Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-04-10

suits, he had never known what rest was
Now he saw rest just before him.. How fail
| looked Its green wales and purple hills; and n
some one of those blest recesses perhaps health
and life with Laura; and, IL not health, yet al
him yet q little while before the last, and
| SO life seems already Heaven before he left it..
II was an early December twilight on the
| coolest DAY OF the year, day that seemed the
colder because there was no snow on the hard
and frozen ground, when a carriage drove rap
idly up Ferncroft Hill, and a visitor was ush.
cred into the great square drawing-room that
always seemed In winter like space OF the re.
naming ma sum h There were none there az
and silver of the room, and laid its ruby glow
Louie found herself thinking that with such
| face and bearing the knights of ancient story
hric nave ave carrled an tRe
pricked bubble by Francis exclamation, as
he cried "Outerbridge Kirke Outerbridge |!
weather! Louie, this is my friend, Mr.. Outer
br1dge-my wife, Kirke. Why, tell me what
ssate % to Of
this weather--you see it's surprising
mo wonder" laughed Mr.. Outerbridge,
mo s wonder s that i wonderq Here, draw
this, chair to the blaze. You must be
mo. no. The fact is, had a matter of bust
ness that wouldn't wait"
"You mean you wouldn't wait The same
to ber'
"And can't wait now. 1t has occurred to
/ me, in relation to the affair of which l was
| once speaking to you, some time ago, that it
| is quite as feasible to manage that in private
way as through the city, and, if you and Col.
maS 70 Wor WON me w ON eq@a
paper mas to be signed tonight, for Monday the
| city acts, and, ii we are before them, as they
don't really care, it will be all right There
is no doubt it's a great thing, and one worth
doing;' and, as he warmed his cold hands at
the blaze. they were SO white and thin that
81 m sppt 10Th ham,
mo doubt at all, y said Francis. ITO tell you
the truth, have wondered you never asked me.
you say? Well, come along into my den and
Wen examine 1t: How are you going to get
Col; Evans, though, If dor"
driver-I took hack at your station-says
have time, with economy. And If miss it, 1
snail drive over"
'Drive over! In this weather? Twelve miles,
and the s road rough as eobble. Why, it's I'M
Nothing is impossible to man In earnest"
said kirke, sand God knows I'm fearfully in
earnest"
Well, you mustn't miss it then"
Il won't VI course, provided have your
signature first. Without that as you will see
it OF no use to go to Evans; with it, he will
sign at once, and my fortune is made, and yours
considerably enlarged. shall leave all the de-
tails OF future management u good deal in your
hands and his-your experience is more than
well, come along. Wen settle the matter
pro or con speedily. Ii you won't stay over
hisHG 1 WOulun nave you lose that train for
twice the money! 1t would be blood money!
But as they went their way to the den, kirke
Outerbridge looked about him at the place
haunted by one fair presence, seeking perhaps
some sign of her. How should ne have known
that 1t was upon Laura's open book that quietly
and unseen he laid the fresh and dewy bunch
OF viOletS he had bought.
At the word Cuisines" Mrs. Louie had
swiftly and discreetly withdrawn; and now
coming to q fuller comprehension of the event
she stood in the adjoining music room, where
she would still hear the inarticulate murmur of
their voices, quiyering with indignation.
bate, that dissolute, bad man, the swindler of
his sisters, the utterly base and contemplate
person, inside her dOors That creature here
speaking familiarity with her husband, possibly,
IL lie missed his train to stay all night, to sit i'm
the drawing room, to sit at table with her and
tamination, she felt it an insult, She grew more
and more angry, and every moment seemed an
hour while she waited, and only served to work
her into fresh lever. There were some things
she said to herself, that she could not bear. This
sort OF thing was one of them. She would not
bear it, She could endure u great deal. but this
was altogether beyond her strength or her will
ingneSs. Francis could not ask her to become
the companion Of men who ought to be con-
vIcts; Francis could not possibly know about
him. there was no time for her to give warming;
she had rather die herself than see Francis the
companion OF such man. Already she felt
disgrace in the air. already they were dragged
down into the slime and corruption proper to
such people, when suddenly Rose ran in SAYING
Francis was calling wildly on the universe to
know the exact time for the last train, he hav-
ing lost his timetable.
Why, what is the matter with your" she
cried You look like the statue of a bronze
Fate here in the dark.'
Wicked and trembling Mrs. Louie She knew
she answered directly, as calmly as she could
take her breath:
Francis knows that never had any time
table,"
But what time is it now?" cried Francis
from the den. ~ don't mean of course by my
watch or any OF these absurd clocks OF ours,
n
never fails. Finished writing, Outerbridse?
Heres my name, then-there's never decent
make or mar you. If there are forty-tour min
utes you can make the train and ii there are
only forty it's N" use at all trying. and you may
as well stay here-youve been in worse places
and be up bright and carly on Monday morn
ing ioT the sunrise train, aud accom- lish about
lit Is too muck risk of losing ALL" was the re-
ply, in deeper tones.
Louie, don't you hear me?" cried Francis.
There was but one idea in Mrs. Louie's head
as she listened. hearing everythir with fatal
distinctness. He had to have forty -four min.
nLes In order to reach his train. Ii he had only
forty he would stay the night and over Sunday
and that night too. She ielt in her in iatuaIion
of horror that all the perfumes of Arabia would
not sweeten the house after that. Be rid of
him she must, be rid of him in any way Who
knew what degradation he mig hit work even
upon Francis in that time, Meanwhile Francis
had been interviewing the hackman who was
thrashing his arms at the door, with sundry
subdued objurgations and had learned that the
Ibid you ask me what time il wasp said Mrs
Louie from the distance, in the cold voice that
from some little experience, in spite OF general
LONELINESS, Francis ought to have known bodied
mischief Nv ait moment. By this watch il
Is Just hall-past five. 1t Is q little SLOW may be-"
Poor Mrs. Louie! She had just quickl y put the
hands back thirty minutes. She did not see
that hardly more depreciation could have been
wrought on Francis by this injurious COM
partnership than had already been wrought on
herself by the effort to avoid il.
"Hal-past nve!' cried Francis, "Well then
II you will, you will. Off with you! You can
just make II, and catch your breath. And good
luck TO your dshing." The next minutes the
wheels were laundering down the hill and into
the highway, roug her with its frozen ruts than
any corduroy road heaved by the frost could be-
and the door had slammed and the current OF
ley air had ceased, and Francis was calling her
again, and she was drawing q long gasp Of de.
llghted relief. "4es, he can just make il poor
feiiow, said Francis. And Louie thought with
great content that Ii he didn't make il he could
go to the inn and there was an end OF him SO
And then she looked 'rornd to see If Laura had
known anything of this precious affair The
poor little woman had great deal on her hands
IN looking out for other peoples souls Mr.
Outerbridge had really been sent out in the cod
by her with exactly fifteen minutes to do that
which required fOrty-fOur. A blind sense of guilt
was just behind Mrs. Louie, and overtakirg her
very cross, the vexation OF a moment before
coming again to the top.
How came such a man as that in our house
Francis?' she demanded.
Such a man as what?" asked Francis turn.
Ing In surprise.
As that creature who has Just goner'
VIZ Out.erDridge! What are you talking about?