Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-09-06
A FAMILY AFFAIR.
CHAPTER XVI (CoNr1xUED).
BY HUGH CONWAY.

Win minds Ill at ease they sought dis
traction in their housekeeping Although
as a rule the Tables were Just, If
cheesparing in their management-not
unreasonable, If exacting in their require
ments, to-day they drove the cook and
poor Whitaker almost frantic, and set
both wondering ''wha ever the masters
were going TO get to?''
In the meantime Beatrice had carried
her white face to her own room. She
locked the dOo7, threw herself upon a
couch. where for long time she sat with
her hands press d against her brows.
She did not weep, nor was her look that
OF one resigning herself to fate and get
ting ready to yield to the inevitable.
She rose, ran the bell, and gave orders
for the boy To be bro ght to her. He soon
ran into the with the cry of delight with
which ne always greet d her. Miss Clau-
son took thu little fellow on her lap,
clasped him to her heart, str ked and
curled his pretty, TIL fed, bright hair,
cal ed him a thousand endearing names
and strange diminutives, kissed him on
his lips, his es, his neck, his dimpled
arms an ia legs, and generally went
through the we'll known ceremony o.
child worship. Ii was clear that no legal
menace, however dire, would make her
&C uiesce In the tame surrender of her
pet conte mplated by her uncies. Not
one of her man and rather wild ejacula-
tions so much as limited at possibility of
an impending separation. In no sense
were her caresses, some of which were
fearful ones, intended as arewell.
By and by, with a face even paler than
before, Beatrice took the child by the
hand and went down stairs. She paused
n m hn oil Op Al ,a
room in viii h she had left her uncles.
az can see no other way. 1t must be
done, she muttered. Then like one full
of solemn pu pose she entered the room.
Whatever she may have been about to do,
the empty ON see ned to give her a well
come respite. She gave breath of relief.
Neverthe ess it eemed that the respite
was TO b, b Short for, after waiting a
few minutes and finding neither Horace
nor Her ert appear, she turned as If to go
in search of them.
But at that moment her mood changed
once more, or an alternative course at
last presented itself. A tinge of color
leaned back to her cheek. With GU elk
steps she led the boy away. and ha ing
consigned him to Mrs. Miller's care, again
sought her own room and again sat for a
lon time In deep tho ght at is but a
slender chance" she whispered, but 1t
can be tried. To-da is Thursday. and
no steps are to be taken until Saturday. :"
After this she wrote a note to Sylvanus
Mordle ask ng h IN If he could come to the
hous aud see her either that afternoon or
early the next morn ng. She sent the
note own to the village and then went in
search of her uncles.
"You will not answer the solicitor S
letter, hope she said.
mo; it needs no answer. The delivery
of the boy wiil be answer enough"
In the afternoon Sylvanus trot ed up on
his tr cycle. His face was radiant from
the combined effects Of the share, fresh
air. the ercise, aud the delight at hay-
ing received such a summons from Miss
Claus II.
"You want me" said Sylvanus. ''Be-
hold me Here am.
IL want you 10 do me favor, so / ven
tured to write to you Beatrice 8 words
were convent nal but there was some
thing in her manner which made the
quick witted young clergyman W Jnder
- omm nd me-in anything every
thing ALL" He spoke even more quickly
and emphatically than was his wont. In
his heart he good fellow fancied his aid
was needed for someth ng concerning CIR
rulhers whom he persisted in believing
Beatri loved Nevertheless he would
willingly Rave done all he could to help to
happiness the man WHO had taken ever
vestige of hope from him.
But the favor resolved itself into this.
Would Mr.. Mordle accompany Miss Clau-
son tomorrow morning to Blacktown? she
had a private er and which took her to a
part of the city of which she knew little
or nothing Sylvanus felt and expressed
himself greatly honored. At what time
should he call FOR her? Would she walk
or drive! Beatrice looked at him and spoke
very slowly and as II with an effort.
~ wish no one not even my uncles, TO
know of this excursion, she said. would
you meet me at the crossroads at ten
O'Clock to .morrow m rning? IL l trespass
on your time please say So"
''Trespass BY no means. len O'CLOCK.
shall be waiting for YOU"
''rrrand of charity, of course?" he said
making the questioning assertion not for
curiosity but as salye to his conscience.
sit Is an errand of no evil" said Bea-
trIce gravely. Her words satisfied Sylvan
us as the rds OF fair woman always
satisfy the conscience Of a man. The
amount OF conviction carried by beauty Is
truly wonderful