The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-09-12

nave lost the place, think.
BY this time Malcolm understood; he
turned his head, and also saw his mother;
but she shrank back as he did so. and
Nora commenced reading again, though
the words presented nothing TO her mind,
for she was thinking all the time of that
dreadful fall among the hills
A quarter OF an hour later Jock Fraser
came into the room, and Nora was thus at
liberty TO lay aside her book, and take
leave OF Malcolm.
Come again tomorrow, Nora, he said,
as she parted with him; and she promised,
stopping over him and kissing his damp
brow before she went away.
"Poor, poor boy" she said to Jock, who
followed her out OF the room, as he did not
wish Malcolm to hear a few words be had
to say TO her.
Jock shook his head sadly in reply.
"AIy DEAR" he said in low tone the
next moment, "I've promised Biddulph
that We shall dine with him this evening
at o'clock. VIII you do this?"
"Yes, Jock"
Tomorrow we will begin dining down.
stairs at one OF the public tables, but
Biddulph made such a point of it to-
night"
81 shall meet YOU ct this room at S,
them" answered Nora; and then she
turned away, going to her own bedroom,
her heart full OF the news she had just
listened TO.
How nobly Biddulph had acted, she
thought, and her cheeks flushed, and her
breath came short. He had borne this
terrible pain; been at deaths door, Mr..
Dalton had said, and yet tried to screen
the poor, rash boy, who had caused it all,
in his foolish, Jealous ragel Biddulph not
unnaturally seemed hero in Nora's eyes
at this moment, and, when, an hour or so
later, she entered his sitting-room, dressed
in a white gown for dinner, he lifted
his gray eyes TO her face and smiled his
welcome.
She went up to his couch, and stood
talking to him; and, with that wondrous
silent knowledge of each others feelings
which lay between these two, Biddulph
understood that Nora knew something ste
had not known when he had last seen her.
He read this in the down-cast dewy ewes,
just as he had read III the morning that
she meant TO be his faithful friend, and
to help and cheer him through LIES dull
mill. And so sweet had this thought
been 10 him that Biddulph's face had
frightened, and the little things that had
worried and wearied him before Nora had
and pleasant to his mind.
Mr.. Dalton even had his mild joke on
the improvement which had taken place
in Biddulph's appearance; for, after look
ing at him attentively for a moment or
two through his spectacles, he turned to
Nora with a smile.
81 believe it is the fashion nowadays" I"
he said, "for you young ladies to take out
diplomas as doctors and physicians, is it
not? Ii might venture TO express such
an opinion, am quite sure that you, Miss
Stewart, would excel in the art OF healing;
Mr. Biddulph is changed man since you
came"
Nora laughed softly and blushed, but
Biddulph blushed and frowned.
"Mr. Biddulph is an old and intimate
friend of mine," she said, "and am glad
you think / shall be able to do him some
good"
alt always does a man good" replied
Dalton, sententiously, "to find a charming
woman interested in his welfare" And
again he smiled, thinking, poor man, he
had made q most iudicious and appropri-
ate remarkl
Then Jock Fraser came in, with sad
face, and the little party sat down to din
ner-B -Bidduiph, however, dining at a
small table of his own placed near his
couch, by the window, as he had strict
orders from his doctor to keep, If possible.
in a recumbent position. And presently,
while Dalton and Jock Fraser went on
with their wine, Nora rose from the table
went 10 the window near which Biddulph
Law, and stood looking out silently at the
brilliantly lighted scene below.
The room was almost dark, in the fast
gathering twilight, but Biddulph could
Just see her delicate profile, and in little
while he heard her sigh softly.
"What are you thinking of?" he asked
in low tone.
Then she turned her charming face, and
looked at him with a smile.
perhaps was not thinking at all, /" she
said.
ooh, yes, you werel"
"Our thoughts are strange things-al-
ways active"
dYes, we each hold ceaseless inward
council; we Judge, we condemn, some
times we pardon-all in thought"
"And all the time we are often smiling
and talking nonsense, toop
"We naturally do not tell every one
what we think-you would not tell me
just now, you know"
"a was thinking, said Nora, almost in
a whisper, bending her head nearer his,
"of something | have heard to-day
something about you, James"
"What have you heard 2"
"Of-of what you have kept secret for
Door Malcolm's sake"
"And be told your"
"He told me. Oh, James, it was too
terriblep
"Poor boy! he should not have told
you~
"He said his father and mother must
never know. IL do not know how to
thank you-to tell YOU what feel"
Her voice faltered and broke as she
whispered the last few words, and an in
slant later his hand stole into hers, and
they both were silent.
Disjointed sentences from the two at the
table fell on their ears, but they seemed
like far-away murmurs. Jock Fraser was
a good listener, and occasionally such
words, in Dalton's calm tone. as "lignite
beds" "deciduous leaves" and so on,
reached them; but they passed like empty
sounds. Below were the brilliant lights
and stir of the great city, but of these
Biddulph and Nora took no heed. In
that brief moment the world and the
things of it were forgotten, and, with
quickened breath and beating hearts, they
lived alone.
ITO be continued y,eIz tceeEl