The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1897-11-19
CHAPTER XvIII.-(CoNTrNuED.)

70 answer OIeVeHIoh i0l' ~ W
ford to reply. Once again he answered.
evasively.
1T doesn't follow, my dear ne
salu NAT the two men were missing
together, because their names happen
to come together on the list.
Clara instantly drew the ineVitapie
conclusion from that ill-considereu re-
ply. .
frank is missing from the party ol
relief" she said Am l to understand
that Wardour is missing from the
huts?"
Both Crawford and Steventon hesi-
lated Mrs Crawford cast an indignant
look at them, and told the necessary
lie without a moments hesitation!
"Yes! she said. "Wardour is MISS
ing from the huts"
Quickly as she had spoken, she haa
still spoken to late. Clara had noticeu
the momentary hesitation on the part
of the two officers. She turned 10
Steventon.
L lIuSL W yOul llOiOi,
quietly. Am right, or wrong, IN pc
lieving that Mrs. Crawford Is mis-
taken?"
She had addressed herself to the
right man of the two. Steventon had
no wife present to exercise authorlly
over him. Steventon, put on his honor
and fairly forced to say something
owned the truth. Wardour hau re-
placed an officer whom accident hau
disabled from accompanying the party
of relief and Wardour and FRANK
were missing together.
Clara looked at Mrs. Crawford.
''You hear?" she said. 1T is you
who are mistaken; not |. What you
call 'sccident'-what / call rate
brought Richard Wardour and Frank
together as members of the same Ex-
petition after ALL" Without waiting
for a reply, she again turned to stew
enton, and surprised him by changing
the painful subject of the conversa-
ton of her own accord.
'Have you been in the Highlands OF
Scotland?" she asked.
81 have never been in the High
lands" Steventon replied.
Have you ever read, in books about
the Highlands, of such thing as 'Ihe
Second Sight?'"
eyes"
do you believe in Second Sight?"
Steventon politely declined to COM
nit himself to direct reply.
81 don't know what l might have
done if l had ever been in the High
lands" he said. "As it is, have had
no opportunity of giving the subject
any serious considerations"
81 won't put your credulity to the
test" Clara proceeded. Il won't ask
you to believe anything more extra
ordinary than that / had strange
dream in England not very long since.
NV dream showed me what you have
just Acknowledgment more than
that. How did the two missing men
come to be parted from their COM
panions? Were they lost by pure ac-
cident, or were they deliberately left
behind on the march?"
Crawford made last vain effort to
check her inquiries at the point which
they had now reached.
Neither Steventon nor 1 were mem
bers of the party of relief" he said.
-How are we to answer your"
"Your brother omcers who were
members of the party must have told
you what happened" Clara rejoined.
az only ask you and Mr.. Steventon to
tell me what they told you" - ~
Mrs. Crawford interposed again
with practical suggestion this time.
1.-THE luncheon is not unpacked yet,
she said. "Come Clara! this is our
business, and the time is passing
"The luncheon can wait few min
utes longer Clara answered. Bear
with my obstinacy," she went on, lay
ing her hand carelessly on Crawford S
shoulder: "Tell me how those two
came to be separated from the rest.
You have always been the kindest of
friends; don't begin to BE cruel to me
now!'
The tone in which she, made her en-
treaty to Crawford went straight to the
sailors heart. He gave up the hope
less struggle; he let her see a glimpse
of the truth.
"On the third day out" he said,
.sFrank's strength failed him. He fell
oehind the rest from fatigue"
surely they waited for him?"
at was a serious risk to wait for
him. my child. Their lives, and the
lives of the men they had left in the
huts, depended, in that dreadful eli
r1ate, on their pushing on. But Frank
was a favorite. They waited half a
day to give Frank the chance of re-
covering bis strength"
Anere ne stopped. There, the i'm
prudence into which his fondness for
Clara had led him, showed itself plain
ly, and closed his lips.
1t was too late to take refuge in ST.
)ence. Clara was determined on hear
ing more. She questioned Steventon
Text.
Did Frank go on again after the
halfday's rest?" she asked.
ssIIa triad m on an