The Portland daily press., 1898-02-03
(Continued.)


The next day and several more brought
nd comfort.
Lady Hastings solicitor wrote grave
ly. The case, he said, looked serious.
He had put detectives on the search,
but it was difficult to get clew to the
missing invalid Messrs. Lindley q
Draper, Mr.. Hastings men OF business,
did not deny their knowledge of his
whereabouts, but would not reveal it.
They seemed quite convinced of Cap
tain Carew's guilt and the extreme i'm
portance of keeping him away from his
suffering relative. Meantime Carew
wrote seldom, and Lady Hastings be-
came quite alarmed by the altered looks.
The profound depression Of her daugh-
ter Ruth's extreme anxiety betokened a
degree Of interest in the unlucky Val
that woke Lady Hastings doubts and
fears. Carew had been so much with
Ruth when she was mere schoolgirl
that the idea of her forming any attach
ment to him beyond a friendly sisterly
feeling never occurred to her mother,
and, although she had always liked her
stepson's kinsman, Lady Hastings by
no means wished to have him for a SON.
in-law. Her common sense suggested
the wisdom of not seeming to observe
too much Nevertheless the week fol-
lowing Carew's visit was most purga-
torial period both to mother and daugh.
ter.
The Sunday after Ruth had wandered
out into the strip of pleasure ground
which interviewed between the house
and the open fields on the west Here a
seat under a fine old oak commanded a
wide view over the rich landscape, and
Ruth, too preoccupied by her own pain
full thoughts to heed the beauties of air
or earth or sunlight, sat down to brood
over her fears
From this reverie the sound of ap-
preaching footsteps reused her, and
looking up she saw MacDougal APP
preaching by path that led from the
front entrance !
MacDougal was humble friend, and
Ruth had always been accustomed to
see and talk with him. He was curl
GUS, thoughtful man, fond of what he
called improving himself by study
and gifted with an imagination decid-
edly Celtic in it's coloring, man of
numerous disiikes and few strong ik-
ings. His gratitude to his late patron,
Sir Edward Hastings, had been deepen
ed into devoted affection toward his
widow and daughter by their great
kindness toward his only girl, whom
they had taken with them to the Ri
viera during the previous winter and SO
checked the beginning of the fell dis
ease which threatened to fasten upon
her.
Ruth was pleased to see him ap-
proach. She liked to talk with him, for
his views were quaint and his express
slons original.
GOOD morning, MacDougal, she
said kindly as he drew near.
give made SO bold, Miss Ruth, as to
come round here, for I saw you sitting
by yourself as came across the fields. !"
''I'm glad to see you. Sit down. You
have something to tell me?''
eyes, have, mem" taking rustic
stool and seating himself at distance,
with the instructive respectful good
breeding of highlander.
ST was away to London yesterday. I
have to go now and again to look after
a bit Of money have put away for my
grille. I was coming down the Strand,
going back to Waterloo station, when
who should run against but Khodja,
Mr.. Hastings Indian servant. -
''MacDougal, did you?" cried Ruth,
clasping her hands in mingled hope and
fear that struck him with a sense of
something important being at stake.
eyes, mem, did SO. He seemed in
hurry, but he stopped to speak and was
glad to see me. You'll mind how we
foregathered when he was down here
last spring with Mr.. Hastings. 4
thought you had likely gone away
home, said I.
3' The evil minded one sought to send
me out of England said he, 'but ]
met, by accident, man from my coun-
try who kept me with him-a good
man, with plenty of money.
''It seems that the nurse that is with
Mr.. Hastings found fault with Khodja
and has bewitched the poor gentleman
so that he can only speak as she lets
him and is like one that eats opium.
One day Mr.. Hastings ordered Khodja
out Of his house, and the woman gave
him money to go. He was bewildered
and did not know what to do until he
fell in with this countryman Of his.
tits a curious story, but it seems
this man is somehow connected with
the nurse, whose history Khodja knows
a little. She is half caste, and the
can't remember his name
had come from India to find her, so
Khodja has been with him since trying
II ''Ell;asSzs~-,sx
+. W