Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-07-23
CHAPTER xxx.

tage, he found the lamp burning, and
 Col. Stuart standing beside the fireless
 grate, evidently awaiting him.
 His first sensation was one of extreme
 pleasure, and his face showed it but
 when the words he would have uttered,
 in this pleasure, rose to his lips, he nnis.
 trusted himself, and SO the words tha,
 passed them had different meaning and
 a different tone.
 "I expected the police here, Col.
 Stuart"
 "Never mind tho police, Spendir, for
 these few minutes. I waited, feeling
 sure you would return. I have been
 anxious all the evening to come and
 speak with you, but could not leave
 High Athelston before. They are wor-
 risd and anxious about the absence of
 Miss Chester. Poor Lady Atheiston has been in mysteries, and Miss Mar, jorie Oastillain has had much trouble with her. Sir Neil has gone-to seek Miss Chester, as fear"
 Not e word could Fitz Spendir say in reply to this speech, so kindly spoken.
 "I wanted to see you," the Colonel added, "thAt might tell ycu how willingly everything in our power will be done for you. You may rest assured of that, Spendir."
 Fitz smlled-a smile that might either have been incredullous.or hopeless.
 Ipromise you. "the Coloneirepeeted,
 ''You would not-you could not. if you knew," Fitz said.
 "I would-I shall, because know. {" was the prompt, gentle answer.
 "How, Col, Stuart" inquired the art list, gazing into his face with surprise.
 "It would be long story, if were to tell you exactly how," returned the Colonel. "Even your sister-though she does not guess it-could understand and believe t more readily than you will, because Ghe may remember whom her old pupil, Clara Esdaile, married. You were away at the time, so would hardly know that for one brief year she was my wife. Did you never make inquiries about my sister when you heard her pame-little Jacks name, too?"
 knew," Fitz said, in low, hesi- tating voice, "I knew it was Mrs. Es- daile's husband who-who prosecuted for his father five years ago"
 Yes" put in the Colonel, in his quiet, kindly way; told MT. Esdaile's oply son. He is in Africa now, or he would have recognized you; his wife had never seen you, so, of course, could not do so. But Clara had known you so we'll, and, above all, loved your sister so very dearly, that she never believed m your guilt: Is it strange, therefore, that ] should have grown to believe what my wife believed, until now tho belief is, in reality, consciousness of your innocence? She used to talk to me of your sister Magdalen, and, in- deed, of you, and seemed to know YOU both. Still, t was only gradually that l recognized you. l had Q suspicion even at first; then the suspicion dawned into conviction. Even when Miss Ches- ter came with me here, only a day or two after her arrival in Highshire. I began to fancy what also became @ cer- tainty to me afterwRrd. Spendir, have l any need to tell you that this discov- cry was never breathed to any one but my own sister, and that to her it had grown to be, even then, more than a suspicion And believe this: Day by day, as our knowledge of you grew, it only became moro impossible for us to feel that the verdict uttered against you nearly five years ago could have been . just one and, day by day, as our knowl- edge of your sister grew, Clara's judg- ment of her came to be our judgment. and the friendship that we were both willing to give her, for Clara's sake, was won from us for her own. Now, Spen- dir, you will believe that nothing which we can do for you will be left undone." ["
 "You are-you always have been very kind-Col Stuart" returned Fitz. bis face very still and thoughtful, as it had been all through the Colonel's speech "but, if understand the fact fright, for even yet 1t is all vague and unreal to melt Is better for me not to hope. AoQuittal will be impossible for me when that former trial of mine is Enown. But I may hope now for Mag lalen; I shall never feel again, after Tour generous words, that she is SO ut- erly alone and forsaken. Even if cannot thank you for your unexampled goodness to myself, can thank You for hat which you have shown to her. But" he added, rather hurriedly, "t ,annot let you sit with me tonight, Col. Stuart, without telling you by what a nere chance you found me here. You waited, you say, confident that I should 'eturn; that confidence, at any rate. I nave not deserved, for I-had not in- ended to be here awaiting my fate"
 And then Fitz Spendir, in that low. lnhurried tone which grows natural to hose who live much alone, told of his scape as far as the village station, of he few words he had read there, and of low strangely and deeply those words lad sunk into his heart, until 1t grew impossible for him to follow his original lesign.
 Col. Stuart sat opposite, listening in Hence; his eyes fun of a deep sym athy, but never once raised to the art- st's face.
 When the short. sad story was over. e stretched out his hand to Fitz. He Tas a cool, middle-aged soldier, but he | 1Ould not trust himself to speak just | hen. For an instant Fitz hesitated ooking wistfully at the outstretched | and.
 "I cannot resist, he said then, with is low, rich laugh. "It may be the l ast, as 1t has been the first, which has ought mine, for-for most of lifetime. bunting as time ought to be counted ,ol. Stuart, you are not one to regret hat you have taken in yours even the tained hand of a murderer"
 "Hush, Spendir put in the Colonal real distress that word need not be ttered between us. This would never Mya oocuFrad n ,r0,, h.l 1 4,