Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1901-09-19

order that might at least set matters
right as far as was concerned.
But In vain; could gain no trace
of you. And. having now great and
absorbing source of uneasfness to my
own account, soon forgot all else.
For several months my correspond
ence with Clarice, which had been of
the most animated and loverlike de-
scription. had slowly changed. Her
letters to me became more and more
infrequent; sometimes months passed
without line from her. and the let
tiers which occasionally received were
of the briefest and coolest description,
although they often child me for writ
ing so seldom. and complained that my
letters were short, and cold and unsat-
isfactory. 81
IT ought to have known that some
thing was wrong; but. like jealous.
suspicious fool, I concluded that our
long engagement was firing her out.
and I could think of nothing better
than to make final throw for fortune,
and so return to New York at once.
cat this, time there was wild excite
ment in regard to new gold field. /
wrote long, explanatory letter to
Clarice, telling her the determination
90 o. Isu Sungellu9 pue 'p9uLo1 pau
patient and wait for me; and also tell
ing her that it might be many months
before she heard from me again. as I
was going into the heart of the coun.
try. I ended by assuring her that
had written by every mail-sometimes
more than once-and that my letters
tried, though vainly, to tell her how
truly. how fondly loved her.
Having with my own hands placed
the letter in the mail bag, I confid-
ed my resolve and all my perplexities
to Mr.. Lingard. He sought to dissuade
me, but, finding that he could not
change my resolution, he said at last:
Very we'll, my dear boy, go. A
wilfu' wight maun hae his way. But
when you have tried and failed, as so
many have done before you, come back
to me. Meantime, how much money
have you saved since I found you
clerkship in Melbourne?'
II mentioned the sum. 1t was con-
siderable, for the clerkship was in his
own banking house, and the salary was
munifcent.
eff had not been smitten with the
gold fever would have known better
than to leave certainty for such a
wild WILL -wisp; but of that, no
matter now.
"NIr. Lingard told me of great in
vestments in which he was about to
venture many thousands; and 1 in.
trusted all my savings to him.
L left for the gold fields without
even bidding Miss Lingard adieu, for I
lad grown to hate the very sight Of
her.
you were the first person I met ar
the diggings. You. too, had sought the
gold fields in the effort to forget your
nnhappiness in excitement; but my
first glance at your face showed me
that you were unsuccessful.
OF course, my first duty was to ex-
plain to you my feelings in regard to
Miss Lingard-how wickedly had been
MISREPRESENTATION my engagement
to Clarice, and the hope and ambition
of my life to return and claim her
promise to me.
1T was then that first learned that
her picture was gone, when I went to
show it to you; but I did not then
know that it had been stolen, not lost
stolen, like so much else.
"Bu. little you cared; you listened
only to what referred to your own love,
and again you disappeared before the
day was over, as If the earth had open
ed and swallowed you. But this time
guessed where you had gone, and felt
sure that I should meet you again on
my return to Melbourne:"
AS you failed to do" DR.. Bethune
said, in tone so sad and low, Mrs.
Martin, eagerly listening, for the first
time, almost failed to catch the words.
81 returned, indeed, but Adele refused
to see me. I went away a second time,
determined never to see her again; but
I'had not the strength to keep my re-
solve. It was then that fled from the
country, determined to put oceans be-
tween us. have done so; but even
now, SO strong is the girls influence, it
draws me as the magnet draws steel,
and some day yet it will bring me back
to her, or her to me-. But you have not
explained what Miss Lingard had to do
with making Miss Mowbray marry
Philip Grayson."
81 an. coming to that" and the tone
of his voice told the listener how stern
ly the words We're said. "And tell it
to you, Frank, with less hesitation than
I would otherwise feel, because I hope
it may serve to cure you of the mad in
fatuation for that woman which still
possesses you.
"After you left the gold fields, I was,
TO-: time, very successful. I amassed
a large mass of dust. looked forward
with delight and triumph when I could
return to New York and make Clarice
my wife. I worked like a slave.
gave myself no rest by day, and little
enough by night, for a feverish unrest
took possession of me that kept me
from sleep.
Without Knowing it, had already
contracted the slow, malarial fever
common to that district, and no doubt
there were Jays when I acted strange
ly enough, for I often saw my rough
companions regard me ctfriously, and
then wink at each other and tap their
foreheads. ,,.--- %
"They were mostly rough lot at the
| best of times, but 81 me new arrivals
appeared to me to be even worse than
rough and one day it occurred to me
that it would be wise thing to go to
the nearest town and deposit my pile
of dust in some safe place. The idea
WAS no sooner Thought of than acted