The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1897-09-10

liz Il ldSc WHICH nplu
all I loved join in the broad stream
of traffic. Then l lighted my cigar, and,
the happiest man in England, walked
over to my solicitors.
My business took even longer than |
expected it would. There was much to
discuss. What stock could be settled as
it ~stood-what should be sold out-who
were to be trustees-what was to hap
pen in the event of Viola's death: was
she to have power Of appointment or
not? All sorts of questions like these
had to be ventilated. The consequence
was that when | glanced at my watch,
l found it was nearly one o'clock. told
my solicitor | must defer giving in
structiOns for my will until tomorrow.
| jumped into a cab, and drove to Lin
coins Inn Fields, No. SO, ready to make
the fullest apologies for my %unpunctu-
ality.
I went up stairs, found Mr.. Monks
office. and sent my name in to him by
his clerk. / am invited TO enter his pri-
vate room. Mr.. Monk was busy with
some papers.
"You will find your friend in the next
room, Mr.. Lorraine" he said. Il will
join you in a moment
The clerk opened a green-baize door,
through which | passed, and found my
self in another office. In it, however,
was no sign of Viola and Grant. | re-
turned to Mr.. Monk, and told him they
we're lot there.
"Then they must have grown tired of
waiting for you, and have gone for a
stroll. There is a door which opens in
TO the passage. No doubt they went
that way. You must sit down and take
your turn at waiting, Mr.. Loraine."
I waited half an hour, then determin-
cd to go in search of them. It was pos
sible they had gone to look for me; so
I went down into the street, and asked
the driver of the brougham if he had
seen the lady.
eyes, sir; she went by about an hour
ago with a tall gentleman"
(which way?'
Il don't know sir. ! say them hail a
cab and drive off. l didn't notice in
which direction they went"
Why in the world should they have
taken a cab, when the brougham was at
the door? | was very cross at the
though of Viola's driving about London
in a cab with Eustace Grant; but, as
the brougham was still waiting at No.
36, it was clear that they meant to re-
turn. After all. the best thing that I
could do was to wait. AS yet, not a
thought of the truth had ventured to
invade my brain.
So | waited on the pavement OUT
side Mr.. Monks office for at least an
hour longer. Still no sign Of my wife.
I grew ervou and anxious. Surely
some accident must have happened
something that obliged her to go
straight to the hotel. But even then
Grant would have come to let me know
it. Still not a thought of the dreadful
truth! But where could she be?
1 jumped into the brougham, and
drove to the hotel. No; Mrs. Lorraine
was not there.
I drove to Miss Rossiter's. Viola had
been there in the morning, but had left
about half past eleven o'clock. I did
not see Miss Rossiter, who, I was sorry
to hear, was i'll in bed. AS a last re-
source, I drove to Grants house, and
asked for him. He was out. Had not
been home since the morning. Quite
uncertain when he would return.
1t was now past three o'clock. Anx-
ious and annoyed, I could do nothing
but go back to the hotel and wait for
my wife's return. Still not a thought
of the truth.
| spent the rest of the afternoon and
evening passing from the hotel to Miss
Rosters, from there to Grants lodg-
ings, and from Grants lodgings back to
the hotel. Only at one OF these three
places could l hope to find tidings Of
Viola. Repeatedly as I had called, it
was not until nearly eleven o'clock that
I found Eustace Grant at home.
But by now I was in a different mood.
Shall I be blamed for saying that this
long and unexplained absence of Vio-
las, in company, it seemed, with Grant,
brought a horrible dread which I scarce
ly dared to breathe to myself? The news
that Grant was at last at home lifted a
weight from my heart. He would be
able to tell me when and where he part
ed with Viola. No doubt ne had a mes
sage for me that would clear up every