The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1897-10-30

/
Let things come right or stop wrong"
were Valentines last words. THAT is
only another insult for which some day
| shall call to account that mainly
father-Sir Laurence Estmere.'
AS | drove slowly back to Torwood |
hoped that the father and son might
never meet.
CHAPTER XVII.
For two days | stayed on at Torwood
without entering upon the dcbatable
ground with my father. l felt sure that
when We next discussed the affair, q crisis
in my life would be at hand ! approach
ed him the following evening, but he re
NAMED memorable. He told me | was of
age and he could not interfere with me
if l chose to marry Miss Neville, but from
that day he and | would be strangers A
few days later | left him to return to
town, where another painful task lay be-
fore me-that of telling Claudine and
Lady Estmere what had occurred, as
much | could tell.
/ could not help feeling that there was
a little change in Lady Estmere's manner
toward me. This may have been but
fancy, but if the difference was there it
! wore off in n very short time, and her
words and manner were sweet and kind
as ever. | sat beside her, but for a few
moments did not speak.
Your father has returned?" she said
Yes; but his return has not made mo
so happy as | expected. He has taken
some strange prejudice to my marriac &c
with Claudine. In fact, dear Lady Est
| mere, he absolutely declines to receive her
as Il daughter"
Lady Estmere looked at me. There was
no anger in her eyes-nothing but sympa-
thy. She did not even ask me what rea-
son my father gave for his extraordinary
conduct
What will you do?' she asked.
do! l can only do one thing / must
marry Claudine, and trust to time to
change him.
| spare the reader the delight of our
meeting. Only as my lips met Claudincs,
as l clasped her supple form, as | saw
her glad face glowing with health and
beauty, l knew that | could not resign her
love, even though its price must be
fathers affection. l told her of my faith
er's objections, and we finally agreed to
postpone our marriage for Il year or two
One thing might shorten the probation.
Let me find the means Of proving Lady
Estmere's innocence; let me bring her
| wretched husband to her feet, craving
pardon for the wrong he had done her;
and then, even my fathers far-fetched
| objections must fall to the ground. and
| should enter into possession Of my king
dom. This was the thought which filled
my mind when, after having hidden
| Claudine adieu, l walked to my chambers.
How strange it was that Lady Estmeres
sorrow should now become, as it were,
part of my life, that my own happiness
urged me to get at the bottom of what
ever dcvilish plot Gresham had devised
| remembered Lord Rothwell's words,
that the hand of fate was at work, and
as matters now stood, | felt inclined to
agree with them.
The more SO, as, when entering my
room, found a letter in his big bold hand
writing. He had returned to England
and would be at his old quarters to-mor-
row, where he hoped to see me. And more
and more SO, as that night | walked into
the smoking room Of the club and found
/ Captain Gresham talking for ne benefit
of Il few kindred spirits, with all his old
satanic cynicism and disregard for what
most men hold pure and holy
The next two months of my life | would
| willingly obiitcrate from lay memory.
| Even now | wonder whether the society in
! which they were passed has not made me
| take Il lower and more debased view of
the world. a view which | trust will in
time fade away entirely. | was touching
! pitch. yet striving to keep myself from
/ being defiled. Now. in whateve way you
/ bring yourself in contact with pitch. some
/ OF it will stick. | can only hope that the
! stains will some day wear off.
| The pitch l handled was Captain Rich
/ ara Gresham. and a blacker kind was new
/ er manufactured. and. rs to compass my
! ends | had not only 10 handle this villain
Gus substance, but to pretend that ! liked
/ doing so. my task was a highly unpleas-
/ ant one. Many and many a time I felt
! almost sick ut the filthy mass | was en-
! deavOring 10 make run into one particular
mold.
But. distastefuI as found it, did my
! work thoroughly. At the cost of Il little
money and n great deal of Self-respect |
/ found myself in a very short time the
! chosen companion ard comrade of Ches-
} ham. We dined together. supped togeth-
/ ct. sometimes breakfasted together
! Where he went l went. 50 regularly that
/ he might, had he chosen. have discarded
! that stick of his in favor OF It's substitute.
myself.
/ One night Chesham was in my rooms.
! TO whic'. carrying out my scheme, often
/ invited him. We had played ecarte until
! l professed myself tired of the game l
was loser TO some extent, SO had u right
/ to propose cessation. We sat talking.
! Il suppose, | said. you never stopped
/ TO the weakness Of really loving WON
an:"
\ bitter smile curved his lips, and l
SAW his tooth rIoSp