Evening journal., 1900-12-22
Ccontinued From Wednesday,
CHAPTER X-ContInued.

hair making charming contrast to Au-
relia's yellow curls At last the journey
was made out and duly written down,
and a post card dispatched to the uncle
in Dublin.
Have you seen Ralph anywhere?"
asked Aurclia when she had finished it,
Il am afraid was a little tiny wee bit
cross to him this morning, and am SO
sorry"
Evelyn always seemed to stiffen when
Aurelia talked about Ralph, and under
the pretext of putting her post card in
the letter bag for her she presently left
the room and did not return.
Aurelia sat down on the hearth rug
and held two plump little hands to the
fire. 1t was quite impossible TO go on
writing to Jane while she was there, and
! gave it up accordingly.
Il am glad Evelyn is gone, she said,
confdentially. "Do you know why 1
am glad:'
said 1 could not imagine.
Because" continued Aurelia, nod
ding gracefully at me, Il want to have
a very, very, very serious conversation
with you, Col. Middleton"
said / should be charmed, inwardly
wondering what that little curly head
would consider to be serious conversa-
ton.
Really serious, you know" continued
Aurela. mot pretense. About that"
pointing with a pink finger at the inlaid
writing table. you know | was with
Ralph when he found it out, and / am
afraid was a little cross to him, only
really it was so hard and they were SO
lovely, and it was partly his fault, now,
wasn't it, for leaving them there? He
ought to have been more careful"
"Of course he ought, l said l would
not have contradicted her for worlds
And you know | am to be married
next month. and Aunt Alice in Dublin,
who is getting my things, says as it is to
be winter wedding am to be married
in white i.ise velvet. and ] did think
the diamonds would have looked so
lovely with it, wouldn't theyi"
agreed, of course
But l shall never be married in them
now" she said with a deep sigh. "And
was looking forward to the wedding so
much, though / dare say did tell a
naughty little story when / said / was
not to Ralph the other night. OF course
Ralph is still left" she added, as an
afterthought, "but it won't be so per-
feet, viii it,"
was morally certain Charles would
have to give them up, so 1 said, reassur-
ingly;
Perhaps you may bemarriea in them,
after ALL"
"Ohl7 she said, clasping her hands to-
gether, edo YOU really think So? Do you
know anything? / have not seen Ralph
since to ask him about it. Do you think
we shall really get them back"
Il should not wonder"
"Ohl Col. Middleton, / see you know.
You are clever, wise man, and you
have found out something Who is it
Do tell me"
"Will you promise not to tell any one:'
'Mayn't / tell Ralph? 1 tell him every
thing"
"Well, you may tell Ralph because he
knows already; but no one else, remem-
Der. The truth is we are afraid it is
Charles"
There was a long pause.
81 know Evelyn thinks so, said Azure
LA in a whisper, Though she tries not
to show it, because-because
Because whatY'
sWell. Of course you can't have helpel
seeing, can You, that she and Charlie" ~
Ihad not seen it; indeed 1 had fanciet
at times that Evelyn had leaning to
ward Ralph. but l never care to seen
slower than others in noticing thes
things, so ] nodded.
"And then, you know, people can't b
married that haven't any money, am
Charles and Evelyn have none, san,
Aurelia. "Ohl am glad Ralph is wei
off,"
A light was breaking in on me. Pc.
hans it was not Charles after all. PEI
haps-
II am afraid Evelyn is very unhappy,
continued Aurelia. "Her roomisnext
mine. and she walks up and down and Il
and down in the night. / hear her whe
am in bed Last night l heard her
late. so late that had been TO sleep an
had walked up again. Do You know.
and she crept close up TO me with wld'
awestruck eyes-'1 am going away =
Rorrow. and I don't like to say anythln
io any one but YOU but think Eyeiy
knows something"
Miss Derrick" / said beginning
suspect that she possibly knew goo
deal more than any of us, and then SUI
denly remembering that she had been
the point of telling me something M
had been interrupted. / was get>ii
quite confused. She certainly would ID
have wished to confde in me if my ne
suspicion were correct. Considerll
there was a mystery, it was curious no
everyone seemed to know something rei
particular about it.
"Yes," replied Aurelia, nodding on
or twice. Il am sure she knows som
thing. l went into her room befo
luncheon, and she was sitting with h
head down on the dressing table, al
when she looked up / saw she had be-
crying. don't know what to say abo
it to Ralph, but you lmowT-with
shake of the curls-'' though people IN