Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1890-03-14

"By heduen! I'll go and fetch her bac1, my
sciE"
"But, Capt. Hastings, she is not lost.
How
Glow can You tell what may occur in
to herself? Despair-alone; she was al
ways in exalted moods. God knows
what fancies and memories may have
haunted her and thrown her off her bal.
ance. My poor little Normal" His eyes
looked moist Che was still weak, and
with a natural effort to avoid notice, he
stopped and picked up the part of the
paper which had been thrown on the
floor. AS he did 50 something seemed to
catch his attention, He stopped abrupt
ly, gazed tiXedly at the top of the sheet;
then his arm dropped; he made a stag
gering step forward, and would have
fallen had not the lawyer caught him.
Here, sit down, sit down, you have
overtaxed your strength"
Hastings did not reply for few min
utes, and then he spoke brokenly. YES,
l am weaker than | thought. I'll get
back to my hotel. I'LL
You'll take a glass of wine first"
Opening the door into clerks room
next his, Orpen called, Get some sherry
at once, will you?"
1t was quickly brought, and Hastings
seemed to recover and asked that a cab
might be called.
you'll telegraph to this MacDougals
firm in Melbourne, at all events he said
as he put his arm through Orpens. at
will arrive long before them, but his
employees will have some means of com
municating before any one else. Til see
you tomorrow. Can you come to me-
Yes, certainly. Will 10 o'clock be too
soon?'
When Mr.. Orpen returned from put
ting his client in a cab he took up the
paper Hastings had let fall and looked
curiously at it. "He was desperately
vexcd about Claveriug's daughter. But
it was not all that. | thought he was
going to die" he unused. Hal what's
this? ON the 18th inst, at St. Olave's
church, South Kensington, by the Right
Rev. the Bishop of St. Mungo's, assisted
by the Honhle. and Rev. Riginald de
L
Culmington castle, and Marine villa
Isle Of Wight, to Lady Julia, only daugh-
ter of the Earl of Leuchars.' Why, she
has landed the great China millionaire"
III.
The excitement and disappointment
brought on return of Hastings fever,
and his excessive anxiety retarded his
recovery.
Orpen was seriously uneasy about him
and did his best to calm his uneasiness
by making all possible efforts to trace
Mrs. Macallan, from whom Hastings i'm
agined lie could obtain information re-
specting Norinas views and intentions.
II have been again to Mrs. Macallan's
rooms myself" said Orpen one morning
when he found Hastings sitting in a
hopeless way doing nothing, beside a
large fire, looking gaunter and grimmer
than when he first arrived.
And what did you hear?"
81 saw the landlady herself. She was
quite clear in all sine said; both Mrs.
Macallan and Miss Clavering, who had
been about ten days in her house, left on
the 10Th of September--Mrs. Macallan
for Paris and Miss Clavering for the
Langham hotel, from which she was to
start the next day with some friends for
Australia. The woman seemed to have
no doubt she had sailed as she has never
heard or seen anything of her since. You
must just possess yourself with patierce,
and write all You wish to say, Capt.
Hastings. | have no doubt the Young
lady will be glad enough to return to
ease and comfort after short experience
Of colonial life
IF ! have not lost her altogether, "
muttered Hastings
There's mail tomorrow for Austria
Iia," added Orpen.
Il know | wrote her a long letter
last night BY the way, did you ever
think of making inquiries at the Lang
ham,
What was / to inquire about? Be
sides, until heard it just now from the
landlady l did not know where these
Australian people were staying"
True" returned IIastings, and re-
lapsed into silence so complete that Or
pen took it as hint to go.
"Iou will probably be able TO attend
to business tomorrow. he said rising;
there is good deal to arrange,
and'---
Eyes, yes. am decidedly better, and
will try and get to your Office to-mor-
row."
As soon as the lawyer had departed
Hastings rang for his valet
"ESnd and get me "A brousham at
! once" he exclaimed. Il must 50 out"