Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-12-17

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1 shook my head.
"Shs was just the same as she al
ways is-jnst. If there had been any
difference, 1 must have seen It,"
"She did o go down stairs In the
night, you think?"
after Taras went up l put my door
wide open and kept a light burning all
night. No one could pass my door
without my knowing It,"
"Your vigilance may have warned
her. On the other hand He broke
of. and nursing his knee sank his chin
in his hand, knitting his brows in
thought. Suddenly raising his head
and turning 10 me, he said:
~ am afraid 1 must confess to having
been fooled. 1 am still more afraid
that I have done Mere Lucas 3 great
injustice. You have a far better
knowledge Of her character than I. Do
you think her capable Of deceit and
trlckery-of conspiring at the ruin OF
her master?"
"No, that I don't. I believe she's as
good as any one"
'I'm sincerely glad 20 hear you say
so. 1t seemed unlikely to me; that is
why 1 felt il necessary to say nothing
on the subject 20 Taras."
"He'd never have believed you"
THAT was another reason for saying
nothing till l had absolute facts to sup
port my suspicion. You have not said
a word to him or her either;I hope, with
respect 70 my communications"
"No, not a word. But how about that
friend you spoke OFF"
"Ah! there again l believe l was all
at fault. Ibelleve she Is no more aeon
spirator than poor old Mere Lucas her
self. / find she is a cook at a restaurant
10 Greek street, and 30, of course, she is
not at liberty to come here and see Mere
Lucas"
He looked terribly vexed as he admit
ted this. do you know a man named
Matvesf?" he asked abruptly.
'I think I've heard the name, but /
don't know him"
"He's one of the poor beggars who
come to sponge on Taras. 1t was he
who put this precious nonsense into my
head. The fact is, the lower class OF
nihilists are like a set Of starving dogs
Jealous Of each other and ready to
snap at any one who seems a little bet
ter of than the rest. 1t is natural that
they should envy the old woman her
comfortable position here, but it simply
proves what a t%reacherous, faithless
lot they are when n can circulate
such ISLANDERS as this. l fear / have
made you very anxious. l hope you will
forgive me. For the sake of Taras,
whose life is so dear to Us, and Of such
enormous importance to the welfare of
his country, n cannot afford to turn q
deaf ear to any hint at suchea time as
this, when real peril exists"
That's all right. / feel just like
that. Don't you mind telling me any
thing. I'd rather know it than not il 1t
makes me vel so frightened. Besides
IL makes you feel so light hearted and
happy to find it isn't true that you can't
be vexed by what's past"
"You cannot have better philosophy
or better feeling than that" said he,
shaking nay hand kindly as he rose.
The feeling of relief, now that had
no longer any serious reason to regard
Mere Lucas with miStrust or look for
the development Of some sinister design,
afforded NE such happiness that l al
most forgot the existence Of danger,
and when Taras about a week later told
me that he should not return probably
till 3 or 3 o'clock from the smoking con-
cert TO which he had been invited |
babe him good night when he went out
after dinner without any feeling Of
alarm.
That afternoon my dreSsmaker had
sent to say that the dress she was max
ing for me would be ready TO try on In
the evening. Nothing could have happen
ed more opportunely, for [ intended to
take Tsras by surprise with this beau
tiful velvet, and here was the very
chance / needed Of getting the impor-
tant work Of fitting done without his
knowing anything about it.
The moment he was gone ran to my
room, dressed, and telling Mere Lucas
where l was goinR-for she was in the
secret started of for Remington
road, where my dressmaker lived.
Ii was between s and O.. At that
time Lambeth road is deserted. Heavy
rain had fallen in the afternoon, and
such sounds as there were seemed par
ticularly clear. The rattle Of a train
over the railway bridge, a whistle from
a tug on the river behind me, were no.
ticeable by their distinctness; my own
footsteps as / hurried along made quite
a CHATTER on the wet pavement.
Struck by this fact, 1 presently fan
cied / could hear an echo to my foot
fall. Was it that or some one following?
To satisfy the idle doubt I glanced back.
Just within sight a man was following.
There was nothing in that to call for
particular attention, tut when L had
gone another hundred yards or so the
echoing sound arrested my wandering
thoughts aud l glanced round again.
This mans figure was there exactly at
the same distance. 1t was odd that
both should be walking ia one direction
at a precisely similar pace. For the
next hundred yards l walked slower,
but the following step came no nearer,
and when | turned the mans figure ap-
peared to be just as far of as before.
it was unpleasant even to fancy that
my steps we're logged, aud l turned
the corner OF Lambeth road sharp with
the determination to go on at a still
quicker pace now that l was ont Of
the mans sight, but the whistle OF a
tram suggested 3 still better means Of
avoiding annoyance, and l stopped with
the determination to ride the remaining
distance.
just as 1 stepped into the car the
came running round the corner
from the Lambeth road, and as l took
nv seat he sprang on to the footooard.
As he passed the foo TO go up the
steps the light frorc within fell on his
face. There was no installing the yell
low complexion, the sparse black beard
and high cheek bones nor the sunk
head and high shoulders.