The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-01-24
THE MUTABLE MANY
ROBERT BARR.
COPYRIGHT, 1896, BY Robert Barr.
CHAPTER XVIII.

Son. hoping TO ma cohso'ation tor HE ueieat
% the company OF the girl he loved. He felt
,h., he was perhaps taking rather unfair
sI,a,,,ee OF Sartwell in thus making clan
a..,Inr appointment with his daughter. but he
s..,,sod himself. as lovers have always justi-
IA themselves. by claiming that man was
tcoI 10 lose trick when he had tho card in
~. hand TO take It. IL was evident that sart-
s..u had no objection to the visits OF Barnard
uo,s. and that he would 10 quite willing TO
h,,. bis daughter marry tho son u his en-
,,o,.r II Marsten had known this tho day
h.t.r, he would not haze boon 40 self-denyiug
=, N refuse to see Edna Sart well. and now that
a.. had interrosed in his behalf. giving him
,he knowledge that he had n rival. no was not
uio, enough to throw away his chance.
He entered the vacant plot surrounding the
.ur,y house, and looked anxiously along the
.,,,s.,oppcd vail for the signal that Edna had
rrorised. under compulsion. TO display. IL
VA, not in sight. He wondered II. after all.
,hs Girl had told her father OF his visit. Let
e.r,well set but the slightest inkling OF II.
and Marsten wa. certain the whole particu-
lar. would soon b~ within the managers
knowledge.
He wandered up and down the wrong side
AZ the Sc oil disconsolately. not knowing " hat
ndo. Once he raused near where he had. on
the previous day, jumped over. He thought
ne heard o slight cough on the other side. II
m,sht be q warning. or an Invitation; tho CUES
,jon was. which, sac must know that he
would We IN, ire. waiting fer her signal. or per-
kaps-the thought was tltter-shc might have
for-ctten all about him.
Al the further end o: the garcer was q park
fence. lower than the forbiddine stone wall.
which Il Joined at right angles. As anything
shelter than suspense.the young man resolved
10 take the risk OF recon NOTHING. He mount
ed the pirS fence and peered over the wall.
but the trees and snrubbcry werc so thick
that he could not see whether any one was In
sartwels garden or not: even the house was
hidden from his view. Faint heart never
climbed n stone wall; Marsten hesitated but
q moment seized n branch NJ an overhanging
tree pulled himself IN - tn top. CHANGING
the glass. and leaped down among the shrub
be-y on the other side. He listened intently
fc- while. but there was no sound: then he
novel cautiously through the bushes to tho
open space under the trees where he had talked
with her the dav before. No one was there.
but he caught his brsath rs he saw red silk
rar. hanging over the back of one OF the
chairs. She had at least thought OF him. for
that was undoubtedly the unused signal.
He was now in a greater quandary than he
had bcei On the other side OF the wall. She
bad apparently intended to throw the .carf
over the broken glass. otherwise why rad
,he brought II tn their rendezvous: but. rs she
lEd not given the signal agreed upon. nigh,
there not be danger that her father was a,
hnme7 TIE young man knit his brows as he
pordered on what sxplaLa,ion he would give
sartwell II he were discovered standing under
the trees.
Marsten had half made up his mind 20 re.
turn BY the way he came. when he saw Ednn
arn-naching from the house The girl held
or. her hand to him with smile that went r.
bis heart. but her words were not reassuring.
~ VS. watching for YOU" she said. hoping
Jon vcu!a not come"
''Hcutng would not comsi" echoed Mars
ten, With a suggestion Of dismay in his tone.
~ least hoping you would not come ex.
cept BY the cate. ! don't like this. II seems
secr"t and mean-as II We were doing some
thing we wer. ashamed OF. Now. We may
TO: accompliSh much good. talking about the
r-ike. bu. We are certainly not doing anything
either OF us would fear to have the whole world
know. There Is no reason, now that your plan.
ofye.tertlay have failed. why you should not
have come 20 the front door like any other visit.
or. Is the-e7"
"isnppose not"
"0f course not" cried the girl eagerly. and
% in;end TO tell my father all about thi,
visit even II could not mention yesterdays"
"on. but you must not do anything OF the
Kind pleaded Mar.ten. thoroughly alarmed.
fou will promise me. won't Won. that you
VIII not say word Of nv being here .o-day?''
The girl laughed and shook her head.
I'll not make another promise 80 foolish rs
Yesterdays. You see. my promise did no good. /"
What Did you tell Mr.. Sartwtll had
been here;"
No. said wouldn't. and didn't; but II
made me feel wretchedly guilty whom there
vi" no occasion for II. What mean Is. tina,
your plans did not succeed In putting an end "a
ihe strike. and so It would have made no DIFF.
nrenee after all. II had told my father.
Don't you see that? No. I won't mako an.
other such promise In hurry again."
Ain sartwell." said Mars'sn seriouslv . won
cont understand all the circumstances: thors
.n reasons why your father must not know
nave been here. Although negotiations have
JAILED fos the moment. thsy VIII cosn m
VAN shortly. II Mr.. Sartwell know I wa,
here yesterday"
Oh. intend to keep my promise about yes
e'aAS shall not say word abont tina,
's'.' II Is OF todays visit shall tell him."
nut Cont YOU see7 Yesterdays visit led
" mN one. They are inseparably Joined you
.aaot mention one without leading to the
y. Please promise you will say nothing
scout to'days either
M nont make any more promises When
ali ,t sSaet came home late last night. he told me
,ns 'a n, happened-what YOU had tried TO do
iss, Verlthng. ! felt so guilty at having "a
ma. anything from him. that resolved "a
InsS ~ more promises TO- any one unless he
snl,r' ihtM aud there was no need 10 feel
Inas am sure he would have been glad Ia
tryin, mao talked about the strike. and were
iooii.t u hriD hi m: yet all because OF that
thins.,, promise dared not say IA word.
not 80 you knew what suffered. you would
"nssN. N. 70 Keep ANYTHING from him."
mors y, PISS Shrtwell," cried Marsten, with
than b ~, hl- affection for the girl In his voice
Sqns,,s" vas aware OF. Il would not cause you
Fdn, lnr anything In the world"
prise =, ,ypAed NJ him with wide-oOen eyes sur.
wv" MS yehemenae; then she laughed.
shall ~, now serious you arc After ALL
won, NH forge: about Il; and Rlthough=I
III o,s, aAe fash promises again, I'll think IL
n ana II but then. what Is the use OF
you sHall 'ay to my father o.night that
you SS"r, 70 see him., and that talked with
didn,ii wouldn't he true. Miss SartweIl.
"Oh "H'e 10 see Lin; came TO see YOU"
slimbrd and You would have TO tell him
huths we wall. You can't 90 in for hall
abUu. ,bhou know, and we haven't talked much
"Ib 40 strike, have WEI"
,..s" fnH fN,a, IA