Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1891-02-20
CHAPTER XIV.

Tho whtest virtues strikes what king SO
Can tic thu gall up in tho slanderer's tongucl"
At ventry the utmost CONSERVATION holds
full sway During all tho past evening
questions had been rife, first as 70 the
strange non-appoarance OF Norah, and
later on about the continued absence of
Delaney and presently, as the evening
wore on, everyone-as ii brackettiag them
hogan to wonder, in rather aside sort
of way Is to whore they Guild be.
Until dinner was over, however, no very
great alarm was felt, evcn b. Madam. The
night was SO inclement TINT probably Norah
had been kept at the rectory, and Denis,
who had gone shooting in that direction,
would, in all probability, have tosn COM
PEELED by the hospitablo O'Shaug lnessys to
stay an dige with them. AT least so
argued Madam up to nearly eleven o clock,
with the intent to anay the ner Gus fear
that already was beginning TO find a home
within her breast
But when midnight came and neither
Norah nor Denis had returned, her assumed
cam lroke down, and she gave way op1nly
to 10 t2e terror that was consuming her.
Messengers were at once sent out to the
rectory fret, and then on TO the O'Shaugh-
nessy's, and as the two hoases we're many
miles apart, much time was lost in this
vain quest When tho men returned, with
Colonel O'Shaughnessy, who was always
eager for the fray, and the kindest soul
alIve-a regular emergency man." if
ever there was ono-to say nothing was
known Of either Moran or Delaney at either
OF tho houses, Madam's fear grew TO agony,
and the whole male portion of tho house,
hold was turned out with lan,ern and
overcoats TO search high aud low. Colonel
Shaughnossy undertook the command;
but the MIGHT, rs we know, was terrib g,
and, unfortunately, Madam was under tbs
impress on that Norah had gone in q direc-
ton Numerically opposite to that she had
really chosen. AS for Denis who shall say
where u sportsman's feet will take him?
The servants, too, and the on door con-
tingent were only half hearted in their
search for the mis- ing pair Nothing so
sharp "a an lrishman, IL You can ct him
TO put his heart into thing; but the Irish
Ieasantry, as rule have fatal knack of
forming conclusions for the nse ves-on
every topic under tho sun that is at
known to the n-and worse sill, acting on
them; and, as tho specimens employed on
this occasion had come to an Unanimous
decision that ''Misther Dinil an Miss
Norah'' were far too ''cute" to lose them
selves in any storm, the search. though
seemingly vigorous and indeed very kindly,
il protestingly, conducted, WAS in reality
but poorly carried out, and las we also
know ted in nothing.
The gray morning brought to Madam no
tidings OF either niece or son. All night
she had spent pacing up aud down her
room, and from her room down the broad
staircase, and through the spacious hall to
the entrance Goor, where, having ordered
it to be flung wide open, she would stand
awhile, silent, motionleSs, listening as ono
might for a cry from ar for hetp But
none came, and nothing was left her but
the slow, hopeless journey back to her
desolate chamber. With the first flush of
the dawn despair seized upon her.
1t is now seven o'clock, and the dull
daylight is putting the lamps to shame.
One by one the footman extinguishes them
in the library, where Madam. with Lady
Glandore Miss Bake, and some of the 9TH
ers. is walking up and down, waiting,
waiting always, as she has waited since ten
o'clock last night. She is still in her din
ner dress Of black velvet, aud her face Is
ghastly pale; from one side of tho room to
the other she walks incessantly, not talking
but always with that terrible look OF ex-
pectancy upon her face. What is it she
expectsy
To her, as to Nornh, the face OF the man
Moloney has stood out clearly, with hor-
rible peisistency, all through the changes
Of the past miserable night.
Lady Glandore, who has risen out of her
languor and her rather dollhouse style to
quite an extraordinary degree, has ordered
coffee, and now tries to induce her TO par
take of It. But Madam repulses her with
q harshness hitherto unknown to that sweet
and kindly nature,
''No, no." she says, hoarsely, almost
pushing Lady G.andorp away from her.
"But, dearest Madam, consider says
chat spoiled beauty, taking her rebuff With
che utmost mildnsSs This may be, after
all only dreadful mistaken affair all
through, and when presently they come
back, we"
"They'' wttft
Madam looks at her strangely, question
ingly, as If not understanding, and then ali
ct once n slow red burns like fire upon her
checks. She is expecting them, Of course,
but something in the way Lady Glandore
has spoken has widened her vision, and
shown her solution Of the problem hither-
TO unthought of. a..aas
"He--Dsnis," stammers Lady Glandore.
coloring In turn and altering her mistake
49,