Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-12-17

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 ''I think it must be Val Richardson-Mr. Richardson" answered Chris.
 "ohP r said Lady Grace, who had a slight acquaintance with this gentleman; and as he raised his plumed cap at that moment, she favored him with little bow.
 Possibly he may have chosen to interpret that as an invitation. At any rate, he stepped quickly across the street, passed through the doorway above which the girls were seated, and presently entered the room, removing his mask as he did so. He walked straight up to Lady Barnstaple, who stared, and then said, rather coldly: "0hl Mir. Robertson, isn't it2 How do you do, MT. Robertson?"
 Val was not easily snubbed. He addressed a few commonplaccs to the dowagers, then dragged chair toward the window, and seated himself between the two younger ladies with the easy air of one who is sure of hls welcome. And he was, 1t must be con- fessed, very successful in amusing them. He knew or appeared to know every one of note in the crowd his precision of aim was again and again displayed in way which was re- warded by the laughter and applause 1t nor ited; and if his manner was sometimes 8 little too familiar, that was an cffense which tho circumstances of the occasion rendered less noticeable end more excusable than it would have been at any other time.
 But Lady Barnstapie, who had taken very little notice of him, did not seem to be any the more inclined to excuse him on that ac- count. "It strikes me, my dear," she remarked to Chris an hour or SO later, while she and her party were waiting at the station for the train which was to take them back to Cannes, that your friend MT. Robertson, or Johnson, or Dickinson, or whatever his name may be, wants putting into his proper place"
 "His name is Richardson-and what is his proper place, Lady Barnstaple3" inquired Chris, innocently.
 "How in the world should knowp" re- turned Lady Barnstaple. Behind a counter, perhaps. Certainly not behind your chair, with his arms stretched over the back of it."
 The speech was, of course, iniudicious |: and Lady Barnstaple, who was by no means a stupid woman, would probably have adopted quite different method of protecting her own daughter from ineligible suitors. Chris, who was not not at all likely to be set against any of her friends by hearing them unjustly compared to counter-iumpers, thought a good deal more about Val Richardson on her way home than she would have done if nobody had attacked him; and the unfortunate con- clusion she arrived at was that he was depre- ciated by certain persons because he did not happen to be rich. Her father, to be sure, had called him cad but that was what her father was very apt to say about any man to whom he did not take . fancy, and he fre- quently changed his opinion upon closer acquaintance. "I must try and bring them a little more together" Chris thought.
 Lady Barnstaple's carriage was waiting at the station at Cannes. She dropped Chris at the corner of the road which led to MT. Comp tons villa, the girl declaring that she could well walk those few yards and refusing the escort of the footman, though it was now dark. Nobody ever comes our way after nightfall," she said.
 Somebody, however, was standing by the gate of the villa now; somebody whom she presently made out to be old Dr. Lavergne, and who spread out his arms as if to bar her passage. His arms trembled good deal, and so did his voice, as hc stammered confusedly; Stop, mademoiselle stop, my childI have been waiting for you. have something to tell you.'
 "What is the mntterP' asked Chris, breath lessly. "Has anything happened2"
 "Yes-something has happened. Your fa- ther-he-he is very ill.," And then, as Chris darted forward, he caught her by the arm and held her back, murmuring: "No, mol you must not go home: 1t would be no use. Come with me, my child. Madame Lavergns will tell you"
 "Do you mean" asked Chris, speaking in 8 quiet, steady voice, which sounded to her strangely unlike her own, (" that he is dead2'
 Dr. Lavergne made no reply, and for few seconds there was absolute silence.
 WnAt was lLE' was C0r1S' s next question, put in the same calm, level tone. "Was it an accident?"
 ''No; there was no accident, and no suffer- ing; you must remember that. found him sitting in his chair as though he were asleep. And it was not unexpected. We were pre- pared for it; he himself was prepared for il. |"
 "And yet none of you told mep cried Chris.
 Again the doctor made no answer; but now Peter, who, instead of giving his mistress the boisterous welcome to which she was accus- toned, had remained unseen in the back ground, crept forward and licked her hand. She seated herself on a heap of stones by the way-side, caught the little dog up in her arms, and burst out crying like 8 child.
 "oh, Peter, Peterp she sobbed, as she kissed his rough head, "what shall we do? What shall we do?"
 Under cover of the darkness, Dr. Lavergne smiled and drew a long breath. For two mortal hours he had been lowering about the gate, knowing that he had before him one of the most painful tasks which any man can be called upon to perform. Now it was over, and well over. "From the moment that she can shed tears, theidoctor thought, "thero is nothing to fear.'