Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1897-01-17

Precisely, Miss Carew; on account OF
what 1 have told him to-day"
Dora looked at his sneering mouth, at
| his bold blue eyes. and asked a question
which had been in her mind since she had
seen him from the window. Were you
sent by Lady Burville to tell this news, Mr.
Pallant?'
mo. I came of my own accord. May I
ask what you know of Lady Burville?"
Il know nothing" said Dora gloomily.
7 wish 1 did"
''Why, Miss Carew?"
The girl did not reply. Pallant was
| stranger to her. and she did not care to
I tell him Of her belief that the fatal name
of Lady Burville hade mace trouble be-
tween herself and Allen. Pallant noticed
/ her hesitation.
Y see you do not wish TO speak to me
! openly" he said sneering, yet you may be
/ glad to do so some day. Good day, Miss
/ Carew. and remember my words"
His horse was tethered to the wall, and
| on bidding her farewell, he mounted 10
ride off. From the saddle he looked down
on her fair face, and smiled. Then ne
made a strange remark.
| i shall give you one last warning, Miss
! Carew. Beware of Allen Scott"
! The girl stared after him in surprise.
! Was all the world in conspiracy to torture
! her with hints and mysteries? Joad
| Edermont. Allen and Mrs. Tice all knew
| of something about which they refused
/ to speak 1t would seem that Pallant-a
complete stranger-was possessed also Oh
the same knowledge. What did he mean
! by his warning? What had he TO do with
( Allen Scott. or even with Edermont?
Dora felt as though she were spied upon
/ by hundred eyes as though she were
| playing a mechanical part in some terri
BILE drama, without knowing plot or ac-
/ tors. or end. She was ignorant, and there
/ by helpless.
For the next few days she tried to learn
from Joad and her guardian what all
these doings meant. Both Of them re-
| fused to speak, and the tension of Dora's
nerves was only relaxed by letter from
/ Allen. in which he stated that he would
return on the second of August, and would
see her the next day.
'IIe means to explain" thought the girl.
putting the welcome letter away in her
desk. In two or three days I shall know
why he quarrelled with my guardian, and
I
But I must scold Allen fo- his neglect"
The communication relieved her greatly.
| Of late she had been so bewdered and
harassed that she had almost doubted
whether Allen loved her truly. Yet he had
told her so a hundred times. and she was
satisfied that he spoke truly, from that
subtle instinct which never deceives
woman. He loved her. he adOred her, and
none other than she would ever be his wife.
Before that belief the dismal prophecies
of Mrs Tice and E6ermont, the strange
warning Of Pallant. counted rs nothing.
/ Dora believed that Allen loved her, and
could explain away all the mysteries Of
/ the past weeks. In that belief she was
content 10 wait.
And all this time Mr. Edermont was sur
/ prsingly bright. A weight appeared to
have been lifted off his shoulders, and he
looked ten years younger. He was scarce
IN past fifty. Notwithstanding his white
I locks and haory beard and he began TO
talk Of leaving his retirement and going
1 ont TO mix with the world once more.
/ Dora knew that he had a large income,
I and could afford 10 live in the most luXu-
/ rious manner. 1t had often been a sur
prise to her that he hal lived so long in
seclusion and almost perjury. From sun
dry circumstances she gathered that he
had for years been laboring under dread
of death by violence, hence his anxiety
that the house should be carefully locked
up. Now that dread had been removed
as he more than hinted-by a cOmmunica-
ton from Pallant, and he could take life
! easily Looking back on the fears which
had haunted him these twenty years, Dora
no longer wondered at the cowardice and
terror of the puny creature. Rather was
she astonished that with so terrific a
shadow to fight he had kept himself out
of lunatic asylum. Stronger men than
he succumbed to such influences.
From force of habit. Edermont still lock-
ed up the house at night; he still sent Joad
TO the cottage over the road; but he no
longer treubled at that tremendous prayer
( of the Litany. nor did he look round the
church searching for q possible danger.
/ Whatever the mystery of his life could he
and Dora was quite unable 10 guess it
! that mystery had been done away with.
and Edermont talked of fraternzng again
I with his fellow creatures.
one thing struck her as odd. When he
| recovered from the excess of joy caused
by the communication of Pallant he wrote
a lengthy letter. and this he was partic-
ular to post himself. AS a rule Joad at
tended TO the despatch Of such rare epis-
| ties as were sent from the Red House. so
! Dora was as tonished that her guardian
/ should he so anxious about this especial
letter. 1t occurred TO her that it might
possibly have been sent TO Lady Burville.
Dora was astonished that her guardian
was connected in some underhanded way.
! But she had never learnt If her belief were
| correct. What she did learn, however,
was that Edermont wrote to Allen at
| Canterbury during the last DAYS of July;
also he sent a third letter but to whom
Dora did not know. The first and last Of
these communications were posted with his
own hand the middle one had been deliv-
cred to Joad in the usual way.
on the night of the second of August
Edermont dismissed load as usual, and
locked the gates according to custom.
Then he returned to bolt and bar the
house. In his study he found Dora await
ing him.
You have not seen to the little pos
tern" she said.
NO matter" he replied impauently. Il
/ suppose it is locked; if not-why. I can
afford to leave it as it is and sleep in
peace There is no more danger for me
now"
"Of what danger are you talking, Mr..
Edermont?"
what is that to you?" he retorted, with
| =, ,-e-...- ..yt-L,. ,ro ,.O,, ba~a9 Co