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


pIaiucd: and ii is my taut. Ny life il an
a;ul!,lnrnt for tir >lIS Of ny youth. | have
reached nv 10th ycIr-aut that one purpose
j. before me for the resi- %, NY days. Suffer-
ms ami dangers which but few men under
60 awakened my conscience. Ny last eXer-
else of the duties of my profession associated
me with an expedition 10 the polar seas. Our
sllp was crushed in the lee. Our march 10
the nearest regions Inhabited by humanity
was hopeless struggle of starving men, rot
ten with scuryy. against the merclcSs forces
of nature. One by one my comrades drop
ped and died. Ont of twenty men there were
three left with last flicker in them OF the
vital flame when the party OF rescue found
u.s. One Of the three died on the honeward
voyage One lived to reach his native place
and to sink to rest with his wife and children
round his bed. The last man left, out OF that
band of heroes lives to be wOrthier OF Gods
mcrcy-and tries to make Gods creatures
better and happier in this world, and worth
Ter of the world that is to come
Randars generous nature felt the appeal
that had been made to it. "Will you let me
take your hand, captain" he said.
They clasped hands in silence.
Capt. Bennytleck was the first to speak
again. That modest dstrust of himself,
which man essentially noble and brave is
generally the readest of men to feel, seemed
to be troubling him once more-just as it had
troubled him when he first found himself in
Randars presence.
81 hope you won't think me vain," he re.
sumed; Il seldom say so much about myself
as have said to YOU"
!, da1
rejoined. Cant you put off your return to
London for a day or two"'
The thing was not to be done. Duties
which it was impossible to trifle with called
the captain back. Its quite likely" he
said, abiding pleasantly to the impression
which he had produced in speaking of the
highlanders, that shall find more strangers
to interest he in the great city,"
"Are they always strangers?' Randall ask.
ed. Have you never met, by accident with
persons whom you may once have known"
.Never-yet. But it may happen on my
return"
I'm what way"'
I'm this way. l have been in search of a
poor girl who has lost both her parents. She
has, fear, been left helpless at the mercy of
the world. Her father was an old friend of
mine-Once an officer in the navy, like my
self. My last letters suggest hope of trac-
ing her. There is reason to believe that she
is or has been employed as pupil-teacher at
school in the suburbs of London, and am
going back, among other things, to try if
can follow the clew myself. GOOd-by, my
friend, let US hope to meet again. When you
are in London you will always hear of ME at
| the club"
Heartily reciprocating his good wishes,
Randall attended Capt Bennydeck to the
door.
| On the way back to the drawing-roOm he
found his mind dwelling, rather to his sur
prise, on the captains contemplated search
| for the lost girl.
Was the good man likely to find her? 1t
seemed useless enough to inqure-and yet
Randall asked himself the question. Her
father had been described as an officer in the
navy. Well, and what did that matter? In
clined to laugh at his own idle curiosity he
was suddenly struck by new idea. What
had his brother told him of Miss Westerfeld?
She was the daughter of an officer in the
navy; she had been pupil-teacher at school.
Was it really possible that Sydney Wester-
field could be the person whom Capt. Benny
deck was attempting to trace? Randall threw
up the window which overlooked the drive
in front of the house. Too late! The carriage
which Lad brought the captain to Mount
MOrven was no longer in sight.
The one other course that he could take
was to mention Capt Bennydeck's name to
Sydney, and be guided by the result
As he approached the bell, determined to
send a message upstairs, he heard the door
opened behind him. Mrs. Presty had enter
ed the drawing-roOm, with purpose, as it
seemed, in which Randall was concerned.
Xxx:
Strong as the impression was which Capt.
Bennydeck had produced ON Randall, Mrs.
Presty's first words dismissed it from his
mind. She asked him if he had any message
for his brother.
Randall instantly looked at the clock. HAS
Catherine not sent to the farm, YETI" he ask
ed, In establishment
Mrs. Presty's mind seemed to be absorbed
in her daughter. "Ah, poor Catherine
Worn out with anxiety and watching at
Kitty's bedside. Night after night without any
sleep; night after night tortured by suspense
As usual. she can depend on her old mother
for sympathy. have taken all her house
hold duties on myself till she is in better
health"
Randall tried again. "Mrs. Presty, am I to
understand (after the plain directions Her.
bert gave) that no messenger has been sent
to the farm?"
Mrs. Presty held her venerable head high
or than ever when Randall pronounced his
brothers name. II see no necessity for be-
ing in hurry" she answered, stiffiy, latter
the brutal manner in which Herbert has be-
haved to me. Put yourself in my place-and
imagine what you would feel if you were
told to hold your tongue"
Randall wasted no more time on ears that
were deaf to rem0nStrancp. Feeling the Sc
rious necessity of interfering to some good
purpose, he asked where he might find his
sister-in-law.
II have taken Catherine into the garden. {"
Mrs. Presty announced. 1.-THE doctor him
self suggested-nO, may say ordered-it
He Is afraid that she may fall i'll next, DOOR
soul, if she doesn't get air and exercise"
In Mrs. Linley's own interests Randall re-
solved on advising her to write to her hus-
band by the messenger; explaining that she
was not to blame for the inexcuSable delay
which had already taken place. Without a
word more to Mrs. Presty he hastened out of
the room. That inveterately distrustful wO-
man called him back. She desired to know
where he was going and why he was in a
hurry.
II am going to the garden" Randall an
swered.
ITO speak to Catherine?"
Eyes"
Needless trouble, my dear Randall. She
will be back in quarter of an hour, and she
will pass through this room on her way up-
stairs"
Another quarter of an hour was matter
Of no importance to Mrs. Prestyl Randall
took his own way-the way into the garden.
HIS silence and his determination to Join
his sister-in-law reused Mrs. Presty's ready
suspicious; she concluded that he was bent
on making mischief between her daughter
and herself. The one thing to do in this
case was to follow him instantly. The active
old lady trotted out of the room, strongly in
clined to think that the Evil Genius of the
family might be Randall Linley after all
They had both taken the shortest way to
tne garden; that Is to say, the way through
the library, which communicated at its farth-
est end with the corridor and the vaulted
flight OF stairs leading directly out of the
house. OF the two doors in the drawing
room, one, on the left led to the grand stair
case and the hall; the other, on the right,
opened on the back stairs, and on side en-
trance to the house, used by the family when
they were pressed for time, as well as by the
servants.
The drawing-room had not been empty
more than few minutes when the door on
the right was suddenly opened. Herbert
Linley entered with hurried, uncertain steps.
lie took the chair that was nearest to him,