Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1890-12-26

est convenience. That was all.
The reply was returned in form which
left yes to be inferred: Il will receive you
as soon as you have finished your breakfast"
CHAPTER XVII.
Having read Mrs. Linley's answer, Mr..
SarraZin looked out of the breakfast-rOOm
window, and saw that the fog had reached
the cottage. Before Mrs. Presty could make
any remark on the change in the weather,
he surprised her by an extraordinary ques-
ton.
us there an upper room here, ma am,
which has view Of the road before your
front gate?'
"les"
"And can go into ii without disturbing
anybOdy?'
Mrs. Presty said, 'Certainlyv' with an up
lifting of her eyebrows which expressed as
constituent not unmixed with suspicion.
DO you want to go up nOw%' she added, Tor
will you wait till you have had your break
fast?''
II want to go up, if you please, before the
fog thickens. Oh, Mrs. Presty, l am ashamed
to trouble you! Let the servant show me
the ROOM"
No. For the first time in her life Mrs
Presty insisted on doing servants duty. If
she had been crippled in both legs her curl
Osity would have helped her to get up the
stairs on her hands. "rherew she said,
opening the door of the upper room and
placing herself exactly in the middle of it so
that she could see all round her: Twill that
do for you?"
Mr.. Sarrazn went to the window, hid him
self behind the curtain, and cautiously peep
ed out In half minute he turned his back
on the misty view of the road and said to
himself: 'Just what expected"
Other women might have asked what this
mysterious proceeding meant, Mrs. Presty's
sense of her own dignity adopted system
OF Independent discovery. To Mr.. Sarrazin's
amusement she initiated him to his face
Advancing to the window, she, too, hid her.
self behind the curtain, and she, too, peeped
out. Still following her model, she next
turned her back on the view-and then she
became herself again. snow we have both
looked out Of the window" she said to the
lawyer, in her own inimitably impudent way,
suppose we compare our Impressions"
This was easily done. They had both seen
the same two men, walking backward and
forward opposite the front gate of the cot
tage. Before the advancing fog made it i'm
possible to identify him, Mr.. Sarrazin had
recognized. in one of the men, his agreeable
fellOw-traveler on the journey from London.
The other mana stranger-was in all prob
ability an assistant spy obtained in the
neighb0rhOOd. This discovery suggested
serious embarrassment in the future. Mrs.
Presty asked what was to be done next Mr..
Sarrazin answered: Let us have our break
fast"
In another quarter of an hour they were
both in Mrs. Linley's room.
Her agitated manner, her Redeemed eyes,
showed that she was still suffering under the
emotions Of the past night. The moment the
lawyer showed himself she crossed the room
with hurried steps and took both his hands
In her trembling grasp. "You are good
man, you are kind man." she said to him
wildly; 'y0u have my trueSt respect and re-
gard. Tell me, are you really-really-
ly sure that the one way in which can keep
my child with me is the way you mentioned
last nfghtr'
Mr.. Sarrazin led her gently back to her
chair. a.
The sad change in her startled and dis
tressed him. Sincerely, solemnly even, he
declared that the one alternative before her
was the alternative that he had mentioned.
BE entreated her to control herself 1t was
useless; she still held him as IL she was hold
ing to her last hope.
Listen to mep' she cried. '"There's some
thing more; there's another chance for me.
I must and will know what you think of it."
"Wait little. Pray wait littlev'
mol not moment Is there any hope in
appealing to the lawyer whom Mr.. Linley
has employed? Let me 60. back with you to
London. will persuade him to exert his
influence II will 70 down on my knees to
him will never leave him until / have won
him over to my side-I will take Kitty with
me; he shall see us both, and pity US, and
help usr'
~Hopeless Quite hopeless. Mrs. Linley."
''0h, don't say tnatp'
my dear lady, my poor dear lady, must
sayit The man you are talking Of is the
last man In the world to be Influenced q you
suppose. He Is VIGOROUSLY lawyer and
nothing but lawyer. II you tried to move
him to pity you he would say: Madam, l am
doing my duty to my client; and he would
ring his bell and have you shown out Yes,
even II he saw you crushed and crying at his
fees.n
Mrs. PreSty interfered for the first time.
I'm your place, Catherine" she said, II
would put my foot down on that man and
crush HIM Consent to the divorce and you
may do it"
Mrs. Linley lay PROSTATE in her chair. The
excitement which had sustained her thus far
seemed to have sunk with the sinking of her
last hope. Pale, exhausted, yielding to hard
necessity, she looked up when her mother
said: Consent to the divorce" and an
swered: II have consented"
And trust me" Mr.. Sarrazin said fervent-
ly. TO see that Justice is done, and to pro-
tect you in the meanwhile"
Mrs. Presty added her tribute Of consola-
ton.
AFTER all" she asked, "what Is there to
terrify you in the prospect Of a divorce? You
won't hear what people say about it-for we
see no society now. And, as for the news
papers, keep them out of the house."
Mrs. Linley answered with a momentary
revival Of energy.
1T Is not the fear Of exposure that has tort
ured me-" she said. when was left in
the solitude Of the night my heart turned to
Kitty; felt chat any sacrifice Of myself
might be endured for her sake. It's the re-
membrance OF my marriage, Mr.. Sarrazin,
that Is the terrible trial to me. Those whom
God has Joined together let no man put asun-
der. Is there nothing to terrify me In SET
ting that solemn command at defiance? do
it-oh, do it in consenting to the divorced
renounce the vows which bound myself
to respect In the presence Of God; I profane
the remembrance Of eight happy years, hal
lowed by true love. All, you needn't remind
me Of what my husband has done. don't
forget how cruelty he has wronged me;
don't forget that his own act has cast me
from him. But whose act destroys our mar
rage? Mine mineI Forgive me, mamma;
forgive me, my kind friend-the horror that
have Of myself forces its way to my lips.
No more of it! My child is my ore treasure
left What must l do next7 What must
sign? What must I sacrifice? Tell me-and
1t shall be done. / submit I submitr'
Delicately and mercifully Mr.. Sarrazin an
swered that sad appeal
All that his knowledge, experience, and
resolution could suggest he addressed to Mrs.
Presty. Mrs. Linley could listen or not listen,
as her own wishes inclined. In the ono case
or In the other, her interests would be equal
ly well served. The good lawyer kissed her
hand. "Rest, and recover" he whispered.
And then he turned to her mother-and be-
came man of business once more.
The first thing / shall do, ma'am, is to
telegraph to my agent in Edinburgh. He
will arrange for the speediest possible hear
Ing OF our case In the Court of Sessions.
Make your mind easy 80 far"