The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-08-29

| and more angry as he sauntered siowll
on. occasionally stopping 70 admire IN
| gardens. and 10 talk glibiy the while OF
thousand little nOthings.
AT last they reached the conservation
where Lady Vance quite expected tina
i Eyre Lestrange world be caugh. In ha
granite delicto'' Of making adrent love Il
\ Muriel.
Somewhat. however. to her annoyance
since she was anxious 10 put an end tt
a dangerous situation, the squire ex'
| claimed:
Here comes MarieI with one of the
Greys'
Il thought you were talking 10 Le-
strange: what has become Of himT' he
| continued. when near enough TO speak to
| his daughter.
He has gone" she answered simply
Some public business obliged him to 60
early
No more was said about him or his af-
fairs, but after making the tour Of the
Conservatives. when they returned 10
the lawn hefore driving back to orsett
Han. the lady who had been Mrs Colin
Gordon was still there talking to some
even know by sight.
The squire, being first-class whip, in
variabiy drove his own carriage, thus
there was no opportunity for converse
ton with the ladies' during the short
journey home. But he had some time for
rejecting over what Lady yane had told
him, AID though he was not as a rule
given TO perceiving anything but that
W Ia Sfr oh hot fr, ha "a
to suspect that there was a mystery in
connection with his old friend. The won
der that one or two people had expressed
that man of Eyre Lestrange's parts
should have come TO reside at Grand
town came forcibly into his mind as it
had never done before
If his niece was right, and that fat wo-
man was Lestranges wife, why was she
not properly introduced? Why did he
come to dine at Orsett without her. and
how had she got to Weldon Csatle?
SO perpiexed was the squire that he
resolved not to utter a word to Muriel
until he had solved the mystery; but ere
he went to dress for dinner he managed to
say quietly TO his niece:
Are you sure of what you told me
about Lestrange?"
Quite, and he is fully aware that l
know something of it
Well don't say anything to the child.
I'll go into Grandtown in the morning and
have it out with him."
Lady Vane went to her room quite "a
diant. Could II be merely interest in her
young cousin that was actuating her, or
was certain degree of spite against
Eyre Lestrange for some slight of her
self in the past mixed up with her pleas
ure at the 'squire's interference.
BE 1t as ii might, Lady Vane had never
been in better spirits or looked hand
somer than when she joined the family at
dinner that evening. While the squire
was. for him, very silent Muriei looked
from the one to the other in some sur
prise. but the name of Eyre Lestrange
was never mentioned. If Muriel knew
aught of the marriage which so much af-
fected the others, though in different
ways, 1t did not apparently trouble her
much, for she caught the infection from
Lady Nane and was in bright. glad spir-
ITS, sitting down to the piano after din
ner and singing like young bird.
Still the squire meant to satisfy him
self and retained the intention of calling
on Lestrange in the morning. Life how
ever, is made up of unfulfilled intentions
The morning brought letter saying that
his only sister and Lady Vane's mother
was seriously i'll, Would they both come |
at once?"
Eyre Lestrange and his pursuit Of Mu- |
riel were temporarily forgotten. An old |
governess. whose services as chaperone. |
were frequently called into requisition |
when Lady Vane was absent was sent
for, and the girl. whose presence beside |
her dying aunt was not considered neces- |
'ary, was left with good old Miss Hartly /
for a companion.
On the way to the station Lady yane /
said that she regretted that they had NOT |
warned Muriel, but the squire. who was
90 much panied about his sister to trou
Die Lestrange, said shortly:
shell soon hear about it, never fear. A
nan can't keep wife out of sight in a
country neishborhood for long. | daresav