Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-03-21

then. You are here safe? / have been SO
uneasy-I am so glad to see you again.
The proud voice was broken By q quiver,
tears chung to the dark eyelashes, though
q tremuious smile was on the red mouth.
Norris heart was warmed by her evident
solicituhie.
"My dear Altflea. what should have hap
pened. \ fellow of my Drawn should be
pretty well able to take care of himself if
there had been any thing more formidable
to face than my good uncle's fancies. You
did not suppose three days at the cottage
would have a fatal effect, did youl"
"You have really not been in any dan
ger, thens" persisted AIthea, wistfuliy.
Read that. Think, if you can, what l have
suffered"
She took a note from her belt and passed
it to him. Written o n coarse paper, in an
evidently disguised hand, Norris read:
"DEAR Miss EvERLEIGu-This is to warn
you against harboringa snake. Don't put
any faith III Norris Bergman. There are
some on his heels who will make short work
of him if he goes much further. a word to
tho wise ought TO be enough. He has got
off twice, let him look out for the third
time. If he goes into the bank it VIII be
worse for you and yours. as surely as he
does, he is a doomed man. This is not the
warnings Of Il friend, but of one who knows.
Heed it,
The signature was the rude drawing Of o
hand reaching up through an open squire.
Norris fixed his eyes upon it, and his brovs
knit. The rambling. foolish attempt to
frighten him was given It's only point in his
mind by that strange signature.
"What does it mean. Norris What
enemy have you TO make such threats %
81 am as completely at & loss about that
as you can be, Althca. This note looks like
the disjointcd rawlings of 4 crazy man to
me-. DON'T let it annoy you. It il not
Have you 60 idea who wrote it.h fixing
her glance, searching and intent, upon his
face.
Not the slightest in the world
"You will not let 1t prevent your going
into-my fathers service2' with q porcep-
tible pause before the last three words.
Certainly not. It would take much
more than this to make me change my mind
on that point; if any thing. 1t has the effect
to strengthen my determination"
al am glad Of that, but oh, Norris! be
careful-be careful Of yourself. / shall live
in misery if any harm ONO to you"
There was a deep, excited glow in those
great, dilated eyes, which Norris could not
Qt!llc iaLNOll. ne lC! tae conversation
away from the exciting subject; by making
light of ii, he tried To relieve her of further
fears. Ee was glad that she did not know
the thought which had been suggested &c
his mine
at looks as II the villains had spotted
the bank, and were afraid of my ~inteefer
ing with their operations. Strange If
should come in the way, for the second
time. of that gang. Only one of them would
have used that signature, yet it seems
most foolhardy thing to do to warn me il
that way. Ican't understand it atall; Imusi
be sharp and watchful.'
These were the thoughts which chung Il
him after he had parted from Althea. C;oult
he have looked back through the clnset
} doors, have seen her standing with tina
drawn look of pain on her brows, he woult
have known tina; he had not left her in suel
, entire ignorance as he imagined. Their
; was trouble of her own too, gnawing q
J that proud heart.
Have | been so untrue to myself as I
J give my heart Observation-Disclosures thought
-unworthily! will not believe it. l hav
faith in Norris. If there is baseness an
treachery, he viii discover them. / hav
done right by putting that note in hi
hands,
Yet the consciousness of doing right di
not bring peace TO Miss Eyerleigh's breast