Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1897-11-11
BIZ Special Wire.
{Continued.)

addressed her in Hindoostanee, with
a triumphant smile.
"Aye,"she replied, still speaking the
language of late most familiar to her,
" My failure is due to you! Had you
not insisted on my meeting you, hao
you not kept me last night, should
have been at my post, and this auda
cious girl should never have gained adj
mittance! What enemy sent that tele
gram? Who discovered me? Another
week, and should have been his wife,
his heir! Come, let me leave this ac.
cursed place! You have destroyed mel'
The Oriental rapidly, in his own
tongue, murmured something, and she
replied as if scarcely conscious of what
she said. eyes, it is destiny! You are
my fate!' and rushed from the room.
Ruth clasped her hands. "For heav-
ems sake" she exclaimed, close no
more timel Even now we may be too
late to save Captain Carew from this
dreadful charge. Go, Brett! Go to the
bank! Lose no timep
But poor Ruth IS incoherent directions
were interrupted by the welcome ap-
pearance of Mr.. Heartwell, who soon
put matters in shape.
Having had a short and exceedingly
decisive interview with Mrs Somers
he counseled Ruth to stay with her
brother till the arrival of Lady Hastings,
who was expected in the afternoon. He
managed to calm the invalid 8 miserable
fears and wrote out a short statement
of the facts and gave it to Hastings,
who signed it with an effort.
"Let Mr.. Hastings servant dress
him." said Heartwell, "and prepare
him to leave this. don't think there
is really much the matter with him. I
will return to town Immediately and
telegraph to you the result of my inter-
view with the manager.
He rang the bell as he spoke, and the
man who had admitted Ruth appeared
instantly.
Hereceived his orders and Immediate
~ burst into apologize explanations of
how he only knew the nurse by the
name Of Smithson, how he was engaged
to attend an invalid gentleman, and
how he had begun to think things were
not on the square, etc.
Further details may be anticipated.
Hastings statement entirely cleared Ca
rev from the charge about to be prefer
red against him, and the weak but we'll
meaning hypochondriac was soon estab-
hshed at the Grange, with his faithful
khodja in attendance.
The distinguished specialist called in
to advise him declared that his nervous
system had been much tempered with
by chloroform or some treatment of that
nature, and it would be some time be.
fore he could completely recover from its
effects.
It was decided to make no attempt to
punish Mrs. Somers. The lawyers in
examining the condition of Mr.. Has.
tings' affairs found that his expenses had
been well managed and no charge Of
embezzlement could be brought against
her. She therefore, through the special
protection supposed to be extended by
his satanic majesty to his most capable
fiendish culprit would have suffered.
Before September had closed Val Ca
rev was once more the guest of Lady
Hastings. This time it was parting
visit, for he had effected the exchange
he desired and was to sail for India II
few days.
IT can never thank you enough
Ruth he was saying, "for the PLUCK
and promptness with which you acted
en my behalf You saved more thar
my life-my reputation.
Before she could reply the butler an
nounced that MacDougal was in the
hall and very eager to speak with Cap
tain Carew.
"Show him in, said Lady Hastings
and in a minute he entered, looking
more gaunt and dreamy than ever.
"Oh, MacDougal," cried Ruth, &c.
have been dying to ask you about tina
telegram. We cannot find out who sen
it,
1T is just about that I came t,
speak, mem. I hear the captain ha
been making inquiries about it, and
have come to beg he will not, or IL
/. likely lose my place.
How SO, MacDougal?" asked Carew
"Just hear my story, sir. You'll re
member, Miss Ruth, that Sabbath even
ing. You was alone in the grounds, an,
/ told you how met Khodja and how
he said where he had tracked that sh
devil. Well, Miss Ruth was in sor
trouble and cried as if her heart woul,
break. Her sorrows seemed to enter in
to my soul. never knew what was a
the root of the matter before, SO I wen
away home fairly dazed to think that
sort Of shifting mist which was no
truth nor reality was just hiding tn
right road, and you could not sweep
away. fell asleep thinking of you, sir
and of Miss Ruth, and it seemed a min
ute after heard the telegraph bel
sharper than usual. I jumped up an,
ran into the Office. The letters cam
quick and clear, just what 1 woul
have wished, SO I hurried on m,
clothes and across the fields as light a
if an all powerful hand held me up
Anyhow found myself inside the gat
here and Miss Ruth speaking to me on