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

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realize tho power, such a. II was
which Lawefencs Fleming possessed
over his lellow.creatures.
"Addenbrooke," he said, leaning
forward, and speaking with sudden
intensity, stas you value your peace
OF mind, have nothing to do with
womcn!"
He flung himself back, laughing n
little, and letting fall his eyelids. In
a few minutes he burst into IL fierce
TRADE against the whole female sex,
taking Addenbrook's announcement
merely as a text.
Even Johnny was disappointed ut
this lack Of interest on the part of
his friend; but remembered having
heard that Lawrence had been hard
hit before he went to Atrica-that
nothing less, indeed, than broken
heart had sent him forth to those
distant shores.
Then, before Addenbrooke knew
what was happening, Fleming plung-
ed into the heart of his own peculiar
grievance.
1t was last yeat," he said, cut IL
country house. 1t begun from the
moment she came into tho room. l
don't pretend that she was the first;
but it was different somehow. lam
not even sure that she was good
looking, but there was something
about her-if you cared ut all-wcll,
you cared! She stayed a week, and
ut the end of the time l told her,
more or less directly, that l loved
her. was to see her the next day
in London. The next day us it hap
pencd, | was prevented by my moth
er's serious illness, l wrote and told
her this, begging her to fix n day
for my visit. She made no reply,
and four days later called ut tho
house, to DO told she was out of
town. The next day accepted the
offer of "The Waterloo Place Gu
zette, and went out to Africa. Pm
sure l don't know why cared. She
wasn't worth it; she had given me
every encouragement-had even al-
lowed me to Kiss her. I suppose
there was u richer fellow on hand, or
one whose father didn't happen to
keep n shop"
Fleming rose, struggling his shout
ders. Addenhrooke remained silent.
The voice of Mrs. Baxter, announc-
ing that the portmanteau was in
I.awrence's room came as a relief to
both.
"By the by" said Johnny, ina low
voice, as the other felt for his keys,
"all this took place at the Meades'
in Warwickslire, from March the
2Sth onwards?"
"Oh," answered Lawrence, with
some veXation, pausiDg on his
way to the door, II suppose you
know all about it like the rest of tho
world" And he went from the room.
Nv.
Addcnbrookc remained behind pac-
ing the ridiculous, incongruous
apartment, while an unwonted storm
OF emotion ragged within him.
The parts OF the puzzle lay, fitted
together, in his hand; it only re-
manned for him to step forward and
proclaim the solution OF IL most
commonplace enigma. An ineffici-
ent postman, a careless housemdid
ON some such undignified triAe had
the whole complication hung, like
many another complication before
it.
No doubt, sooner or later, the
missing clew would come to light,
when llc himself had made it's dis
covery of no Importance whatever.
Had he been of n melodrunatic
turn of mind, Ad,lenbrooke might |
have laughed aloud ut the irony OF
the situation.
His own dream was shattered for
ever; but of that, for the moment lie
scarcely thought.
What he saw most clearly was this:
That, by his own act, he must make
Lydia over into the hands of q man
unworthy of her-unlikely to make
her happy; to think of whom in con-
nection with her seemed contamina-
ton.
But the man whom LYDIA loved
withal!
There was the sting, the shock,
that for the moment took away his
breath, and made him pause, pale,
motionless, in his walk.
Then, suddenly, before the modest
and uncritical mind of Adlenbrooke
flashed in vivid colors the image of
two mcn-ot himself and his friend.
He saw Lawrence Fleming, with
snowy unreliable cleverness, his NOR
al coarseness; the man stood before
him revealed in all his secondrate-
ness.
And he saw himself, John Alden
brooke, as he had always been, in
the dignity of his irreproachful life
of his honest, patient labor.
He looked ON this picture and on
that, and knew each for what it was
worth.
Then ensued in the peaceful breast
of Addenbrooke u terrible war OF
thoughts and emotions.
Life, which had hitherto been a
simple matter enough, a mere case OF
doing your duty and minding your
own business, had assumed u com
plexion of cruel difficulty.
And vet he knew that the obvious
aspect of the matter was not Il COM
plicated one.
Lydia no more belonged to him
than a dog who had followed him
home and had been claimed by it's
master.
He was bound, in common honor,
to reveal the facts of which he had
accidentally become possessed.
Should he 60 to Lydia and say:
"This man, whom you prefer so in
finitcly to myself, is far less worthy
of you than I. He has not leda bad
life, as men 60, but he has not led a
good one? Men of the world do
not do such things, but then Adden-
brooke was not man of the world.
And if he had no other right over
Lydia, had he not that of his own
lifelong love and her three weeks
tolerance Of it?
The door opened to admit Law
renee Fleming. He had changed his
coat, and bore q bundle of papers
and q pine in his hand,