The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1888-09-08

wen, IetOrteu MS Inastef, you cOuiu
have called to her to come out, you old
dutfer and then you could have broken it
to her gently"
"There now!" exclaimed the poor old
man, greatly injured Il was all in
tremble with the fright you'd just given
me-and there's cook not gotten over it
yet, nor won't for long time TO come.
There was you telling me to go into the
clubhouse for fear of something you'd done
to the machine, and there was the mistress
just been telling me not to 90 in for fear of
doing something to the things inside, and
| couldn't go and call to her that you'd
come back-that would have given her a
shock, if you like-and nothing short of
that or the house being on fire would have
brought her out till she'd finished; and if
I'd opened the door she d have heard cooks
screams-and there was you close by, that
she might have come upon quite unfore-
seen. Go away now, sir she's coming to-
go away, tell your
But Fanny had heard scraps of this con-
versation and had recognized her husbands
voice. Go away? Just as he had come
back to her? 1t had been no miracle-she
had not been dreaming-he was really
with her. She opened her eyes and gazed
up at him. How could Lord Undercroft
be for one moment compared to him?
Here was the old love and happiness re-
stored to her. She was in his arms
They would never be parted again!
If Mansell had any reason for doubling
his wife's devotion he doubted it now no
longer. Such joy as she manifested could
not have been simulated. Saunders had
discreetly disappeared. When Fanny had
sufficiently recovered Mansell told his story
in reply to her eager questionings.
On coming to himself after the accident
he found that he was lying in miserable
hut, far from civilized regions, and tended
only by natives He was badly bruised
and stricken down by fever, from which
he began to slowly recover after two or
three months of severe illness Whenever
he expressed wish to send some message
to his friends apprising them of his condi-
tion he was informed by his attendants
that they were unable to allow him to do so.
1t was only by degrees that he OWNED
their reasons for this prohibition. When
his companions had been hurled headlong
over the precipice, having separated him
self from them by cutting the rope, he had
been thrown down by the shock of their
falling against him and had rolled over the
edge in somewhat different direction.
The surviving guide watched the catastro-
phe and saw that Mansell was deposited on
a ledge at some distance from the foot of
the gorge Judging from the manner in
which he had fallen it seemed possible
that he might be still living. In that case
he might be rescued and give evidence con-
cerniDg the cutting of the rope before the
culprit should have had time to make his
escape.
Murder apparently had not been the
mans object, though. he had been very
ready to make sure of his own life and was
not above profting by the catastrophe.
Having given notice of the accident he had
in all probability persuaded some of the
natives to accompany him to the foot of
the gorge for the purpose of rihing the
bodies, and in exchange for share in the
plumber had induced them to carry off
Mansell Fear lest their theft should be
discovered would guarantee their keeping
him hiding till the affair had blown over
Being conducted to the scene of the disas-
ter by the native guide himself they would
naturally accomplish their object long be-
fore the arrival of the expedition in search
of the bodies, which had no one to direct
it to the exact spot.
As soon as Mansell was allowed to leave
his place of refuge he travelled in great
haste to the nearest town, where he hoped
to be able to dispatch telegraphic message
to England. But this imprudence brought
on a return of the fever, and he arrived at
his destination in too helpless condition to
fulfill his purpose. Another long illness
followed. When he again began to recov-
er he found himself attended by young
English doctor who had just come from
England to establish himself in the town,
and who, singularly enough, was in con-
slant correspondence with relatives at
Drufield. The first time Mansell was
strong enough to converse he disclosed his
name to his new friend, whereupon the
doctor remarked it as a coincidence that he
bore the same name as a Drufheld man
who had recently lost his life in the Him
alayas, and whose widow was now consol-
ing herself with the society Of Lord I'm
dercroft.
After this Mansell refrained from be-
traying his identity. He determined to
return home with all possible speed and
ascertain for himself what was going on
there The voyage restored him to health,
and he actually succeeded in reaching his
own door while Fanny was still in igno-
rance of his being alive. Little remains
to be told. In the hall Mansell en-
countered Saunders, who was so terrified
at the sight of what he took to be a ghost
that some minutes elapsed before his mas
ter could convince him of his existence in
the flesh, and learn from him the where
abouts of his mistress. At that moment
Fanny was on the lawn taking the first of
the two photographs. Mansell, in his
eagerness to catch glimpse of her unseen,
ran out into the garden through the kitch-
en- and approached her from behind the
clump of rhododendrons just as she had
inserted the dark slide for the second time.
His appearance in the kitchen sent the
terrified cook into fit of Mysteries, in
which she remained for quarter of an
hour in spite of all efforts to restore her.
1t could never be ascertained positively
whether Mansell was really SO ignorant Of
the art of photography as to be unaware
that he was taking his own likeness when
he put his head in front of the camera.
Saunders, remembering the feverish anxiety
with which his master had afterward beg
ged him to violate the sanctity of the dark
room, ventured to have his doubts on that
point. His own private opinion was that
Mansell had been tempted to take mis-
chievous revenge on Fanny for the readi-
ness with which she had consoled herself
during his absence, and that he had then
suddenly repented his rashness and feared
lest the consequences should be serious.
This whole affair had several important re-
suits. One was that Mansell solemnly