Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1898-02-02


brought It to me. l drank it\in me-
chsnicsI way. then By an effort stood up
right. The paramount idea in my mlAd
was that Lady Estmere was my mother.
walked toward the door. Rothwell fol-
lowed, and seized my arm.
Where are you goingT" he asked.
81 am going to my mother-at once"
''Sit down, Philip; don't be unreasona-
BILE. You are bewildered, naturally. Try
and collect yourself"
\ say / am going to my mother. y
are you, Sir" / continued, scarcely re
sponsible for my words, "who are you,
who dares to stand between my mother
and her son? For more than twenty
years we have been parted by fIpud. No
one shall part us again"
Your mother can wait. 1t is your
father you must think Of now. Come to
him.
Not tonight: 1 cannot, wilt not, see
him. Let him first repair the vi bng."
Come to him at onoe, I say! Who are
you to judge him? Remembe what he
saw. Put yourself in his pla Come
with me: we have been away 4 ON him
too long,"
Ny father was at his desk the Ii
brary. ALI 1 could do was to rfh to his
side. His arm stole round my Eek He
was preternaturally calm.
Il need only ask my son if b forgives
me- he said.
Il have nothing to forgive! Nothing.
But my poor mother-the year5 # suffer
ing. Father, you were cruelty .onged!'
He was calm still; but l fe4 shiver
run through him. He leaned fdraard and
looked at the portrait before HIM 1t was
that of his wife, young, fair amp happy.
Presently he moved his arm from my
shoulder. He rose, and, / noticed, placed
the portrait next his heart.
Il am tired" he said. Il have much to
think about Good night my son. Good
night, my friend"
| scarcely knew what to make of his
manner. He was changed in some way;
but spoke quietly and calmly.
By-the-by," he said, where is Ches-
ham?"
Now, running under all my thoughts
and agitation was the one idea that, in a
few days l should have the pleasure Of
trying to kill Chesham. Not for king
dom would have consented to forego my
chance. AS 1 heard my father ark the
question, and moreover, mentidn the
mans name without apparent kEort or
emotion, replied as If l were 70, 'ering
a most commonplace inquiry.
He has gone to Monaco"
Rothwell darted fierce look NJ, and
l saw the folly of which had uilty.
Good Hightsai4>sAfa fatheul R71 lore--
-. at the ter was an early riser, bit the
!. so, 20 ming we were before him. Mrs.
u 9otahe in to know if we would wait
breakfast for him. He Lust have over
slept himself she fancied, as he had not
yet taken in the can of hot water left
outside his door. My heart grew sick,
and l could see my fears reflected in Roth
wells face. We said nothing, but stimuli
taneously went upstairs to his room. l
Knocked; there was no answer. l tried
the door; it was unlocked! The room
was peaceful and undisturbed, but it was
untouched. The bed was as smooth as
when Mrs. Lee made it yesterday morn.
ing. 1t had not been slept in. My father
was gOnei
We stared at each other. Had it not
been for the undisturbed bed we might
have comforted ourselves by thinking that
he had taken an early walk, as was some
times his custom. But his not having
rested at all gave his absence a much
graver aspect.
The idea which at once occurred to me
was that he had gone in search of his
wife. l made this known to Rothwell as
we returned to the dining-room.
NO" he said, with q frown; "he is
gone where your foolish words of last
night pointed at. Unless we can over
take him first, we shall find him at Mo-
naco. He has gone to reckon up with
Richard Chesham."
We travelled with all speed to Monaco.
1t was night when we arrived there. We
found we should just have time to engage
beds at a hotel, and reach Monte Carlo
before the hour struck at which that we'll
conducted establishment insisted that
winners and losers should postpone their
struggles until another sun rose high in
the heavens. We felt sure that so long a
the tables were open it would be vain to
seek Chesham elsewhere; and whc.p
Chesham was we should find traces of my
father.
We walked from table to table and in
spected the ring of eager faces surround
ing each battlefield of fortune. Neither
at roulette nor at trent ct quaraHte could
we discover Chesham-nowhere could we
see my father. We were turning away
to pursue our researches in other and
more innocent adjuncts to the building,
when we were accosted by man well
known to both of us.
Come to tempt fortuneT' he said.
Not to-night-we are only looking
round" answered Rothwell.
Looking round" said our friend, who
was a small wit in his way, Il expect I'm
looking round. My pockets are crammed
with notes and gold; 1 never had such Il
night, You ought to have been here just
now. 1t might have done your heart good
to have seen your old antagonist Chesham
cleaned out of everything"
"Chesham cleaned out! How was
that?"
Cleaned out of every rap. He's jus;
left as bare as the palm of your hand.
sat next him, and backed his luck till il
began TO change. A man came in and
stood opposite him, and looked at him.
Then he seemed to go to pieces. Tall.
good-looking man, short beard and MUS
tache. fancy I've seen some one Ike
hun years ago, but can't TeIpember where
He stood for hours just opposite Ches-
ham, stalking a fiver every now and then
as if for appearances. But he changed
Chesham's luck"
Did he speak to him?"
Not a word; Cbesham must have lost
all his winnings, and five thousand be-
sides"
How long has he been gone"
"Not half an hour"
"And the man you spoke OFF,
HE went, too, suspect. / did not no.
tice him again"
Rothwell pressed my elbow, and hav-
ing with some trouble shaken OF our
fortunate friend, we prepared to go in
search of Chesham. The man we had
been talking to told US the name Of his
hotel.
Chesham was not In. he had been In,
settled his hotel bill, and taken carsiage
He had not left the place altogethtf 6, as
his luggage still remained. He was sure
70 rstukp that night BE had Esen The