Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-08

and a crack Of faipf light showed who's
| there" asked BaEbara's voice. trembling
| with alarm of some other agitation which
made her tones qIsck and timid: made
! no answer. The door opened little wider.
! saw her face as she looked out half
fearful, yet surely also half expectant:
| Much as l had desired her coming, would
willingly have escaped now, for I did not
| know what to say to her. 1 had rehearsed
my 81; speech a, hun5fred times; the moment
| for its utterahce found me dumb. Yet the
| impulse 1 had felt was still on me- though
| 1t failed to give me words.
| - thought pit was you," she whispered.
why are you there? Do you want me?'
Lame and battling came my answer.
i was only passing by on my way to
you"
pause, she added. II thought you had
been there some time. Goodnight"
she babe me good night but yet seemed
10 wait for me to speak. Since 1 was still
| to bed?"
Some little while back" said I. Then
raising my eyes to her face, 1 said, I'm
| sorry that you don't Sleep"
| Alas, We both have our SORROWS" she
| returned with doleful smile. Again there
| was pause.
Good night" said Barbara.
| Good night" said I.
She drew back. the door closed, 1 was
| alone again in the passage.
| NOW, II any man-nay. if every man-who
reads my history, at this place close the
| leaves on his thumb and call Simon Dale
| 1ool will not complain of him; but if he
! De moved to fling the book away for good
and all. not enduring more of such fool
as simon Dale why will humbly ask him
If he hath never rehearsed brave speeches
| Tor his mistress ear, and found himself
| tongue-tied In her presence? And if he
hath, what did he then? l wager that
| while calling himself dolt with most
hearty honesty, yet he set some OF the
| blame on her shoulders, crying that he
would nave spoken had she opened the
| way tnat 1t was her reticence, her dis
| quence; and that to any other lady in the
| whole world he could have poured forth
| words SO full of fire that they must have
! lnfamed her to passion like to his own
| and burnt down every barrier which parted
her heart from his. Therefore. at that mo-
| ment he searched for accusations against
| her, and found a btter-taSting comfort in
| every onense that she had given him, and
| made treasure of any scornful speech, res
| cuing himself from the extreme of foolish
| ness by such excuse as harshness might
AFFORD. Now Barbara Quinton had told
Mistress Nell that 1 was forward for my
| station. What man could, what man
| would, lay bare his heart to a lady who
held him to be forward for his station?
| These meditatlons took me to my cham
| ber whittier L might better have gone an
| hour before, and lasted me fully two hours
| after l had stretched myself upon the bed
| Then L slept heavily. When 1 woke it
| was uiSI lay there Itlle
While, thinking with no pleasure on the
| journey before me. Then, having risen
| aud dressed hastily, 1 made my way to the
! room where Nell and l had talked the
| night before. / did not know in what
mood l should find her, but 1 desired to see
her alone and beg her to come to some
| truce with Mistress Quinton, lest days
| travelling should be over tnorns. She was
! not in the room when l came there. Look
| ing out of the window l perceived the
| coach at the door. The host was giving an
| eye TO the horses, and l hailed him. He
ran in, and a moment later entered the
| room. =.
AT what hour are We to set out?" I
| asLed.
when you will" said he.
| Have you no orders. then, from Mistress
Gwyn?' 30
She left none with me. SIR
| Left none?" cried, amazed.
| smile came on his lips and his eyes
| twin::led.
Now. 1 thought it," said he. with a
| chuckle. You didn't know her purpose?
: She has hired a post chaise and set out
| two hours ago, telling me that you and
| the other lady would travel as well with
out her. and that. for her part, she was
weary of both of you. But she left a mes
sage for you. See. it lies there on the
! table.
A little packet was on the table. 1 took
| 1t up; the iIfhkeepers eyes Were fixed on
| me in obvious curiosity and amusement. I
| was not minded to afford him more enter
| tIdH leet, ana Dduc HlH DtSOuC
| before l opened the packet. He withdrew
| reluctantly. Then l unfastened Nelrs par
| Gel. 1t contaired 10 guineas wrapped in
white paper and on the inside of the pa
| per was written in most laborious, awk-
ward scrawl Il fear the execution of it
| gave poor Nell much palms,: In pay for
| your dagger. f. G."
! 1t was all OF her hand that ] had ever
| seen. The brief message seemed to speak
a sadness in her. Perhaps l deluded myself.
| Her skill with the pen would not serve
her far. She had gone. That was the
| sum of ii, and l was grieved that she had
| gone III this fashion
With the piece of paper still in my hands,
the guineas also still standing in little
| pile Oh the table | turned to find barbara
| Qunton In the doorway of the room. Her
! air was timid, as though she Were not sure
of welcome, and something of the nights
embarrassment st*ll hung about her. She
looked round as though in search for some
| body.
glance.
"But she? Mistress"
.'She gone" said l. Il haven't seen her.
The innkeeper tells me that she has been
gone these two hours But she has left
us the coach and 1 walked to the Win
dow and looked out Yes, and my horse
is there, and her servant with his horse
but why is she gone? Hasn't she
.'She has left ten guineas also," said I,
pointing to the pile on the table.
"And no reason for her going?''
UNLESS this be One,' l answered, holding
out the piece of paper.
Il won't read it, said Barbara.
at says only, In pay for your dagger "
''Then it gives no reasOn?"
| "Why. no, 1t gives none" said I.
ITS very strange" murmured Barbara,
looking not at me, but past me.
Now to me, when I pondered over the
| matter, 1t did not seem altogether strange.
Yet where lay the need to tell Mistress
Barbara why it seemed not altogether
strange? Indeed, 1 could not have told it
easily, seeing that, look at it how you
will, the thing was not easy to set forth
to Mistress Barbara. Doubtless it was
but a stretch of fancy to see any meaning
in Nelrs mention of the dagger, save the
plain one that lay the surface; yet
had she been given to conceits, she might
have used the dagger as figure for some
wound that l had dealt her.
| mo doubt some business called her."
said rather lamely. She has shown
much consideration in leaving her coach
for u.s."
"And the money? Shall you use it?"
| What choice have I?''
Barbara's glance was, on the pile of gum
| cas-. I put out my hand, took them up
and slowed them in my purse. As l did