The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1891-07-16
Ten Minutes 10 Twelve.
Continued from First Page. J

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/ s.le had considered the man with whom
| she had gone through the ceremony rs
the contracting party. This no subs
quent declarations would change.
That Hart Royal by suppression of the
/ fact that he wa; acting as sxoxy should
have invested himself with entire re-
| sYonsibiiity ~ principal appeared to fol-
! low a. logical sequence. And any OK
/ post facto effort TO free himself from the
/ Consequences Of his laundering might
+ justly Is. considered as tresscherous eva
Sion, azd you'd certainly b. accredited
10 a discovery on his part that his i'm
! PRESERVATION Of the dead man would be
barren IF financial rosults-wouh place
him, in short, IN the position of baf1ied
and malignant inpostor.
You see how it is, the poor fellow
fumed I'm caught III the trap by both
legs. IL | hold to my marriage, I'll be
foisting Oh woman IA husband she don't
love and don't want, and that, too, when
/ she THINKS she's married to somebody
else And If get a divorce in order to
free her, she may thiuk, and the worh
a 4
mold of the money. Nobody had a hint
OF the proxy business at the time, and
nobody Is going * believe in it now.
wouldn't myself if I were outside of it
. all. People viii swear the whole thing
/ was plant from beginning TO end, and
| that Tn shaking the Dag because I've got
/ found ont. There never was s,lcil d CON
/ founded ntss since the world beganl7
He actually STAMPED on the floor in
his impotence and bewihernent. Mrs.
Harris face was turned from him, Elt
suspicious gurgle and movement of her
shoulders attracted his attention and
changed the current of his thought.
''Oh, it's tremendously funny, I dare
sayw he gfowied. Il don't see the Joke
myself, but to an outsider suppose it's
exquisite, Tisnt often one has the
chance Of rejoicing over a man wrig-
Cling in q dilemma like worm in o
woodpecker's besk. I'd laugh outright,
though, if were you. It's more decent
than staggering IN corners"
A handsome face, In which anuse-
ment struggled with oontrition. was
turned toward him. and two hands w.sp
cordially extended:
Forgive me, John. and don't be cross!
FIN going to help you, l am indeed
with wits and will both Only couldn't
forbear quiet checkie. You looked %
preternaturally concerned and solemn
and-and caught
Royal was modified Few people could
resist the charm. OF Mrs. Harris nslsner.
IL was iDVYg0ratlnp and com fnrtin0 liza
sunshine. Catching her eye he experi-
enced sudden and delicious revulsion
Of feeling, like that produced by bit
of commonplace In an abstruse volume.
He bit his lip to keep from smiling.
"Nina,7 he rebuked, 1.-The way you are
taking this affair rs positively subversive
Of morals. Instead of bowling at me
with indignation, and bounding on the
populace with tar and feathers, you are
acting as though the situation wasn't
past mending. And I believe in your
soul you are enjoying-yes, actually en-
joying it with the fippancy of a gamin.
What do you suppose IS going to become
of you in the other country If you don't
fetch his folly home to the fool in this?'
His words Were light, but they over
lay considerable emotion. He was CRATE
full to her with a gratitude beyond ex-
preston for her sympathetic oompre-
hension.
something more satisfactory thar
endless !psalrnody or aerial progression, /
hope" she smiled. "Mocking at those
in sore straits and grievously tormented
hold to be my mission. Seriously,
though, | am sorry for you-trrly sorry.
But after all, John. it isn't Won that raatt.
uers 50 much. The situation Is and will
be much harder on Phyllis. You did it,
you know. When there is smash UP
the man who holds the reins and does
the breaking gets the most comfort out
Of the affair"
The mention of his cousins name
caused Royals face to soften, and he let
the blood relation frankness of his COM
panions speech pass. His intercourse
with Phyllis, restricted as it had neces-
Sarlly been, had awakened within him
tender, chivalreus devotion, touched and
materialized by admiration and a sense
OF personal possession. Her acceptance
OF and absolute trust III him, her sweet
ness, patience and courage won on him
day by Gay. His professional instinct
prevented him from feeling any of that
Intangible, es5otistic shrinking from at
nNtlon inherent in 50 many men. and
the hOpefulness of her case caused If to
present no bar to her attractiveness.
Then, too, it IS probable that the con-
sclOusness that she was his wife-no
matter how she had become ao-stirred
and influenced his emotions more -deessy
than he was himself aware.
he was very considerable and gentle
with her, having always in mind that
nlne OF disclosure which must surely
come tie had taken no advantage of
the situation, and he intended TO take
none Probably his unconscious manli-
ness explained the readiness with which |
MRS. Hart he'd constituted herself his
ally Her own instincts In regard to |
her sex were tender and protective.
What are you going 10 dor
She had risen, for from the room across |
the hall there came to her ear the sound |
OF soft music. The blind girl had found
her way to the piano, and was cheering
ner darkness in the manner she loved |
best They had left her long enough
alone,
Royal squared himself.
1T would make pretty case" he
observed iinpersonally. The LAWYERS
told me SO, That ten minutes to IA
tame Of the death and the ceremony
vouh admit of considerable argument
Inc shake bag fellows would flock to It