Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1890-08-22


vastly amusing, and broke out into noisy
laughter.
you seem TO DO merrily Inclined" I
remarked, stepping out Of the shadow In
which had remained until now.
1.-The II Why, 80 l am. Care
killed n cat, and cat is said to have nine
lives. have but one, SO | can't afford
10 give Care house room"
"Does your boy sleep herel" 1 asked,
CHANGING toward small lad who was
snoring in "a corner.
No" shaking him roughly. "Be-
gone, you young vagabond! and mind
you are here betimes in tho morning.
Drat himl he has left the door open.
There, we are all right now, sir. Yes,
sir. can see that your look means bust
ness; proceed"
"You asked me once, / remember, If
| knew Allan Stephenson. | did not
then, but have since formed his acquaint-
ance. 1t was undoubtedly in pure pleas
antry, and not in any wise to crafty an
old grudge of your own, that so merry a
gentleman as yourself compounded with
another to prevent his gaining possession
Of the amount given him by Mrs. Stephen
sons will. But the Jest, choice as it is
has gone quite far enough. Arc you
ready to undo your part IN the proceed
mgr
Judas! what does this mean"
at means that the bitter is in danger
of being bitten" l retortod, severely;
chat Julius Stone should have known
better than to become a compounder of
felony; that my brother is no more in
your power than you are in Allan Ste
phenson's, to whom all the circum-
stances are known"
He glared upon me with q malignant
look in his evil eyes, but l faced him
steadily.
1T means, too" l went on, "that you
are to relinquish all pursuit of Madeline
Mannering, or you have nothing to hope
from Allan Stephenson's clemency."
Now, look here, sir! Maybe you think
was born yesterday. Yes, sir. Robert
Mannering's brother to pretend to threat
Ell me! L wonder who has most need of
Allan Stcphenson'5 clemency."
at is sufficient for you that you may
have serious need of it yourself" 1 re-
piled, with cool contempt. besides, u
legal inquiry into your proceedings may
bring to light more peccadilloes than you
called to mind at first. We shall see, at
all events"
This was a random shot, but I could
see that it struck home.
GLOW much will you give to buy me
OFF, he inquired, after gnawing his lip a
while and looking helplessly ferocious.
'You will get no more than you have
already received"
at won't do; was to have piecod that
out with Madeline's fortune"
"Feloniouslv obtained and by your
conniyance. think you will have to
dispense with that method of piecing out
your gains"
1t is useless to record the remainder
of our discourse. Enough that in all
that followed, as in what have related.
the mans spirit showed mean and das-
tardly, without redeeming feature. But
he was brought to bay, and at the end
gave the pledge | sought-that Madeline
should be free from him, and that he
would leave my brother in peace.
may as well make an end of Julius
Stone, now that I have my hand in. He
presently discovered that the air of Man
nerington was uncongenial to his health
or spirits, have forgotten which-and
removed not long afterward to the west
| have lately seen his name in list of
persons lost by steamboat explosion on
one of the great lakes. lie was at the
time fugitive from Justice, whose Off
GERS were in hot pursuit of him. Hence
an exciting race, and a tragedy dealing
death to many homes.
That Madeline is now Mrs. Allan Ste
phenson it is perhaps unnecessary to re.
cord. l dare say that you may aleady
have fastened to that conclusion. 1t
would be difficult to find better order
ed household than that over which she
presides, or a home where truer happi-
ness dwells. Her face-upon which the
inscrutable look that so often puzzled me
never appears now-is in general per-
feet doXOlogy, seeming to praise God,
from whom all blessings ilow."
With reverence be this spoken, as l
have often heard the words reverentlv
from her lips, and never more SO than on
the morning when assured her that she
was free from Julius Stone.
Beatrice-my glad hearted Beatrice
is still the life of the manor, though gen.
orally aided In that capacity either by
sunshine or gas light How long we shall
be abs to retain her as our own especial
Illuminating agent it is, however, i'm
possible to say. Yesterday as 1 was
strolling about the grounds-I have
given up my lodgings, and live wholly
at the manor now-she came dancing
down an intersecting walk, caught me
by the arm and made great parade of
standing upon tiptoe to whisper in my
ear. l know no reason why she might
not have spoken aloud, for there was no
one near to listen, but this is what she
said:
"At last, Caleb's invention is proved
to be great success-and it Is going to
make him n rich mainland a great man,
too-and papa has consented-and NAM
ma has said perhaps-and--and-Tm
the happiest niece you have got In all
the world, you dear, old, darling Uncle
| Raffy"