Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-10-13

totally inexplicable to the others, did
she betray that Ellen was any less a
stranger to her than her brother or his
wife.
She talked the conventional trivial
Ties to her IN the same smiling, winsome
way in which she talked to the rest,
for Mrs. Forsythe was no longer naughty
and dlsdainful. In truth, as the moments
went on and this vivacious and fascinat-
ing Parsonage continued to discuss the
stupid affairs of daily life with a nj
quancy and animation that made them
Tor the time seem interesting, Ellen
found 1t hard to retain her hold on the
certain fact that this was the same wom-
an who had shivered the costly orna-
ment to atoms on the marble floor. Mrs.
t'orsythe seemed to have set before her
self the one object of making herself
agreeable to her new acquaintances.
ohe admired openly and ecstatica;ly
admired, Max ,y's wife and declared that
If She had be,n man she should have
fallen in Low. with her herself. She
praised Maxey's taste as an artist and
went into raptures over some of his pic
lures, with which he had ornamented
the walls of his parlor. She even
Such, thought Ellen, sis her boldness
and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. to become
worshiper at the shrine of the artists
sister. but Miss Maxey met all her at
teinpts to win her over with an icy reti-
cence which more than once aroused the
latent fire in tho widows eyes.
DIR. Lamar, usually so gay and con-
versational in the artists rooms, hardly
uttered word He sat beside Mrs. For
sythe on the sofa asgrave and serious as
II he had been assisting at funeral.
The difference was SO marked and SO
significant that all three of his friends
We're impressed by the fact. 1t was the
last matter under the circumstances that
either Julian Maxey or his young wife
would have thought of mentioning in
his presence, but Ellen somehow felt
that she had battle to fight with an
INSCRIPTIONS woman, and that any
means We're justifiable. She took advan-
tage of the opportunity afforded her by
this fact to plant covert thorn in the
breast of her enemy.
Il am sure" she said in an audible
voice to her brother while Mrs. For
sythe was saying something to Annette,
1.-THE doctor is not we'll tonight -
Not well?" echoed Maxey.
mo; don't you notice how constrain-
ed and different from his ordinary self
he is? He is usually so chatty and agree
able. Some shadow seems to have come
in with him. What can it be? Is he not
happy"
"Hush!' whispered the startled Max
ey, perfectly unconscious of his sisters
duplicity. ''She will hear you"
''She. Who? don't understand You. :"
Miss MaXey addressed herself imrnedi-
ately to Annette.
Don't You notice that the doctor is
not himself tonight, dear?''
"Oh, indeed, is he not:" cried the
Widow Forsythe, turning with an ad-
mirable appearance of solicitude to-
ward her af1ianced. "Do you hear what
they are saying, Eustace?'
"No. What?'
THAT You are not at all like your
self tonight hope you are not going
to be i'll. too, because Of my bad exam
ple'
II was not aware" returned Lamar
coldly, THAT I exhibited any symptoms
of the sort. -
The tone of the reply was so rough
and discourteous that the color came
into Mrs. Forsythe's cheeks. She bit
her lip, and her eyes moistened.
"She loves him." thought watchful
Ellen, with jealous glow at the heart
"She loves him. There is no doubt of
that -
Lamar seemed to have instantly re.
pented his own harshness, for he at once
went on, with an assumption of careless
gayety:
The fact is, while you have been
talking l have been dreaming. may
have looked sick, but the truth is was
distracted.
"Some new theory in practice, sup
pose, suggested Maxey.
mo" said Lamar, Strengthening up
and making an evident effort to be en-
pertaining. 1T was something odder
than that-something good deal more
interesting.
"Of course that is meant to arouse
our curiosity and make us beg you to
tell us about it, said Mrs. Forsythe
playfully.
Il don't know about that" Lamar
returned, with slight frown. 81 am
not SO sure that should be justified in
discussing professional secret even
among friends Z"
Its professional secret thenv' ex-
Claimed Maxey. 'tOh, then we must be
told! Professional secrets are always
the most entertaining of secrets Out
with it, Lamarv'
WELL" replied the physician, "as
long as you understand that it is not q
matter to be talked about outside, ]
don't know that need hesitate. Pre-
pare yourselves for q most curious and
mysterious affair."
II think ! may say that everybody is
sufficiently prepared" said Maxey.
LET us have the whole mystery at
once"
"Dictum factum! You shall. I will
save my conscience by not calling any
v1oyuoc A oov,<o,,, 1oxvxxxc, Is <l,sc -