The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1889-04-12

no more questioned it than ques.
toned she rising of the sun. The
day came when I was to go, and be
had said nothing definite to me. I,
living in my FOOLS paradise, was mel.
ther surprised nor afraid. At lust.
IN hour before LETT, he took me in
his arms and kissed my lips, and
told ME that he would follow INC
the next day."
"That's enough" said Alden
brooke, in a low voice, "ho was a
brute. Let us hear no more about
him."
"Therc is nothing more to hear"
she answered with bitterness, "thnt,
is the end Of my story. A week lat
or lie had gone abroad"
Addenbrooke put his arm about
Lydia, and drawing her head to his
shoulder, stroked her hair backward
and forward with his kind hand.
Her recital had panied him. He
knew the perfidy of his sex, but this
particular offender had gone beyond
all recognized limits; limits which
in his own person, Johnny had nj.
ways refused to recognize. The
thought Of tho misery inflicted on
his proud, sensitive, passionate
Lydia made him sick with anger and
spcechless with sympathy. 1Ie rose
at last, and buttoning up his coat,
tried to speak in tones of rcassuring
cleerfulness.
"By the by, Lydia, Fleming has
come back. You remember LAW
renee Fleming? They are making
quite Il lion of him on account of his
new book. He's just the sort of a
man to enjoy being lionize.l."
Lydia looked ut him, speechlcss,
and he went on:
~ expect that he will be turning
up ut myrooms in thecourse OLA day
or two. He left portmnnteau with
my landlady before he sailed. Good
night my own dear girl" And lie
held out both hands.
Lydia looked Mt him sharply and
| WIFI rlSlnS NcSaVlOn.
She had found out long ago TINT
subtle hints were quite thrown away
upon a Johnny; but surely he must
know the truth.
Either he was thcmost consummatc
actor or the densest person living.
1t was impossible to entertain seri-
ously the idea of Addenbrooke as n
consummate actor.
iii.
AddeDbrooke had rooms in Cover
street, sitting-room and IL bed
room, divided by folding doors.
The whole apartment had begun life
as what house agents call spacious
double drawing room, and bore yet
the marks oft former state of ex-
istence.
The mantlepiece, which now sup
ported II host of bottles, variously
shaped and filed, was ofwhite marble
heavily carved-summoned up to the
imaginative mind visions of gilt
clocks and candlesticks under glass
shades.
The walls, hung with white water
ed paper, were divided INTO panels by
strips ofgold beading; and from the
ceiling shrouded chandelier depend
edtrom a twelfth-cake-like decoration
in white-and-gold plaster.
Addenbrooke had drawn his writ
ing-table, with the lamp on it, close
to the fire, and had settled down to
n long nights work. 1t was the
evening following Lydia s confession,
and he was too busy to get up to st.
Johns Wood. He sighed at tine
thought OF this, then plunged into
the pile of papers, which not only
covered the table. but overlooked in
to several neighboring chairs.
He had not been long at work when
the door was flung open and man
entered the room.
"Stillin these gilded halls, j ohnny!
said a voice which was not quite SO
drawlinS nor so full OF quiet humor
as the speaker seemed to intend.
"Fleming, by all that s wonderful"
cried Addenbrooke, rising with en-
tended hand.
The newcomer was a large, heavily
built young man. with dark hair and
a complexion. originally ford, burnt
crimson by the African sun.
He was distinctly handsome the
lower aart of the face was trife
heavy, and there was n lack of finish
about the ears and nostrils.
"Sit down." said Addenbrooke,
clearing chair and resuming his
own seat.
1 Examination, ugh!' Fleming
ficked with his large finger at the
papers on the desk. "If it's not
your own exams, it's other peoples,
poor old Jolnny!'
Fleming had thegreatest contempt
for examinations, in which. indeed,
he had conspicuously failed to dis
tinguish himself, the less brilliant
Addenbrooke having u common
place knack OF getting into the first
class, which is often the way with
your dull, plodding fellows.
These two men had been friends,
after fashion, since their first term
at the university. In those days
Fleming had been raw, unhappy,
self-conscious young man, subject to
miserable, hideous fits of shyness,
. and secretly ashamed of the pattern.
al glove-shop.
. Now, perhaps, he was too fond Of
. talking about the glove.shop; ol
drawing jocose comparisons between
himself and wcIl-known glover's
son of Stratford-on-Avon; and The
only remaining mark of his shyness
was a certain emphasis of self-confi
dence. Addenbrooke's affection fol
, him was rather survival from EARL
err days than anything else, though
! Johnny, it must be owned, was I'm.
critical, and. like many persons, i'm
posed a far less severe standard O
conduct on his friends than on him
self.
"Wherc do you hang out" asked
: Addenbrooxe, gathering together
, the dcspised acknowledgements.
81 have been down at Twickcnllam
with my people. Can't stand mucl