The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-05-30
lesired him to teu her maid to come

TO her.
A minute or two later a smart black
eyed girl made her appearance, and Nora
beckoned her to her side.
Palmer" she said, speaking quickly
and nervously, "would you be afraid to
let Aired row you across the loch?'
''This evening, miss p asked Palmer, in
surprise.
eyes, now. am going to trust yol;
only want Alfred to know. I-I-want a
letter taken quickly ard quietly to Mr..
Biddulph, at Dunbaan."
Palmer cast down her black eyes for a
moment contemplatively. In the serv-
ants hall already the subject had been
discussed OF MIR. Biddulph's supposed
| crime.
81 viii do anything you wish, miss"
she said, the next instant; "and Alfred
/ will do anything ask him." she added,
with a smile. "They have been talking
downstairs"
"Never mind what they have been talk
ing about" interrupted Nora hastily.
'Get on your hat as quickly as you can,
and tell Alfred to 60 down to the loch at
once and have the boat ready for You.
Don't tell any one where you are going;
say am sending you With message If
you are asked. And reach me my writing
case my letter will be ready in two min
utes, and l want you to place it in MIR.
Biddulph's own hands"
"Tll be ready directly, miss" said Pal
mer; and so she was, and with trembling
hand Nora gave her the few words she
had written
DEAR Mr. BIDDULPH:
wish to see you at once, so will you return
across the loch with the bearers of this note.
n u rs - ir,r,
Very sincerely yours,
LEoNoRA STEWART.
After she had dispatched this, Nora sat
counting the minutes by the clock on the
mantlepiece with a fast-beating heart. He
would have time TO 90 away, she thought,
before an offici"l inquiry about this wo-
mans death could be made Not that she
believed the story-it was some invention
or mistake; still, he had better know, had
better hear, what Alick Fraser had said.
And he would come-yes, she felt sure he
would come, Nora thought, with flush
on her cheeks, and deep nervous excite
ment in her heart.
And she was right. Biddulph was sit
ting thinking gloomily enough at Dun
baan, when he was told young woman
had brought letter for him, and had been
ordered to deliver it into his own hands.
He looked up as old Donald gave him
this information, and, thinkingit was prob
ably from DR.. Alexander, he desired the
young woman to be shown into the room.
And presently the black-eyed, sprightly
Palmer appeared.
"Miss Stewart desired me to give you
this, Mr. Biddulph," she said, with a
smile; for Mr.. Biddulph was very good
looking, Palmer was rejecting, even if he
had murdered his wife.
Then Biddulph read the letter, and a
flush stole TO his pale face as he did so.
'Miss Stewart wishes to see me" he
said, now speaking to Palmer. "Is there
room in your boat for me to cross with
you?"
ooh yesr' answered Palmer, with de-
cision; ALFRED is very slight-he can sit
anywhere"
Palmer was generally supposed to be
engaged to Alfred hHt she always spoke
of him rather disparagingly, though he
was really very good-looking young
man.
"Well, that is settled, then" said Bid
dulph, with a smile. 81 shall be ready in
one moment"
And half an hour later he was standing
in the presence. of Nora Notwithstanding
pale and deeply moved, with his gray
eyes full OF emotion, fixed upon her chang
ing face.
"You have sent for me?" he said, as
their hands clasped.
"Yes, cause-because-"
Because" went on Biddulph, as Nora
hesitated, unable to find words, ''you have
heard what happened this afternoon?
You have sent for me because you at
least do not believe l would commit mur,
der? Is this so ?'
Il have sent for you to warn you" an
swered Nora, with trembling lips. Il
know nothing OF this story; l trust you
that is enough. | do not and will not be-
lieve you would wilfully hurt any one;
but-but if an accident happened"
"An accident happened, and a woman
died, Miss Stewart, but not by my hand.
You have heard something of this story,
dare say; shall | tell you tell you the
whole of it?'
''If you will; if it will not pain YOU"
''It will pain me, for it has been all
shame and pain from the beginning until
now. Since-since you have honored me
with your friendship, it has often trem-
bled on my lips. But l naturally shrank
from telling such tale to you. l shrink
now, yet it is better you should hear"
81 am ready to listen, Mr. Biddulph."
Biddulph did not speak for moment.
He began walking slowly up and down
the room, his eyes fixed before him, with
a far-away expression on his face.
at is a long time to go back to-" he
said at length. 81 was boy OF nineteen,
a lad at college, when the tragedy that
ended to-day began. was at Cambridge
at this time, and an accident happened
there on the river one day-a foolish
young fellow was nearly drowned. But l
need not trouble you with this story; it is
sufficient to tell you | got chill and
fever, and went home first, and was then
sent by father (my mother was dead) to
Calais for a change.
81 went to a clearinghouse there-I
knew nothing OF the world-and this
house was kept by a certain Nine. Ber-
anger and her daughter, Natalie. see
the old woman STILL" went on Biddulph,
with break in his voice, as if making an
effort to speak calmly; 81 see her with
her shrewd dark eyes, her dusky
skin, and her dyed hair And Natalie,
she was then twenty-nine, ten years older
than | was, woman bright, gay, and /,
in my boyish folly, thought handsome.
But she was not handsome; she was flat
tering, amusing and clever, and she had
bright dark eyes, and | believed was in
love with her. ] suppose / believed So
at least, we were lovers--and by-and-by
they told me | must marry her; that
child was about to be born.
"Miss Stewart, / did marry her; /
+bo,rbt -, booor I could do nOtb;no alsa