The herald., 1893-08-01
A GHOST OF THE PAST.

was very much In love with his young
wife. He handed her out Of the family
omnibus carefully, and the very prettiest
ankle and the tiniest shoe peeped out for
o moment as she stepped down before
oneof the big hotels on Trafalgar square.
As she tripped up the broad, carpeted
stairs to her room there was look OF
great happiness in her eyes. :.
"And is my dear girl quite happy?
said Sir Robert. Young Lady Lisburn
-she was tall and pleasant looking
turned to him affectionately.
"Your dear girl" she said, "has had
her worries in her life. She had one big
worry"
"How bigP"
Lady Lisburn widened her arms to
give an idea of the size.
"But it's all over now, and am very,
very happy"
"Perhaps," said Sir Robert, perhaps
the dear girl will tell me all about it
some day."
sShe may-some day." said the young
bride, flushing. "Just now she is SO
contented that she doesn't want even
to think about it"
The next morning they went off to
the Engadine. 1t was two months later
when they returned, trunks and port
manteaus plastered all over with square
and circular labels-Hotel Bellevue and
Hotel Beau Rivage and lot OF others.
Both Sir Robert and Lady Lisburn look
ed very jolly and well.
There were letters waiting for Lady
Lisburn. She read them in her bed
room. As she saw the writing on one of
the envelopes she grew red and then
very white. She perused the letter again
and again, with hands trembling and
face that looked into the mirror with
frightened look. Then she turned off the
electric Light and sank on her knees and
sobbed. They staid in town for some
days. They drove out a good deal, visit
ing, but young Lady Lisburn looked i'll
and out Of sorts and scarcely spoke to
her husband. He seemed to be repelled
by her coldness. Once or twice Lady
Lisburn tried to rouse herself, but the
look Of worry quickly came back, and
her husband, placid and even as he was,
could not help feeling disturbed.
One evening in the latter part of the
week Lady Lisburn was sitting at the
open window of their room, her face
resting on her hand, looking out into the
square and seeing nothing.
A page boy entered with foreign
message. She opened it, read the type
written words and crumpled quickly
the sheet in her hand as Sir Robert
came in.
"I want to say something to you, Rob-
ert," she said in q shaky voice. He came
over to her.
II want to go away from you for a
few weeks"
ga few weeks?" he repeated blankly.
"a few weeks. Unless you want me
to be q miserable woman all my life,
YOU must let me do this. Let me go,
and when | come back ! shall be quito
jolly, and l shall love you more than
ever, and we"-
"My dear" said Sir Robert, "you are
perfectly unreasonable! You are not
yourself"
Unfortunately am" interposed the
young wife sadly.
"Or you wouldn't dream of proposing
such a preposterous thing. Now, love,
just you go to bed early tonight and
have good rest, and you'll be all right
in the morning"
eff you don't let me go, Robert, l
shall never be able to rest again. l
shall be nothing but curse to you and
q misery to myself for all my life. Do
let me CO."
"My dear love-" said Sir Robert, ris-
ing with very decided air." ''if you
absolutely refuse to tell me the motive
for your disappearance, absolutely re-
fuse to let you CO."
"Then I-then Imust go without your
permission" She said this without de-
fiance and in the humblest way.
Sir Robert went down stairs and stood
at the hotel door for a few minutes
smoking his cigar rather quickly. Then
he turned and went to the telephone
room and looked in the book and rang
up. Lady Lisburn, white and set of
face, returned to her room and prepared
for her journey.
It was q surprise to Sir Robert to find
in the hall not 10 minutes later the man
for whom he had telephoned. He was a
burly, scarlet faced man. and he gave
bis card to Sir Robert with an awkward,
fat bow:
THOMAS BEsTER.
Fayre, Sweever g. Co., Inquiry Agents
"Come into this room, Mr.-Mr. Bes-
ter"
Mr.. Bester wiped his boots with par
ticular care.
"You'd like something to drink per-
haps2"
Mr.. Bester pulled his waistcoat down
and coughed slightly and said that he
didn't know as a drop of whisky would
do him any particular harm. At any
rate, he said Che said this with the air of
man prepared for any experiment in
the interest of science) he'd try.
Sir Robert ordered large whisky
and gave instructions that he was to be
told when Lady Lisburn left the hotel.
"We need not hurry until that hap
pens," said Sir Robert. He explained to
Mr.. Bester what was required.
There was to be no fuss, insisted Sir
Robert, and no Interference. All that
Bester had to do was to follow Lady
Lisburn, and if she was in any danger
10 wire Sir Robert at once, and himself
iake such steps as he might think were
naceccarv