Rocky Ford enterprise., 1896-07-02

through which passed. and found my
self In another ONCE. In 1t. however
was no sign of Viola and Grant. re
turned to Mr.. Monk. and told him the!
were not there. ... --.-
"Then they must have grown tired o
waiting for you. and have gone for
stroll. There. is door which opens in
to the passage. No doubt they wen
that way. You must sit down and TAXI
your turn at waiting. Mr.. Lorraine"
Iwaited half an hour. then determin'
ed to go In search of them. 1t was pos.
sible they had gone to look for me; SC
I went down into the street. and asked
the driver of the brougham II he had
seen the lady.
"Yes, sir; she went by about an houl
ago with tall gentleman"
which way?"
~ don't know sir. I saw them hail a
cab and drive of. didn't notice y
which direction they went" ..-
Why in the world should they have
taken cab, when the brougham was a.
the door? was very cross at the
though OF Viola's driving about London
in a cab with Eustace Grant: but, rs
the brougham was still waiting at No.
a6. 1t was clear that they meant to re-
turn. After all. the best thing thvt l
could do was to wait. As yet. not a
thought of the truth had ventures to
invade my brain.
So l waited on the pavement cut
side Mr.. Monks office for at least an
hour longer. Still no sign Of my wife.
I grew nervous and anxious. SIrely
some accident must have happened
something that obliged her to go
straight to the hotel. But even then
Grant would have come to let me Know
II. Still not thought of the dregdful
truth! But where could she be?
I jumped into the brougham, and
Grove to the hotel. No; Mrs. Lorraine
vas not there.
drove to Miss Rossiter's. viols had
been there in the morning. but had left
shout half past eleven o'clock. I did
not see Miss Rossiter. who. was sorry
to hear, was Ill In bed. AS a Lass re-
source. drove to Grants house, End
asked for him. He was out. Had not
been home since the morning. Quite
uncertain when he would return.
II was now past three o'clock. Anx-
ious and annoyed. could do nothing
but go back to the hotel and walt for
my wife's return. Still not thought
Of the. truth.
srent the rest Of the afternoon and
evening passing from the hotel to Miss
Rosters. from there to Grants lodg-
ings. and from Grants lodgings back to
the hotel. Only. at one OF these three
places could hope to find tidings of
Viola. Repeatedly Us I had called. 1t
was not until nearly eleven o'clock that
I found Eustace Grant at home.
But by now was in a different mood.
Shall be blamed for saying that this
long and unexplained absence of Vic.
las, in company. 1t seemed, with Grant,
brought horrible dread which scarce
ly dared to breathe to myself? The news
that Grant was at last at home lifted q
weight from my heart. He would be
able to tell me when and where he part
ed with Viola. No doubt he had mes
sage for me that would clear up every
thing.
But although Mr.. Grant was at home,
the servant informed me that he would
see no one tonight. made NO COM
ment on this denial. I simply forced
the door open. and putting the fright
ened servant aside. strobe through the
hall and entered the sitting-room in
which Grant had, on the night when
first met him, interrogated me. It was
empty. threw myself into a chair, and
waited until some one made my pres
ence known to the man whom I was
bent upon seeing.
No doubt he heard the noise Of my
forcible entrance. In minute the
folding-door. which, as is often the
case in lodgings. divided the sitting
room from the bedroom opened, and
Eustice Grant appeared. AS he did so,
caught glimpse of the bedroom from
which he emerged. An open portman-
teau, apparently half-packed. was lying
on the bed. and there were other evil
dences of preparation for journey.
Grant advanced toward me, but. he
made no pretense of greeting me. He
neither offered his hand, nor bade me
good-evenig. rose and faced him.
He was pale, almost ghastly pale. His
brows were bent, and slight twitch of
the nostril told me he was suffering
from some great, though suppressed
emotion. He looked at me haughtily
and angrily; but whatsoever he had
wherewith to reproach himself, there
was neither fear nor triumph in his
gaze. 1 looked at him and wondered;
but felt certain that he knew all about
Viola's absence.
Still, as that absence might even now
be satisfactorily explained, resolved
that would not. by evincing premature
distrust or suspicion. let this man tri-
umph over me. So spoke with forced
composure:
"Mr. Grant, have missed my wife,
somewhere. Can you give me tidings
Of her?"
Il can not" he replied coldly.
Where did YOU part with her? You
left Mr.. Monks with her. in cab.
Where did you leave her?"
Il can not tell you, Mr.. Lorraine"
DO you mean that you are ignorant
Of her whereabouts"
"You have had my answer"
| My blood boiled. you mean you will
not. dare not tell me- you utter villain!"
1 cried. II will know, or I will kill
| your