The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-10-27
CHAPTER XXVL.
NEARING THE END.

each sentence to find words to express them,
he became much more communicative, and
kindly feeling rapidly expanded into genu-
Inc friendship. He liked to talk about his
sweetheart and he found me an attentive
and sympathetic listener. l wanted to
know all about Judith Bell. / was eager to
sound the depth OF their mutual attach
ment and ascertain the probable outcome
Of this love affair. The aspect Of Kavanagh's
plan for kidnapping Gordon was consider
ably altered by its bearing upon Judith.
We had agreed that Gordon himself would
willingly accept the part assigned him. But
these arguments seemed to lose their force
now that another was concerned. Knowing
how should feel the loss Of Taras, could
not be indifferent TO the anxiety and pain
to be inflicted on Gordon's sweetheart, even
though that anxiety might end SO soon.
But for all that never wavered in the de-
termination to play out my part. No con-
sideration of friends or self could turn me
from my purpose.
Gordon saw Kavanagh frequently, but he
had little to report except that the detec-
tives were closely watching Rudersdorf,
who as yet had not left the neighborhood
of Shadwell, where be had taken lodgings.
Whether this was true or not had no
IutttiiS VI hDONAnBs iOi iAafahdfSh sum htPc
away, though a week had passed since our
last interview. The suspense of these days
was hard to bear, but incidentally learned
a fact from Gordon, which explained and
excused his postponing the final act to the
last moment possible.
do you see Miss Bell~sery oftenp /
asked Gordon one day.
Not half SO often as should like to, I
assure you" he replied, and then, rather in
consequently, as it seemed to me. he added.
''you see, She's such brick of a girl"
''Is that any reason why you should not
see her if she's engaged TO your"
"Well, that's provisional sort of affair.
you know. 1t all depends on the success
of the pottery, hang it, though Of course
it's bound to succeed. You see, the old
colonel has stuck all his capital into the
concern. 1t wasn't much, to be sure, but
it's all he has. Well, If he gets jolly good
income out of it, Judith will be my wife.
If he doesn't-well THEREAFTER pulling his
beard refcctively for a minute in silence
''well, then we shall be married all the
same, only it will be a deuce of a bother"
II don't think quite understand"
ats like this. mademoiselle, / don't mind
telling you, because you are the last one in
the world that would betray the confidence
of a friend The fact is poor old Bells had
O rough time of it, and through trusting
one coufounded kind friend and backing
bills for another has got his finances into
such a muddle that / doubt If he would
have $50 year to live upon il all his pre-
cious bonds and securities and shares were
put In the market and realized. Well. you
Know, he doesn't know that, and heaven
forbid it should ever come TO his ears. 1t
shan't IL can have u hand in cooking his
accounts, you may be sure. But the deuce
of it is the old boys as proud rs Lucifer.
and it would just break his heart IL he
found out one day that he was subsistingl
OIL any ones generosity-a sort of pensioner.
don't you know And-well, that's how i'll
Is, don't you see."
mo, don't quite. How does that affect
your marriage with Miss Belly"
"Why, Jcdith knows how matters stand
though the colonel doesn't. You ladies arc
such lot sharper than we 40 seeing right
into things. She knows that IL this lase
venture of her poor old dads breaks down,
he must learn the truth, and-well, she's
got bit OF the colonel's pride in her
straight back. too, bless herl and she WON'T
marry me before she is certain that am
not to be sadded with her father. It's con-
founded nonsense of course-we're bound
to marry because we couldn't love anybody
else--but honor her for it, you know. She
is brick"
"But still, IL you love each other, IL seemA
natural that you should want to see each
other sometimes, even il you can't marry"
said, thinking of Taras.
"Oh, we do sometimes, but not every day
mot even once a week. 1t isn't practical
BILE, because, don't you know, Judith isn't
exactly free. Knowing the critical state Of
their pecuniary resources, she took an en-.
gagement as nursery governess; that will
show you what capital sort of girl she is.
This is quite between you and me, for the
colonel. with his awfully narrow ideas
about class and that sort of thing, would DO
Mortified at the notion of his daughter earn
ing her living"
"But how is it kept secret from himT
"Oh, that's easy enoughl He supposes
that she is staying at Sydenham on a visit
with Mrs Kavanagh, who is an old friend"
Mrs. Kavanaghp exclaimed in aston
ishment
Mrs. Charles Kavanagh--Barry Kava-
nagh's sster-in-law," be explained.
IL did not know that he had any rela-
tives living in London"
That's not n bit surprising. kavanagh's
such an awfully rum, taciturn fellow In
some matters You never know what he
feels or thinks or knows or does or any
thing about him. must have known him
couple of years and with some degree of
intimacy before l discovered and then by
accident that his mother was living"
as she living nowI"
"Oh. dear, yea She resides with the fam
lily at Sydenham. It's odd isn't iti One
would think be had no one dearer to him
ihan Taras and me- IL seems so natural to
talk about people you love, and believe
Barrys n most devoted son and brother. l
know he spends couple OF days week at
Sydcnham. ! suppose it's the logical out
come of his confounded rationalism."
After hearing this could not expect that
Kavanagh would take the final step one
moment before Rudersdorf's patience had
been stretched 20 the utmost limit.
One morning, II must have been the 9th
OF November. Taras. looking at the paper,
said: There's 70 be n large display OF fire.
works Mt the Crystal palace tonight. Shall