The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-05-01
Ten Minutes TO TW6IV6.
By Ii. G. MCLELLAND.
Hspr4ght by American Press Asssociatiua-l
CONTINUED.


measure, as best he coald. The girls
cheerfuiness smote on hIn with sense
OF dlscord, DIS though one should en-
counter mirtn at a Gaashbed. And yet
TO saddsn her seemed 70 him just then
the hardest task he had ever been COM
PEELED 10 pu5 his hand TO. His pity
pulled him both wGys-he could NOT let
the calamity iiI on her like thunder
bolt from Gear say, and sti1l. even TO
turn her mini IN the direction of the
coming disaster. to his overwrought
nerves appeared Ike drawing a child
into the already waverIng shadow of a
rock which -woull presently fall and
crush IL 1t took all tl-o courage of
which he was master to follow the lines
laid down for himself.
He was Is 25roit as IL IS in the nature
of a STRAIGHTFORWARD man to be- ard
there had been nothing 10 arouse the
suspicion Of his companions or make
them doubt his sincerity. To them he
was the master of the situation. the
grand male creature who had Just proved
possession Of manhood and puissance TO
an unprecedented degree They heark-
>
with the subtle suggestion of trust and
dependence which is spontaneous with
all womanly women. After little the
talk, insensibly guided by Royal, dT1fted
10 serious things, and he told them. as
Of a strange and pitifal happening, of
his meeting On the train the day before
with q poor young fellow, ii unto death
and IN sore trouble. He told how he
Royal had noticed him fainting in his
seat, and, being physician, had gone TO
him 10 do what he could. and then had
discovered that the sick stranger had a
claim On his care, being brother Mason.
He spoke of the interest which this dis
covery had aroused, and of how it had
deepened in view of the others courage
and patience, and OF how he had been
obliged TO leave him at last in the
strange hotel, without friend or kinSnan
near, fighting his battle with the grim
destroyer alone. He made little story
OF it, and gave it TO them as simply as he
could, hoping 10 arouse their interest
and sympathy. And they asked ques-
uons ID hushed voices, and were sorry
IN a sweet impersonal way, as women
viii be over tales of sorrow.
did you find out his name?' Mrs.
Hart inquired.
Royal replied IN the affirmative. That
was the reason he had troubled them
with the story, he explained, thinking
they might help him. perhaps, since they
must spend the night in the very hotel
where the sick man lay. The name was
the same as theirs-Royal. He might be
hnsman. Who should say?
Might repeated Mrs. Hart, her in
terest all aiame Why. of course he is
a knsnan: he must be. All the Royals
are related, and Virginia is full of them
How very strange, your meeting him
that way! l wonder TO which branch of
the family he can possibly belong"
Phyllis also manifested interest and
concern about this stranger cousin as
she dubbed him. But her mind appeared
TO dwell most on Royals own-share in the
business, and she whispered sweet words
Of commentator in q low voice which
thrilled through Royal, who had not
sought TO produce this effect, and made
him more bitterly conscious than ever
what tiingle the matter had become.
Meanwhile Mrs. Hart appeared TO be
mastering all the Royals. dead and alive.
who had inhabited the commonwealth
II the past CT were inhabiting it in the
present. IN her etfcrts 10 Satisfactorily
place this new Royal
'-LJu don't know MS Christian name.
l SUPPOSE she Observed. ana then saved
him fI0al a diltln ia by aasvv ering her
self. No, OF coGrse you wouldn't think
TO inquire at a tine Ike that. and Il
such IA hurry as you must have been. TOO.
Sul, / wish | knew II. A Christian
name nearly always locates the branch.
It's apt 10 give an intermarriage
After moment of reflection. during
which she fastened this scion to every
Virginia root of the Royal tree and
plucked it away again, she continued
meditatiyely:
There was a Royal who went west
when 1 was child His name was
Philip, which is a family name in both
genders. He married Pauline Hart, a
first cousin Of my husbands, and a sis
ter Of that very John Hart TO whom
Anne Royal was engaged. 1 wonder if
this young man could be Phil Royals
son! You must find out, John, because
if he should be he Is doubly related to
you two, and also a close connection of
my own. How strange and romantic it
would be- Just think of it, Phyllis!
The nephew of your aunt's old lover,
and for John TO have met-nay, more,
TO have befriended-him, on his way TO
be married to you on the ffheth ami
versary of that which was TO have been
Anne's own wedding day to John Hart.
never in my life heard anything like
III"
Nor had Royal He had wondered
why such stress had been put on the 2Sth
of December He understood it now for
a woman's sentiment about the day
which was to have crowned her own
love story with Fuion. Asmuch trou-
BILE as this sentiment had already caused
him, and was likely TO cause him In the
future, he had no impulse to mock at 1T.
He was too real man TO be devoid of
reverence for romance.
When they piled him still with ques-
lions he said that he did not believe that
the sick man came from the west: he