Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-01-29

" ~ AOA " - 49,
you do not know me, you do not know
what 1 am"
And Mr.. Fletcher smiled and put a
sheltering arm around her, and SAID
"Hush!"
But she went on: at was wrong, L
know it was wrong, to let you know
me, to let you be with me. but L liked
YOU" ('loVed," put in Mr.. Fletcher
'.loyed you from the first and never
thought you would ever come to love
me. And now l feel l have been so
horrible to let you"
"Why, darling, why? What have
YOU done that l should not?"
Nothing" said the girl, sobbing In
his arms, ''nothing; it was just that, l
did nothing"
u don't quite understand" he whis-
pered, bending over her, '~'perhaps l
| ought not to, perhaps need not; per-
haps though l had better. You shall
tell me-tell me now"
81 will" she said, and then, trembling
| and elutching at his sleeve, but prom
ise it will make no difference TO your
love"
And Mr.. Fletcher promised. He was
not an ELUSIVE sort OF man; perhaps he
/ was not capable OF exhibiting deep feel
ing, even II he felt il, and perhaps even
he could help feeling that a little more
enthusiasm, q little more softness and
warmth In his tone, would have consoled
her and comforted her and made her
| almost happy. Anyhow, he bent down
and kissed her two or three times with
more gentleness than he had hitherto
shown.
Not now," she whispered; 81 cannot
tell you now. See, they are turning
everyone out Of the deck saloons. We
ought to go below; l cannot stay on
deck so late"
when will you tell me?" he asked.
'sTo-morrow," and she left him and
fitted below, and along the long corri-
dor and into her stateroom, where she
had to restrain her sobs, lest they should
be noticed by the old French lady who
shared it with her. There was little real
solitude for the SOLITARY Girl" on board
the Arcadia, least of all in her cabin,
for the old French lady suffered from
insomnia, and when she did sleep talked
Of a deceased husband, or to him, with
many CALCULATIONS OF Mon Dieu!" and
intermittent shores.
1t was late the following morning
when Mr.. Fletcher saw Miss Hamilton
come on deck, and brought his chair
and sat beside her.
"What should we have done without
my spare chair?" he said; ''we should
never have been uninterruptedly for five
minutes together"
perhaps it would have been better
So" she answered, but her eyes belied
her words.
"Why say SOP" he asked. "Listen,
Edith" lit was the first time hs had
used her Christian name, and it came
out rather loudly with a rush;) you
said you had something Ito tell me,
something which 1 ought to know. l
swear to you it shall make no difference
but l think there ought to be no secrets
between us, l suppose" he added, look
ing at her, as if watching the effect Of
his words "it is something
some relation OF yours has done, some
ancestor which you fancy would stop
me from marrying you
81 did not know had said so much"
she said. "How quick-witted you are.
1t makes it so much easier"
He nodded and touched her hand en-
c~ouragingly.
You have heard of the London aud
Wessex Investment Trust Company"
she went on.
~ saw something in the papers about
their being reported to be In Difficult
ties" he replied, something about the
defalcations OF the Secretary. He must
have been arrested the day we sailed.
| read it in a telegram in an Irish paper
some one brought on board at Queens
town"
"Poor man" she said; 81 did not know
that.
"Do you know him?" he asked. HAS
he anything 10 do with you?"
Nothing. He is innocent"
81 beg your pardon" he said 'but l
dom tquite see what he has to do with
US, then. don't quite understand"
she bent toward him over the arm Of
her chair, speaking almost in a whisper,
IF it were only dark-ii 1 had only
told you yesterday with your arms
round me-" she said. But he made no
reply, and she went on. "MY father is
the chairman Of the company" She
paused, and as il he thought himself eX-
pected to say something, he put in in
his dry, steady tone, II had a notion
the name was Renshaw or some such
name"
"Henshawe," she said, correcting
him. 1--WE called ourselves Hamilton
because the initial was on all our boxes.
My father is Mr.. Henshawe-you have
heard his name in the city-he was re-
ported to have got into difficulties, l
don't know how-was he not?"
Mr.. Fletcher shrugged his shoulders.
"Is that any reason why [ should not
marry You?" he asked.
"Mr. Fletcher"
Jack" he interpolated.
Jack" she said, twill you ever let
me call you Jack when you know all, l
wonder? l wonder, dwelling upon it as
| have done, what people would think
Of it n me. Jack, it is true all the
same-my father is the mau."
''Mr. Fletcher nodded. HE has rob-
bed the company" he said ~ guessed
that soon after you began. Is that ALP"
"All!" she said, 'alll Is not that
u OO YOU HOt tulu nun mcs
lOathe me, spurn me? No, it is not all;
far from it. We are escaping from JUS
tlce, from penal servitude, but we are
going, and l know it, TO live in luxury,
for q time at least, in some new home"
"How?"
1--WE have here with US money, bonds,
securities Of all sorts, the property OF
the company, enough to make Us rich
for life. My father is frightened now,
but be is not sorry for what ne has done.
Icannot betray him, l his daughter,
can II"