The times., 1899-12-10

Mr. Davis. said the lady with her
sweetest smile Il want you 10 come TO my
picnic next Thursday river party. Oh
now / won't take any denial. Miss EiT-
ginia Bond the New Yorker everyone is
ravlng about. is coming, and Che two beau
tiful Miss Deenes and dorothy Armstrong,
the girl I introduced you to-
Somewhat to Mr. Playfair's surprise.
John accepted without hesitation and took
his leave.
Il would never have thought you would
have got hin" he observed. who is the
attraction? You
I'm going to marry him to Dorothy
Armstrong" calmly explained his wife
Mr. Playfair raised his eyebrows ana ST.
lently sigHited amusement.
What win you bet. Dick?' his We an
swered, warmly
Nothing. was the prompt reply. L
grant you are clever in that line, but
But what"
"Why mouopolize the angels work; be-
sides will your matrimonial victims feel
grateful, say five years hence?'
Smoking before-dnner cigar in his
study, Mr. Playfair in the light of his
wife's intention. again went over in his
mind what he knew of John Davis He had
made the Iatters acquaintance two weeks
before; little escapes the newspapers OF to-
day. and paragraphs Of a find CT diamonds
in Nyassaland had already famiiiariZed the
name to him.
I've got some diamonds to sell ex-
plained the new client, and you have been
recommended to me as a safe agent TO en-
ploy.'
In all PIayfair's long and varied eXpe-
rieuce of diamonds the bag of gems pro-
duced by John Davis had never been equal
ed no private individual since the De
Beers mines had been formed into COM
pany had ever brought such gems from
Africa. And these were but a portion Of
the spoils found in the river bed. How
/ rich John Davis was no man knew, not
| even himself.
/ Yet a more miserable man than the mil
/ lionaire as he drove home that afternoon
1 could hardly have been found in London.
! Hitherto his conscience had troubled him
/ little concerning the man he had killed;
I the latter in the most dastaTdly way had
attempted his life, and in losing his own
had only met with his deserts.
! He had never known who the fellow was;
/ there were no papers about him to identify
! him; he had buried him and forgotten him.
Then even while he spoke to the girl Of
! the occurrence the htdeous truth that this
was the mans sister suddenly came and
/ stunned him in his horror and strangeuess.
/ The description tailed exactly but most
! convincing proof of all was the fact that
the dead mans shirt was, he remembered,
! initiated II. J. A. He had turned sick
and faint as he realized that he sat by the
sister of the man ne had killed. He traced
a likeness between them, especially in the
blue eyes which looked at him with con
1 cern when he turned faint, they viyidly
/ recalled those he had seen fixed in death.
hdeOus in their CLASSY blankness, staring
at the sky.
He had liked the girl extremely from the
I moment she spoke but now a morbid fas-
cination fcrced him to dwell on her mem
| ory and speculate concerning her Merely
/ as a pretty girl. an acquaintance of an
afternoon, in all probability her image
would speedily have faded. but knowledge
of his guilty secret magnified hundred
fold She interest she excited in his mind
He must sec her again. make her mothers
( acquaintance as well. and ascertain If they
were in any need CT pecuniary aid. He
hoped heartily they were he would liberal
/ ly compensate them for their loss, and
thus in some degree salye his conscience.
II.
On Thursday they would meet again; be
counted the days
On Tuesday he called on Mrs. Playfair
and asked il he could be OF any assistance
in making arrangements for the picnic
Playfair he knew was away; in fact he wai
in Antwerp en- Johns business, and ser
wants could not always be relied on. lie
was an idle man, and quite at her service
Mrs. Plnyfair willingly accepted, auC
even graciCusly permitted him to hire al
electric launch for The party. She was
clever woman, but even a stupid one woui,
speedily have elected the real object Of hi
visit OF course she was far too wise t
make this evident, and John left. having
as he thought. cieyerly pumped the lad.
] ., ,;,,ry 40
Mrs. Armstrong was a widow and live'
in a small house in West Kensington, com
fortabIy enough; but Dorothys future wa
1 uncertain, for the greater part of Mrs
Armstrong; income was derived from al
annuity, and died with her. The widow
moreover. was in poor health.
Would she have to earn her own liyeli
hood if her mother died2'
"Oh. yes; there are no relatives to Civ
her p home"
Perhaps her brother will come bacI
from Africa with fortune
That is very unlikely. Henry Arm
strong is about the last kind of man 10 O.
that Possibly he viii never be heard O
, again.
John thought so. too; but could harGl
give his reasons. excellent as they WEI.
, for agreeing with her.
IT'S 10 be hoped she viii marry Mrs
! Playfair went on. Yet shes hard to please
She refused two men, 10 my knowiede
, last year. Such a pretty girl doesn't lac
, suitors Of course.
} ''Of course" said John and listened wit
interest 10 the tale Of a young man in tn
T Indian civil service deeply in love vi
Dorothy. but the latter, the narrator con
tinued, was still she thought, fancy free
He went away in a brown study, an
5 sought Miss Arms 7trong's S society on ia
: day of the picnic with a perunacity an
2 I singleness OF purpose which caused III
onlookers to smile inwardly and some% hd
embarrassed Dorothy, interesting thoug
she found her new friend.
Soon he began TO puzzle her as well. Z
/ asked permission to call. and speedily ia
| erstiated himself with Mrs. Armstroc}
! He was openly anxious to be on terms ,
close friendship with mother and daugn
S | ter II was not surprising that the for
mer misread his motive. Here Was
O. suitor she thought for Dorothy, who "a
t positively ideal immensely Itch. yer
much in love-a man Of unblemished cnaI
S ! acter, aud possessing those soma write
/. which mOthers-in-law at least most "d
/ mire But Dorothy was puzzed
0 He did not attempt to make love to n
He seemed to play the guardian rathe
than the wooer. He was anxious to d
t her services. embarrassingly anxious, bu
e the girl soon decided, not desirous Of nlal
rying her.
q Then why did he seek her society? Sh
t mused deeply on the point, and as the day
passed, and elucidstiOn cane TO neare
grew somewhat irritated with John Davi
. She had begun by liking him very mucl
, She became doubtful how she regarde
= him. but caught herself incessantly thinl
o ing Of him
p He was not a happy man, that was ey
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