Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-10
Copyright. 1896, by Robert Barr)
CHA PIER XIV.

CHAPTER XIV.
When young Marsten reached the walled
In house at Wimbledon, he found that Sart-
we'll had indeed paid little attention to the
wishes OF his chief, and had left for the
works at his usual hour In the morning Mr.
Hone had evidently not put his foot down
nrmly enough when he told the manager MOI
to go to his Office next day.
Marsten stood hesitatingly on the doorstep,
not knowing exactly the next best thing to
do. After the events of yesterday there
was some difficulty about seeking an inter-
view with the manager at hig Office
Mrs Sartwell's not home either" said
the servant, noting his lndecision; but Miss
Sartwell is in the garden. PERHAPS you
would like to see her?"
Perhap! The young mans pulses beat
faster at the mere mention OF her name. He
had tried to convince himself that he fingered
there through disappointment at finding the
manager away from home, but he knew that
all his faculties were alert to catch sight
or sound of her He hoped to hear her voice.
to get a glimpse OF her, however fleeting
He wanted nothing so much on earth at
that moment as to speak with her-to touch
her hand-but he knew that If he met her.
and the meeting came to her fathers knowl-
edge, Il would kindle Sartwelps fierce re-
sentiment against him and undoubtedly jeop-
his visit to Wimbledon nothing but a rCse
to obtain an interview with the girl. Braunt
had trusted him, and had sent him Off with
a hearty godspeea; the fate OF eXasperated
men on the very brink Of disorder might
Geo nd on his success. Women aud children
might starve to pay for re minutes de-
lightful talk with Edna sartwell. No such
temptation had ever confronted him before
and he put Ii away from him with a faint
and wavering hand
NO" he said with sigh, ''it was Mr..
Sartwell | wanted TO see. | will call upon
him at his office.
The servant closed the door with a bang
Surely he did not need to take all that time,
keeping her standing there to say No"
The smalness of word, however. bears
little relation TO the difficulty there may be
in pr0nOuncing II. Yet the bang of the door
resulting from his hesitation brought about
the very meeting he had with such reluct-
ance resolved to forego. 1t is perhaps
hardly complimentary to Sartwell to state
that, when his daughter heard the door
shut so emphatically, she thought her father
had returned and chat something had gone
wrong. Patience was not among Sartwel's
virtues and when his wife,, actuated solely
by a strict sense of duty, endeavored to
point out to him some of his numerous fail
ings, the man instead Of being grateful
often terminated a conversation intended en-
tirely for his own good by violently slamming
the door and betaking himself to the breezy
common, where person may walk miles
without going twice over the same pain.
The girl ran toward the front Of the
houso on hearing the noisy samming of the
door and was far from being reassured when
she recognized Marsten almost at the gate
That something had happened to her father
instantly flashed across her mind. She
neetly overlook lhu young man, and his evil
dent agitation on seeing her confirmed her
fears. iJ
"oh. Mr.. Marsten,' she cried, breathlessly
''is there anything wrong? Has there been
IL. - sh. vA.lrs.
mo; don't think So he stammered.
81 feel sure something is amiss. Tell me,
tell me. Don't keep me in suspense"
II think everything is all right"
''Why do you say think? Aren't you
sure? You have come from the works"
NO haven't. I've just come from Surbi-
ton. | wanted to speak with Mr.. Sart-
well but find he's not at home"
oh" said the girl, evidently much re-
lieved. Then she flashed bewilderingly
piercing glance at him, that vaguely recalled
her father to his mind. From Surbiton?
You came from Surbiton just now?"
YES" he faltered.
"You have been to see Mr.. Hope?"
Msrsten was undeniably confused, and the
girl saw it. A flush of anger overspread
her face.
'If your visit was secret one. of course
i don't expect you to answer my question"
at was not intended to be a secret visit, /
but-but Mr. Hope asked me not to mention |
It,"
mot to mention it to my father?"
'To any one"
Edna Sartwel gazed at the unhappy young |
man, with look of reproach in her eyes, |
and also-alas!-a look of scorn.
II can see by your face" she said indig- |
nantly, that you don't want my father to |
know that you have been talking to Mr.. |
Hope about the strike"
MY face does not tell you everything !
think. Miss Sartwell." replied Marsten, with |
n burst of courage that astonlshed himself. |
81 saw Mr.. Hope about the strike, and it |
was his wish, not mine. that Mr.. Sartwell |
should not know had been there. But / |
am wrong in saying 1t was not mine. | |
don't want Mr. Sartwell to know either"
well, | call that treachery," cried the |
girl her face ablaZe.
"To whom?" asked Marsten, the color leav-
Ing his face as 1t mounted in hers.
ITO my father"
.,It may he Iraanhery ns ynI snu hut mi