.
"Teli me what this meansg' he demanded
towering to magnificent height, and it must
| be confessed wearing something of the manner
| OF highwaym man. ''5Ome one shall tell Inc!
| She says am dishonOrable scounGrel that
| am a contemplate villain
"My dear Nell, interposed her brother mild
| ly, ''what language"
| But Jack Hamilton did not seem to hear
| him.
| "She says you are against me, too" he
| went on. "She says you told them all this that
you warned them against me-"
| Donald Huntingdon's eyes lost their smile
He began to look serious.
| ~ he exclaimed; "there's mistake some
| where
He walked over to Nell and took her trem-
bling hand.
"Nell,n he said, "what is the natter Don't
| be so agitated. What Is it?'
| Nelrs head fell upon his shoulder
"Donald,' she said. "let me 20. / can't hear Il
| any longer. Mamma will tell YOU"
| He was charming fellow, Donald Hunting.
/ don, and he had always been Nells friend, ad-
| wiser and protector. He put his arm around her
| In kindly, caressing support.
! mo-" he said, II won't let you 60 Nell until
| this is explained. Such things should always
| be set right at once. Somebody has made a
| mistake. Let US find out about it. When did
| i say anything against the best fellow ever
knew-the fellow with the biggest heart and
| the most stupid habit of sacrificing himself to
| those who don deserve it, / may have said
| he was an idiot, Nell; he has heard me saw
| 1t HIMSELF he is MISTAKEN, laundering giant
| but when in Heavens name did I saw any.
thing else against viii HamiIton?' '
| She almost started out of his arms
4 ssDonalO ;" she eried Doouydo,