Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-12-25

voice was gone frorn TIE whistle. nnd
with its failure it cYpalre1 to Trip
as If every hope was oone from lcr.
Who could help her aowi Alger.on Bear
fort was her lawful husband and protcc-
tor. What could Joe do for herr or her
father and mother2
Oh the shame of having TO return to
Ringwood with the confession that she
had been dupedl How could Bne face
JoeY How beer tho ieers Of those who
bad encouraged her. yet had secretly en-
We'd her, and would rejoice over her dis
appointments
Eleven o'clock had struck Twelve
midnight was past. One o'clock Still
her husband was not returned. She
knew TINT tho woman Nelly was below,
awake and waiting for her masters re-
turn. WhGt was more, she was making
up great fire in the stove in the dining
room.
Nelly was much older than Mr Beau
fort, very ugly, but her expression was
much more ugly than her features. She
certainly was wholly in his confidence;
and he must assuredly be afraid OF
offending her, OF he would not have
suffered her to behave rudely to his wife
Trip was sure that Mr.. Beaufort loved
her; she was quite assured that she did
not love him, never had loved him-and
she was linked TO him by her own net for
life.
Two o'clock.
Nelly was at the fire stirring II, adding
coal and coke. Then Trip heard o soft
step on the stair, or rather the creak cg
the stair under an ascending heavy tread,
and once the rattle Of q loose bar In the
banister. Trip heard the step at her
door. Nelly had come there to listen IL
her mistress were asleep, to sec If the
room were dark. Apparently satisfied,
Nelly descended with less caution than
she had mounted The woman thought
Trip n young, vain, pretty fool, not re-
curing much watching, incapable Of
| giving much trouble.
Three O'Clock.
Still no signs Of the return of Mr.,
Beaufort Where could he be9 What
could he be doing2 Why should he con-
ceal his movements from his own wife2
Trip rose from the bed and went to the
window; at the head of the row was
gaslight, none lower. Another would DO
added, may be, when the row was com
pleted and the houses let. The road was
bad, furrowed with the wheels Of carts
and traction engines that brought build
ing materials to the newly erecting houses.
Surely the new day was dawning.
There was a raw light behind that house
opposite which was uninhabited Surely
there was some discerning of the bushes
and rails of the little gardenl
All at once, as Trip was considering
this, q conveyance stopped at the gate,
and four men jumped down, one stood by
the horse, and three lifted something
from the trap and carried it to the house.
Nelly had opened the door, no bell rang
Trip heard steps below in the little hail.
Then the horse and trap departed; tho
door of the house was bolted and locked,
and Trip heard the tread of the three
men who had entered the house go into
the back parlor, What they carried was
heavy, that she knew by the weight of
their tread She had opened her door,
and held IL ajar, listening.
Not word was spoken to Nelly or by
the men, one of whom was probably Mr..
Beaufort
Trip seated herself on the side of her
bed considering what she should do. Her
heart beat fast and systematically. She
was she felt on the threshold of q discov-
cry which might bring on her unuttera-
BILE wretchedness, and yeti would be a
relief to the uncomfortable suspense to
know The truth. What should she dol
Wait till morning, and then question her
husband, telling him frankly what she
had done and seen? Then he might ovadc
her questions as he had evaded them
hitherto.
Would 1t not be better for her to act al
once, go downstairs and confront him
with his friends and Nelly, and demand
an immediate explanations
Trip stood up. Her determination was
made. Softly, silently, as Nelly had
stolen up the stairs, did Trip now stea
down. There was no light in the passage
below; but a little gray dawn crept II
through the staircase window She
reached the hail ard saw light under
the back parlor door She rested hel
hand on the handle for one moment d
irresolution. Then, as she had had thu
strength once to launch herself on hel
aerial flight, SO did she now launch her
self on this excursion into the mystery
that went ON in her own house. ShS
opened the door and stepped boldly in.
Before her, with terror on their faces
stood three men in rough coats, and one
though disguised she recognized as bel
husband. There also was Nelly. Thu
: fire in the stove was glowing red ans
over 1t was crucible.
On the.table was spread out quantit!
of silver plate-kettles, candlesticks
cream jugs, spoons, forks, platters, ant
: ranged as though in mockery, one afte
: the other, all round the table rim
twenty-four little silver wheelbarrows
inscribed "Propera."
Trip uttered cry, 1.-THE Ringwoo'
, platter
CHAPTER XIV.
ONCE MORE.
fortnight had nossed sfnha Trim hal