The Grit-advocate., 1903-07-03

: OF tire gamesters. and the hoT0w
laughter of hollow hearts.
Not very hopefully he approa ID
LADY Capel. She had been unfor,gn-
ate all The evening and was not aui.
able.
Dick. am angry at you. hayr a
mind to Danish you for a month"
Il am going 10 Norfolk for rvo
weeks. madam.
That will do II is a worse puI sh-
mezt than | should have given yuu.
! Norfolk. There is only one word
between it and the plantations. GIVE
me your arm. Dick; l shall play 10
more until my luck turns. Lo=ug
cards are dull company"
Il am very sorry that you have uen
losing. | came TO ask for the loan OF
a hundred pounds. grandmother"
No. sir. | will not lend you hun
dred pounds; nor am in the humDr
to do anything else you desire"
Il make my apology for the request
ought to have asked Katherine"
No, sir. you ought not to have ask
ed Katherine. You ought to take what
you want Jack Capel took every
shilling of my fortune and neither
said, by your leave nor thank you
Did the Dutchman tie the bag 100
close?"
Councillor Van Heemskirk left it
open, in my honor. When am
scoundrel enough to touch it, shall
not come and see you at all, grand
mother
Upon my word, a very pretty com
plment, Well, sir. I'll pay you a hun
dred pounds for it. When do YOU
start?"
Tomorrow morning"
Make il afternoon and take care Of
me as far as your aunt Julia's. And
daresay you want money tonight
Here are the keys of my desk. In the
right hand drawer are some rouleaus
of fifty pounds each. Take two"
The weather, as Lady Capel said
was 80 very Decembcrish" that the
roads were passably good. being fro.
zen dry and hard, and on the evening
of the third day Hyde came in sight
OF his home. His heart warmed TO
the lonely place; and the few lights N
its windows beckoned him far more
pleasantly than thl brilliant illuumi-
nations OF Vauxhall or Almacks, or
even the cold splendors Of royal re-
ceptions. He had given Katherine no
warning of his visit. He wanted to
see with mis- own eyes, and hear with
his own ears, the glad tokens of her
happy wonder.
The kitchen fire threw great lustres
across the brick-paved yard; and the
blinds In katherines parlor were un-
drawn, and its fire and candle light
shone on the freshly laid tea table
and the dark walls cleaning with
punches of holly and mistletoe. But
she was not there. He only glanced
inside the room and then, with
smile on his face, went swiftly up.
stairs. He had noticed the light in
the upper windows, and he knew
where he would find his wife Before
he reached the nursery he heard
katherine's voice. The door was
little open, and he could see every
part of the charming domestic scene
within the room. A middle-aged
woman was quietly putting to rights
the sweet disorder incident to the
undressing of the baby. Katherine
had played with it until they we're
both a little flushed and weary and
she was softly singing to the drowsy
child at her breast.
Over and over, softer and slower,
went the melody. 1t was evident that
the boy was asleep and that Katherine
was going to lay him in his cradle.
He watched her do 1t; watched her
gently tuck in the cover and stand
for a moment to look down at the
child. Then with face full of love
she turned away, smiling, and quite
unconsciously came toward him on
tiptoes. With his face beaming, with
his arms opened, he entered; but
with such "a sympathetic understand
ing of the sweet need of silence and
restraint. that there was no alarm,
no outcry, no fuss or amazement.
Only a whispered Katherine" and
the swift rapture of meeting hearts
and lips.
h.