Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-10-18
CHAPTER XVII.
A HELPING UANp.


young woman who has disappeared
without leaving trace, is one thing-tO
nd her Is another. Such was at least
the experience of two men, who. from
different motives, were equally anxious to
find the fugitive. The first Maurice Her
vey, the second Frank Carruthers.
Hervey, who, first having paid visit
TO Oakbury, had In some way m naged to
learn hat Beatrice, the boy and and he
curse had gone to Lon ON, babe a hasty
adieu TO Blacktown and returned to the
capital The more he studied the situa-
ton, the more apparent it became that, to
use his own words, he was in a left
stick. So long as Beatrice could conceal
her whereabouts from him, so long was
he utterly helpless. He could, of course,
compass "a certain amount OF revenge, but
the cost would be too terrific. However
sweet thing III y be, IL may be bought
too dearly. He could walk boldly up to
>ir Maingay Clauson and proclaim him
self his son-in law. lie could go to these
Tablerts and show them that he had mar
ried their niece when she was little more
than a schoolgirl. But what good could
this do? His bolt would be shot, and his
culver held no other. 1t might bring
down Beatrice but not her money. He
would have to deal with men of the world
instead OF woman over whom he held
the terror of exposure. He hid one arti-
Gle to sell, lence. There was one Gus
somer for it. his wife.
What If he gave out that he was dead
and wa ted until she had MARI ed again
Then his sway would I've supreme. But
10 gain this advantage he must lie silent,
It might be for years, and in the mean
time must somehow make living. ! err
hapS, after her former experience, she
would not marry again. Any way the
state of his eXche luer put a veto on the
waiting scheme.
He must find her. AS the months went
on the necessity OF finding her became
more and nj re- obvious. He had, af err
the manner of gambler who feels that
an hour may bring the great stroke of
ok, lived luXuriousi His money had
by now so diminished that he saw. he
must shortly dc one of three things, find
Beat ice, earn money, or starve.
The first the most desirable in every
way. seemed i'm ossible. lie had made,
both in person and vigorously, such in
quiries at sir Maingay's house as could be
maze without exciting comment and sus-
plcion. He had even been down once
more to Oakbury seen the Talberts, but
had learned nothing 10 his advantage.
So course number one could no. be counted
upon to meet the emergency.
Course number three, II the simplest,
was the mot unplea ant. so he was con-
strained to adopt number two, at least
provisional y.
Before his disgrace IIervey had occa-
Sfonal done some work for illustrated
A., % l. 81
profession seen ed to er him the best
chance of suppl ing his needs, he called
Upon two or three people whom he had
known in former days and who, moreover,
knew what had caused his pr tracted alb
sence. lie simply said he was anxious to
iedeem the past and begged for helping
band. Hervey received one or two prom
SEES which might or might no. lead to re-
nuncrati work.
The on rs passed very dismally and
lrearly iOr the Sc ond seeker, Frank
Carruthers. he knew not where to turn,
whore to seek for eatrice. However. he
was better OF than Hervey, for he b ad di-
tect intelligence from her. Cnce month
.he had written TO Ter upcles, but her let
Iers ga no clue ha- could be followed
They bore no address they were posted
in London; hey mentioned no places,
not even a country. She sal she was liv-
Ing an exceedingly uiet, calm life. She
longed to see dear old Oakbury again, and
wondered il it would ever be her lot to do
80. n each letter she regre ted the me-
cessity for the step she had taken, and
hoped that If ever her unc es knew her
true reason for it they woul forgive her.
She trusted, nevertheless, tina they would
never learn it The only hin of locality
In an one OF her letters were hat she
mentioned that the weather was Utterly
cold, and also that she spent much time
studying art; was, indeed, learning t.
paint In oils.
These letters. Herbert who felt svm
pathy for his cousin, sent to Frank, and
frank perused them again and again, en-
deavoring by the light he had gained to
read between the lines. And the more he
read the more m stified he became.
lie searcheI her letters IN vain for his
own name, for any message to him. The
omission troubled him. not because he
thought himself forgotten, but because IL
showed him that Leatrice felt there was O
fate, which nothing Guild everc me, keep.
ing them apart. 80 her letters gave him
no hope.
Had he been an idle man Frank Car.
ruthers could never have borne those three
months Of suspense. Blu he was hard
very hard a. work OIL second BOOK.
About that first book, a satirical, semi
political novel which by the by, made q
great hit Mr.. Carruthers, like all new
writer's, was as ner Gus and fdgety as a
Young husband whose be owed wife is fol
the first time about 10 increase the popu.
lation. One day it struck him that the
great work would be more taking II
adorned with illus rations. He mentioned
his idea to the publishers, who quite
agreed with him, only adding that six
full-page Il STATIONS would cost so many
pounds, an expense which they did not
feel justified in mourning. But II Mr..
Carruthers liked to bear the cost, well anC
good. Frank, who had money to spare
said he would see for how much lie could
get them done.
He called upon friend, Mr.. Field
who knew all about such matters, anC
| enquired where he could find hands com
| petent yet not too costly. And this frienC
| happened to be one of those from whom
Hervey had begged helping hand. Sol
will be seen that the hereinafter mention
ed meeting between Carruthers and Her
vev was, libs all so-called chance meet
ings, when traced back TO its cause, quit,
a natural sequence. Indeed, IL Is hard {,