Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1900-11-09

was OF course lie out OF whole cloth.
He came to me with letters OF recon-
mendation from good friends OF mine,
and | therefore occasionally invited
him TO the house; but that is all the
encouragement he ever got from me.
We live in the United States and at
the close of the nineteenth century.
The selection of husband is no long
er performed by a stern parent, but
is left entirely To the young girl her
self. That is certainly my way OF
looking at the matter. When you
find the man of your choice, my only
if you seek it, and my best assistance
in any event"
The turn of the conversation thus
suddenly brought TO the surface the
topic which occupied the young girls
mind, 10 the exclusion of all others:
and which, for that very reason, had
been kept severely in the background
up to that point.
THAT reminds me-" said Agnes,
consciously as a charming flush suf-
fused her beautiful face. that | have
not yet preached the principal object
of this interview"
Murdoch observed her closely and
waited for her to proceed. But Agnes
was once more laboring under a
strange embarrassment and could not
find words in which TO frame the con-
fdence she was SO reluctant TO offer.
Perhaps the chemist OWNED some
thing of tie nature of what she was
struggling to find expression for. At
any rate. he noticed her embarrass-
ment and endeavored to come to her
assistance with few encouraging
words, spoken with unusual gentle
ness. Agnes, engrossed with her own
thoughts. did not notice it; but there
was III his manner as near an dp'
proach to tender usefulness as his
nature was capable of.
At last the young girl seemed to
gather courage, and she was about to
speak, when there was a knock upon
the door.
"Plaze. sur: there do be two GIN
tlemin in the hall"
"Who are they, Mary?"
"Shure, thin, sir, | dunno, barrin'
wan NV EN- do be polacemun."
Did they ask 10 see me?'
They did not, SUR shure they aSked
If Mr.. Chapman was in"
"Mr. Chatham"
"Yis, sur. And told 'em he wuz here
this aftherncon, and | wud see wuz
he here now, fur | amt seen him go
yit."
well, Mary, you see he has gone,
since he is no longer here" said Muir
dock quietly. Take the gentlemen
into the parlor, and tell them | shall
be with them in minute"
"All right, sur"
After the maid had left the room,
the chemist rose from his chair and
walked toward the door leading to the
library.
"If you will excuse me for a few
minutes, Agnes, l shall see what these
men want. Wait for me here, if you
will. ! shall be back directly"
So saying, he noiselessly opened the
folding doors and passed into the Ii
brary, closing the doors carefully be-
hind him.
Freed from the presence Of her ia
Their, Agnes almost instantly regained
her composure. She had not, how
ever, had much time TO collect her
thoughts, when she was suddenly start
led by loud, shrill whistle, which
brought her TO her feet in alarm.
"Well?"
She asked the question in anxious
tones, as if realizing that life and
death were in the balance. Then she
placed her ear to the mouthpiece.
At first she could not make out the
words spoken by her invisible in
terlocutor. Then, gradually, they fell
upon her ear with terrible distinct
ness; and she stood spellbound, as in
n horrible nightmare, with sudden ter
ror in her staring eyes, and with the
fearful sense of impotence in her trem-
bling limbs.