The western recorder., 1898-06-16

aiace Aansions!' Dick man
aged to repeat
Inc whole world seemed to be blot
ting out in a strange and insidious
fashion. and 1t was two or three
minutes before Dick came to his full
senses again.
Il don't think she ought to live
there" Marston went on. not looking
at Dick. but attending to his pipe. Liz
ing alone except for the child. You
never know what the other people are.
don't you know. Now. there's a pretty
little woman living in the fat below
| her"
What number is your sister's?''
DICK asked in harsh, strained yoice.
| rNo. g. Marston answered.
In the Hash of an instant Dick had
made a wild calculation, Yes. he
meant Dorothy by "a pretty little wo-
man." "Well?" he said.
He felt sick and faint and cold; he
knew that now he was on the eve of
news. and Marston's tone had made
him dread to hear it.
Marston. all in, ignorance. went on
speaking.- Such pretty girl. saw
her several ..times-fairish hair and
deiicate-looking. almost like lady.
Well. she went to live in the fiat below
my sisters and was very quiet. Hus-
band came and went. Ny sister fam
cied 1t was bit suspicious, and was
careful to get. no acquaintance with
her. Well, for some months all went
smoothly and quietly enough. then she
heard. through her servants, sup
pose, that Mrs. Harris husband had
gone off to India. and that she was
going out later. when the child was
born"
WAS there child?" Dick asked. He
was trembling so that he could scarce
Fly force his lips to frame the words.
| Marston noticed nothing, but went
on with the story. "A child. / don't
know IL there was one then-there's
one now. I've seen it,
Dick sat still by a mighty effort,
"Well.' he said
| We'll, only few days after the poor
chap had gone my sister saw her hand
ed into a smart carriage by an old gen.
tleman-heard the footman call him
my lord'-pair of housekeeping horses
all in grand style. And now that car
riage is always there, and who do you
| tAfhh eAt oAo tthtiehah 10
How should l know" answered
Dick, whoewas going over and over the
postscript of his uncle's letter.
You'll know when l tell you" said
Marston with chuckle; 'it was your
old uncle. Lord Aylmer."
''Impossiblev' Dick burst out
Not impossible at all, my dear
chap" said Marston coolly. II saw
her driving with him myself, and jolly
wretched she looked over it, | must
say l pitied the poor devil out here
but dare say he is having a very good
time all the same. Eh? WHAT" he
asked of a native servant. who had
noiselessly approached him.
MY lady wishes to speak to you,
SIR" said the man, who spoke very
good English.
"Oh, all right, I'll come" and Mar
ston went in. leaving poor Dick to fight
his battle of pain alone.
So that was 1t, after all. No, he
wouldn't believe 1t. and yet-yet-how
could he help believing 1t? Marston
had told him the plain, unvarnished
facts. not knowing that Dick Aylmer
and Mrs. Harris husband were one and
| tIC baihC AoO thio Wdo WhS MO
uncle had suddenly taken a guiding
hand in his fortunes-this was why he
shipped him off to India, at what might
be called moments notice. He had
seen my Dorothy. and wanted me out
of the way, and he got me out
of the way and my darling-but no, no
Il will believe nothing-nothing until
have seen her.
AS soon as Lord Skevversleigh re-
turned to the house Dick sent to ask
II he could see him, and to him he ex-
planned something of the position OF
affairs, ending with. II must go
home, If 1t costs me all have in the
world
Now. 1t happened that Lord Skew
versleigh, though he liked Dick very
we'll. had particularly wished to make
Marston his literary secretary. and had
he been able to refuse his old friend
Aylmer he would certainly have done
SO. There were however. certain pages
of past history which practically pre-
cluded this possibility. but they did not
preclude him from allowing Dick to
I