The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-02-01
CHAPTER w.
HE DRANK TT ALONE, .

''HE DRANK IT ALONE"
IN making this statement it is not nv
wish to create any special prejudice
| against Alfred. Indeed. I have no right
| 10 40 so, for when few minutes later
| MS orother Leighton came running up the
| stairs at sound Of his child's voice, I no.
tlced the same recoil on her part, followed
! by the same impassibility. Nor did she
snow different feeling when in the hall
below George came forward with the in
qulrles her surprising absence had nat
urally provoked. From one and all she
lnvoluntarily shrank, but not without
suffering to herself and an obvious at
tempt TO hide this natural impulse under
uemeanor more in accordance with her
! near relationship to these three men. In
Alfred this chilling conduct awakened
emotions only too easy to read. in Leigh
ton' surprise, and in George, a distrl1st
oorderlng upon a passion so fierce thai
ne turned from white to red and from red
TO white In an instant. Evanescent ex-
presslons all OF them, but important as
showing the feelings entertained towards
her by these men among whom she had
peen living for more or less time as. a
sister. 1A0 '' q
But OF my personal sensations YOU have
! already, heard too much, especially at
TINS period of my story. Happily, T was
able to hide them from other eyes. ana
Slinpiy showed natural curiosity when
Or. Bennett, with a sly look in her f1irec-
ton, whispered in my ear: -. =.
How came she to know of her uncle,s
oeath so soon after it's occurrence? You
say you heard her rush ups tairs while YOU
were in Alfred's room. That was yerv
soon after you laid the old gentleman out
OF your arms. 1t is possible that you had
ALREADY met Miss Meredith? Did she
snare that first alarm with youo'' 80.
Not to my knowledge" returned.
! MY 1lrst. view Of her was in the: attic
Win you. Yet she may have been some
where in this great hall, or in some Of
| the many rooms I see about U.S.
! meanwhile l was taking in her beauty,
| or what | must call beauty from the lack
OF any other adequate word 1 believe
she was not what people call beautiful.
| She did not need to be; her charm was in
contestable without it; too incontestable,
| fear for the peace of mind of more men
than Alfred and George Gillespie.
t She was standing by the newel-post, in
position startlingly like that she had
maintained above; and while shrank
from the doubts thus called up, I could
not but perceive in the straightforward
look OF her eyes, and the fierce clutch of
her hands behind her, that some de-
termination was absorbing all her ener-
gles determination little in accord,
| fear, with the attitude of simple grief
she made such an effort to maintain
Leighton appeared to see this also, for
he set down the child he had been strain
ing to his breast, and approaching his
cousin, piled her with few hurried
questions.
But the coroner, who had shown some
embarrassment at the appearance on the
scene OF SO young and charming a lady.
advanced at this juncture and prevented
the answer which was slowly forming on
her lips.
.'If you are Miss Meredith Mr.. Giles
pies niece and assistant, you are justified
in your grief. Mr.. Gillespie has passed
away under very extraordinary circum-
stances
Her hands which had been behind her,
came suddenly together in front, but she
did not shift her eyes from the point
where she had fixed them. Perhaps she
dreaded to encounter the gaze of the
three young men grouped behind the man
addressing her.
Have those circumstances been related
to your" resumed DR.. Frfsbie with the
encouragement in his tone which her
loneliness and sorrow naturally called
forth.
mo
The answer came quickly, and with
sharp accentuation which showed her to
be woman of force, Notwithstanding the
condition in which we had first found
her.
Then this little one had said Moth
ing, he continued with glance at