The Advocate and news., 1898-02-09

hardly believe / had understood Alright.
Madge had been so kind to me lately
that couldn't think she had been feel
ing as bitterly as she spoke. That such
an apparently frank girl was a consum-
mate actress wasn't to be thought, and
yeti remembered how we'll she had
played her part on Hance's trail. But
even that wouldn't convince me. Proof
of her duplicity came quickly enough,
for while Twas still thinking the walk.
ers were round again, and Lord Rallies
was saying:
why haven't you complained to
your father or brOthers?"
Because knew they would resent
his conduct to me, and"-
"Of course they would" cried her
companion, interrupting. "But why
should you object to that?"
Because Of the letters, " said Madge.
''Don't you see that if we made him
angry he would betray us to Mr.. Camp
and"--
Then they passed out Of hearing, leav-
ing me almost desperate both at being
an eavesdropper to such a conversation
and that Madge could think so meanly
Of me. To say it, too, to Lord Rallies
made it cut all the deeper, as any fell
low who has been in love will under
stand.
Round they came again in a moment,
and braced myself for the lash of the
whip that I felt was coming. didn't
escape it, for Madge was saying:
"Can you conceive Of man pretend
ing to care for girl and yet treating
her so? I can't tell you the grief, the
modification, I have felt" She spoke
with half sob in her throat, as if she
was struggling not to cry, which made
me wish / had never been born. "It's
been all could do TO control myself in
his presence have come so utterly to
hate and despise him" she added.
81 don't WONDER" said Lord Rallies.
my only surprise ISL
With that they passed out Of hearing
again, leaving me fairly desperate with
shame, grief, and, I'm afraid, with an
ger. Ifelt at once guilty and yet wrong
ed. 1 knew I had been ungentlemanly
ON the trail, but had done my best to
retrieve my conduct and was running
big risks, both present and eventual, for
Madge's sake. Yet here she was ac-
lmowledging that thus far she had used
mo as a puppet, while all the time dis
liking me. 1t was a terrible blow, made
all the harder by the fact that she was
proving herself such o different girl
from the one L loved-so different, in
fact, that, despite what I had heard, I
couldn't quite believe it of her and
found myself seeking to extenuate and
even justify her conduct. While I was
doing this they came within hearing,
and Lord Rallies was speaking.
with you, he said. "But I still
do not see what / can do, however much
/ may wish to serve you.
"Can't you go to him and insist that
he--or tell him what l really feel to-
ward him--or anything, in fact, to
shame him? l really can't go on acting
longer" "
That reached the limit of my endur-
ance, and I crawled from my burrow,
intending to get out from under that
platform whether I was caught or not.
l know it was a foolish move-after hav-
ing heard what had little more or
less was quite immaterial. But / entire
ly forgot my danger in the sting Of what
Madge had said, and my one thought
was to stand face 10 face with her long
enough to-I'm sure ldon't know what
! did intend to say.
Just as / had got to the plank, how
ever, heard Lord Rallies ask:
"Who's that?'
''It's me, said voice, ''the station
agent. " Then I heard a door close.
Some one walked out to the center of