The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-09-22

features would permit. Il don't propose to
defend myself-perhaps / could more easily
| than any of them will believe-but no mat
| teri At least, you won't put the entire
blame on me, as they will. Promise that
you won'tl You can see two sides OF ques-
tion."
II can't see one side of this" interrupted
Mr.. Elsmere "and, at this rate, I'm not likely
tol But it must wait; | was looking for"
''Oh, If you take it in that wayl To make
| jest of my feelings-oh, Cousin Lawrence,
didn't expect it of your Madge Interrupt
ted in her turn, waxing injured and plaintive
with the readiness CT her sex to seize on any
advantage in an unpleasant predicament. 1T
is not kind. | would rather you blamed me
outright-much rather~
Good heavens, child, at least tell me what
1t is am to blame you for" demanded Mr..
Elsmere. with the manner of person trying
to keep firm hold on his patience. "Stop
making a riddle and mystery of your dear
little sell and tell me plainly what you mean
in few words, else the explanation must
wait, for I'm in hurry
"Then you really do not know? l sup
posed Larry would rush off and tell you at
once" Madge said, looking surprised and, as
Mr.. Elsmere was quick to perceive, even
"Why, 1 told him How on earth did you
know about 1t? The train passes our station
little. after four, and he must catch it"
"Oh! So he didn't march off on the in
stant?"
Hell be off as fast as.he can. OF course.
| there's no time to lose" said Mr.. Elsmere.
"a sad. sad business, isn't it? But how did
| you hear about it already"
Madge stared at him as if unable to decide
| which of them was hopelessly mad, but GER
tain that either he or she must be.
What ON earth do you mean, Cousin
| Lawrence? Tell me this instantH' she de-
manded, in voice half imperious, half
| frightened.
"Why, the failure!" Mr.. Elsmere rejoined.
| in accents of mingled pain and bewilder-
| ment. what else should / be talking
about? A dreadful, dreadful bushes, is it
not?"
"Failure?" she repeated, clutching his arm
in grasp of which he would not have be-
lieyed her slender fingers capable. Failure
| What? Whose? Oh, Cousin Lawrencel"
| A statue of granite might have been
reused into animate speech by that appeal
ing voice and face, and Cousin Lawrence
| was always ready to answer any suffering
i appeal so he fastened to make as clear a
| statement as time would permit:
| You have heard often enough about that
| COMPOUNDED Nevada silver mine that Larry
i father would invest in, Notwithstanding my
| circumstances %"
Madge made an asserting sign of her head
| and raised her hand in an urgent command
| for him to continue.
'..Well, it has failed-burst up completely, /"
| sighed Mr.. Elsmere. "And oh worse than
L
Moulton had in the world was invested
there. Poor Charley! the most helpless
creature in the world short of baby in long
clothesv'
"And Larry has lost his money!" she
questioned, growing fearfully white.
Don't cry or faint" Mr.. Elsmere I'M
plored; lit never does any good"
Il don't mean to do either" Madge an
swered. Indignantly, as she placed herself
erect and firm before her cousin.
| tsThat,c NV son cihla oirl M Elep,ora Nv
claimed In tone of man relieved from q
| great buiden. There is always time enough
for such indulgence after one has tried every
thing else! just at present. there's enough
to do. First must find"
"Stop!" Madge broke in, catching his coat
as he started to move away. you sham
go! I'll not be left like this! | have right
to question and to be answered."
well, well, don'trush into an excitement,
her cousin rejoined. "After all, there will
be time. You can ask what you want to
Only first let me find"
ANSWER me p she broke in, holding hin
fast with strength given to her by the in
tensity OF her selling. "How long have vol
known of this failure?"
why. the letter came this morning."
This morningp she echoed, letting he
arms fall to hel sides, while her bosom
heayed convulsively. "This morning? Why
he must have thought | knew. and that /
was the reason why | told him our engage
ment was at an end"
Good .gracious!' groaned Mr.. Elsmert
You told him that-this morning?"
only an hour ago-yes, yes. Oh, ever
body has been determined to drive me mad
all this last fortnight-everybody excep
you" clinging to him and fighting bravel,
against passion of sobs that threatened Il
choke her voice; ''you are always good
good"
Never mind" he went on, soothingly. "Yol
have quarrelled so many times, that"
And it was generally my fault" she inter
rupted, while the tears filled her beautiful
it was horribly. wicked TO say what did
And now he is going away Oh. he vii
| knew"
"Poohl poohl he will have plenty o
time to grow cool during his long journey t
Colorado" reioined Mr.. Elsmere.
''Colorado?"
"Yes. I've business there that he cal
manage pretty well, if he will only use hi
common sense. He ought to have gone 81
has. At bottom Larry has decent allow
ance of brains"
"Why, you have told me over and owe
that he was one of the cleverest young me-
you knew" she cried.
Then the time has come for him to prov
me prophet, replied Mr.. Elsmere. "Em
ployment will be exceedingly beneficial t
him; so will few hardships for that mat
ter
"How can you talk in that cold-bloode,
way?" she moaned. But you can't meal
it. Oh, don't let him go to that dreadful
place--it is utter Punishment. Why, he'll di
there"
People don't die so easily. Human ma
ture is tough-most weeds are; I'm farme
and know. said Mr.. Elsmere sententious
"Oh, you needn't pretend to be cynical,
she cried. AT heart you are as wretche'
over this misfortune as l am"
well, don't know, my dear. i shoul,
be an absurd elderly goose to fret abou
Larry's going to Colorado for while-say
four or FIVE years. He may get fever o
two: but they're not usually hard to.cure
And the work and privation will be good TO
him-Pm not too doting and blind to Sc
that"
She made gesture of impatence, but con
trolled herself and said:
Sat all events, there can be no necessit
for his rushing off in this crazy fashion"
Indeed there Is. He must get as far a
as Chicago as soon as possible" Mr.. Els
mere asserted, with great decision.
Madge struggled with herself for an in
slant, then burst OUT
HE mustn't go like this-I can't bear it
! he sha'n'ti"
"Nonsense--or,. rather, there is no time TO
nonsense" said Mr.. Elsmere sternly. "H
must go by this next train"
Il will see him. want to explain,
| ulOdneu Mduge. cOulunC let MIN ~
thinking that was capable of such mean
ness. Please. please tell him that
"My dear. I've no time; you've made m
spend good twenty minutes already my tel
egram ought to have gone when first cam
downstairs. l was hunting for Jones'"
''Where is hep" demanded Madge, abrupt
ly, without having heard a word of he
cousins speech.
why, that's what / want to know" re
piled Mr. Elsmere, with a testiness which a
another moment would have surprised hi
listener as much as to see the sun set a
MONDAY. Haven't you seen Jones? VIII
is he always out of the way when wan
him?
Larry. she cried. 'Have you no feel
ing, Cousin Lawrence? To ask me abou
Jones?"
my despatch must be sent. Oh, Larry
why, left him in my study; but he mus
have gone to pack. BY the bye, must rul
up and get"
Without waiting for the conclusion of hi
sentence, Madge swept away like SINAI
whirlwind, and Mr.. Elsmere leisurely fol
lowed. She did not even notice that he wa
near, and he paused in the upper corrido
while she hurried into the study. LAIR
Travers had forgotten the necessity TO
haste If he hoped to catch the train; he wa
sitting by the table, with his face buried il
1 10 o. tod Modr