Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1902-04-10
CHAPTER I-contInuod.

come 10 try and enlighten our Hotten-
tots about thing OF two In this world
and the next. Well, you can only do
your best, you know; we'll try to make
you comfortable and back you up.
Come ell the way from London today,
suppose ;--have you got yourself tlxed
up yet In the vlllage7--what some
author chap--Matthew or Mark Sum.
mat or other---calia q Lancashire
HeDl-hole.' Well, we're not quite so
bad as that yet here, but we're getting
70 II. But It can't be helped, you
know; We ha' gone forrard and We mum
go iorrardsr, ~ the rabbit said when
he lot th' weasel get him intoa hole.
Yes, 'HelLhole;' but II should be q
useful change for you; II may give you
an idea when you want 20 describe 10
your congregation the real"
"Jim, lad" interrupted his sister,
you're forgetting yourseliY''
"Ehf 0h?-ah. we'll can Femem.
beF, you know, when all round about
here was a. sweet and pretty q place.
was born back o. tn White Noes" Tin
dicating that locality over his shoul-
der), "Toppleton way"
Thus the full, quaint and careless
stream OF his talk flowed on, meander-
ing about one person and another, this
subject and that. He seemed we'll Of
curious and iearsome Lancashire lore
lore OF the days when spinning and
weaving were done In the cottage homes
OF remote hRmlets and homesteads,
whom Lancashire energy applied itself
10 useful work and not 10 useless toll,
when its fabrics were made 10 be worn
and not merely to be sold--the days
when the steam engine was not yet
with itsall-devouring, all-enslaving ma
chinery.
We had talked thus for about an hour
--oF. rather, listened TO Mr.. Birley
talk-when no paused and looked round
Che had been fldgeting in his chair for
some time.l
whats got 'Manule?" he said, adj
dressing his sister. ''Is ho stuck till
midnight In his laboratory again?
Doesn't seem as II that smoke was to
come of tonight. In Paul's house now
II used 10 be Smoke where you please
drawing room or anywhere. Poor
PauilA
was astonishcd and alarmed TO see
Miss Lacioix rise hurriedly, and glide
without word from the room. Mrs.
Stelnhardt made as II she would follow
her, but she did not. She sank back
In her chair with sigh.
"Jiml Jim!" she exclaimed, re-
proachiully. "Why will you say
things, when you know the poor girl
cannot bear illusions TO it2''
"Ah," said Birley, humbly. "Poor
Iassi-Her father, he explained, turn
ing to me, "has never come back from
London. Poor PAUL" He was visibly
affected.
''He had 10 go to the law courts
there" said Mrs. Steinhardt, "more
than year ago, about some dreadful
business OF the chemical works--he was
my husbands partner"
hHildersheimer v. Lacroix and Stein
hardt'-(F Frank turned on the music
stool to correct his uncle's pronuncia-
tion.) "Well," said he, that's ell
right; anyway that was the case.
May be"--turning again to me-"you
remember II In the papers. 1t was
about the infringement OF q chemical
patent Manuel had put them up to In
his eternal laboratory"
SHAY, UNCLE" interrupted Frank,
flushing up. ''It wasn't fathers fault
more than anyone else's."
cay, lad" said Birley, "oi course
you know all about It, But you're
right to stand up for your father. How
ever, Paul, as the chief Of the firm,
went up to London TO fight the case; he
fought and lost to the tune Of 10000
pounds amages-which, suppose,
drove him mad, poor fellow, for he's
never come back-made away with
himself, very likely, or, somehow, got
made away with"
"But, surely" interrupted Frank
again, "it could hardly be the damages
did IL, uncle? You remember he went
TO Paris after the trial about some pat
tern business for the print works, and
then got back to London again"
cay, lad--out 10000 pounds dam
ages can make man feel very queer all
the way to Paris and back. At any
rate, poor Paul's gone lost in the great
London wilderness.
''It Is very extraordinary affair.""
said I. "But don't remember seeing
anything Of it in the papers"
"It got into the papers, though"
said Birley, "to some extent-not
much. We didn't want noise about
. private, painful thing like that
"But," said I, wondering, II sup
pose inquiries were nader"
"They made inquiries high and low"
said Birley; ''they laid detectives on,
and everything, but nothing came of it.
Did there, Frank?"
"No," said Frank--"nothing at all. !"
'Did YOU try to trace him out OF Lon
donP" / asked. ~ suppose they did, :"
said Birley.
"Yes--oh yes," said Frank.
! wondered that Birley should keep
using the word ''they." Had he borne
no share in the investigation HIMSELF
I had my thought answered at once.
81 wasn't able to go to London my
self" said Birley; ~ was laid up with
q broken leg; and, when ] got better, l
didn't think 1t was any use my going.
There was an end of Paul--that was
certain; for he wasn't the man to knock
under like, and get lost just"
In little while Miss Lacroix re-
turned, with apology for her with
drawal.
II had little Of headache. +" Ssid she.