Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1891-02-20

VERY s;inluaut that was wanted 10 restore
Mrs. Prestv Ia herself. The smile that al
wavs meant mischief made lis Threatening
appearance on the odd lady ; face.
What sort az company have you been
kcclcng since last saw you?' she began.
What have you got 10 do with the com
pauy ! keep
Nothing whatever, am happy to say.
VS. merely wondering whether You have
been travelling lately in the south part OF
Africa. and have lived exclusively in the so
cicty of Hot:entots. The only other explain
alton 81 your behavior is that have been 50
unfortunate a, to offend You. But ii seems
improbable am not Your wife.
THANK Gud for that
Thank God. as YOU say. But | should
really be glad tas mer matter OF curiosity
t. know what Your = ,.aordinary con uct
means. You present !. ,.rself in this room
unlimited. you lind a Ia Y here, and you be-
have as il You had cone into shop and
wanted to ask the rric" OF something. Let
me give you a lesson in GOOD manners. Oh
serve; receive you viii bow, and say:
How do YOU do. Mt !. nley' Do you un-
derstand ne
Il don't understand you'll want to sec
Cathcrire?'
who is Catherinc"'
You know as we'll as | do-yOur daugh-
ter"
my daughter, sir, is stranger to you.
We will speak of her. if You please, by the
name-thr i!uSirous naine-which she ill.,
hcritt,i 1T ner birth. You wish to see Mrs.
Ormond"'
Call her what you like. have word to
say to her and mean to say it,
mo, Mr. Linley, yoa won't say il.
Wen see about that. Where is she"'
my daughter is not we'll"
well or i'll. | sha' nit keep her long"
MY daughter has retired to her room"
Where is her roOIn?"
Mrs. Presty moved to the fireplace, and
laid her hand on the bell.
Are you aware that this house is hotel"'
she asi. ii.
at doesn't matter TO me what it is
'Oh. yes. it does. A hotel keeps walters.
A hotel when il is as large as this, has a
policeman in attendance. Must rlng?'
Tie choice between giving way and being
disgracefully dismissed from the hotel was
placed plainly before him. uerbert's life
had been the life of a gentleman; he knew
that he had forgotten himself; 1t was impos-
sble that he could hesitate.
Il won't trouble you to ring" he said,
"and will beg your pardon for having al
lowed my temper to get the better of me. At
the same time it's to be remembered, think,
IN m favor, that have had some prOvoca-
tion."
II don't agree with you," Mrs. Presty an
swered. She was deaf to any appeal for
mercy from Herbert Liniey. "As to provo
cation" she added, returning to her chair
without asking him to be seated, "when you
apply that word to yourself. you insult my
daughter and me. You provoked? Oh,
heavensv'
You wouldn't say that" he urged, speak
ing with marked restraint of tone and man.
ner, iii you knew what have had to ell
dure@"
Mrs. Presty suddenly looked toward the
door. "Wait a minute" she said, II think
hear somebody coming in"
In the silence that followed, footsteps
were audible Outsde-nOt approaching the
door, however, but retiring from it. Mrs
Presty had apparently been mistaken.
YES" she::said, resignedly, permitting the
person who had intruded on her to proceed.
He really had something to say for him.
self, and he said it with sufficient modera.
ton. That he had been guilty of serious
Offenses he made no attempt to deny; but he
pleaded that he had not escaped without
justly suffering for what he had done. lie
had been entirely in the wrong when he
threatened to take his child away from her
mother by force of law; but had he not been
punished when his wife obtained her di-
vOrce, and separated him from his little
daughter as well as from herself? mo; Mrs.
Presty failed to see it; il anybody had suf.
fered by the divorce, the victim was her in
jured daughter.) Still patient, Herbert did
not deny the injury; he only submitted once
more that he had suffered his punishment
Whether his life with Sydney Westerfield
had or had not been a happy one, he must
decline to say; he would only declare that it
had come to an end. She had left him. Yes,
she had left him forever. He had no wish
to persuade her to return to their guilty life;
they were both penitent they were both
ashamed Of it But she had gone away
without the provision which he was bound
in honor to offer to her; she was friendless,
she might be i'm condition of poverty too
dreadful to be contemplated-and that was
indeed bitter reflection to the man who had
misled her. (Nrs. Presty decided on stop
ping him there. She had heard more than
enough of Sydney already.)
II see nothing to be gained" she said, "by
dwelling on the past; and l should be glad
to know why you have come to this place to.
night"
II have come for two reasons. One OF
them is to see Kitty"
"Quite out of the question"
Don't tell me that, Mrs. Prssty! I'm one
of the wretchedest men living, and ask for
the consolation of seeing my child. Kitty
hasn't forgotten me yet l know. Her
mother can't be so cruel as to refuse. She
shall fix her own time and send me away
when she likes; I'll submit to anything.
Will you ask Catherine to let me see Kitty
1t was impossible to consent to this-and
equally impossible to mention the reason for
refusing. Unwillingly, to do her Justice,
Mrs. Presty passed over without reply the
just request. the touching request that had
been addressed to her.
you have two reasons for coming here, "
she reminded him. what is your other
reasOn?'
lie declined to be ignored in that way.
"Will you ask Catherine to let me see Kitty%'
h. repeated.
IL can't do it"
He got up from his chair. His face pre-.
eented the same expression which Mrs.
Presty had seen on it when he first entered
the room.
when came In here" he said, II told
You l wished to speak to Catherine. II
doesn't matter. have got the information
wanted-and got 1t from YOU"
81 don't understand you."
The newspapers were not mistaken, Mrs.
Presty, when they called Catherine widow.
I know now why my brother. who never de-
ceived me before, has deceived me about
this. understand the part that your dauglf-
ter has been playing-and am as certain as
II had heard il, of the devilish lie that one
of yOu-perhaps both of yOu-must have
told to my poor child. No, no; l had better
not see Catherine. Many man has killed
his wife and has not had such good reason
for doing it as have. You are quite right
TO keep me away from her."
He stopped; he, too, looked suddenly
toward the door. Il hear her." he cried.
''She's coming imp
The footsteps outside were audible once
more. This time they werc approaching;
they were close to the door. Herbert drew
back from it Looking round to see that he
was out of the way, Mrs. PreSty rushed for
ward-tOre open the door in terror of what
might happen-and admitted Capt Benny
deck.
CHAPTER XIX.
The captains attention was first attracted
by the visitor whom he found in the room.
He bowed to the stranger, but the first i'm.
preston produced on him did not appear to
be of the favorable kind, when he turned
next to Mrs. Presty.
Observing that she was agitated, he made
the customary apologies, expressing his re-