Mexico weekly ledger., 1890-10-16
p XI.

~Il SW>N@
Epelyn ank into a chntr and couercd her
face ufth her trembling hands.
When I came down before dinner /
found Ralph and Charles talking earn
estly by the hall fire, Ralph's hand ON
his brothers shoulder.
You see We are no further forward
than we were," he was saying.
I'VE shall have Marston back to-mor- |
row." said Charles, as the gong began to
sound. 1--WE cannot take any step till
then, especially if we don't want to put
our foot in it. I have been racking my
brains all the afternoon without the yes
tige Of a result. We must just hold our
hands for the moment"
Dinner was announced, and we waited
patiently for q few minutes and impa-
tiently for a good many more, until
Evelyn hurried down, apologizing for
being late, and with a message from
Lady Mary that we were not to wait for
her, as she was dining upstairs in her
ownroom, a practice to which she seemed
rather addicted.
"And where is Aurelia:' asked Ralph.
"She is not coming down to dinner
either" said Evelyn. 'Slle has a bad
headache again, and is lying down. She
asked me to tell you that she wishes par
ticularly to see you this evening, as she
is going away tomorrow, and If she is
--o11 o,o,~l eIo x-I1 ~, Jn-~ 30 A.
morning room at 9; indeed she said she
would cone down anyhow"
After Ralph's natural anxiety respect
ing his lady love had been relieved, and
he had been repeatedly assured that
nothing much was amiss. we went in to
dinner, and d more lugubrious repast /
never remember being present at. The
meals of the day might have been CLASH
fed thus: Breakfast, dismal; luncheon.
dismaller Tor more dismal): dinner, dis
mallest Tor most dismal). There really
was no conversation. Even |, who,
without going very deep (Which l on
slider is not in good taste), have One
thing to say on almost every subject
even 1 felt myself nonplused for the
time being. Each of US in turn got out
a few constrained words and then re-
1apsed into silence.
Evelyn ate nothing. and her hand
trembled SO much when she poured out
a glass of water that she split some On
the cloth. l saw Charles was watching
her furtively, and 1 became more and
more certain that Aurelia was right
and that Evelyn knew something about
the mystery of the night before. Unjust
and would speak to her that very even
ing.
bitterly cold" said Ralph, when at
last We had reached the dessert stage.
at is showing still, and the wind is
getting up"
In truth the wind was moaning round
the house like an uneasy spirit.
s'That sound in the wind always
means snow," said Charles, evidently
for the sake of saying something. 1T
Ia easterly, / should think. Yes" after
. pause, when another silence seemed
imminent, there goes the 8 O'Clock
train. 1t must be quite a quarter of an
hour late, though, for it has struck 8
some time. / can hear 1t distinctly.
The station is three miles away, and you
never hear the train unless the wind i.
in the east"
"Come, Charles, not three miles-two
miles and a half" put in Ralph.
"Well, two and a half from here down
to the station, but certainly three from
the station up here" replied Charles;
and so silence was laboriously avoided
by diligent small talk, until we returned
3 <he drawing room, thankful there at
least wo could take up . book and be 81
lentifw we wtshed. We all did wishit, ap-
parentty. Evelyn wassittng by q lamp
when we came In with . book before
her, her elbow ON the table, shading her
face with a slender, delicate hand. She
remained modonlees, her eyes fixed upon
the page, but I noticed after some time
that she had never turned 1t over.
Charles may have read his newspaper,
but If he did 1t was with one eye upon
Evelyn an tho time. Between watching
them both I did not, as may be imagin-
ed, make much progress myself. How
wa 1 to manage to speak to Evelyn
alone, and without Charles knowledge2
At last Ralph, who had gone into the
morning room, opened the drawing room
door, and put his head in.
"Aurelia has not come down yet, and
1t is a quarter past o. I wish you would
run up, Evelyn, and see if she is COM
ing"
"She is sure to Gomez replied Evelyn,
without raising her eyes. "She said she
must see you"
Ralph disappeared again, and the
books and papers were studied anew
with answering devotion. AT the end
Of another ten minutes, however, the
impatient lover reappeared.
'.It Is half-past g." he said, in an In
jured tone. do pray run up, Evelyn.
tdon't think she can be coming at all. l
am afraid she is worse."
Evelyn laid down her book and left
tho room. Ralph sauntered back into
the morning room. where we heard him
beguiEng his solitude with a few chords
on the piano.
Presently Evelyn returned. She was
pale even to the lips. and her voice falt-
cred as she said:
"She has not gone to bed, for there is
. light in her room; but she would not
answer when / Knocked and the door is
locked"
"An Of which circumstances are not
sufficient to make you a white as
. ghost" said Charles. az think, even
II Aure1ia has a headache, you would
bear the occurrence with fortitude.
Ny dear child, you do not act so well
off the stage as on it. There is some
thing on your mind. People don't up
Get water at dinner and refuse all food
except pellets Of pinehed bread for moth
ing. What is it"
Evelyn sank into q chair and covered
her face with her trembling hands.
Eyes, I thought So" said Charles.
kneeline down by her and gently with
drawing her hands. "Come, Evelyn,
what is it?'
II dare not say" And she turned
.vav her face and tried to disengage
hsr hands, bat Charles held them firmly.
ais it about what happened last
nirht2' he asked, in . tone that was
lind. but that evidently intended te
have an answer.
sYes."
"And do you know that I am sus
49, Cbor1as, Never.r she cried