Evening star., 1902-01-11

you to look at the thing from a sensible
point Of view. I thought had planned this
business so as to secure you from trouble.
A refuge asylum in a tavern for this
poor man; place where he might forget
his past miseries in cheerful company:
where he could drink his fill; with sum of
money for compensation and for main
tenance-
~ have already told you that owe him
nothing: he lost nothing by me-"
'I have worked it out. entirely In your
interests and on most moderate scale.
Counting everything the man would, / am
sure. be satisfied with the sum Of 5000 or
ESQ at the utmost There is, you see.
the bankruptcy.
.''You need not give me the details
shah not give him that sum OF money"
Isabel, / warn you most solemnly.''
AZ receive your warning. Pray what Sc
curity have you that he would remain 81
lent when the money was spent?'
81 should take precautions. You may
trust me for taking precautions-'
And what security should 1 have that
Lord Stratherrick would give the man that
money!
'Isabel-really, II this suggestion came
from man! Have you. then, no reliance
at ell on my honorT'
.fMy lord. remember the past-your past"
:, Lord Stratherrick made no reply There
had been passages in his past life which
were not pleasant to remember; there had
been passages in connection with Isabel
herself In which certain moneys received
payments had disappeared sl-~-
THE only thing that can be DONE" she
said. lis to keep him at the tavern, where
1t appears he gets drunk every day. Per-
maps l may undertake to pay something
moderate on that account. Your former
valet has been here"
''Pinder has been here?, Pinder has been
to see you? My dear Isabel, Pinder Is
scoundrei Pinder Is good servant. but a
man of no principle and no truth Pinder.
So Pinder has been behind my backl And
l am his oldest friend and benefactor I
took P1nder out of the gutter. Where is
gratitude? And pray what did Pinder
want?"
He wanted payment. He said that you
ordered the reception of the man, but that
you could not be depended on for payment,
he wanted me to undertake the payment
l refused"
''Pinder! Pinder did thisl And l have
made that mans fortune, Pinderr"
He thought that if gave you the money
1t would get lost on the way"
'Pinder! / am surprised own q, Div
der - "' az
And now, my lord, I think we have
talked enough upon an extremely disagree
able subject sEs
HIS lordship rose and departed. But as
ne went he mnrmured2 as one beyond meas
ure astonished, "Pinders Pinder,'
She received one .Inorest visitor. Oliver
came in the afternoon. sAt;the sight of hin,
Isabel !oei remembered Mrs. cFulton's advice.
why should she not tell everything to this
lawyer? Only the daJfGbefore it would have
oeen impossible. New, however the rea-
sons whlch made it, impossible had disap-
peared: the conversation she had heard
shattered those reasons; st was no longer
necessary for her to- guard herself from the
lowering of his opinion She could no
longer go on thinking by herself, alone,
over dangers which became like mountain
Gus waves threa tfning to oyerwheIm her
She resolved, suddenly, and without further
hesitation. upon telling him everything.
MI. Macilamara, = she said, the tears
croWding into her eyes Il am I'm deadly
need Of friend"
Madam, can you doubt that you have a
triend IN me? 1 may be of no use to you;
what l can do for you" He kissed her
hand and stood before her. his kindly face
hiied with concern on her behalf, and with
eagerness to help her. But, dear madam,
trust 1t Is nothing serious
1t Is very serious, indeed It could har ardIv
be more serious. Oh! am the most misar-
soie woman In the whole world"
leu me all. madam. Let me entreat you
to hide nothing
burning cheeks af1ame with shame: she
concealed nothing. He knew already that
she came to the Kings Bench in order to
marry prisoner on the poor side who
Wouio tnereby be made a prisoner for life
1t had been his own fate. very nearly That
she had gone elsewhere to carry out her
intention he had not suspected, nor. indeed,
had ne thought about it. She had gone to
Newgate. then. after leaving him, and had
married man-any man-what did it mat
ter whether he was a black or not? And
now the black had not been hanged at all.
| II appeared. and was back again claiming
rights. And the bankrupt was pretending
tnat the non-payment of debt before It
was due was the cause of his failure and
was threatening al kinds Of things.
Madam" said Oliver 81 think there
nflf of hso ,lob
be?' '''et
Il received case the other day for an
opinion. 1t was partly your own case. It
ence OF debt. was the woman liable If she
| received money after her husbands death
Of course she is not liable"
THAT case was sent to you by my broth
er-in-law."
81 suspected something of the kind at
once But why did he send 1t to me? But
| that matters nothing he added, hastily,
because he perceived the reason. "Well.
madam, this fellow who has returned is
liable for the debt: he is also the master of
all your fortune"
it?" - -, ~
II think it is highly probable. But we
| must move cautiously. To begin with, the
man has returned from the plantations. 1t
| Is not usual to grant a pardon to a convict
sent out for life; it Is not usual for man
1
commuted for less than life's seryitude.
Why does he not come openly?"
| You mean-"
II mean that since he knows his rights,
| or some of them he might as well come in
broad daylight and claim them"
He says he WILL
He breaks into the house at night; In
the morning he sends woman for more
money? Who is the woman? And why
does he not come hinsseiff'
suppose he comes sagain tonight?"
Dear madam. yolpfma1Ss be content for
awhile to be under guards and protection
meantime. assure YOU, madam, there are
many points In your favor. He is an ex-
convict: perhaps stiBaax convict; he would
have to prove his marriage
Gould it be denied39 I re
Everything has teJ be proved. There is
no question of denialGtIt Hsas Fleet mar
riage. The registersiarei Kept loosely; per-
maps there Is no record. III am sure that
he has no record. There Is no other wit
ness except Mrs Brynaer who Will certain
ly hold her tongue. az Then there is that
wofnan-the woman who came as his mes
senger. Who is she? How lis II that SO long
after his return he finds woman obedient
to him? Why does he taik OF lying snug?
And why does he 60 to- Wapping, instead Of
his old haunts-whichf j take to have been