The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-10-15

I may have To go TO Frayne and shall
need you with me, but meantime this
thing must be explained. Everything in
dicates that this Captain Newhall, who
was one OF his chums In New Orleans.
has some heavy hold on him-a gambling
debt. perhaps, or knowledge OF cotton
transactions during the war. cannot
but feel that you know something OF the
man. Tell me. did you meet that fellow
when he was here?"
Loring stood looking gravely, straight
into the face OF his superior. Swiftly
his thoughts sped back TO that soft.
warm evening when he and the rector
slowly assembled the gentle grade toward
Mrs. Burton's homestead, and there was
tinfolded before his eyes that picture he
was destined never to forget-the lovely
tints of the clear northern sky. the broad
valley OF the river. with its bluffs and
hillocks. the dark forms, slender and
graceful both, coming nearer and nearer
until I'm startled recognition of one at
least he halted In dumb amaze and
therefore caught but a fitting glimpse OF
the other as II whisked jauntily away.
He had his suspicious, strong and acute,
yet with nothing tangible as yet on
which to base them, and IL he breathed
them what would be the result?
The girl whose identity he had prom
ised not to betray until Sister Naomi
could be heard from" would beyond all
Z.
very door had she come within 4s hours
OF that strange evening which the
rector's prattle had made public prop
erty, begged n minutes interview with
out giving any name, and, stepping
down into the plainly furnished little
western parlor. there in the dim light
OF single kerosene burner. Walter
Loring had come face TO face with his
old love-Geraldine.
Mindful OF all the harm she had done
him I'm San Francisco. rather than OF
what had passed before, he met her I'm
stern silence. On his generosity, his
magnanimity, she threw herself She
had deceived and wronged him In ever
engaging herself TO him, she said and
would have gone on 10 say more
That Is all past and done with" he
coldly interposed. What is IL now?"
And then jt transpired that good Mr.
Lambert had been the means OF secur-
ing for Naomi an excellent position;
that Naomi had gone TO enter on her
duties and had sent for her sister 20
come and live at Mrs. Burleighs until
she could better provide for her; that
Naomi was living under an assumed
name. and that she prayed that no one
might know their unhappy past. The
interview was cut short by the curiosity
of some member OF the household who
camo in ostensibly 10 trim the lamp.
1T shall be as you wish until you
hear from your sister," said Isoring,
bowling her out with punctilious civility
and praying In secret that there II
might end. but end IL did not Within
another ~ hours she was there with
another quest. The servant who an
nounced her presence In the parlor be-
low did so with "a confidential and Inn
pertinent grin.
The same lady wants TO see Lieu
tenant Loring.' and this time he was
colder and sterner than before.
Her evident purpose was to revert 10 |
the relations that once existed, though |
fornia. Had nothing ever been heard OF |
the missing jewels? she asked. Their |
need was 81 great She had most excel |
lent prospects OF an engagement in Bos-
ton IL she could only have six months |
instruction under Siynor Calabresi. but |
his terms were so high, and she would |
kept writing her that she and Naomi |
really ought to make some effort 10 re- |
cover the value OF that property. and |
she had come. friendless as she was, 10 1
ask n he thought suit against the /
steamship company would result In their
getting anything. Capt. Pet-a. gentle
San Francisco. had promised TO do some
thing, but now that the general was dead /
what could he do? There was no doubt
Ing the identity or Intentions of that gem
tleman, thought DOrinR as he gravely re-
piled that they would only be defeated In
any such attempt
moaned her past her fatal errors. her
greed for wealth and position that led /
her 10 stine her own heart thrObs and I
deceive the one true friend she had ever
known. and Doring broke short the con-
by leaving the room. Then l
she came again. alone, and he refused \
to see her. Then she came with Mrs.
Burton. and the house was I'm a litter,
and he broke up his establishment and
moved hack to the hotel. 10 the scandal of
his landlord. as has been said. who made
loud complaint TO the powers at heac-
quarters
Then she wrote that she was being
and prosecuted by n men she l
never knew bcfoSe, the man who was
with her the night Mrs Lambert said |
hey met them in front OF Mrs Burton's.
4 dreadful man who said that he believed