Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-11-18
CHAPTER vlI-(contiuued,

SAxa1 4Gh vAA-ISOulluucub
The coloc on Hanbury's face deepened.
His eyes flashed. 1t was into!erable that
this low, ill-shapen creature should re-
fer to Dora, to Dora-to whom he was
engaged, who vas to be his wife. as ~
woman In the case" Anyway, there was
nothing for it but to try to muzzle Leigh.
He forced himself to say calmly: '"rhe
lady who was with me is"
"Miss Ashton"
eyes. She told me she gave you her
name and mine. Well. Mr.. Leigh, you
are good enough to say you remember
me a. q speaker. i am seriously think
Ing Of adopting a public career. could
NOT, for q time at all events, appear on
any platform Of disputed principles if this
unfortunate fainting Of mine got into the
papers. Some opponent would be certain
to throw it in my face. VIII you do me
fhe very grea. persona! favor of keeping
the matter to yourseifT
"A personal favor from me to you. On
what grounds do you put the requestT'
ION any honorable grounds you please.
You said you were not rich
II did not say / was corrupt" His
manner was quick. abrupt. final. His
face darkened His eyes g.ittered. "Mr.
Hanbury, you are n rich man"
Not rich, surely"
on are rich, compared with any man
IN this street. You are q rich man. You
got your money without work or risk.
You are young and clever. and tall and
straight. and healthy and gOod-iooking.
and eloquent and dear TO the most beau
tiful lady ever laid eyes on"
Course hiul!' thought Hnnbury. but he
held his peace. remained without move
ment Of limb or feature.
"Rich. good-looking, sound. beloved, eio-
quent, young. Look at me. Poor. Ill
favored, marred and MANNED. loathed. I'M
gifted in speech, nidd.e-aged. Do not
stop me. / have no chance il l allow you,
a gentleman Of your eloquence, to speak
against me. Think OF it all, and then
work out little calculatio for me, and
tell me the result. VIII you 60 so can
didly, fairly, honestlyI'
"Yes, indeed, l will
Every well. You who are gifted. es !
have said, come to me who am afflicted.
as l have said, and ask me to do you a
favor, ask me to sci! you favor. Sup
pose the favor You ask me to do cost me
ten, at how much do you estimate its
value to your
"a hundred. Anything you like"
s.I am not thinking Of money"
'sNor an L. Anything tenfOid returned
to you will freely give"
"Wait a moment. Let me think
while"
Leigh sat with his chin sunken deeply
on his chest, and his eyes fixed on the
floor. Then he spoke in d low tone, o
tone half Of reyerie:
Mature deals in wonders, and l an
one Of them. And !, in turn, deal in woh-
ders, and there are many OF them. If l
chose could show you the most wonder
full clock in all the word. and / could
show you the most wonderful gold in all
the world, more wonderful q thousand
times than mystery gold. But I will not
show you these things now. l will show
ycu a more wonderful thing still. Will
you come with me little way!"
"yes. but you have not set me that
question in arithmetic yet"
81 cannot do so until you have come n
iittle way with me. l want to show you
the most wonderful thing you ever saw"
May I ask what it z"
'.You need not be afraid"
'sWhy need not l be afraid?'
because you nre not hump-backed
and chicken breasted and lop-sided and
dwarfed and hideous."
But what are you taking me to seer
"Something more wonderful and more
precious than any mystery gold, than my
own miracle gold or M CLOCK, and yet Of
q kind common enough"
"Whatr'
"A woman
But why should eo:'
Come, and if you ask me that When
you have seen, l will ask nothing FOR my
silence"
''Only q woman"
'Only q woman"