The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-04-05

hand upon uer uuSUHuu aIu, duu
said with still passion that he always
respected:
"Brathous, sit down and be qniet or
I will leave your house this hour.
Then You will have the whole country
side talking of you and Simon Lang
ton. Before going to America Mr..
Mowbray came here; he saw Katherine
and told her the whole train of cir
cumstances which made it proper for
him to take the journey. He told them
to Doctor Telfair also. Katherine and
I, Doctor Telfair and Jessy have talked
them over very often. The business
is family business and there is nothing
wrong in it."
"And I! And I left out in the dark?
| It is shameful! Shameful! Shameful!
I will not endure it"
"Can you avoid enduring it?"
"Why was 7 not told? Why was l
put to such expense for the sake of
your daughter? I shall take every
penny out of her estate"
IT have no doubt you will-if you
are permitted. And I did not tell you
because the end of the journey is yet
uncertain; and You know that you can
not keep anything private. You would
have gone from house to house gab-
bling of affairs that did not concern
you, and making Gala Water ring with
Katherine's name. AS for expenses,
your own spiteful curiosity led you
into them, and T shall take good care
that Katherine's estate does not pay
penny of them"
1T is very cruel of you, Helen-to
be colleaguing with others-against
me. I am badly used man"
Then he began to whimper and the
storm was over.
dead silence followed. Mrs. Brath-
Gus took up her satin pieces again, but
in weary, depressed fashion, and the
laird sat sulking and signing in his
big chair by the open window. He
had the curiosity of peasant and the
sensitive pride of small conceited
nature. He wanted his wife to tell
him the secret and she sat silently
matching bits Of satin. She was un-
touched by his air Of injury, and not
to be led into conversation by any ir.
relevant remark. At last he was fully
conquered and ready to capitulate.
Silence was the one thing he could not
endure.
"Helen," he said, "you know it is
your duty to tell your own husband
everything"
81. know my duty, Alexander du-
ties vary with husbands"
"What is the secret, my dear? I
ought to know it. Now, ought I
not?"
"When think it is the right time
to tell you, I will speak"
"I declare, Helen, I will not name
to anyone what you tell me. I only
want to take care of Katherine.
katherine can take good care OF
herself, with her mother to guide
her-not to speak of the minister"
Helen, I am the laird. It is not
right 20 rut the minister before me
on my own estate. Come, Helen! I
will talk with you only. I will do
what you tell me-yes, I will. You
ought to tell me. It is your duty"
"Oh-I am not in the mood Of duty
to-day"
So the plea was continued, the
while Mrs. Brathous was coming to
decision. It was evident Langton
had found out part of the truth, and
might learn it all-perhaps also learn
other things which it would do no
good to bring up-dead faults long
ago buried and forgotten. She dis
liked Langton. She did not wish to
give him any further insight into the
affairs of o family likely to be allied
with her own; and she judged that the
minister's influence would be sufficient
to make her husband prudent until
the time came to speak. So she finally
said:
"When did Langton go to Edin-
burgh?"
''rhis morning"
eff you will telegraph him to re-
turn at once, and make him keep alb
solutely quiet about Katherine and
Mr.. Mowbray, I will tell you ALL.
The pledge was readily given and
the promise fully performed. The
laird had delightful afternoon dis
cussing the circumstances with his
wife. He even felt sort of tempor-
ary kindness for the young man so
suddenly faced with such calamity.
For Brathous could really hardly con-
ceive of greater misfortune coming
to any one than to be in q moment de-.
posed from the elder to q second SOD,
and thus fall from landowner to q
plain, perhaps poor gentleman.
Yet in spite of his professed sym
pathy he was comforted by the situa-
ton. Fortune had never dared to
play the laird OF Levens-hope such a
trick, and for several hours he tossed
his head both at fortune and the poor,
lisinherited squire OF Mowbray. He
talked with Mrs. .Brathous until he
was tired, and then the desire to talk
with some one else was irresistible.
He said he would just walk over and
see the minister about the new psalm
, books, and his wife answered:
keep to the psalm-books, Alezan'
der. You know what you have prom
ised me. And see that you 60 to Gala.
shiels and send the telegram to Lang,
, ton"
| He promised all things positively,
and she had not much doubt that his
| confidence would be restricted to the