Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1900-07-06
down stairs to the waiting earl The

drawing room WAS empty. happily save
for the detestahle figure sitting with
long legs stretched out and hands thrust
into pockets With her head well in the
air and her eyes fixed steadily on him
Miss Rodney advanced quickly. Int
with a dignity all her own
Darlington lounged to his feet and
made slight bow but without remov
ing his hands from his pockets
lyon are the Earl of Carrington2'
AT your service, he replied with
a hooking inclination
Then when you have removed your
hands from your pockets, there are
few words which, for my own sake, !
wish to say to you
al am glad to see You are so much OF
a lady" he said sarcastically slowly
removing his hands
"a have never fully realized the in
sulting nature of my aunt PROPOSE
ton, revolving enough to me even had
Won been gentleman, until saw yOu
Ny answer the moment | heard her
uuseemly condition was No Even
you must see that it is No now more
than ever Never presume in any way
to address me again You are libel on
man
She turned and, without waiting to
hear the words with which he resented
her cool contempt, walked steadily from
the room As she disappeared Caring
ton sank suddenly into chair, and,
with a muttered oath, clasped his hand
to his head That strange whirling SEN
satiOn in his brain. as if the top of his
skull were off and his cerebrum was
being flushed with a tlux of icy liquid,
had come upon him again He staid
there for few moments, his teeth set
and a horrible scowl on his face
Then, with tight clinched hands. he
rose. and, walking unsteadily ont got
into the first hanson he saw and babe
the driver hurry to his lodgings in
Duke street, Piccadillv
CHAPTER Ill.
UNCLE JOSIAH AS A DoUBTING THOMAS.
Miss Rodney made her preparations
for leaving London that evening, and
nine days later she was in the bosom of
her family She bad been able to learn
nothing about Guy Stadley in London
ITO think that should run across
this beast and not be able to find ont
anything about that fine young fellow
How can two men with the same ma
lures be so antipodally sundered in
character2' she thought with wonder
Miss Rodney had derived great
benefit from her outing. She had been
freed from the trials of home life, which
had always oppressed her more heavily
than either her mother or her sister 1t
was a satisfaction to feel that she could
meet her uncle with the thing she had
set out to do an accomplished fact,
She longed for the very palpable reward
of her heroic task which the old man
had promised her in the moment of
softening which had come upon him
Miss Rodney had never failed to con-
graduate herself on having made him
put it in writing and of securing wit
nesses to the important document.
Mrs. Rodney and Rose had not been
out very much. The death of the
Countess of Darlington had given them
an excuse for being little less in So
ciety Mrs. Rodney had not failed tc
make use of this opportunity. 1t was
something to be able to practice econ.
omy with deceased countess as the al.
legged cause of it. She had wanted to &C
into mourning, but Uncle Josiah had
poohpoohed that with luminosity
why, you hadn't heard from Ma
tilda for five years, and now you want
to spend money in advertising your re
greet for such dear devoted sister Tel
'em she's dead, and that will do as wei
and cost less
So Mrs. Rodney had contented her