The Van Buren press., 1895-11-30
NAV is Ned's entryf


knows where"
June eame-the Partisan Jupe-a
mingling of spring freshness with sum-
mer languor of cool nights and MORN
ings with sunny afternoons. In the
affairs of Waltham Penroyd and the
girl from the west very little was
changed. Penroyd's latest things were
exposed at the salon and well hung.
He knew of his success through the con-
gratulations of brother artists. Ha
himself had not gone that year to the
Champ de Mars. In those few weeks
he had become thinner. A look of
constant abstraction had taken posses
sion of his face. Wilkes rallied him
from time TO time concerning this.
"Penroyd," he said once, your
thoughts are wandering In Africa"
Penroyd laughed, recovering himself
with a start. SIN Asia, Wilkes" he
said. Il am trying to climb the Chi
nese wall"
Wilkes repeated this conversation to
his wife.
Ned, think something will happen
to help them, don't youY
81 hope So" said Wilkes.
81 think something is going to hap
pen," said Ned's wife.
A young cousin of Mrs. Wilkes re-
turned from winter IN Italy, a boyish
young fellow, living from hand to
mouth, and speaking half dozen Ian
guages with equal facility.
On the afternoon of the young fell
lows arrival Penroyd also called at
twenty-nine. He sat on the steps
with Mrs. Wilkes and the visitor. Ned
himself was sprawling in a hammock
swung between the little apple tree and
part of the garden fence. In the
midst of talk and sketehing the door
of twenty-six opened. Miss Chandler
stepped out to gather up basket of
needlework standing in the doorway.
The young cousin was making a
sketch in that direction. He caught a
glimpse of her and sprang up, shading
his eyes with one hand.
Mon Dieul" he said.
A moment more and the girl had re-
covered her basket and reentered the
house. The young cousin sat down.
Miss Chandler is living here, then?"
he observed
Eyes. Do you know her? ?" asked Mrs.
Wilkes, quickly. She looked at Penroyd.
He was gently strolSing the kittens
head with his thumb. One could not
have said that he listened.
"Yes, know her a little. I know a
good dealsabout herz-more than most
people. You know she lived in the
Rue Racine when | was there. Poor
girl, don't know whether it's the same
thing now, but she had a ridiculous
mystery hanging over her head-avoid-
ed meeting the fellows and all that kind
of thing"
ut is just the same at present." OBJ
served Penroyd, calmly.
well, another fellow and myself fer
reted out that little mystery. / am
ashamed of the thing now. 1t seems
such an unmanly business. But we kept
Tito ourselves"
"What was the mystery?" asked Pen
royd.
"Her father was in the penitentiary
He died there"
Penroyd looked down and continued
his engagement with the kitten. He
gently refused Mrs. Ned's invitation to
supper.
Mrs. Wilkes journal for that day con-
tained
went to the opera with Ned and Cousin
Dick. Lohengrin.' It was sublime but
l didn't enjoy it. I thought every moment
OF poor Mr.. Penroyd. l wonder what he
thinks of the discovery-of his Chinese
wall, as he calls it, and how he proposed to
scale it. She will never marry him II
what Cousin D. said is true"
The following morning came Pen
royd himself. He found Ned and his
wife in the atelier. The young cousin
had gone down to Clarendon for days
sketching.
NOW, don't interrupt your work, p"
said the visitor. Ned had laid down
his palette and brushes. 81 just
dropped in for a moment. You have
been so good to me, both of you, that
I know you will be anxious to hear the
end of it all. Wilkes and Mrs. Wilkes, ii
is finished, and happily. Ihaye cleared
the wall of China"
"How?" cried Ned and his wife, in
one breath.
oil hp+ To oh q
your cousin. My success has come
throught you, Wilkes and Mrs. Wilkes.
But for your cousins instrumentality
l should be the inmate ofsome padded
cell. After that discovery, however,
things were easy-as easy as breathing
the breath of life. At seven o'clock
last evening l went to call on Miss
Chandler. IN
"'Edith,' | said, Il leave tomorrow
for Australia or some other desert
place, for any land is desert away
from you. shall haunt you and dog
your footsteps no longer. But before
l go Jet me confess. My dearest one
l know your secret. 1t was that which
made m,apresumptuous enough TO look
into your face. l thought; She has
suffered through her fathers trouble
She will be more merciful of mine
l had no right to love you, no right to
breathe a word of love into your ears
Even now it is 3 crime. l was tempt
ed beyond my strength. But now we
are about to part forever and L will
make my confession. am not an hon
est man. Edith. l served five years OF
penitentiary myself. My own dearest
] beg you TO forgive me-
"'Dearest,' she said, if that is true
there is no need for us TO part. Why
haven't we been honest together be