Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-07-30

| dance for that evening. IL WOulu, ne
reflected, be unwise to shirk the dance,
! for his hostess was the wife OF the
senior partner in the well known firm
of solicitors, Frampton & Bengough,
and Mostyn was Tuite aware or the
influence of womankInd in the distri-
button of business. So he got on his
clothes. drove to his club, where he
snatched a hurried meal, and then
went on to the Framptons, where, con-
trary to his expectation-for he abb
horred dances-he enjoyed himself
amazingly. This was due entirely TO
Edith Frampton, whom he met for the
first time and found peculiarly agree
able and fascinating partner. And as
he walked home communing with
cigar he contemplated with consider
able satisfaction the last three dances,
For Edith Frampton had been induced
TO tear up her programme, thus scat
tering the hopes of three of his rivals,
and sit them out in quiet corner with
Mostyn.
well" said Mostyn to himself as
he rolled into bed, at o'clock the
world looked pretty dismal, but on the
whole a good deal seems to have hap
pened in the eight hours since then"
Then he slept the sleep of the young
and healthy, and Edith Frampton
waltzed persistently through his
dreams, accompanied by the strange
lady.
AS the days passed by Mostyn open
ed his letters with some eagerness, in
the hope that line would come from
the mysterious visitor. But his anX-
| iety was due rather to curiosity and
! the desire to see the end of the piquant
adventure than TO any tender feeling
for her. But no letter came. The lady
had driven off into the unknown, and
| Mostyn gradually began to give up all
hope of ever seeing her again. 1t is
true that he scanned the faces Of the
| shoppers in Regent street and Bond
street when he was in that nelghDor-
| hood, on the off chance Of running
| against her by accident. But he never
saw her. And this he came to regret
less as his friendship with Edith
Frampton strengthened into something
| like love. She was in all respects
desirable maiden. She was pretty;
! but that alone would not have been
enough for a struggling barrister like
| Mostyn, who prided himself on keep
| ing his emotions we'll in hand. In
this case, however, Mostyn was quite
! convinced that it would be equally
pleasant and profitable to marry Edith
| Frampton, whose father would GER
] tainly be both able and willing TO push
/ the interests of his sonin-law. And
with such energy and success did
Mostyn pursue his purpose that one
evening in the summer, after an even
ing picnic, at which he and Miss
Frampton had got separated from the
rest and came home by later train
together Mostyn was in a position 10
ask Mr.. Frampton for his daughters
hand. And Mr.. Frampton, who was
neither surprised nor displeased, con-
scented at once to the engagement.
AS he had expected, Mr.. Frampton
was able to put good deal of work
in Mostyns way, and the course OF
! love ran smoothly. Briefs came drop
ping in, then increased into a fairly
steady stream, and Mostyn began to
feel that he was on the high road to
fame and fortune. All this time he
| had heard nothing whatever of the
! lady whose mysterious visit had been
paid on the very evening OF his nrst
meeting with Edith Frampton.
1t had been arranged that he should
| run down to Brighton for Christmas,
where Mr.. and Mrs. Frampton and
! Edith were staying at a hotel. Mostyn
arrived on Christmas eve, just in time
! for A-&ef walk with Edith on the busy
! sea front before dressing for dinner.
The hotel was very full, and the huge
DINING room was crammed with merry
parties at the small tables, which were
! hacked so closely as scarcely to give
| the walters room for passage. Inc
! table which Mr.. Frampton had reserV-
! ed was in corner on the lar size OF
the room, and Mcstyn, seated next to
! Edith with his back to the company,
! could see little, nor wanted to see any
! thing but his fiancee and his dinner.
! He noticed, however, that Mr.. Tramp
/ ton had bowed and smiled over his
! shoulder at some acquaintance or other
! in the room. When the diners had be-
/ gun to file out, among them Mrs.
! Frampton and Edith, Mr.. Frampton,
who always insisted on ending his din
4 ner after the old fashioned way with
port. said, as he filed Mostyn's glass:
/ THAT woman over there has a curl
! Gus history. You ought to know 1t, as
you will probably hold brief for her
/ before long
/ Mostyn turned his chair slightly and
! swung carelessly round, following the
direction of Mr.. Frampton's nod, and
met the eyes, full and frank and per-
/ haps little hooking, of the myster-
/ ious visitor to his chambers. She was
( sitting at a small table with a young
man and a girl of II or threabouts
I Mostvn noted too that she was in
( slight mourning. Her eyes rested on
I his for a moment and the grape she
was about to eat paused upon her lips.
/ The next moment the grape had dis
/ appeared and she had turned to speak
to the young man.
''WeIl. who is she?" asked Mostyn,
turning back with all the self-control
at his disposal to Mr.. Frampton.
ITS Lady Massie," said MIR. Tramp
ton, slipping his port.
"Oh that probate case?"
Mr.. Frampton nodded. Question OF
parentage,, you know" he said. You
see. everything depended, from her
! point of view, on her having son.
Wen. Lord Massie was hopeless in
valid. yet there is som months
old
| "And when, asked Mostyn reflect
| lively. did Lord Massie die?'
II, et me see," said Mr.. Frampten.
do YOU remember the dance we gave
h. Il