The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1894-07-06

CHAPTER. Iy-(COntinued

ana she leaned forward. eager and
pale, why do you ask me these ques-
tions? Have you found out some
thing from your friends in London,
perhaps? You had heard nothing whe II
last | asked you, l know Tell me
have you heard something now"
"No. am sorry to say. / have not.
Still do not despair; have a hope |
may learn something soon.
"Oh. what" she eagerly demand ~.
Il think" said |. you had better not
csk me; it may only end i'll disappolnt-
ment, and this matter already preys
upon you too much
You are very kind 10 me- said she.
Ny pulse beat tumultuously, and was
on the point of saying something rash
concerning my devotion, when she add
ed almost as if she knew what | was
thinking Of But can think Of moth
ing else much-I can be interested III
nothing else 1t is very foolish of me,
but | cannot help it. Mr.. Steinhardt
sometimes is rather rude to me about
it; he wants me to marry Frank said
she. simply: but l do not wish to
marry Frank. and Frank does not wish
to marry me. | do not wish to think
of marrying at all just yet.
Il suppose" said l, piqued, and jeal-
Gus, too. l dare say, Mr.. Steinhardt
wants you to marry his son that he
may keep your fathers money, which
you will inherit in his business.
II do not think" said she with 4
smile. that there is much now Of
poor fathers money; Mr. Steinhardt
reckons off it that 100000 which he
says. father lost without any cause"
But does Mr.. Birley. your other
guardian. agree to that fraud?-for
fraud it is
II do not know" said she, listlessly
But l think dear Mr.. Birley is some
how in Mr. Steinhardt's power; think
he fears to say much"
l am afraid l then began to look
upon Steinhartlt as my personal enc
my, and to be alarmed at the infiu-
ence he might yet exert upon my life
l became more Obstinately resolved
than ever to do what in me lay to
clear up the fate of Mr.. Lacroix. not
only because l would be rendering a
service to Louise. but because / would
give Steinhardt 4 serious defeat in his
prospects If by any chance l should
be able to prove his partner still alive.
Suspicion hung about me that I would
have no chance at that, yet at the least
! believed that would be able to dis
concert this Nebuchadnezzar OF Ger
man. who would have all men serve
him; even il the death only Of Lacroix
were proved, that would bring on a
reckoning and settlement Of his af-
fairs which, 1t seemed to me clear,
Steinhardt wished to put off to as
distant day as possible. My resolu-
tiOn received soon fresh stimulus
Mr.. Steinhardt returned from London
respondent with success and self-sat-
isfaction. He had won his case. He
had been able to lead the court to
believe that he had found out for
himself the chemical process for which
the plaintiffs had t:lken out patent,
with this difference, that he had en-
plOyed wet method, whereas they
used dry-or vice versa; I don't re-
member which it was. The plaintiffs
We're going to carry their case to a
higher court, but he did not care for
that He called together his friends
and his neighbors to rejoice with him,
OF whom l was one; for since he
got the better Of me over the lecture
anair he had been as amicably dispos-
ed as before. The dinner was very
e1fair, and Mr.. Steinhardt
thought himself so much master Of the
situation that. l think, he INDUCED
rather moro freely in wine than was
his habit. In the drawing room after
dinner his eye was the brightest and
his talk the loudest and most voluble.
He watched his son paying gallant lit
tie attentions to strange young lady.
while Miss Lacroix was surrounded by
the beaus OF the neighborhOod, and he
called him In audible asides, Fool"
Idiot. "Blockhead!" At length he be-
came SO impatient that, shouting,
Frank. | want your' he strobe out of
the room. Frank at once arose and fol-
lowed him In evident alarm.
After some time he returned. looking
pale and agitated. He came up to me
& sat talking with Mr.. Birley), aud to
my great surprise, said:
Mr.. Unwin. the governor wants to
speak to you In the dining room l
had disagreeable recollection Of my
former interview there, but before |
could say anything, he continued: I'm
AFRAID I've got YOU into a row without
ought Of the sort The gov
ernor's always ut me toto make love
to Louise; he wants me to marry her"
MIR Birley shifted uncasily in his seat.)
That was what he called me out about
now; he jawed me, and l told him l
didn't want to marry Louise; he got
very angry. and then | said what was
the use Of my making love to girl
that was III love with somebody else.
shouldn't have said that, l know, but
| was riled: am very sorry
The hot suspicion now advanced on
me that | was the fortunate some
body else of his legend. l felt ! grew
burning rcd; l scarcely heard what he
said afterward, but it was to the effect
that his father angrily said lie would
put stop to that, and dismissed him