Waterbury Democrat., 1900-12-11

 you, he mas been opiiged to leave inc country-Is understand that y he has done something or other which makes it safer. for him to undertake loug tourney At any rate, we are we'll lid of him for some time to come, and I think you need have no fear of fur ther molestation."
 What did he mean by saying that he had had encouragement from you?" asked the young girl.
 ''I am sure I do rot know. That was of course a lie out of whole cloth. He came to me with letters of recon- mendation from good friends of mine. and 1 therefore occasionally invited him to the house; but that is all the encoura cement 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 CT performed by q 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 function will be to give you advice, 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 to 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 I have pot yet broachcd the principal object l of this interview" Murdocis observed her closely and waited for her to proceed. But Agnes was once more iaboring under a strange embarra ssment and could not find words in which to frame the con- fidence she was so reluctant to offer. Perhaps the chemist Cirincd some | thing of the nature of what she was struggling to find expression for. At | any rate. he noticed her embarrass- ment and cndCavorcd to come to her assistance with a few encouraging words, spoken with unusual gentle hess. Agnes, engrossed with her own thoughts, did not notice it; but there was in his manner as near an ap- | broach to tender wistfulncss as his nature was capable of.
 At last the young girl seemed to gather courage, and she was about to ,peak, when there was knock upon che door.
 "Ploze, sur; there do be two gin tle;11n in the han.'
 "Who are they, Mary?'
 "Shure, thin, sir, I dunno, barrin' wan uv 'em do be a polacemun."
 l.
 'They did not, sur; shure they asked i if MT. Chapman was in" i MT. ChathamG''
 t.Yis, sur. AndyItold 'el he wuz here this afthernoon, and I wud see wuz l he here now, fur I ain't seen him go sit."
 i 'Well, Mary, you see he has gone, since he is no longer hcre," said Mur- dock quietly. ''Take the gentlemen into the parlor, and tell them I shall be with them in a 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. 1T
 ''If you will excuse me for few minutes, Agnes, I shall see what these then want. Wait for me here, if you Hill. I shall be back directly"
 So saying, he noiselessly opened the folding doors and passed into the li- brary, closing the doors carefully be- hind him.
 Freed from the presence of her fla ther, Agnes almost instantly regained her composure. She had not, how ever, had much time to collect her 1 thoughts, whenIshe 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 Heath 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 hess; and she stood spellbound, as in h horrible nightmare, With sudden ter TOT in her staring eyes, and with the fearful sense of impotence in her trem. bling limbs.