Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1890-05-16

WAS QtSuldyGu 10 lluu uIub Miss lIbNcIS
could not come before stable call; she had
an engagement.
"Of course; 1 might have known it;
you are besieged every hour. Well, can
you come tomorrow? Do" And, to-
morrow being settled upon, and despite
the fact that several Of the party waiting
on the sidewalk looked cold and impa-
tent, Mrs. Curtis found it impossible to
tear herself away until certain utterly
irrelevant matters had been lightly
touched upon and lingeriugly abandoned.
The officers were just beginning to pour
forth from headquarters when the group
of ladies finally got under way again and
Miss Travers closed the door. 1t was
now useless to return to her letter; SO
she strolled into the paror just as she
heard her sisters voice at the kitchen
door:
Come right in here, Mrs. Clancy.
Now, quick, what is it?'
And from the dining room came the
answer, hurried, half whispered and
mysterious:
"Hes been drinkin' ever since he got
out of hospital, maam, an he's worse
than ever about Loot nant Havne. It's
mischief he'll be dom, ma am; he's crazy
like
"Mrs. Clancy, you must watch him.
You Hush!'
And here she stopped short, for, in
establishment at what she had already
heard, and in her instant effort to hear
no more of what was SO evidently not
intended for her, Miss Travers hurried
from the parlor, the swish of her skirts
telling loudly of her presence there She
went again to her room. What could it
mean; Why was her proud, imperious
Kate holding secret interviews with this
coarse and vulgar woman; What con-
Germ was it of hers that Clancy should
be worse" about Mr.. Havne? 1t could
not mean that the mischief he would Go
was mischief 10 the man who had saved
his life and his property. That was out
Of the question. 1t could not mean that
the poor, broken down, drunken fellow
had the means in his power of further
harming "a man who had already been
made to suffer 50 much. Indeed, Kate's
very exclamation, the very tone in
which she spoke, showed a distress of
mind that arose from no fear for one
whom she hated as she hated Hayne.
Her anxiety was personal. 1t was for
her husband and for herself she feared.
or woman's tone and tongue never yet
revealed a secret.
Nellie Travers stood in her room
stunned and bewildered, vet trying hard
to recall and put together all the scat
tered stories and runors that had
reached her about the strange conduct
of Clancy after he was taken TO the hos
pital-especially about his heart broken
wall when told that it was Lieut.. Hayne
who had rescued him and little Kate
from hideous death. Somewhere, some
how, this man was connected with the
mystery which encircled the long hidden
truth in Haynes trouble. Could it be
| possible that he did not realize it, and
that her sister had discovered il: Could
/ it be-Oh, heaven. no!-could it be that
Kate was standing between that lonely
/ and fricndless man and the revelation
that would set him right? She could
not believe it of her. She would not
believe it OF her sister And yet what
did Kate mean by charging Mrs. Clancy
to watch him-that drunken husband,
What could it mean but that she was
striving to prevent Mir. Haynes evci
hearing the truth? She longcd to learr
more and solve the riddle once ;.ad fol
all.
They were still earnestly talking to
gether down in the dining room; but she
could not listen. Kate knew her 50 wei
that she had not closed the door leading
into the hall, though both she and Tie
laundress of Company 3 had lowered
their voices. 1t was disgraceful at best
thought Miss Travers, it was beneath he
sister, that she should hold any privat,
conversation with woman of tina
class. Condolences with such were con
tamination. She half determined t,
rush down stairs and put an end TO it
but was saved the scene; fresh young
voices, hearty ringing tones, and tn
stamp Of heavy boot heels were heard a
the door; and as Rayner entered, usher
ing in Royce and Graham, Mrs. Rayne
and the laundre SIS fled once more to Tia
kitchen.
When the sisters found themselve
alone again, il was late in the 0Sening
Mrs. Rayner came to Nellie's room an,
talked on various topics for some littl,
time, watching narrowly her sister
face. The young girl hardly spoke a
all. It was evident to the elder wha
her thoughts must be.
Il suppose you think should explain
Mrs. Clancy agitation and mysteriou
conduct, Nellie" she finally and sudden
ly said.
81 do not want you to tell me anything
Kate, that you yourself do not wish t
tell me. You understand, of course, no,
happened to be there;"
"Oh, certainly. | was thinking c
that. You couldn't help hearing; bu
you must have thought it queer-her hc
ing so agitated, l mean
No answer.
Didn't you"
81 wasn't thinking of her at ALI"
"What did you think them half def
antiy, yet trembling and growing white
"a thought it strange that you shoul
be talking with her in such way"