Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1897-05-20
maids.

/ NSS~~tN NH QulIlSSs anu ali
@S&EW come back to it's
HEM normal quiet. Mrs.
XNaNp Westmacott ha d
! been left sleeping
| peacefully with q
small choral draught to steady her
nerves and handkerchief soaked In
arnica bound round her head. II was
| with some surprise, therefore, that the
Admiral received note from her about
ten o'clock, asking him to be good
enough to step In to her. He hurried in,
fearing that she might have taken some
turn for the worse. but he was treasured
to find her sitting up In bed, with Clara
and Ida Walker in attendance upon
| her. She had removed the handker-
chief, and had put on little cap with
| pink ribbons. and maroon dressing
Jacket, daintily fulled at the neck and
sleeves.
my dear friend" said she as he en-
tered. II wish to make last few re-
marks to you. No. no." she continued
laughing. as she saw look of dlsmay
upon his face. II shall not dream Of
dying for at least another thirty years
A woman should be ashamed to die be-
fore she is seventy. Il wish. Clara. that
| you would ask your father to step up.
And you. Ida, just pass me my cigar
cites, and open me bottle Of stout"
Now then" she continued, as the
Doctor Joined their party. II don't quite
know what I ought to say to you, ADJ
miral. You want some very plain
speaking to-"
"'Pon my word. ma am don't know
what you are talking about"
| 1.-THE idea Of you at your age talking
of going to sea, and leaving that dear,
patient little wife Of yours at home, who
has seen nothing Of you all her life! It's
all very we'll for you. You have the nfe
and the change, and the excitement,
but you don't think Of her eating her
heart out in dreary London lodging.
You men are all the same"
well, ma am, since you know SO
much, you probably know also that
have sold my pension. How am to
live if do not turn my hand to work."
| Mrs. Westmacott produced a large
| registered envelope from beneath the
| sheets and tossed it over to the old
| seaman.
| THAT excuse won't do. There are
| your pension papers. Just see If they
| are right
He broke the seal, and out tumbled
the very papers which he had made over
| to McAdam two days before.
But what am to do with these
| now?" he cried in bewilderment.
you will put them in a safe place or
get friend to do so, and, If you do
your duty, you will go to your wife and
beg her pardon for having even for an
| instant thought Of leaving her."
| The Admiral passed his hand over his
| rugged forehead. This is very good OF
you, ma'am," said he, every good and
kind. and know that are a staupch
| friend, but for all that these papers
mean money, and though we may have
been in broken water lately, we are not
quite in such straits as to have to signal
to our friends. When we do. ma'am.
there's no one we would look to sooner
than to you"
Don't be ridiculous!" said the widow.
''You know nothing whatever about 1t.
and yet you stand there laying down
the law. I'll have my way in this mat
ter, and you shall take the papers, for 1t
is no favor that am doing you. but
simply a restoration Of stolen property.
How that, ma'am?"
Il am just going to explain, though.
you might take lady's word for 1t
without asking any questions. NOW.
what am going to say is just between
you four, and must go no farther.
have my own reasons for wishing 1t
kept from the police. Who do you think
| it was who struck me last night. Ad-
miral?"
Some villain, ma'am. don't know
his name"
! But I do. It was the same man who
ruined or tried to ruin your son. It was
| o;ot,
"Ahv'
II will tell you about him-or little
about him, for he has done much which
I would not care to talk of. nor you to
listen to. He was always a villain,
smooth-spoken and plausible. but dan
/ gerous, subtle villain all the same. If
have some hard thoughts about man
kind can trace them back to the child
hood which I spent with my brother.
He is my only living relative, for my
other brother, Charles father, was killed
in the Indian mutiny.
"Our father was rich, and when he
died he made good provision both Tor
jeremiah and for me. He knew Jere-
miah and he mistrusted him, however;
so instead Of giving him all that he
i meant him to have he handed me over
a part of 1t, telling me, with what was
almost his dying breath. to hold it in
trust for my brother, and to use 1t in
his behalf when he should have squan-
dered or lost all that he had. This ar
i rangement was meant to be secret
between my father and myself, but un-
fortunately his words were overheard
by the nurse, and she repeated them
afterwards to my brother, so that he
came to know that I held some money
in trust for him. suppose tobacco will
not harm my head, Doctor? Thank
! you, then shall trouble you for the
matches, Ida" She lit cigarette, and
| leaned back upon the pillow, with the
blue wreaths curling from her lips.
II cannot tell you how often he has
attempted to get that money from me.
He has bullied, cajoled, threatened,
coaxed, done all that man could do.
still held 1t with the presentiment that