Dodge City times., 1890-06-06

LOOK mere. young man. When Sou
were staying with me in the country,
rather hoped it might end in n marriage
engagement You and Iris disappoiut- d
me-not for the first time. But women
do change their minds. Suppose she had
changed her mind, after having twice re-
fused You, Suppose she had given you
an opportunity"
Hugh interrupted him again. ats
needless TO suppose anything of the sort,
sir: she would not have given me an Op-
pOrtunity."
Don't fence with me, MOuntjoy! I'll
put i; in a milder way. il you prefer being
humbugged. Do yon feel any interest in
that perverse girl f miue,"
Hugh answered readily and warmly:
"The truest interest"
Even Mr.. Heuley was human; his ugly
face looked uglier still 1t assumed the
self-satisfied expression OF u man who had
carried his point.
Now can go on. my friend. with what
! had to say to you. l have been abroad
on business, and only came back the 9th
er day. The moment saw Iris I NOTICED
something wrong about her. II ! had
been u stranger should have said: That
young woman is not easy in her miud.
Perfectly useless to speak to her about it.
Quite happy and quite well-there WAS
her own account of herself. 1 tried her
maid next, n white-liveret, sulky creature,
Onc VI thC stcuuIcSt uiiS uNvC ever met
with. L know of nothing amiss with INV
mistress, SIR There was the maid way
Of keeping the secret. whatever il may bel
] don't know whether you may have vo-
ticed it in the course OF yOur acquaintance
with mel hate to be beaten"
NO. Mr.. Henler. have not no'iccl it."
"Then you are Informed Of it now. Have
You seen my housekeepert"
'Once or twice, SIR"
st somai HOu'r imnrOviu0. chs n kA
something of you in course OF time. Well,
the housekeeper was the next person /
spoke to about my daughter Had she
seen anything strange in Miss Iris while I
was away from home? There's dash OF
malice in my housekeeper's composition;
the old woman is pleased she shows her
yellow fangs. She had something to tell
me: The servants have been talking, sir.
about Miss Iris Out with it, ma'am(
what do they sayY They notice, sir, that
their young lady has taken to going ont
in the forenoon. regularl, every day: al
ways by herself, aud always in the same
direction. don't encourage the servants.
Mr.. Henley: there was something insolent
in the tone of suspicion that they adopted.
l told them that Miss Iris was merely tax
ing her walk. They reminded me that 1t
must be a cruelty long walk, Miss Iris be-
ing away regularly for four or nve hours
together, before she came back to the
house After that (says the hOusekeeper).
4 thought it best to drop the subject
What do you think of it yourself, Mount
joy' Do yon call my daughters conduct
suspiciOust"
Il see nothing suspicious. Mr. Henley.
When Iris goes out. she visits friend"
And always goes in the same direction.
and always visits the same friend" Mr.
Henley added. Il felt curiosity to know
who that friend might be, and made the
discovery yesterday. When you were
staying in my house in the country, do
you remember the man who waited on
your"
Mountjoy began to feel alarmed for Iris;
he answered as briefly as possible
''YOur valet!" he said,
'.That's it, Well, took my valet into
my cOnfidence-nOt for the first time. l
can tell you; an invaluable fellow. When
Iris went out yesterday he tracked her to
Hampstead Heath. called Redburn Road.
She rang the bell at No. 5. and was ut
once let in-evidently well known there.
My clever man made inquiries in the
neighbOrhOOd. The house belongs to a
doctor, who has lately taken 1t. Name is
Vimpany."
Mountjoy was not only startled, but
showed it plainly. Mr.. Henley, still pacing
backward and forward. happened by good
fortune to have his back turned towards
his visitor Mt that moment.
Now ask you as man OF the world"
Mr.. Henley resumed. "what does this
mean, II you're too cautious to speak out,
and must say it looks ike it, shall l set
yOu the example."
"Just as you please. SIR"
Every well, then; I'll tell yOu what I
suspect. When Iris is at home, and when
there's something amiss in my family,
believe that scOundrel Lord Harry to be
at the bottom of it. There's my expert
ence, and there's my explanation. was
OIL the point Of ordering my carriage. to go
to the doctor myself and insist on know
ing what the attraction IS that takes my
daughter to his house. when heard your
voice in the l.lll. You tell me you are in
terested in Iris. Very well; you are just
the man to help me-"
''May ask how. Mr.. Henleys''
"Of course you may. You can find your
way to her confidence. il you choose to try;
she will trust you. where she won't trust
her father. l don't care two straws about
her other secrets: but l do want to know
whether she is, or is not, plotting to marry
the Irish blackguard. Satisfy me about
that, and you needn't tell me anything
more. May count on you to find out how
the land lies."
MounijOy listened, hardly able to credit
the evidence Of his own seuses; he was
actually expected to insinuate himself in-
to the confidence of Iris. and then to betray
her to her father! He rose, and took his
hat-and, without even the fOrmalfty Of .
bow. opened the door.
Does that mean NO." Mr.. Henley call
Cd after him.
Most assuredly," MOuntjOy answered
and closed the door behind him.
ITO Be COntiEued.l