The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-12-02

concern when ne turned faint, tney
wildly recalled those he had seen fix
ed In death, hideous in their CLASSY
blankness, staring at the sky.
He had liked the girl extremely from
the moment she spoke, but now q NOR
bid fascination forced him to dwell on
her memory and speculate concerning
her. Merely as a pretty GIRL an &C.
quaintance OF an afternoon, In all
probability her image would speedily
have faded, but knowledge Of his guilty
secret magnlfied hundred-fold the in.
terest she excited In his mind. He must
see her again. make her mothers &C.
quaintance as well, and ascertain II
they were in any need OF pecuniary
aid. He hoped heartily they were; he
would literally compensate them for
their loss, and thus in some degree
salve his conscience.
II.
On Thursday they would meet again;
he counted the days.
on Tuesday he called on Mrs. Play
fair, and asked II he could be Of any as
slstance In making arrangements for
the picnic. Piayfatr he knew was away;
In fact he was in Antwerp on johns
| business, and servants could not always
| be relied on. He was an idle man, and
\ quite at her service.
| Mrs. Ptayfair willingly accepted, and
even Braclously permitted him to hire
an electric launch for the party. She
was a clever woman. but even stupid
| one would have speedily elected the real
| object OF his visit OF COURSE, she was
| far too wise 10 make this evident and
John left, having, as he thought, clever
~ pumped the lady concerning the
Armstrong;
Mrs. Armstrong was a widow, and
lived in a small house in West KEN
gington, comfortably enough; but Doro-
| thy's future was uncertain, for the
greater part OF Mrs. Armstrong; in
/ come was derived from an annuity and
| d,cu with her The widow, moreover,
was In poor health.
Would she have to earn her own live
lihood II her mother died?"
"Oh. yes, There are no relatives to
Give her home.
"Pcrhsps her brother will come back
from Africa with fortune"
THAT Is very unlikely. Henry Arm
strcng is about the last kind OF man to
do that Possibly he will never be
heard Of again"
John thought so, too; but could hard
~ give his reasons. excellent as they
WERE for agreeing with her,
TITS to be hoped she will marry.
Mrs. PlEyfnlr went on. Yet, Shea hard
to please. She refused two men, TO my
knowledge. last year. Such pretty
girl doesn't lack suitors. Of course"
"Of course" said John, and listened
with Interest to the tale Of young man
In the Indian civil service, deeply in
love with Dorothy. but the latter, the
narrator continued, was still, she
thought, fancy free.
He went, away in a brown study and
sought Miss Armstrong; society on tht
day OF the picnic with pertinacity and
slnGleness Of purpose which caused the
onlookers TO smile InwaFdly, and some
what embarrassed Dorothy, interesting
though she found her new friend.
Soon he began In puzzle her ps we'll
He asked permission TO call. and speed.
lly lnKratiatId hlmBelf with Mrs. Arm
strong. He was openly anxious to be
on terms Of close friendship with moth
err and daughter. II was not surprising
that the former mlSread his motive
Here was n suitor, she thought. for Dor
othy. who was positively IDEAL Inn
menseiy rich. very much In love-a mar
Of unblemIshed character. and possess-
ing those solid virtues which mothers
in-law most admire. But Dorothy was
puzzled.
He did not attempt TO make love Ia
her. He seemed TO play the guardian
rather than the wOoer. He was 0nX-
loua To do her services, embarraRAlngly
anxious but the Eirl soon decided. mol
deslrous Of marrying her.
Then why did he seek her society
She unused deeply on that point, and az
the days passed, and calculation came
no nearer grew somewhat lrritated
with John Davis. She had begun by
liking him very much. She became
doubtful how she regarded him, but
caught herself lncessantly thinking OF
him.
He was not happy man. that was
evident and, " bored, frankly rude to
most people: but N do her bidding he
shrank from no duty. however dlstaste-
full Yet che hesltated, from SON" reason
ehe could mt RnRiVEn. ~ p''t hes power
into practice, 10 coquet with this man
over whom her dominion seemed ahao-
lUte. bot was not her lover.
Mrs Playfnir. In the days following
| the picnic. WINS At HrBt In the seventh
heaven Of happiness at the seeming
success Of her scheme. But ~ time
passed and nothing occurred she grew
alarmed. Whit did the man intend?
| What WIS even worse, though Dor
olhv was far from wearing her heart
on her sleeve. the elder woman Ehrewd-
~ suspected that she cared for tho
nrn Fo~evN- carefully she Eirove to
conceal the fact
u cant understand the brute" said