The Irish standard., 1900-02-17
Stanton shrank into the darkest
corner of the gloomy entrance and
went on waiting.

went on waiting.
The shrinking was only matter of
instinct. His course and his chances
had appeared more and more doubtful
with each half hour. There's nothing
like immoderate waiting to make q
coward of man; and, besides, it began
to appear quite possible that if John
Olmstead could speak he would say:
''Let the other one have it, Robert,
rather than try to save it in such a
way as this"
For the hundredth time he tried to
fashion Esther Thorndike-the poor
deformed creature who was to throw
herself away just to serve his pur-
poses.
"Confound it, it's a shame" he NUT
tered. GIVE been blind, selfish brute.
I'll tell her so, when she comes, and
send her away again. 1t must be eight
o'clock. Ia! there's the clock strik-
ing, at last. She's late. Women are not
to be trusted, anyway. L"
| A messenger boy touched his arm,
repeating the name "Malcolm?" in a
questioning way, and holding out an
envelope.
With a shrug of his shoulders the
young lawyer took it and turned it
slowly over in his hands. There was no
doubt about whom it came from or that
she was not coming herself. He forgot
that moment before he had been
earnestly planning to set her free at
once, and, muttering a fragment of the
lines containing "Women and the fools
who have faith in them,' he actually
put the envelope in his pocket, un-
opened, and was turning away, when
the boy asked him for the answer.
"Answer?" he remarked, looking
down in surprise. Then he slowly drew
the letter from his pocket again, and
retreating farther into the shadow,
opened it, lighted match, and read:
'Mr. Raymond is in carriage round
the first corner. He was following
yours when you came. His driver sits
where he can see it. If shall come at
once, send me word by the bearer. Ii
not, will wait where am till he is
away. E. T."
With a low whistle Stanton returned
to the messenger and asked: do you
want to take ridc?" The boy grinned
and he continues: "Herc's dollar
for your time. Get into that carriage
as quick as you can and slam the dool
after you, but don't speak to the driver
When he stops on the ferry and asks
you where to go next, tell him to drive
back to the stables and that l will
pay him in the morning. Sce?"
The boy saw, for he was in the car
riage in no time. The dor closed will
Il bang that thoroughly woke tho
driver, whose educated brain caught NJ
the thread precisely where he huf
dropped it. Before his eyes were wei
open, the blankets We're off the horses
the whip had cracked over them, arc
they had started most satisfactorily.
Stanton watched them from III,
shadows. A moment later the tips o.
his teeth appeared under his mustacLe
as a carriage came from the side stree
and followed his own with the messcn
ger boy.
"Dat's him." he muttered, and wa.
still looking after the lost interest
when another hand touched his arm
and another voice, softer than the mes
senger's, repeated:
'Nr. Malcolm?"
It was a time of swift vicissitude:
for one guided by instinct. In the frs
quiet thoughts of his waiting he hat
honestly determined to give up the
plan for the sake of her who was to be
the sacrifice. A moment later he wa.
turning away, Disguised that he hat
ever thought of trusting her. 1t tool
but touch of opposition, in the shape
of Raymond round the corner, to dc
termine him to carry out the plan at al
hazards. Now the determination van
ished in an instant, whether because
the sacrifice stood before him or be
cause the way was clear Of opposition
and he replied:
II was this morning, but I an
ashamed of it. My name is Stanton
Robert Stanton"
'N1ine is Esther Thorndike. My
friend explained to me what is required
and | am ready to act for YOU"
The young lawyer hardly realized
what she was saying. lie was looking
for the dcformity. 1t required but /;
moment to decide that at least it was
not in her body. Whatever was wrong
was surely under the veil. lie could
not even see the outline Of the face.
She stood as il waiting for reply
| but he was not aware that She had
asked a question. lie tried to recall.
what she had said, and then took refuge
in expressing his conjunction.
GIVE begun to realize that my plan
was a very coldblooded and selfish
idea, and I've grown heartily ashamed
of it," he said.
GA plain business bargain is hardly
open to sentiment" she replied, quick
~. II am quite ready, and if you are
we had better start.'
eyes, but my carriage. It has just
gone with your messenger-boy to Jer-
sey City," He paused as his ear caught
low laugh tinkling under the veil. 1t
was contagious. He was smiling, too,
as he continued: Shall we have an
other carriage and 60 on. risking a
meeting? 1t seems coward1y to run
from anyone, but there are many de-
testable things which we might do that
would delay us till after midnight, in
spite of anything but common law,
which would be to degenerate alto