Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1900-09-07

ErCllm sank into q chair and cOrercd her
face lCith her trembling hands.
When | came down before dinner l
found Ralph and Charles talking earn
estly by the hall fire, Ralph's hand on
his brothers shoulder.
you see we are no further forward
than we were" he was saying.
eve shall have Marston back to-mor-
row." said Charles, as the gong began to
sound 1--WE cannot take any step till
then, especially if we don't want to put
our foot in it. have been racliing my
brains all the afternoon without the YES
tige of Il result. We must just hold our
hands for the moment"
Dinner was announced, and we waited
patiently for few minutes and impa-
tiently for n good many more, until
Evelyn hurried down, apologizing for
being late, and with a message from
Lady Mary that we We're not to wait for
her, us she was dining upstairs in her
ownroom. a practice to which she seemed
rather addicted.
"And where is Aurelia:' asked Ralph.
"She is not coming down to dinner
either" said Evelyn. "She has a bad
headache again, and is lying down. She
asked me to tell you that she wishes par
ticularly to see you this evening, as she
is going away tomorrow, and if she is
well enough she will come down to the
= q. I'M 9, ha
would come down anyhow"
After Ralphs natural anxiety respect
ing his lady love had been relieved, and
he had betl repeatedly assured that
nothing much was amiss, We went in to
dinner, and more lugubrious repast l
never remember being present at. The
meals of the day might have been CLASH
fed thus: Breakfast, dismal; luncheon,
dismaller Tor more dismaD; dinner, dis
mallest Tor most dismaD. There really
was no conversation. Even l, who,
without going very deep (Which l con-
slider is not in good taste) have some
thing to say on almost every subject
even | felt myself nonplused for the
time being. Each of u5 in turn got out
q few constrained words and then re-
lapsed into silence.
Evelyn ate nothing, and her hand
trembled so much when she poured out
a glass of water that she split some on
the cloth. [ saw Charles was watching
her furtively, and | became more and
more certain that Aurelia was right
and that Evelyn knew something about
the mystery Of the night before. Imust
and would speak to her that very even
ing.
bitterly cold" said Ralph, when at
last we had reached the dessert stage.
at is showing still, and the wind is
getting up"
In truth the wind was moaning round
the house like an uneasy spirit.
THAT sound in the wind always
means snow" said Charles, evidently
for the sake of saying something. at
is easterly, should think. Yes" after
pause, when another silence seemed
imminent, there goes the s O'Clock
train. 1t must be quite quarter of al
hour late, though, for it has struck
some time. | can hear it distinctly
The station is three miles away, and yor
never hear the train unless the wind i.
in the east"
Come Charles, not three miles--twc
miles and half put in Ralph.
"Well, two and a half from here down
to the station, but certainly three from
the station up here" replied Charles
and SO silence was laboriously avoided
by diligent small talk, until we returned
to the drawing room, thankful there al
least we could take up book and be 81
lent if we wished We all did wish it, ap
parently Evelyn was sitting by lamI
when we came in with book before
her, her elbow on the table, shading hel
face with a slender, delicate hand. Sht
remained motionlees, her eyes fixed upo1
the page, but noticed after some time
that she had never turned it over
Charles may have read his newspaper
but if he did it was with one eye upol
Evelyn all the time. Between watching
them both | did not, as may be imagin
ed, make much progress myself. How
was / to manage to speak to Evelyl
alone, and without Charles knowledge?
At last Ralph, who had gone into tn
morning room, opened the drawing room
door, and put his head in.
"Aurelia has not come down yet, ant
it is a quarter past 8. wish you woul
run up, Evelyn, and see if she is com
ing"
'She is sure to Gomez replied Evelyn
without raising her eyes. "She said sh
must see YOU"
Ralph disappeared again, and tn
books and papers were studied ane1
with answering devotion. At the en-
of another ten minutes, however, tn
impatient lover reappeared.
sit is half-past 81 he said, in an il
jured tone ''Do pray run up, Evelyr
don't think she can be coming at all.
am afraid she is worse"
Evelyn laid down her book and lei
the room. Ralph sauntered back int
the morning room, where we heard hil
beguiling his solitude with a few chord
on the piano.
Presently Evelyn returned. She wa
pale even to the lips, and her voice fal
cred as she said: