Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1895-07-17

| This is luck" cried MaPsden. "In an
other moment you would have passed. apt
l should have only found Mrs. LES
TRANCE"
mot Mrs. L'Estrnnge either" sal,
Nora, returning his cordial greeting
'She is gone into Oldbridge for the after
noon"
Then. If you will allow me, I'll be YOU
escort"
"Oh. yes, do Gomez returned Nora
heartily glad Of his company. when did
you arrive. and where did you com,
from?"
Il came last night, that il to say, las.
afternoon, and l came from Paris"
Mrs. Ruthven, when she wrote, did no
sccm TO know what had become of you
Marsden turned, and walked beside her
oh, yes, to be sure. I weufaway to &
place near Fontainebleau, to see an Ole
chum of mine, De Meudon, who has beer
very i'll, and SO a letter or two of her.
miscarried; but I saw her the day before
yesterday in town. She is in a fidget tc
complete the purchase Of a damp villa al
Twickenham, which she could not dc
without me; but have settled everything
to her satisfaction"
And are you going to stay here?"
"No-yes," replied Marsden, with 4
quick sigh. and he looked earnestly into
her eyes, a curious wistful, strained ex
preston in his own. 81 am a rollinu
stone, you see, Moral presume your
high mightiness will permit me to use
your baptismal appellation-and l arr
rather at loss what to do with myself
shall be hard up for another year OF
two; but then the property will be pretty
clear-then will settle in the halls of my
fathers, and live cleanly and like a gen
tleman.''
Il hope you will, SQUIRE" said Nora,
kindly and seriously.
WHAT! Do you think have been sucl
n scamp?" asked Marsden. laughing.
You know I dj1 not mean that" sh,
returned, the color rising In her cheek
Il hope you will live at Evesleigh."
"And be your neighbor? Thank you
sweet cousin"
''Yes, it would be very nice to have you
at the manor house. 1t looks ghostly
when shut up"
Your kindness is killing. Do you IN
derstand why?"
NO; there is something not quite lik.
yourself about you to-day. You are look.
ing white and thin. Have you been ILL.,
Clifford?'
You darling. How graciously 20,
have granted my prayer, and brought out
the name want you to call me with just
the sweetest little hesitation in tn
world"
He laughed as he spoke. carry ing off tn,
ardor of his words with a mocking air.
Nonsense" returned Nora. a Iittl>
piqued. II did not hesitate at all. You
seem to forget that am not a child"
II am deeply conscious you are a WON
an: a" He pulled himself up short,
and added: "a most serious young wonr
an"
And l suppose there Is no chance o.
finding the lost jewels?" said Nora, to
change the subject. for there was an in.
defnable something in Marsden's tons
which she neither liked nor understood.
Il fear not. l thought l might nave
tracked them to the den of an old Dutch
receiver of stolen goods. and went myself
TO Amsterdam, to see what l could do
all in vain. Don't talk of them: you don't
know what an internal blow that unfor.
tunate business has been to me. That my
guest should have been robbed almost un-
der my eyes! It's a sort of blot on me and
my house"
THAT IL quite a morbid idea. How
could any reasonable being blame you? J
an sure Mrs. Ruthven-"
Mrs. Ruthvsn has behaved very well,
but she is desperately cut up, and l do
not wonder at It," interrupted Marsden.
'She is very nice, and 20 pretty-at.
iractive looking, rather"
Marsden glanced sharply at her before
he answered.
"Yes, she Is a piquAnt little devil, bu,
she ought not to be so heavy with her
paint brush about the lips; that sort of art
may be overdone."
Squirrel! in a shocked tone, show ca,
you be such traitor? thought you were
fond of Mrs. Ruthven-that you were he,
best friend"
Marsden laughed.
80 am, but am not, therefore, blind.
All the world Except you) can see she
paints-her lips"
Il did not, and 1t Is not nice or loyal o.
you to tell me-"
Il am rebuked. You are an awful piecs
Of perfection, Nora"
do not be sarcastic. / know my own
shortcomings well enough; but am not
false to my friends. I shall not confide
NY weakness to you."
DO you fancy 1 would betray you!
You understand me. Why, you are my
own" he hesitated-"my own kins-
woman"
Nora shook her head. and they walked
on silently for a few moments. Then
she said:
"Helen and are thinking Of going vi
to town for a couple of months. 1t is
rather melancholy and uncomfortable to
be so far from one in the winter. Helen
has been so nervous since that robbery"
You are quite right-it is an excellent
idea," cried Marsden, with hearty appro-
baton. "Where do you think of staying
at the LanghamT"
1.-THE Langhnm!' laughing. why, tho
Langham would swallow up all our money
in ten days. No, no; we think Of going to
Mrs. May, II she can take us in. DE-
you remember Mrs. May?"
"Well, yes. I seem to have heard tho
uame."
''She was cook at Evesleigh when you
were a boy, 1 believe. Oh! years ago."
Exactly: before l grew old and de-
crepit"
"She has house near Hyde Park. and
we shall take rooms there"
You'll be awfully uncomforta bic,
you'll get nothing to eat but scorched
mutton and watery rice-pudding, ard
you'll never move without carrying off q
knitted chair cover on your back, or hung
to button"
You are quite wrong! We stayed a
week there, on our way back from Ger.
many, and it was very comfortable. l do
not think there Is knitted antimacassar.
if that is what you mean. In the house"
Talking lightly, with occasional silence
on Marsden's part, they reached the blind
woman's cottage.
"IIow long shall you stay here|
IL do not know, but you need not trou.
BILE about me-"
"If choose to trouble. you cannot pre-
vent me. l am going to look for one Of
the gamekeepers about mile further on,
and l shall wait for you outside. when I