The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1893-09-14
oRx1NSN WNa. BN A.DAVYNlN11 oNA

Some one halted him as he rcache,
The small gate Nora could sec lette
, handed over the pichcts u her husband
= On the other side Of the gate stood I
, very old man He was bent with age
. She could not recall ever having en-
countered him in any Of her walks ol
drives
The matter Of note handed 70 he,
husband by one of the people on the
place would moi have cost her n second
thought, had not John behaved 50 curl.
ously about 1t.
She could see him conceal the white
envelope between his two large hands
while he glanced in every direction,
taking the lower partof the house in
with a furtive sweep: after which he
seemed to make a point Of securing
himself against observation while he
read it. He planted himself squareIy
/ in front Of the gate, with his back to-
! ward her point Of observation. and held
/ the paper at close range. After the
reading, hurried cOlloquy ensued be-
| tween him and the man on the other
/ side Of the gate, who hobbled away at
its close, leaving John standing in the
same spot, evidently sunk in profound
rcvery.
He had leaned his gun against the
gatepost while reading the letter He
picked 1t up presently, examined the
lock abstractedly, and passed slowly
out through the gate, closing it absent
1y upon the noses of the three dogs.
They ran yelpfng and protesting against
this piece of inconsideratencss until q
low place In the fence furnished them
their opportunity, when they vaulted
over it, and, with their bruised noses
close to the ground, soon disappeared,
running in the direction John had taken.
Johns wife turned away from the
window, now that there was nothing
more to be seen, conscious of very
lively curiosity touching the note which
had, before her very eyes, transformed
her husband almost instantaneously
from a quick stepping, careless, whist
ling huntsman into a grave, slow-nov-
ing, profoundly distracted man.
He had forgotten all about the dogs, |
evidently, and he stopped whistling! 1t |
takes decided shock to make John !
break off a tune In the middle"
But whatever might have been the
condition Of his nerves when he passed
through the gate going, to all seeming
they were in admirable order when he
her room some hours later, in a
terribly despatched condition, but radi-
ant over his modicum of success
Nine snipe and three rabbits! How
s that for two hours hunt, Mrs John.
~ man who hasn't had his finger on
rigger for a year?''
1T is miracle, If I am to take nv
ne from your face, dear"
She was scanning him curiously,
You'd he tell her anything about the
ote? She let her eyes drop slowly from
is face to his mud-spattered ankles. i
How does one contrive to get so l
muddy in such dry weather, John?" '
"Snipe,-swamp birds, you know. I
10 end OF trouble to secure them. But s
fancied they would be treat to YOU
nd Ninette. Where is the monkey" /
celeste and she are out together,
'mewhere She will be in presently" a
No; it was evident he did not intend to n
III her anything about that note. She
I'd scarcely expected he would. On the G
her hand, she did not intend to tell b
m of Ninette's visit to Glenburnie. e
as she in position to cast stones? A h
'cret for a secret. a
The dinner-bell rang while he was fl
Ill busy with the wisp broom, Kidding
msef of his forest accretions. a
GU are not going to dinner in that
g?" ' q
She turned from the mirror, where she
I'd been putting the last precise touch s
to her own dinner toilette, to ask
us question as fhero ,una ~. .: "a