The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1900-10-19
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4 10 BYR@BERT Louis STEVENSON. III

/ "And how do you come to be here?"
he asked.
She told him how she had nursed her
father in his long illness, and when he
died, and she was left alone, had taken
to nurse others, partly from habit,
partly to be of some service in the
world; partly, 1t might be, for amuse-
ment. There's no accounting for
taste, said she. And she told him how
she went largely to the houses of old
friends, as the need arose; and how she
was thus doubly welcome. as an old
friend first, and then as an experienced
nurse, to whom doctors would confide
the gravest cases.
"And, indeed, it is a. rare farce my
being here for poor Maria" she con-
tinued; "but your father takes her all
ments to heart, and cannot always be
refusing him. We are great friends,
your father and 1; he was very kind to
me long ago-ten years ago."
A strange stir came in Johns heart.
All this while had he been thinking
only of himself? All this while, why
had he not written to Flora? Ir peni-
tential tenderness he took her hand,
and, to his awe and trouble, it re-
NAMED in his. compliant. A voice
told him this was Flora, after all-told
him so quietly, yet with a thrill Of
singing.
"And you never married." said he.
mo, John; l never married." she
replied.
The hall clock striking two recalled
them to the sense of time.
"And now" said she, you have been
fed and warmed, and have heard your
story, now it's high time to call your
brother"
OH cried John, chap-fallen: edo
you think that absolutely necessary"
Il can't keep you here; am stran-
ger, said she. do you want to run
away again? thought you had
enough of that"
He bowed his head under the re-
proof She despised him, he reflected,
as he sat oace more alone: monstrous
thing for a woman to despise a man:
and strangest of all, she seemed to like
him. Would his brother despise him,
too? And would his brother like him ?
And presently the brother appeared,
! under Floras escort; and, standing
! afar off beside the doorway, eyed the
hero Of this tale.
SO this is you? he said, at length.
Yes, Alicl., it's me-it's john" re-
piled the elder brother, feebly.
"And how did you get in here?"
inquired the younger.
ooh, had my pass-keys," says John.
The deuce you had" said Alexan-
der. "Ah, you lived in a better world!
There are no pass-keys going now"
well, father was always averse to
Them" sighed John. And the CONVEX
sation then broke down, and the broth
ers looked askance at one another in
silence.
well, and what the devil are we to
do?" said Alexander. II suppose if the
authorities got wind of you, you would
he taken up?"
1T depends on whether they've found
the body or not" returned John. "And
then there's that cabman, to be sure"!
ooh, bother the body" said Alexan-
der. Il mean about the other thing.
That's serious"
"1s that what my father spoke
about?" asked John. II don't even
know what it is
about your robbing your bank in
California, of course" replied Alexan-
der.
1t was plain. from Flora's face. that
| this was the first she had heard of it;
it was palmer still, from Johns. that
he was innocent
OPP he exclaimed. II rob my bank!
My God! Flora. this is too much; even
you must allow that
Meaning you Gidn't?" asked Alex
ander.
Il never robbed a soul in all my
days." cried John; Except my father
it you call that robbery; and brought
him back the money in this room, and
he wouldn't even take it,"
Look here, John," said his brother,
let us have no Misunderstanding up
on this. Macewen saw my father; he
told him a bank you had worked for in
San Francisco was wiring over the
habitable globe to have you collared-
that It was supposed you had nailed
thousands; and it wa.; dead certain you
had nailed three hundred. So Macewen
said, and l wish you would be careful
how you answer. / may tell you, also,
that your father paid the three hun
dred on the spot"
Three hundred?" repeated John.
Three hundred pounds, you mean?
That's fifteen hundred dollars Why,
then. it's Kirkmanv' he broke out.
Thank heaven! can explain all that.
l gave them to Kirkman to pay it for
me the night before left-fifteen hun
dred dollars, and letter to the man
ager. What do they suppose would
steal fifteen hundred dollars for? I'm
rich; I struck it rich in stocks. It's the
silliest stuff ever heard of. All that's
needed Is to cable to the manager:
Kirkman has the fifteen hundred-find
| .Kirkman. He was a fellow-clerl, nj