Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-07-05
THE ATHELSTONS;
OR VICTOR AND vANQUIsHED.
BY MARY CECIL HAY.

HO IAE away blhb IuCN odW AObuAuk AM the shadow of the hedge, as he closed the gate and turned into the silent gar den.
 The cottage door still stood open, and the little lamp was burning as he had left it. Almost before he was conscious what it was, Fitz Spendir missed some. thing. He looked round, the brows coming down over his eyes. The letter Yes, it had been left upon the table, here beside the lamp-and it was gone.
 The artists eyes, darkening with . terrible fear and rage, went over the small room from end to end. Then he turned suddenly and left the house, his breath coming quick and hard. A sharp, short summons at Mrs. Cheere's door reused her from the placid enjoy ment of a glass of mulled elder wine, which she always "took incidentally before going to bed.
 @ "I have been away from home for five minutes" said the artist, breaking in up- on her, almost grand in his curbed wrath and excitement. "Do you know who has been in my house during my ab- sence?"
 "If I keep my own house quiet and unmolested, think it's about as much as need be expected of a woman," re- joined Dorcas, stiffiy. "I never heard that was expected to mind yours too. "
 You haven't been in, then ?" in- quired Fitz, caring nothing for her rudeness.
 "I?" retorted Dorcas, with e scornful sniff which died away in a laugh of con- temptuous astonishment "Td be sorry to go over your door-sill, wouldl"
 "Then you don't know ?" asked Fitz, anxiously.
 If you are sober, should think you know yourself" she answered, stirring her wine. with cool scorn "unless you killed him as you threatened. Didn't he go in to bring you Col. Stuart's mes- sage, though tried to persuade him against it, when he'd real need to be afraid of murder"
 "What do you mean2" inquired Fitz, aghast.
 "Just what say. And, now. I should think you can go, and not stare 8 person out of countenance like that, at unseem- ly hours."
 A tact. not at all belonging to the artist, came to him now with ready help.
 But Mir. Jeffrey is only just gone, as you acknowledge, l., said, quietly; "I fear he missed me, and couldn't leave the Colonel's message. Will you kindly tell me what it was ?"
 "1 hope I'm better bred than to ask gentlemen to tell me things that no way concern me-" answered Dorcas with stately pride. "And if you missed the message, and it was a good one for you, you just deserved it; having visitors that daren't come in the daylight"
 Looking at him with vicious scrutiny, Dorcas saw the scarlet rush into the artists face, and she smiled with grim satisfaction.
 "Mr. Jeffrey is gentleman" she said, with impressive and suggestive emphasis "and when he reaohsd your door, and found that you were engaged with a person" (the second emphasis added greatly to the impress iveness and suggestiveness of the first), Che came in here to remain until your he supposed you were alone again, he went in tol give you Col. Stuart's mes sage. wish you goodnight now, and hope these doings under my own roof for the houses are but too unfortunately conioined-may not be allowed by Col. Stuart to be of long continuance"
 With this slow shot, Dorcas turned again for consolation to her tumbler of warm beverage, but its flavor was a little diluted by the unflattering con- sciousness that that vagabond artist" had not waited to hear the whole of her speech.
 Not he By the time Dorcas had stopped to take breath, he was out in the lane, pursuing his way under the elms, with the sure, swift vigilance of a grey hound. No figure moved before him in the almost utter darkness; no step sounded on the hard road but he still held on his hurried, eager way un- til he saw before him the end of the lines of overarching elms and, in the partial light beyond, two figures beside the green door in the wall which bounded the park of High Athelston.
 It did not need the artists keen. we'll practiced eyes to recognize them. Flu stace Jeffrey had one hand on Lima Chester's arm, while the other placed the key in the lock of the door.
 With very madness of anger, Fitz Spendir sprang forward, but only to see the door close behind them as they en. tered the park together. The gray. ivy-covered wall was eight or nine feet high, but Fitz looked up at it, eagerly and hungrily, as if he could have cleared 1t at bound.
 Lima had crossed the park, entered Ahe house, and crept to her own room the hunted look darkening her sad eyes then, even as it had never done before when the artist at last left the dark lane, and, re-entering the cottage, sat down beside the empty grate, and took up the half -plucked bird.
 CHAPTER XV.
 Marjorie Castillain, in her pink even- ing dress, and with the roses unfaded in her rich brown hair, was sitting be- side the fire in Miss Chester's bedroom when Lima entered it.
 ''I found Margaret here waiting to help you, Lina," she said, with only an instant's glance up from the fire, "so told her you were down stairs, busy, and that. as liked sitting here, she might go to bed. You were down stairs, busy, so don't look shocked at me. It is no flo. You weren't up stairs, and you weren't idle. In that I was right, Miss Chester, as in most things-save the mark 1"
 Lima had smiled with sudden glad