The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-04-25
dulph, smiling again; 'but please allow

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the value of my pig to be two pounds"
''You are very good, but 1 won't refuse.
This viii help me on a good bit, added
Mrs. Jock, as she placed Mr.. Biddulph's
two sovereigns in her substantial leather
bag. Il am going next TO Nora Stew
arts; you dined there last night, didn't
you? My young people told me they had
met you"
"Yes; l noticed your daughter and
SON."
"Nora Stewart is a fine girl, is she not ?
Her mother and my husband were half
cousins, so look upon her almost as a
child of my own. Do you think her
handsome?"
81 think there can be only one opinion
about Miss Stewards looks"
Eyes, her mother was handsome, too.
She has got an a ful old woman staying
with her, and ,wo English girls, and
shall be obliged to ask them to dinner
soon. Will you come TO meet them, Mr..
Biddulph ?"
81 shall be delighted"
''No time like the present, then; let us
fix day. Can you come next Tuesday,
at 7:30 sharp?"
'It is very kind of you to ask me, and
] shall be very pleased"
'That is settled, then; and now think
| must 20"
But how are you going to cross the
loch ?''
'There will be boat at the little pier
below your house, expect"
''Take my boat, and allow me TO escort
you to the pier" Mrs. Jock did not refuse
this offer, and as Mr.. Biddulph walked by
her side she returned to the subject of
her pigs.
"I will send one of the men over with
yours this evening"" she said; and l shall
see you have the best one."
Biddulph laughed.
"Oh, don't mind the pig" he said; 'let
the four small children eat it"
"That is nonsense" answered Mrs. Jock,
gravely; You have paid for it, and you
shall have it--and the best, too"
Again Biddulph laughed. This lady, so
straightforward, so robust, greatly amused
him, and he looked with a certain amount
of admiration at her fresh face and clear,
blue eyes, and at the fair hair touched
with gray, on which the mist had left
tiny drops of moisture without destroying
the strong natural ripple.
He offered to escort her across the loch,
but Mrs. Jock declined; but just as the
boat was about TO put OF, he placed some
thing in her hand.
This was very sad story, you know, -
he said, "about the poor fellow breaking
his neck Will you give this to the
widow, without saying who sent it?'' And
when Mrs. Jock looked at her hand she
found it contained five-pound note"
"This is 500 much, she said.
"Indeed, no. Goodbye. l shall see
you on Tuesday; goodbye again until
then"
He assisted her into the boat and helped
to push it off, and then took off his CAP
and stood bareheaded for moment, and
Mrs. Jock, with a sigh, admitted to her
self that she had never seen a handsomeI
man.
"AIy poor boy won't have much chance
l am afraid, if he goes in for Nora Stew
art" thought the fond mother, though
Malcolm is handsome lad"
Meanwhile Mr.. Biddulph had turned
away from the little pier, and walked
slowly home through the mist, thinking
of Nora Stewart as he went.
AS he passed up the avenue, something
white caught his eye on the trunk of one
of the trees, and Mr.. Biddulph frowned
when he saw it was some name or words
freshly cut in the bark. He thought some
of the servants or some passer-by had
done this, and he went out of his way q
few steps more closely to examine the
injury done to his tree.
When he was quite near to it, he stood
as if transfixed, and his face grew deadly
pale There, staring at him on the freshly
cut bark, was a name he hated to think Of
still more to sea name that no one
knew here; that he had tried to forget
and tried in vain.
NATALIE,
COM MONTY
MATT"
The words stood out distinct and clear
Mr.. Biddulph rubbed his eyes; then felt
the letters with his trembling hand. But
there was no mistake. Some one must
have done this he told himself, with
parched, pale lips-some one who knew
the secret of his life.