St. Landry democrat., 1886-05-22

single creature. III these circumstances
the maids interest in her late mistress
declined, and she found another place
and went away, content to leave mys-
terry unsolved.
The poor lady set aside all her gayer
dresses and attired herself in somber
rament, as typifying mourning, and
when one day Mr.. Lorr;mer caught
sight OF her in the street by accident he
took her for a widow
Kan away from the stage to get
married, did she, poor thing!" said Lor-
rimer to himself, not unkindly. "Wel,
II love 5 young dream is over, shell be
back again. Pm business man, and
| cant afford to miss a chance like
Miss Churchill second time"
SO Mr.. Lorrimer, without particular
ly violating his conscience, lit cigar,
cooked his hat little, and logged Mrs.
Tregarthen home.
clearinghouse. Mrs. Barnley. Re-
spectacle poverty. Married widow
er. Widow left hard up. Encountered
with little girl. Poor thing! poor thing!
Get her now on easy terms
MIR. Lorrimer cooked his hat anew,
a brown-pap tusee on his trousers, lit
the cigar with an air of victory and
walked nome ward. Shortly before nice
o'clock, being by that time in the full
glory of evening dress. he strolled past
the house dozen times or so, and had
begun to examine the windows with
some Impotence, when a servant girl
came up the area steps, bearing hat
dozen Jugs of different sizes and made
her way toward the corner public
house. Mr. Lorrimer intercepted her.
Good evening" my dear. Don't be
frightened. The girl had pranced
into the middle of the roadway Il
only want to ask you a question-quite
harmless question. Half a crown, my
dear The coin ratified into one of the
jugs. There's lady staying at Mrs
Barnley' s-a young lady, dressed in
want to call upon her-quite honor
able and correct-I know of something
to her advantage. | used to know her
maiden name-Miss Churchill. What
is her name now?"
Mrs. Tregarthen,' said the girl.
That her sister she's got with her.
Mrs. Tregarthen, said Mr.. Lori
mer Thank YOU I've got the name
all right, have l? Ire gar-then?"
That's right, sir responded the
servant, polishing her nose with the
bottom of beer-jug. 'Tregarthen.
Thank you, sir
''She's at home now, | Think" said
Lorrimer
The maid nodded, and he marched at
once to the door of the house and
knocked. Mrs. Tregarthen, sitting in
her own room, heard the knock, and
felt her heart so leap at it that she was
fain to rise and open her chamber door
TO listen. But that was common ex-
perlence. Not knock had come to the
door of Mrs. Barnley's establishment |
since the unhappy lady had entered it,
without shaking her heart and tiutter- |
ing her nerves in this way. She heard |
the door flung open, and then came
the murmur of male voice, indistin ct
and low. The maids voice cackled
shrill and clear in answer.
Mrs. Tregarthen. sir? Yes, sir.
Walk in, sit What name shall [ say,
sir?''
1t had been N Mrs. Tregarthen's
mind from the first, or almost from the
first. that Arthur might love her so
well that. in spite of her wickedness,
he would seek her out and forgive her,
and this hope had buoyed her up and
her down, as such things will.
Now she believed that he really had
traced her, and her knees were so
weakened that she could scarce let
go the door and creep back to her chair
20 be in readiness for the servants
coming. clearinghouse maids are not
more observant or sympathetic than
heir neighbors, as o rule, but even by
The light of the one pale candle on the
able Mrs. Tregarthen's face had so
much trouble and terror in it that the
yirl, when she entered with Lorrimers
card, caught fright, and begged to
know what was the matter.
Nothing" said the poor creature,
With her eyes wide open and her face
Is white as the lace about her throat
is that for me?"
She stretched out her hand for the
lard, and when she had read the name
lpon it she dropped it with a little
moan of escape and disappointment,
md one or two half-hysterical tears
an down her cheeks. The servant
,ustled about the room and got her
lass of water, after much unnecessary
latter. Lorrimer, waiting in the room
Yellow, had underlined notions of cav
Try skirmish floating through his
mind. A moment later the servant, a
'etticoated avalanche, precipitated her
elf downstairs.
THE lady can't see you, sir. She's
ook quite ILL.,"
'.Indeedn' said Lorrmer, politely re-
.retful. Nothing serious. | trust?"