The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-05-04
CHAPTER v.

CHAPTER v.
When Mrs. Goddard returned to
Lyndhurst at noon, Blanche and her
guardian and Mr.. Talley received her
in the drawing-room. The exchange
of greetings might have been mere
awkward platitudes but for her won
derful conversational skill.
II am so sorry I was detained in
town last night" she laughed. "The
major was actually frightened when
he reached me. I did very foolish
thing in taking so much money. Inn
agine my surprise to find that I had
actually $4,000 in my purse when I
took it out to pay the cabman. When
I went off the major was not here,
and being accustomed to taking
money from the safe, thrust my
hand into the box and folded up some
bills. intended to pay few bills OF
pretty good size in town, but goodness
knows I didn't intend to carry off
small fortune"
Talley laughed unsuspiciously.
"Some pickpocket would have been
In clover" he remarked.
1.-THE fright gave this dear man."
and Mrs. Goddard laid her gloved hand
on the arm of her statuelike husband,
twas good thing in one way, for
when I told him that DR.. Sloan, who
was at the Palace yesterday, had ad-
vised me to take sea voyage he was
80 relieved over finding that had not
been abducted that he really con-
sented to my running over to London
for week or So"
1--WE are sorry you are going" said
Blanche, with a start of surprise.
"But surely not alone?" remarked
Talley.
''No; have applied to bureau for
a companion. They know exactly the
kind of woman 1 want, and I shall
have no one else, I assure you"
II have been looking over my at-
fairs, and I think I can get away"
said Goddard. "You will at least al
low me to go over with you"
"And be obliged to nurse you
through your seasickness," laughed
his wife. mo, this voyage is for my
own health, thank you. From the mo-
ment the gangplanks are up till they
are down he is too i'll to eat bite"
she said to Blanche and Talley. II
shall be provided with good compan-
ionable maid. New York il full of
gentlewomen who are dying for such
opportunities"
"After all, it may do her a lot of
good" Blanche said, consolingly, to
her guardian, when Mrs. Goddard had
left the room. "she seems to antici-
pate so much pleasure from it. She
seems to treat me so much more gen.
tally than she has been doing"
The major frowned. There was
trustful glance in the girls eyes
which recalled her school days to him.
She looked almost as childlike MS she
had the day she had come into her
fathers sickroom, her long golden
hair plated and hanging down her
back. How wildly he recalled John
Briscoe's words:
"My darling child, this is the best
and truest friend ever had; he has
shown me his friendship in thou
sand ways; if anything should happen
to take me from you he will care for
you as tenderly as your own father
could"
Goddard shuddered over this MEM
DRY, and the thought that, although
she was marked as such an early prey
of death, he had been induced to plot
against such fralty. but he felt the
futilty of struggle. Ever since he
had fallen under the spell of Jeanne's
eyes he had looked upon her as the
evil.
"You ought not to suffer so because
she is going, dear guardian" said
Blanche, with tender concern. you
ought to look forward to her return,
and not give yourself up to morbid
brooding over it,
"She doesn't want me to go with
her, you see," answered the major,
coming back to closer view of his
own woes. His lip was quvering, and
his tone was almost petulant.
''Sometimes | am afraid I am in the
way" said Blanche Perhaps ought
to go away myself"
mo, you must stay" said the ma
jor; "but you must invite some one
to be with YOU"
''Lottie Dean will come," said
Blanche; 81 shall write to her." and
suspecting that Goddard wanted to be
alone with his trouble, She left him.
One morning three days later they
were all seated in the library. Mrs.
Goddard sat in the bow window, her
eyes on the road which led past Lynd.
hurst to the station. Blanche was
looking over some music at the piano
and Talley was taking down in short
hand from Goddard's hating dictation
some business correspondence. Now
and then Mrs. Goddard would furtive.
ly scan the faces in the room and
then peer toward the road again
Suddenly she saw cab containing 6
single occupant driving in at one o.
the gates at the bottom of the lawn
and she at once rose and went to thu
fire and sat down. When the doo1
bell rang few minutes later, she wal
the only one in the room who did mo-
appear to notice it. She seemed .,
much absorbed in thought as not t.
see James when he entered with T,
card on a tray.
"a lady to see you, madam" he an
nounced.
Mrs. Goddard had four pairs of eye
on her as she scanned the. card.
! g N<1o II.