Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1890-10-19

When l came down before dinner |
found Ralph and Charles talking earn
eStly by the hall fire, Ralph's hand on
his brothers shoulder.
You see we are no further forward
than we were," he was saying.
I'VE shall have MarSton back to-mor-
row." said Charles, aS the gong began to
sound. 1--WE cannot take any step till
then. especially if we don't want TO put
our foot in it. | have been racking my
brains all the afternoon without the yes
tige of result. We must just hold our
hands for the moment
Dinner was announced, and we waited
patiently for few minutes, and i'm
patiently for good many more, until
| EVELYN hurried down, apOlOgiZing for
being late, and with a message from
Lady Mary that we were not to wait for
her. as she was dining upstairs in her
own room, a practice to which she
seemed rather addicted.
And where is Aurelia?' asked Ralph.
"She is not coming down to dinner
either" said Evelyn. "She has bad
headache again, and is lying down. She
asked me to tell you that she wishes par
ticuarly TO see you this evening, as she
is going away tomorrow, and if she Is
well enough she will come down TO the
morning room at Q; indeed she said she
would come down anyhow"
After Ralph's natural anxiety respect
ing his lady love had been relieved, and
he had been repeatedly assured that
nothing much was amiSS, we went in To
dinner. and a more lugubriouS repaSt
never remember being present at. The
meals of the day might have been CLASH
fed thus: Breakfast, dismal; luncheon
dismaler Tor more dismal: dinner, dis
malest Tor more dismaD. There really
was no conversation. Even l, VINO
without going very deep (which l con
slider is not in good taste), have some
thing 10 say on almost every SubJec'-
even | felt myself nonpluSed for the
time being. Each of us in turn got out
few constrained words and then re-
lapsed into silence.
EVELYN ate nothing, and her hand
trembled so much when she poured out
class of water that she split some on
the cloth. | saw Charles was watching
her furtively, and | became more and
more certain that Aurela was right
and that Evelyn knew something about
the mystery of the night before.
must and would speak to her that very
evening.
bitterly cold" said Ralph, when at
last we had reached the dessert stage.
1T is showing still, and the wind is get
ting up.
In truth the wind was moaning round
the house like an uneasy spirit.
THAT sound in the wind always
means snow" said Charles, evidently
for the sake of saying something. 1T
is easterly. l should think. Yes" after
pause, when another silence seemed
imminent. there goes the 5 o'clock
train. 1t must be quite quarter OF an
hour late, though, for it has struck
some time. l can hear it distinctly.
The station is three miles away, and you
never hear the train unless the wind Is
in the east"
"Come. Charles, not three mileS-two
miles and half" put in Ralph.
"Well, two and half from here down
to the station, but certainly three from
the station up here" replied Charles;
and so silence was laboriously avoided
by diligent small talk, until we returned
to the drawing room, thankful there at
least we could take up book ana De
silent if we wished. We all did wish IL,
apparently. Evelyn was sitting by
lamp when we came in with a book be-
fore her, her elbow on the table, shad-
ing her face with a slender, delicate