Evening star., 1895-10-17

door, what in the world are you doing ?
Your milk will turn if you don't look out"
Mr.. Warren looked up with start and
hastily thrust what he had been examin-
ing into his pocket. Then he took up his
pals and went to the shed.
Mamma wants to see you." said Elsie.
What were you looking at just now?"
She's in the spare room, I suppose" re-
turned her father, setting down his pals
| and going into the house.
He passed through the kitchen without
answering Elsie's question, and she noticed
| it, but she did not at the moment connect
| it with the trouble which both her parents
were trying to keep from her knowledge.
Ibid you send for me, Martha?" asked
Mr.. Warren.
"Yes, Nicholas" and his wife spoke calnl-
| ly, but earnestly. THAT Mr.. Golding has
been here"
This morning?" he demanded in aston
| ishment
''Yes. He went away a few minutes ago.
| We must take some very decided step.
Nicholas. He knows all"
Mr.. Warren was speechless with wonder
and CONSERVATION.
| He didn't say so in so many words.
| continued Mrs. Warren, but he intimated
plainly enough that he knew what he was
| talking about. 1 suppose Freeman must
| have told him."
| Likely enough" muttered Mr.. Warren.
| Hes a cruel man, Nicholas, heartlessly
cruel. There is nothing he would step at to
| attain his ends
| Il suppose rot I got the same opinion of
| him.
Then. don't you see that we must yield
| to him in some degree? Oh, Nicholas! If
there is anything you know that he wants
| you to tell him, won't you tell him?'
Why" returned Mr.. Warren. uneasily,
what could there be? 1 never saw him
| before last night"
| Mrs. Ware en-, sensitive, as are all women,
| felt in this the very evasion that her hus-
| band was trying to mask from her. Her
| eyes filled with tears.
What Is this he says about Freeman S
| diamonds?" she asked, appealingly.
| Diamonds. gaSped Mr.. Warren. "Why,
what do you mean? What has he said,
anyway? 1 didn't hear him."
| Don't keep anything from me- dear.
she pleaded. Are we not sharing the same
| trouble? Are we not both liable to make
mistakes when it is SO terribly hard to de-
eide what is right? Let me know if you
| have done anything that you think may be
| a mistake. 1 can't help you, husband"
Il don't know that I have made a mis-
| take exactly" he replied, sitting the pro-
| tests of his conscience and the cries OF his
| heart, too, for this was the first instance In
which he had refused his wife his whole
| confidence.
Don't you know anything about the dia-
monds?' she asked with painful insistence.
"Golding has told me about them II that
can be called knowing"
| Husband, you are keeping something
back from me! Oh! this isn't right or wise,
Nicholas. He has told me what he will do.
| BY threats and hints he has made his pur-
pose clearer than If he had plainly declared
| that he would charge you with-with at
| tempted murder, Nicholas. Think of 1t
| Not that you could not disprove the charge,
| for nobody will believe you guilty unless
| unless as he says, he tells our story and
shows the motive that might have led
you
Mrs. Warren's voice faltered, her words
| were becoming incoherent, and she checked
| herself with dry sob.
| Her husband heard again the doctors
warning words. He could see clearly enough
| the situation into which he was being
| driven, and he realized, too, in a way, the
| hold that the diamond fever was getting
upon him. He felt Of the pebble in his
pocket and longsd to hurl it far from him,
| where no search would ever disclose its
existence. But what could he do? What
could he tell this man Golding to persuade
him to depart or purchase his silence.
| Would this one stone, which might prove
| to be valueless, be an inducement? On the
| contrary, the fact becoming known, even
to Goldng alone, that it had 'Seen taken
| from buttons pocket, would be suggestive
| Of other wrongdoing, would support other
| suspicion to use the doctors words, would
| convince Golding IL not all the world, that
he, Warren, knew the whereabouts of
| the
| Dutton stirred restlessly and began to
| mutter. Husband and wife drew near and
bent over him.
1.-The president, Ben, the president
| came indistinctly from his clenched teeth.
| (To be continued tomorrow)