Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-18

WY ne was here at the house onlv IA q,
tr,h,,t, declared Mrs. Slatterly as IL con.
fa iou os e. powerful argument against The
memb bs ms disappearance. Sophia, you re.
thursday EVENING" S 'oS'
her lace iaceo about. directing her remark II
tie u,aughter, who still stood nalf wav ur
Sophia's face wore a str,n,o ,oo, H.
nroot was no longer dropping. bur had on
49, polse, as If some stern rieor had nass-
fxed. She es se slender neck Her eyes were
PIE t, IA tne hall. She did not even a,near ~
ho.Ice ner mothers question. ~
G, S0pnla! cried Mrs. .Slatterly. shar,,v
heavy cbeet Saa begun 20 t. emble. ana ker
ana she met her mothers psza .,sa,,I,
I nnen sne turned, and, wlthou. sueo ,stny
went slowly up the stairs o'e"N'ns'
WAS sa .hy grasped his wife's sleeves
! Cnnton? he Questioned Good he nv. anu
F., ia aar. INA why wasn't it toll? What lid vm,
How wa D.Irt ~ an out right before her for?
uion know myself" said bis u,fe
T,sa atuiiessIy. never dreamed of ANYTIME
I've oeen scolding her all afternoon becn,,ss
ryns MIR. c sE snd to 70, the wsdom Of mar
nerself against the wall. "So,oethinv ~
S Saiu made me suspect that perhars-.ob
uear:Tshe was just on the point Of tsllins
nose not mnen you came IN. Henry 1 sup.
7 Ctl- between hsr
anu nnton-just an UNDERSTANDING
! nhiaes went hastily up stars, and tried So.
pnia ooor 1t was locked.
underS,a a, let me in" she besough.. II
to scold you" N'"i' IN not gong
r,the was little sound within. ct would
f" ivan DC d aione Just now" said Sophia.
! awed In some strange wav her Ia,ah.a %
| seemed 10 nave entered a solemn sphere of
PASSION n ana sorrow A majesty of bereave-
, ,I,,a encompassed her. 1T shall be as YOU
bly,. ''"''eriy' num-
wish you had told me about II all Than
l should not have mentioned Mr.. Ciavnooi
" you. 1 Will write to him at once Sophia.
| wishes" NC as ne
wen, mother" said Sophia, in the same
voice. Her tones had sort of constraint
" me sb moved we'd, Mrs: slatterly to tears.
nae nae IN me. should feel different" she tod
| Mr.. Slatterly >oN
7 guess she'n feel different tomorrow &"
| saio MT. Slatterly. He had taken his coat
| on, and he looked round for II. Shirt
| sleeves appeared a sort of wanton afYront
| 10 the tragic spirit which had descen led
upon ms r9of. He'll probably turn up be-
| toie iohg. m not perfectly sure that any,
| that" p'o'e
,o III beg Of you not to quote statistics"
sobbed his wife ut shows very littIe faeI.
ing. Henry. He was your daughter choice,
I will not sit by and hear him disparaseSr:
But my dear
NO. Henry Do not attempt to justify
yourself. Mr.. Clinton's cruel mur,icr m,v
mean little to you. 1t means eycrylninr n
Sophia. first love, Henry 1 do nor ASK
You to try to understand what n delicate
girls feelings may be when the asslss!na-
tlon or her betrothed is heartlessly related
10 her-l do not attempt this Henry Rut
perhaps when Sophias health gives wav
from brooding upon this awful tragedy
perhaps then you'll reflect that it was YOU
VINO maliciously bore the cruel tidings. and
who afterward sought to injure the char
acter Of the blameless dead!'
Martha, l.
Let 1t pass. Henry. Let us hope that
Sophia's grief may be as light and passing
thing as you predict. Let US hope thai
she Will feel d fferent tomorrow"
But If Sophia's feelings had Undergone af,y
change over night there was nothing In
her manner rext day to show 1t. A stub
born sort of reserve seemed to POSSESS her
She was very calm, but a furtive unsls,-
ness haunted her blue eyes-an mneasiness
Sophia's lips
You know, dear. that my sympathies are
entirely yours" Mrs. Slatterly vent ,.rel to
remind her daughter. I'm sure J should
have been very fond of-of Miles. as soon
as had got better acquainted with him."
Sopha's brows drew painfully together
DO not she said, with an effort-"do not
speak of him."
The suspense is killing Sophia" said
Mrs. Slatterly to her husband
1t was the seventh day of Ciinton's dis
appearance. and there was still no clue.
The river had disclosed nothing But MIR
Slatterly. he heard of Sophia's desperate
state of mind seemed to revolve in his
brain an idea he had not meant to commu-
nicate.
Il had decided not to mention this to Won.
Martha. till more evidence was forthcun-
ing. But perhaps I'd better tell you that an
old fellow has turned up who claims 70
have seen Clinton spring on the platform
of a moving train-the very tail end Of it,
His memory is not good. but he thinks 1t
was on the very night of Clinton's disap-
pearance. l sincerely trust they have put
the matter into competent legal hands
You will know best about informing So
phia."
1T might waken false hopes" unused
Mrs Slattery. But perhaps 1 might hint
around just enough to rouse her =. little
She's as pale And she hasn't any appe-
tite"
Il think you'd be justified in suggesting
not stating, of course; as a legal measure /
could not advise the absolute statement of
a mere surmse-but in suggesting that
Clinton will undoubtedly turn up soon"
Mrs. Slatterly went up to Sophia's room
in rather a cheerful state of mind Sophia
sat much by herself in these days. She was
listlessly working at bit of embroidery.
At her mothers rap, she started and glanc-
ed up with vague troubled expectancy in
her eyes.
The window was open, and the blossomy
blue Of the June sky leaned low upon a dis
tant line of fields which disclosed a single
moving object. This object, as the sun
smote 1t, seemed to be plough which was
being used to turn up clods for a new
street. Smoke-stacks rose black and mar
row to the southwark, all of them breath |
less, as If no great fires burned below.
Your father feels real hopeful today"
limited Mrs. Slatterly, coming into the |
room. He didn't tell me to say anything
but from word he dropped-I don't know |
He didn't just say so, Sophia, but Clinton's |
friends seem to have got hold Of something |
which makes them think 1t won't be long |
till they get word her voice tagged. |
Sophia had risen. Her eyes looked oddly |
dark and big. She thrust out her hand. |
You are saying that to comfort me-" she |
said. Tell me the truth. Tell me they |
haven't heard anything anything. I can |
hear that best"
Mrs. Slatterly felt scared. IT'S really |
true, Sophia" she faltered. My poor |
child, ] would not deceive you"
Sophia gave a little sob. the first sound |
of the sort which her mother had heard on |
her lips during all this trying time.
Mother" she said, hoarsely "your
goodness to me hurts me; 1t hurts me-"
And then in some inexplicable way Mrs |
Slatterly found herself in the outer hall |
again with Sophia's closed door confronting |
her. Sophia had seemed to motion her to |
go. There had been little beseeching
touch on her arm, as If Sophia softly swept |
her from the room.
Not a sound broke the stiffness as Mrs
Slatterly paused to listen Evidently So
phia'S small sob had not been the nrelude