The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1894-03-10
CHAPTER VI.
In Peril.

.nlAI1Sl wa "HN o.
md she had seen, on her first meeting
with Cicely that morning, that the lat
ter had passed a troubled night. Of
course, she knew that the trouble was
in some Wav conn ted with RadStOck,
and guessed that there had been 4 try
ing scene before he was got rid or; but
she had the tact not to allude to the
subject even when h two ladies were
left together.
At last the unhappy young wife took
refuge in the nursery; and there, hang
ing over the innocent babies, she did
find some bitter-sWeet comfort. But
when the luncheon bell rang, she had
again to face Minna with her searching
eyes and busy wits; and when the meal
was ended, Cicely went into h drawing
room with her sister-in-law, following
their usual custom. For she knew that
she must make an effort to carry on
life as if no frightful break had Oc-
Cured in it's level mOnOtony. So they
sat down together, the II with her
embroidery, the other to the making of
a dainty muslin piIafOre; and with her
fingers busy Cicely found that q dull
rest came tt her thoughts. But h
was not at ease. When the front door
bell rang loudly she started up with
wildly beating heart, the shadow of
some new calamity already darkening
her face.
Then a telegram was brought in, n
Cicely toOk it, and held it in her hand
afraid to open the envelope. The ser
want was waiting, Salyer in hand, to
know whether there was an answer.
Minna rose, and touched her SiSter-in-
laws arm gently.
Now, dear, you had better read it.
You have to know what it says at
some time or other whispered the girl
coaXingly.
Cicely opened the telegram. which
she had crumpled up i'll her hand.
The message was this:
Shall call on yod this afternoon. Be
at home. WILLIAM BENNINGTON"
Ciccly rc-read it aloud, with astonish-
ment and some relief.
1T is from Dukes uncle, isn't it?'
she said.
"Ye.cs,' answered Minna obviously.
1t was clear that she did not share
the faint satisfaction the other felt.
You don't know Uncle William, do
yCu!' she asked rather anXiously
while her sister-in law sat still, regard
ing the paper with Il CLEAN Of hope
in her eyes.
NO. Why do YOU ask like that?"
"Rccause-well, because you seemed
glad to hear he was coming"
And are not you:'
Minna shook her head cmphatically.
NO.
He is-drcadfully good; so good that
he turned his son adrift for something
quite trivial.He wanted Duke to marry
his daughter and take his sons place
to him; but to do him justice, Duke
wouldn't
"Of course not" said Cicely warmly.
1T was a temptation, though. They
say Uncle William will leave a quarter
OF 4 million when he dies-'cut up Well
is, l believe, the correct term. And
now he hates Duke for getting on with
out his money, and for living in a man.
ner re doesn't approve. He's very re-
ligious, you know"
Cicely's face frightened again. Her
" father and mother We're religious,
and the words suggested to her simpG-
city Of life and manners, kindly con-
sideraticn for others; with a touch of
harmless Puritanism.
Minna had not been left by herself
more than half an hour when the door
bell rang again.
Very reluctantly she stepped through
the French window on to the lawn:
and resisting the temptation to lincer
in the neighborhood, strolled away
among the trees toward the fishpond.
just as she heard the drawing-room
door open to admit her uncle.
Mr.. Bennington was a stout man. of
the middle height with a narrow fringe
of black hair round a perfectly bald
crown, and Il face which was shrewd.
hard and rather vulgar. He glanced
round b room with small, bright
black eyes, which took in every detail.
and he pressed his lips together with
more and more Misrepresentation as he
did so.
If poor Cicely had only known it,
she would have spared herself the
trouble of putting on, to do honor to
her husbands uncle, the very pref
test gown she possessed. MI. Berring-
tons aesthetic susceptit ilities were not
keen, and the dainty embroidered mus
lin she Q was a fresh offence, COM
bining as it did the maximum Of ex-
penSe with the minimum Of ostenta-
tious show. Nor had her personal
beauty, dimmed as it was by her trou
bic, the power to mollify him. He
stared at her critically as she came for
ward, and just suffered her to shake
hands with him.
Cicely's heart sank a little. She had
expected s~ternness, but it was the
s%ternness Of the tall, slim, well-dressed
uncle of the novels and plays, with an
slA1llne nose and m ~elabOrately cour-