The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-02-25
Copyright by &e AulhOrl
CHAPTER TX.
EXPLANATIONS.


he was going"
'He did not" her ladyship answered
somewhat snappishly, "Ile did not
even say he would not DO back to din
ner."
The baronet an d his wife were stroll
ing on the lawn in front OF the hall,
having dined alone, saving tho presence
OF their daughter, a short time before.
As the evening was fine one he had
gone out to puff his after dinner cigar,
and she had Joined him with the inten'
ton OF saying something about his
ward.
~ daresay the young man will have
dropped across some friends in town
and will have stayed to dinner"
81 don't think SC" she said in tone
which drew her husbands eyes upon
her quickly.
"Why don't you, Adelaide?"
"For reasons OF my own. You do not
seem to have noticed that your ward
did not return home last night either
in your company or with myself and
Cordelia."
81 had never thought about it. When
/ failed to see him at the club | as
sumed he had made his way here before
me-"
$50 he did. He reached the Hall ten
minutes or so before you arrived, and
the servants told mo that he went
straight to his room. And he must
have walked all the way from Earlsiord,'
che added in a tone OF voice one in
atinctively uses when making some i'm
portant declaration.
ale would scarcely tramp all that dis
lance, l should think" he made reply,
indifferently. "And ii he did what
matter?"
"DId you see Paul Mt the club at all"
she queried, ignoring his question.
mot thatsI remember"
"Norheardeither OF him being there?
mo"
80 that it is pretty evident that he
had somewhere to go to which suited
him better than the club with you or
the carriage with Cordela and me-"
~ daresay he wanted q walk after
being stuffed up in the theatre.
She laughed in his face, and he de-
manded with some warmth:
"What are you driving at Adelaide?
There is something wrong, l can see"
Nothing wrong, 30 fur as | know
But suspect that your ward Is enjoy
ing his leisure this evening where he
spent it lasbinight."
"Where's. that"
''In some OF the villages between this
md the town with one OF your pit
brow girls" she replied sharply.
'Nonsense!" he calculated.
at may be nonsense, but it is true"
"Paul would hardly be 30 foolish as
to get himself entangled with one Of
them. He is rather lastidious, | have
noticed, where women are concerned
would not look at any girl who was not
pretty and refined. And then he's 80
fond OTIS think deeply in love with
Cordelia. Isuppose someone has told
you this story about him%
"Oh, no. I saw him with my own
eyes. He WINS standing under the lamp
opposite the White Grow with the girl
when we drove home
eat that hour2"
ayes"
''You are sure it was Paul?n
"Qute certain. Cordela saw them
also, and II she begins 10 think that
Paul Is behaving badly she will have
nothing to do with him. You know
what will OF her own she has got!"
"Who was tho girl-but suppose
you will not know her"
~ know her well. You remember
the girl who sang at the concert-I
think Cordeiia told you about herr"
II recollect."
"Its the same. She is very hand
some, and no one would think her pit
brow girl If they saw her in any other
than her working garments. | was
really astonished when Madison intro
duced the girl-Barrington he called
her to me as one Of your employees. She
is very different indeed from the ordi-
nary pit lass, and Is Good-looking and
smart enough to be dangerous in the
case Of a young man like Paul"
"And do you believe that he is with
her tonight"
"oi course do not know, but some
how feel assured that he Is"
do you think l ought to speak to
him?"
Certainly not. II would spoil every
thing to do so. Paul se&actly the kind
OF man who will insist upon going the
way his friends do not desire him to
take. We had better do nothing at
present, and in the course Of few days
we may learn more about him and the
girl"
No moro was said on tho subject just
then by either the baronet or his wife.
He was inclined to treat the affair very
lightly--as q mere Irritation which mon
Of Paul's age and inilammablc nature
were always liable to drift into. But
Lady Carsland regarded the matter
much more gravely. She had seen Sa-
lone, and knew how lovely and iasci-
mating the girl was, and she was afraid
the pit brow girl would move heaven
and Garth TO capture such rich prize
as Sir Sydney's ward.
On the confines Of Gale Wood, Just
beside tho style roforred to already
several times In the course OF this mar.
rative, Salome Birmingham was stand
ing.
II was tho evening following her visit
to tho theatre at Earlaiord, and II was
late enough for tho last glimpses OF day
to have died out Of the west.
DeHlHu neI tuu WIN ihy No,'uhs "hN
gloomy; before hor rose the haad.goar
and tho bank Of tho pit whereat she
labored; and on either hand the fields,
from which the grain had been gathered
weeks ago, stretched dumb and dark
and weird,
The girls mind was fllod now, as II
had been charged all tho busy livelong
day, with thoughts Of her lover, and
tho glorious future his glowing words
OF affection had opened out to her
She loved him with all her strength,
and would havp boon amply satisfied to