The Portland daily press., 1897-11-23
(Part ~


The girl $ courage did not fail her even
in this terrible and unprecedented mo-
ment. She felt she must rally all her
energies to enable her even to comprehend
the situation, and then to grasp its diff
cultles and its realities, and to deal with
them. The first thing to be done was to
send quietly to Lord Frankland's, and
enquire If Lord Frankland had sent for
or seen Sir Joseph that evening. Even
this called for some discretion and eau
t1on. Considering the reports that had
peen startling 80 many people it was pos
s!D1e that Lord Erankland might take
alarm, and believe, that as q magistrate,
ne was bound to make perquisition, and
se6 the police into activity, and thus sign
nor fathers death warrant. For il she
hao to believe there was such a murder
organization in existence, why should she
not believe all the rest? She thought she
could rely best upon her own maid, de-
spite all the proverbial talk about WON.
ans alarms and wonan's tongue, and
she sent her maid to make quiet enquiry.
The maid soon came back. Lord Frank
land had been i'll il bed all day and had
not sent his groom on any message. Ihe
LAST hope of Sir Joseph's daughters was
gone. The fictitious groom was but an
emissary of the murder-gang, and she
had never dreamed of danger when her
a word from her might have stayed him
if she could only have had the slightest
suspicion. Or she might have gone with
him and shared his danger-died with
him
Time was going and something must
be done. She must consult somebody
She knew of but two human beings in
the world to whom she could turn in he1
lonely and distracted condition, and these
were her fathers confidential secretary
and her lover. She said to the butler
with all the composure OF one whose
whole heart is at rest:
ssMy father will not be home tonight
Benson and she sent letter to her low
er, and message to the confidential SEQ
Rotary These men did not love each 9th
er, she knew, but she fully believed thai
one would but rival the other in striving
to serve her, and to save the father whom
| she loved.
Lawrence Tryon's home was naturally
| In London. During the season he useC
to see great deal of the Carnaways; anC
when the season was over he came down {
great deal to the neighborhood of Bargen
house. 1t was curious how often he ha(
some reason or other for coming to tina
| region. Just now, he said he was bnsil,
engaged on a novel to describe the life o
great provincial manufacturing town
He meant to throw his soul into thi
work of fiction, he said-and indeed HI
could not throw into it much more thai
his soul, seeing that he had about as lit
| tie outfit In the way of acquaintance will
the condition, the manners, and even tn
purposes of manufacturing town as
young man from the West End of LondoI
| could possibly have.
| Lawrence's visits, for, as we know h.
liked young men Of family; but latel!
he had begun to chafe under their FIRE
quenoy, for he began to suspect their mo
tive, and he did not like poor young mel
of family near his daughter so well, b,
| any means, as he liked rich young men
or. for that matter, old men Of wealth
| and family and title. Lawrence was sit
ting in the smoking room of the gaunt
| and dreary hotel this evening, thinking
sadly enough, yet hopefully enough
about the letter which he had just re
ceived from Clarissa, telling him of he
fathers words, but bidding him to be o
good cheer for all that, and to believe il
her love. The young man did not let hi
spirits sink for all the loneliness, and tn,
words of Sir Joseph Carnaway, and tn,
| drear dull evening, and the gaunt blanl
and cheerless hotel. He had what wa
| of most moment on earth to him-the re-
newed assurance of Clayissa's love. TIL
| lover who, with such an assurance, fell
his heart go down because of a father
refusal would not be worth a girl
thoughts, would not be fit to write low
story, end certainly would not 5e Law
renee Tryon.
Suddenly another letter from Clarisst
was put into his hand:
"Come to me at once, =" it said, 81 an
uneasy about my father fear something
| has happened-I want you. Clarissa.
Lawrence's heart leaped up in excite
| ment and in terror for her. Had Sir Jos
| eph fallen suddenly ills What was 1t
What calamity was threatening her
| Thank God, he was near to comfor
| her, even If he could do nothing else.
The dislike between Lawrence and Mas
call seemed to be instincive. OF cours,
there was something at the heart of THU
mutual dislike which was not mere in
stinct. Each knew well that the othel
was striving to win Miss Carnaway
But there was difference between theil
conditions Mascall believed ne had rea
son to fear that Lawrence had secured
| Clarissas heart. Lawrence well knew
| that he had secured it. Lawrence ther
might have been the more tolerant of tn,
| two-and he was Mascall, further, hatee
Lawrence for two reaSons-frst because
| he thought he was an aristocrat; anC
next, because he thought he was little
better than a pauper. He always fanciet
TINT Lawrence despised him for his hum
bic birth, which Lawrence certainly nev
er did. for it never gave manly, careless
Lawrence one thought how ANYBODY wa
born. Then, again. Lawrence Tryon wa
not exactly pauper, but, on the con
trary, was beginning to be very happ.
over the fact that his work was paying
and he was making calculations alread.
as to whether mis- literary income would
be enough to support Clarissa comforta
bly, IN case her father should utterly re
fuse his consent.
Msscall hated Lawrence, but did no
show it. Lawrence distrusted Mascall
and, 1t is to be feared, showed it rattle
too much. Lawrence thought he hat
good ground for distrusting Mascall
Lawrence was in London all the season
and Mascall came to London very often
on business-the business of Sir Joseph
house
Lawrence belonged to several literary
dramatic and sporting clubs, and he heart
good deal about Mascall. But what die
he hear of him2 That he was superb
billiard nlavsr that he was devoted tt