Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-09-17

gentleman by birth, a gentleman by
education and breeding"
Gentlemen drift to the gutter; gentle
men join the criminal classes every day in
the year, my poor Grace said the colonel,
gravely. 81 do not suppose for moment
that y,u would mistake a cad for a gentle
man; but there is such thing as reckless
man gone thoroughly to the bad, and Pm
afraid your Victor de Camillac is just
such II one All that we can hope is that
he has got clear off, and that your dear
fathers wound may not prove fatal"
"Fatal! o, God if it were, | should be
my fathers murderer-for it was my folly
that brought that man to this house. Oh,
why should so trivial a sin bring such a
terrible punishment? If my father were
to die ! should never lift up my head
again should pray God to end my days.
| never, never could know peace of mind
any more'
She chung to her kind old friend, sob
bing Historically, beside herself with
horror.
"My dear child, don't give way to such
grief, said the colonel, soothingly. God
grant your father may recover And,
after all, this suspicion of mine may be
wrong. The criminal may be a stranger
of whom we know nothing Remember,
it is only Il conjecture on my part"
"lf you were right, if it were he, my sin
would have been the cause of my fathers
death" said Grace; and then she re-
membered that bitter cry of Lady Darncl's.
those awful words spoken by the lips of
sleeper: MY fault, my fault, | murdered
him."
How strange that those self-accusing
words, uttered unconsciously, should be
echoed now by Grace, waking and sen
tent
NO, | will not believe it, she said
presently. after all, there is no evidence
to go upon. There is no real ground for
such a hideous suspicion. | believe that
poor creature fell down somewhere, i'll or
dying, and that he never came to Darnel
Park
"You may be right, Grace. My view of
the case was only a succession of conjec-
lures. | should never have thought Of it
if that man from Scotland Yard had not
set my wits at work. There is something
infectious in the maneuvers of these peo-
pie. Only | thought it right to tell you
everything, more especially as you insist
upon considering yourself bound to this
adventurer.'
Il insist upon acting as a woman Of
honor should act, answered Grace with a
heroic air.
and you consider yourself bound to a
beggar>'
a consider myself bound to him till he
releases me know he would release me
from my promise if could only see him
and tell him everything"
Indeed There is something that he
must be told, them"
Eyes" murmured Grace, hanging her
pretty head.
Col. Stukely lifted the bent head between
his hands, and kissed his goddaughter's
forehead
MY pet, [ begin to understand" he
said. a suspected all through that
weary dinner that you had some
thing to tell me. You have
found out at last that frank,
honest young fellow whom you have
known since childhood is better worth low
ing than an unknown foreigner whom
you met by chance in picture gallery"
"Mr Colchester was walking in the
Khrubbery With me this afternoon" fal.
tered Grace. "and he asked me to be his
wife. 1t wss very, very sudden: and he
took me 50 by surprise that I'm afraid
allowed him to think that am rather
fond OF him"
What vas it you said, Grace?'
ut was not anything l said to him. 1t
WINS only my manner"
"Oh.' said the colonel ait was your man
nor, was it9 There is a good deal in man
ner End suppose by the time You left
the shuhbery you had engaged yourself
to young Colchester, in spite of your
promise to the Frenchman."
you insist upon your mean opinion Of
me-" cried Grace, stamping her foot. mo,
did not engage myself to him. | told
. him that | could never marry him.
tried to tell him that | did not care for
him, but my lips would not speak the
false words. ! know now that do care
for him, that the other was only foolish
inflammation, of which have good reason
to be ashamed"
81 am glad you have found out the truth
at last, Grace. Now, my darling, you
mustn't fret any more. Leave everything
to Providence and your old godfather.
Hark, there are wheels coming up the
avenue. Who can it be at such an hour?
The doctor paid his last visit before din
ner."
1t was Mr. Penwern in fly from the
village. Col. Stukely hurried back to the
house dreading, yet eager. to hear the
detective account Of his investigations
Mr.. Penwern was shown into the library,
where the colonel found him closeted
with Dora Darnel, who had not lost
minute in going to him.
well, Mr.. Penwern, what's your
news?" asked the colonel, taking the case
out of Dora's hands,
The detective had an idea that the
money and the authority were both on the
side OF the lady; but there was that in the
/ Afghan herOs bearing and tone which
could not be sighted.