The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1899-07-14
CHATTER In

y
CHAPTER IN.
Mabel about nine O'Clock that evening
stood anxiously watching the approach of
her uncle's carriage-the carriage which
was bringing home Dick and Caroline. 1t
was coming along at an easy pace-and
Mabel rushed off to meet il as soon rs it
entered the avenue leading to the house
There is not the slightest reason for
THIS eXc!tcment-your sister is pretty near
| ~ recovered. Pray go indoors. and do not
make a sccne.' said Uncle John, in his
| hNrShcSt tone.
| Carollne, who was leaning back in the
carriage, and who was somewhat pale,
Said, coGly, How do you do. Mabel?" as
II nothing of consequence had occurred
since they had parted.
| Thus rebufcd. Mabel rctreated hastily.
but followed her sister eagerly upstairs as
soon as Caroline had alighted
DO leave me in peace tonight, Nab; /
am tired With my journey, and have told
uncle | would rather 20 to bed" she said,
speaking almost in her usual tone.
"Mayn't ! come to you for a moment?"
entreatcd Nab
But Caroline replied, Not tonight" !"
and the disappointed girl retired
She met Dick on the stairs.
Make haste, Nab" he Whispered.
Uncle John is raging for his dinner-hc
had nothing in town. There's the first
bell"
Il have dined,' she returned. hastily.
"Never mind" said Dick. For good
ness sake come in and talk-Uncle John
will be furious if you do not"
The instant dinner was over she motion
ed to Dick to come and sit by her, but her
uncle nterposed.
Mabel he said, in his clear cold tones,
Il see you are preparing to question your
brother about Caroline so l will inform
you myself in plain words of what actually
occurred, for it will spare me the inflction
Of hearing something very prosac and an
noying. and it will save him the trouble of
replying to your ncedlcssly anxious in
quiries. After she left the drcssmaker's
she took some insane notion into her head
of driving in q hanson to Westminster
Abbey in her spare hour. Just as she got
out of the cab a brewers dray came dash
ing along; sudden panic seized hcr-she
swcrved and fell She thinks that some
one as terrified as herself ran against her
knocking her down, but size remembers
nothing clearly till she found herself in
the hospital. The medical men think there
is no cause for anxiety, but they advise me
not to agitatc her by dwelling upon its
| occurrence. Indeed, they impressed me
with the idea that nothing must be said
10 throw her into any disturbance of mind
till the shock caused by the accident has
Worn off Very unwilingly, therefore. I
have abstained from expressing what |
think OF her conduct; and you will also
t,.r ,lnr I,aY TO N,
at present on the subject At future.
time both her father and l will represent
to her what we think of her folly. Be
careful to see that YOU obey my instruc-
tions. And now you had better say good
night, as it will be necessary for you to
so TO London to-morrow-it seems that
Madame Henrictto wishes to fit on YOUR
dress-and YOU will go by the ten o'clock
| train, under Gordon's escort Good night. y
Thus dismissed. Nab dared not talk to
! Caroline that night; and she had only a
moment TO exchange hurried sentence
| with Dick on the staircase.
DO you think it is true that that was
| the real cause of Caroline's accidcnt:" she
whispered.
"Who can tell:' Dick whispered back
! 'Wcll talk of that tomorrow"
When he was alone in his room Dick
! bolrsd his door, threw himself back in a
| chair and drew from 4 drawer the small
| box which Nab had brought in by mistake
on the cvcntful night when she became so
| painfully impressed with the idea that her
| father had dark secret to conceal
Since that night one event had followed
another so quickly that Dick had not had
| an opportunity to examine carefully the
| contents of the box, which consisted of let
tcrs dated long previously; and the allu-
sions made in them to certain unexplained
| events and circumstances filled the young
fellows mind with the gravest surmises.
'Fiton'-did my father ever so by the
name Of 'Filton| " he muttcred, passing
his hand over his knitted brow. But, if
so, why? And what is the meaning of
this:"
And with a hot flush on his face, Dick
read:
Il have a thing to tell you which will
make your hair stand on end. By heavens,
the man is recovering! Who could have
imagined such an unlooked-for contin-
gency, even in ones widest dreams? He
is recovering | tell you-not slowly not
seeming to revive one day and slipping
back the next. but he is making a certain:
easy, rapid conyaleseence. And of course
you know what will happen. Come back
then instantly; for the moment l am par
alyzed We must make terms-but what
terms? Yours. a. FlLTON.
Good heavens. the handwriting is very
like what my fathers is now!' gasped
Dick, fixing his gaze upon the faded lines
st must have been written years ago il
it is his--when he was in the West Indies
Who could that man be who caused hin
such fear? Ought a Charlford to shrink
from any man? What was the thing he