Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1898-10-01


his face and gave cry.
NO one" said the colonel abruptly.
THE rector wants to consult Willie at
once on some important business
What Is all this aboutw asked Willie
anxiously. as they sped along the road
the gray stepped out bravely. II cannot
understand why my uncle could not tell
me ms we were coming home to-day"
He would have told you but for me-"
said Geoffrcy Ware. II would not take
step In the affair until you were In It."
They had not quite reached the gate Of
the fields; but the rector stepped out from
the shadow, and one of the men on the
farm came forward to stand ut the horses
head.
Then the three marched silently down
the sloping field into the house. which
looked like some rustic haven Of rest bath
ed In the pink light Of sunset. Willie felt
daxed rather than anxious; he had come
into this Slough Of DespOnd suddenly, he
knew not how. He expected nothing;
still he had no fear but that this dark.
ness would soon pass-no fear, no real
idea of what this all really meant. till he
was seated In the rector's study, the anon.
ymous letter which declared that Liilian's
former husband was still alive, that his
wife was not his wife. his son not his
Ia wfully beRottcn son, In his hand. then
by heaven. this Is a lie!" he cried, and
fell back like dead log. life, thought,
sensation. arrested by the cruel shock.
They dashed cold water on his face,
laid him on the floor fat on his back, pour.
cd brandy down his throat az soon a. he
could swallow, then assisted him In his
struggles to rise.
Il repeat that II Ia lie," he gasped, the
instant that he was sufficiently recovered
TO articulate, "a foul, diabolical lie; and,
II had the creature. the scoundrel who
invented II, here now, weak a. feel,
could twist his throat and crush the life
out Of him, II I knew should swing for
ny'
Before ten o'clock struck from the, old
church on the Hill, the colonel, Willie Mac.
donald and the rector were all three on
their way to London, and two letters were
dispatched, one from Willie to Lillian
MY Own Wife-I have thought It right
TO accompany my uncle and Cousin Geof.
frey to town tonight. for I can render
them material help In some important
business. Say nothing Of this to anyone;
make any simple excuse you like to your
parents; ! will return as soon a. possible.
Meanwhile I pray heaven to bless and
keep my darlinRs. WILLIE"
Another, marked private. from the same
to Hlith-
"Liiith-I am terribly tried. rely on
you to keep our darling safe and well, and
your dear mother free from ideas Of din.
Guilty or danger to ove happiness. ! trust
you, dear Lllith. w. NJ"
Lillian was comforted BY her husba nd's
letter. Lilith. stealing In late at night,
saw her sweetly asleep, her baby on her
! arm. She stood looking at them, her face
drawn with pain-shS, who had never
been rightly informed ~ to the death OF
Captain Drew, had Immediately suspected
that her father might be still alive.
Meanwhile she had written to her close
friend. Michael Druce--
II fear some trouble II coming upon M
through my late father. feel that you,
40 one who knows foreign countries, msy
possibly be able to give u important help.
As matter Of fact. am utterly ignorant
Of what this threatened trouble 10; but 1
ask you, a. great favor, to 70 TO Mr.,
Macdonald. and help him II you can; he
10 most likely In Princes Square.
"Your unhappy friend,
"LlLITH."
This was Q gradually augmented anx.
iety, but II was borne by many shoulders.
CHAPTER Xxi.
Michael bruce was working steadfastly
In the house In ArbOr Lane. Now that
England, In the person Of Lilith. had be-
come dear to him, and now that England
had taken him by the hand NO far as to
hang his picture upon the walls Of her
Academical Exhibition, his roaming 1t
was arrested.
He was In his studio. This was an.
ciently the dining room where he and his
mother had entertained Willie Macdonald
and Colonel Ware at breakfast on the
morning they came to see his pictures.
II was transformed. The window had
been heightened; an alcove had been built
out, with stained.glass window, making
q species Of Eastern recess, with tiled
flooring, cushions, fans pendent from the
painted ceiling. and the rich stuff curtains
hung upon rod. to be drawn as the light
In the studio demanded. The skeleton
and the lay figure had new companion In
full suit Of armOr. Spears and dented
shields, savage trophies, all beads and
shining beetleskins, great rows Of Vene.
tian beads, shelves Of pottery from all
parts OF the world, collected during his
| IoNCios SONCGcu tue u tcW uuStCus
Grecian marble morsels--hands, feet, mu-
tilated heads-hung here and there, and
there were one or two oil paintings. bruce
had packed away all his sketches and pic
lures that were not sold, or exhibited, or
hung about the house, In his former paint
Ing room upstairs; the one picture he was
working at was on his easel.
1t was portrait Of I.ilith, painted from
memory. Memory? 1t was scarcely that.
Was there one grand curve, one peculiar
sweep OF outline In her 1.-THE figure, one
shade Of the peculiar brown Of her mar.
velously delicate skin, one fash Of her
great eyes, one twist or frown Of her
marked brows, one droOp OF the express
sive lips, that he had not mentally regis.
tered? This bruce asked himself when
J he began to paint Lilith's portrait, and
the answer, honestly given, was "NO."
1t was a glorious picture, although but
the painted efiigy Of a young woman. 1t
grew into life more and more every day.
bruce had painted his lady love as an
Eastern water carrier. A brown water
! jar was poised on her head, and she look
ed straight out OF the canvas ut the be-
holder with glance inQuiring, pathetic,
fierce--a glance he had had from Lilith
many time, short though the period was
during which he had known her.
J The picture seemed more alive than ever