Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-07-19

continued 10 nOlu the letter IN MS ndnu
while kind OF puzzled, thoughtful look
spread over his face.
Strange to say Horace also fell into y
reverie. For some ten minutes the two
brothers sat facing one another, strok-
ing their boards. If that vulgar wretch
from whose rank mind that feline nick
name first sprung could have seen them
he would, am afraid, have been quite
sat SIZED that he had chosen an appro-
pirate designation when he named them
the Tabbies.
They knew without spea ing that
their thoughts were running in parallel
lines. They often'thought of tho same
thing without previous word on the
subject. The similarity of their natures.
no doubt, accounted for this
Herbert" said Horace, at last,
"you are thinking of what Beatrice
saidP"
Eyes, l am"
$50 am |. 1t seemed a revelation,
but we oughtn't to jump at conclu-
sions -
NO" SAID Herbert, "but the fact
remains. Some four years ago he had
nothing but his fellowship to live
upon
"You are right, nothing. Beatrice
spoke justly. She may by chance have
struck the mark"
al am afraid so. Still we must not
be hasty. Yet, whoever sent tn at child
must have fancied it had some claim on
us.
at is ridiculous to suppose that an
entire stranger would have done such q
thing"
"Quite so," said Herbert.
"He may have been much tempted;
at that time have been driven to his
wits end. II is sad affair-let us try
and piece it together"
Then. like couple of old women,
they commenced to construct their new
| theory,
I'VE will say" began Horace, "he
was married four years ago"
''let was disbonorable or ough to
conceal it; so that he might hold his
| fellowship"
'Of course this is all supposition,"
said Horace he word dishonorable
in connection with one of his own kin
grated on his ear.
Exactly so. l should suspect that
the wife died perhaps recently. per-
haps shortly after the birth OF the
child"
The latter l should think. Frank
luakes large income now, and could
nc ord to give up two hundred n Year. "
ayes; the wife died al ter the birth of
the boy. The older the child get the
more trouble he found it to conceal its
identity. Thereupon he sends it to us,
trusting we may keep it,
"And now, after declining former
invitations, he comes to us himself
The further we pursue the matter the
clearer il becomes"
They were quite in mild state of
excitement. That they could draw
logical inferen es we have seen by the
affair of Ann Jenkins stockings. The
brothers had both been distressed that
all their sp culations as to little Harry's
origin had fallen to the ground for
want of proper support Now at last,
was theory which, if it reflected dis
honor on connection of theirs, was at
least tenable. 1t was improbable, but
the whole air was so monstrous that
it needed an improbabilty to account
for it, They absolutely argued them
sci es iuto believing they had found the
truth
''Didcot is the junction for Oxford, -"
continued Herbert, after pause.
"BesiGes, said Horace, 1--WE cannot
forget that his conduct once was not
what it should have BEEN
That's the worst of going wrong.
No amount of straight running Will
make people cease to look at timss
askance. The work of reformation Is
childs play to that of making your
friends believe you have reformed.
Therefore Horace Talherts remark
was a clincher. Herbert toyed with
the open letter.
"Shall we send this?' he asked.
They fell to stroking their beards
once more. and continued the opera
ton until the natural kindness of their
hearts reasserted itself.
after ALL said Hubert lit is all
purely conjectural."
Completely So"
"He had better come them
al think so Besides, it will give us
an opportunity of seeing him with the
ehild-surely the instincts of paternity
must show themselves.
They are supposed to be very
strong"
The polite letter was sent, and q
week after the ending of the Trinity
term the young Oxford tutor packed
up his things aud started for Oakbury.
As there is no occasion to make SUI
periluous mysteries, it may at once be
said that Frank Carruthers knew no
more of the existence of the child whom
his amiable uncles had argued them
selves into believing to be in some way
his property, than he knew of-for the
sake of smile b. say the presence at
Lakewood House of u gray-eyed girl,
whose beauty would satisfy every de-
mand of his rather fastidious taste.
CHAPTER X.