The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1902-02-27

Suoul0 JUST as soon nave expected to
meet the dead here"
How are you, Lady Frances?" he
said, holding out his hand with hesita-
ton.
Lady Frances! l am much obliged
to you for your formality. Lady
Frances returns her thanks to Mr..
Hope for his polite inquiries" con-
tinued she in tone of pique and hon
oring him with swimming ceremony
of courtesy.
He caught her hand. Forgive me,
Fanny, but our positions are altered
at least mine us; and how did l know
that you were not?"
You are an ngrateful-raven, .
cried she. 'to croak like that After
getting me to write you no end Of let
tiers and all the news about everybody,
beginning My dear Gerard and end
ing Your affectionate Fanny and be-
ing as good to you as sister, you
meet me, with My Lady Frances!
Now, don't squeeze my hand to atoms.
What on earth have you come to Eng
land for?'
81 could not stop there" he returned
with emotion; 81 was fretting away
my heartstrings. So took my resolu-
ton and came back; guess in what
way, Frances, and what to do
"How should l know? To call me
Lady Frances perhaps"
"As clerk; clerk to earn my
bread. That's what | am now. Very
consistent, is it not, for one in my po-
sition to address Familiarity Lady
Frances Chenevix?"
You never spoke a grain of sense
in your live, Gerard" she exclaimed,
peevishly. What do you mean?"
Mr.. Netherleigh has taken me into
his counting house."
Mr.. Netherleigh!" she echoed in
surprise. What, with that-that-"
That crime hanging over me. Speak
| UP, Frances
No; l was going to say that doubt
don't believe you guilty; you know
that. Gerard"
| 81 am in his house, Frances, and |
came up here tonight from the city to
bring note from his partner. l de-
clined any OF the reception rooms, not
caring to meet old acquaintance, and
the servants put me into this
But you had mountain of debts
in England, Gerard, and were afraid
of arrest
II have managed that; they are 60
ing to let me square up by install.
ments. Has the bracelet never beer
heard Off"
"Oh, that's gone for good; melted
down in a caldron, as the Colonel calls
| it, and the diamonds reset 1t remains
a mystery of the past, and is never ex.
pected to be solved"
"And they will suspect me! What
| is the matter with your dress?"
Matter enough answered she, let
ting it down, and turning round fol-
his inspection. II came here to get
| it repaired. My great BOBBY of part
ner did it for me-
| Fanny, how is Alice Seaton?"
You have cause to ask for her She
is dying"
"Dying!" repeated Mr. Hope in a
hushed, shocked tone.
II do not mean actually dying this
| night or going to die tomorrow; but
she is dying by slow degrees, there is
no doubt 1t way be weeks off yet; !
cannot tell"
Where is she?"
Curious to say. she is where you
left her-at Lady Sarah Hopes. Alice
could not bear the house after the loss
of the bracelet, for she was so obstin-
ate and foolish as to persist that the
servants must suspect her even If
Lady Sarah did not, She felt, and this
spring Lady Sarah saw her, and was
SO shocked at the change in her, the
extent to which she had wasted away,
that she brought her to town by main
force, and we and the doctors are try
ing to nurse her up. 1t seems of no
use"
care you also staying at Colonel
Hopes again?"
81 invited myself there a week or
two ago to be with Alice. 1t is pleas
anter, too. than being at home"
II suppose the Hopes are her to-
night?"
"My sister is. l do not think your
uncle has come yet"
Does he ever speak of me less re-
sentfully?"
/ "Not he; think his storming over
it has only made his suspicious strong
er. Not week passes but he begins
again about that detestable bracelet.
He is unalterably persuaded that you
took it, and nobody must dare put in
a word in your defense"
"And does your sister honor me
with the same belief" demanded Mr..
Hope bitterly
Lady Sarah is silent on the point
to me; think she scarcely knows
what to believe. You see tell you all
freely, Gerard"
CHAPTER XIII.
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