The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1899-12-22
CHAPTER X.

copyright 1893. by j. P Lppineott Col
CHAPTER X.
If the meeting had been the work
ing out Of his own plans, Stanton would
have carried his message on his tongue.
AS it was, he held it more in Difference,
waiting for an opportunity that was
slow to come.
"Your trip has changed you till l
believe your friends at home will hard
ly know that it is really you" Miss
Braddon said, in response to a passing
compliment. "You wouldn't have said
that year ago. You'd just have looked
me over solemnly, and remarked: HIM.
You must have been out of doors. You
have freckles on your nose"
Il certainly had vast collection of
disagreeable traits" Stanton replied,
seeing his first opportunity. "I'ye dis
covered some of them and been making
q struggle to dislodge them. I'm glad
If you see change, for you knew me
at my worst, and I'm heartily ashamed
of it. Any change at all must be for
the better"
"Oh, Mr.. Stanton, what an ideal" she
exclaimed "Of course I knew you at
your worst, but, truly, that worst was
so much better than the best I ever
knew of hosts of people who think
themselves very good, that have al
ways considered you q remarkably
model man. Papa says it's all because
| you're an Olmstead and couldn't be
anything else. And don't you think
we're all of us little ashamed every
time we look back? am. If weren't
1 shouldn't think I was making any
progress"
you're comforting to say the least"
Stanton replied, and was going on to
press the opportunity, when Miss Brad
don interrupted:
1--WE saw by the paper that you were
soon to leave for home. What lion
| they will make of you'll"
"Of me?'
Certainly"
"Why?'
Because you deserve it, of course"
| Observe what?"
ITO be lionized.'
"For what?"
"Now, Mr.. Stanton, If didn't know
| you should think all sorts of things;
but instead I'll begin and tell you, all
about what you know just as well as the
rest of us, only you don't see it in the
same light. Didn't you make great
hero of yourself when your steamer was
captured by pirates in the Gulf of
Siam?"
| Indeed I did not, Miss Braddon," !"
I Stanton exclaimed, and his cheeks
| flushed. 81 swung rusty sword in the
face of few Chinese towards, and they
ran without a scratch. That was hero
ism indeed"
"Of course don't know all the par
| ticulars, but I'm sure the king of Siam
thought so, or he wouldn't have dec
GRATED you with an order. The New
York papers thought so, or they'd not
have printed so much about it. The
British government thought so, or 1t
would not have remembered it till you
reached London, two months ago, and
presented you with medal. But how
was it about your being almost killed
by a tiger, in India, while saving the
life of little native girl? There was a
story printed about that, too"
81 was hardly hurt at ALL" Stanton re-
piled, thoroughly confused. "I simply
wanted the tigers skin as a memento
and have it."
With a merry laugh Miss Braddon
replied: "How fortunate for the little
girl that that was just the tiger whose
skin you wanted, and that you wanted
it at that very moment when it was
about to kill heri But what papa
thought most of was your address be-
fore the Historical society of London
when you gave them an old Babylonish
brick. He said he couldn't see how a
lawyer could possibly know SO much
about antiquity"
Vainly Stanton endeavored to take
another step toward the end he had in
view. Before the evening was past Miss
Braddon had invited him to drive will
them to Vesuviussthe next day, and tc
sit in their box at the opera the next
evening.
The second day was failure, like the
first, so far as the message was con
cerned; while with every atom of man
hood in him Stanton struggled to hole
himself back from what he knew woult
be a fatal plunge into that bewilderine
pool,
Why should she fascinate him till hi
heart and brain reeled? No woman ha(
! so much as attracted him before; ant
now, of ell times, when 1t must not be
SIS it because she knows that an
married and thinks herself safe?" h,
asked himself. 81 hope she is safe. 1
not, surely am not worthy of Esthe
! Thorndike's love. don't know. Some
times when she looks at me that way
as though she were ready to put he
arms round my neck, l feel as if coult
throw away everything to run to her
It would be throwing away everything
and I will not do it,"
Then he thought of ignominiou
flight, but there was just one day lef
before his intended departure from Ma
pies. He determined to see 1t to tn
end, true to himself and to his wife
and If he still failed to find the oppoI
tunity to give her the message he woul'
at least conduct himself in such wa,
that he might write it in letter ant
send it to her after he was gone, asking
her to deliver it.
He even decided to take the initiative
and invited the banker and his daughte
to spend the last afternoon in sail t
Capri.