The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-09-26
hlm, and bis lawyer told him you were

Sill uESCQ ncT bnOQlueTs, untll ten udVS
! ago; but I've the worst luck that ever a
poor soul had, believed Everything
| goes wrong with me, that's the truth,
Miss Stewart. And so James Biddulph
has gone to seek me? He'll be more
anxious to make bargain, then, than he
| was before ?"
He wants but to know the truth, " said
| Nora, eagerly, "and 1 but want to know
| 1t. If you want money you shall have it,
but, for Gods sake, do not deceive us
nowl"
Her voice trembled with the earnest
ness and passion OF her soul, and for a
moment the bold black eyes fixed upon
her changing face fell, and her visitor
moved uneasily. The next, however, the
woman looked up again.
'Did the old doctor that lives down
here, she asked, "ever tell you of GER
tain conversation that he and l had on
this same subject"
"Dr. Alexander? No, never"
"Yet the 'canny' Scot and talked it
over. l asked him then how much he
thought James Biddulph would give if |
were to stand up and say had been hum
bugging him and that his wife was dead.
But the old doctor read me a fine lecture
and said some hard words which
| I'need not repeat. 1t ended by him prom
ising to try to get some money for me,
/ which he did, and / went away. But, as
l tell you, things have gone wrong with
me since then; in fact, / am ready TO
make a bargain-to swear, ii you like,
that deceived Biddulph, but must have
the money down before / do this"
Again Nora fixed her eyes on the
woman's face, while rush OF conflicting
emotions swept through her heart-revui-
sion, disgust that such being could live !;
that there was standing before her one
ready to sell her honor, even her soul !
She would swear either wav for the high
est price, and on SUCH creatures oath
depended the happiness of two lives.
"I-I-will send for Mr.. Biddulph," at
length faltered Nora. "Until then, what
can say2'
"All right; send for him, and name the
price. I've doubled it since l was here
last. / offered to take five thousand
pounds to go away and say nothing to in
terrupt your marriage but then Biddulph
said | was sure to come back again-and
perhaps he was rightp And once more
she laughed.
"But," said Nora, moved past ordinary
control by these shameless words, "do
you not think all this dreadful-most
dreadful? l know nothing of your past
life; judge alone by your own words.
And how can you utter them-how de-
grade yourself so farp
The dark face of the woman she ad-
dressed flushed with sudden anger.
Its easy talking" she answered pas
sionately-"easy for such as you to air
fine ideas and lead straight lives-you,
who have everythingyou want for asking,
and have no pity for those who have to
keep body and soul together by sin or
toll. No, you know nothing OF my past
life, and the less you know the better,
perhaps; YOU had best send for your
housemaid after l am gone, to brush your
carpet, lest some of the dust fallen from
my feet should chahce to stain IT,"
She poured forth these words with ex-
traordinary volubility and indignation,
and stood there defantly, even while
proclaiming what she was.
eve could all be good women, I dare
say" she went on sc0rnfully, III we had
the means to pay for the luxury; though
some of those who have, TO be sure, do
not set US poor ones a very good example.
But what is the good of talking thus? We
must take the world as we find it, and
saints and sinners are very much the
same, TO my mind; for instance, you like
James Biddulph, yet"
81 beg YOU not to mention him." inter-
rupted Nora. II will let him know what
you have said and now this conversation
better end"
(Which means. politely, you had better
go away. Well, L can take hint as well
as my betters. so shall 60"
"And where" asked Nora, shrinking
from the question, yet feeling the neces-
sity of making it, will you stay-until-
Mr.. Biddulph comes ?"
"At the little inn at Balla, close here,
where | have been before. But | won't
have to wait long, expect, she added,
with coarse laugh; flames Biddulph
will soon arrive on the wings OF love, and,
until then, shall say good day TO you I;
but remember my terms, mind" And
she nodded and went away.
She left Nora in an almost indescriba-
BILE state of mind. Her horror of this
woman, her shrinking from the thought
that she could ever have been Biddulph's
wife, was very great, and gradually it
seemed to her that he never could have
married her that this must be the other
sister-the viler sister-that had planned
to deceive Biddulph-who had deceived
him; and in that case, if she could prove
this, he was free
And the sudden Joy which had swept
over her when she had first heard of Bid
dulph's doubts ON board the steamer, now
stole back to her heart, and the color to
her cheeks. What was any sum of money
in comparison to this precious knowledge
Ten thousand pounds Nora remembered
her Aunt Bessie's legacy, and thought how
easily this money could be paid, and how
gladly. Then she sent telegram TO Bid
dulph at Monte Carlo-an urgent tele-
gram-and began TO count the days when
It would be possible for him to answer it
in person.
In the meanwhile, it was naturally
much talked OF in the little village OF
Balla, the return OF the lady who had
called herself the wife of Mr. Biddulph of
Dunbaan, and whose former visit or visits
there had been fraught with such momen-
tous consequences.
The doctor heard "the leedy" was back
again, and groaned in spirit at the news,
which he shrewdly guessed BODIED i'll for
Miss Leonora Stewards peace OF mind.
And Alick Fraser heard it and smiled, and
Jock heard it and sighed, and the Rev.
Andrew Macdonald wondered whether it
was his duty to call upon her, partly from
spiritual, and partly from temporal mo-
tives.
One day the doctor, mounted on his
sturdy, rough, chestnut-coated pony, ac-
tually encountered her; and Madame de
Beranger waved her red sun shade in
token of recognition, and smiled and
nodded, while the doctor, after a moments s
hesitation, pulled up and nodded in re-
turn.
$50 yer hack 9n he said laconically.