The Winslow mail., 1899-08-03

to let me take Netta-as my wife.
| There!"
1t was out. And Baldwin-he could
not have even suspected; he sat staring
and incredulous for a time, and then
swayed up unsteadily.
well! How queer-Netta again?
Let her go? couldn't; what on earth
should L do without. You're rich,
and you want my girl? II daren't
think now, Marcel; let it wait bit. No,
no, don't, don't see her yet. Shake
hands-yes, indeed! Heavens, sha'n't
sleep this night"
l went out, leaving him standing So
That kitchen door was closeds but L
fancied-I was sure-I heard sup
pressed sob in there. Should 1-no,
presently she would be bringing up my
supper, and then! Back to my room
| In a whirl went, and sat down for the
| thousandth time to compare those
precious calculations. Why, yes, the
simple idea was perfect; the uncoiling
of the one spring implied the tighten
ing of the second, and so the motor-bar
was bound to revolve. My last valuable
must go to obtain the preliminary fees,
but that The softest tap.
"Your supper, Mr.. Marcel-and good
night"
l stumbled to the door. Netta-she
had placed the tray on the floor.
caught just glimpse of her dress
whisbing round the staircase below.
All, then, she knew there was some
in, ha oil
nervous-huttered; the very cocoa
seemed to have been spoiled in the max
| ing-for the first time. slipped it, and
then sat thinking wildly again. Tick,
tick, went my darling clock over there.
Now-was it wavering? No, no-only
my poor tired brain. The reaction was
setting in, of course. To bed! To-
morrow. a clear brain, at any price!
L must have fallen asleep before 1
touched the pillow. Sunshine was
streaming in when, partly dressed, l
sat up-sat up with vague but terrible
sensation as of something being wrong.
The time? The time-I looked across
to that bench, gave a half scream-and
then my heart seemed to become still.
| NY CIOCh WdS-llOL lucIe.
What did 1 do first? 1 hardly know;
something had seemed to snap in my
brain as l struggled to realize. Gone
stolen while l slept! My table of cal
culations-gone too. l had left it be-
side the model Lamont! The
fiash-thought sent me reeling. His
manner-his jealousy-his hint at
theft! Dazed, L only knew there was
a nameless thing in my mind as l
stepped out on to the landing and lis
tened The hands of the clock there
pointed to seven, and Lamont left for
his work at eight. He would swear to
his innocence; L would simply hold him
by the throat while l crashed open his
box. L opened his door quietly.
Lamont was not there. l started round
for his trunk. 1t was gone.
L felt my way down the stairs again
like a man suddenly blinded. At the
foot L met Baldwin, our landlord, and
clutched his arm. Just one tense whis-
per: "Lamont-that man?"
Goodness, Mr.. Marcel, what's the
| matter? Lamont? Why, he's
gone-came down here an hour ago,
woke me and gave me weeks money
instead of notice, and left the house
without another word.'
A month had passed-a terrible
month that lived through in alternate
fits of madness and spells of dumb
stupor. One day 1 would tramp the
streets with eyes strained for sight
of the man who had ruined my life;
the next, l would sit huddled over that
empty bench, seeing no one, speaking
| to no one. At times there would come
| that soft tap at the door, and Nettas
whisper that she had something to tell
me; then her father would call me
from the stairs; but [ never answered
either-my interest in life was sus-
pended.
A month; and then, one never-to-be-
forgotten evening, a still stranger thing
happened. Sitting there SO, l heard
heavy footsteps outside, and next a
peremptory knock. Before I could stir,
two men had walked in. / know that
then 1 sprang up with a choke of in
credulous passion. One man was a
stranger to me; the other-Lamont,
haggard but smiling. Lamont! He
had folded his arms; he could speak
coolly, sneeringly.
$50 you think | made off with your
precious invention, Mr.. Marcel? Stand
still-wait! l might have done-I
should have been justified, considering
that it was you who robbed me of the
one woman I'm ever likely to love or
want. No matter! Shall tell you why
l went from this house as l did? Can
| you believe me?"
Speak 1 could not. The very world
seemed to have stopped turning.
II wanted Netta-and you were too
blind and busy to see it. Her father
had said: 'Netta's husband must have
500 of his own. She will never mar
ry without my consent Very we'll;
for long enough l sweated and starved
for that. | own that l lent you money
from time to time just to keep you
buried in what l considered a fools
dream. l knew she cared for you most,
if any man; but that you would never
think of wife while your problem re-
mained a problem. That night sir,
when you told me you had solved it,
L knew the crisis had come for both.
L forestalled you. I went straight to
Baldwin. l got leave to speak to Meta
she refused me point-blank. There