The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-05-08

CHAPTER XIX. Continued.

n - III
CHAPTER Continued.
An Afternoon Stroll and an Evening
Catastrophe.
His heartbeats quickened Now she
should know his love and it would be
well. He walked down the hall leisurely
turned into the big parlor. momentarily
deserted, walked quickly but softly over
its polished floor to a door that gave into
the library, pushed the heavy portiere
aside and stepped noiselessly in.
The large room was lighted dinly by
two immense yellow pumpkins. their sides
cut into faces Of grinning grotesqueness
AT the far side of the room Miss Mlbrey
had that instant arrived before an an
tlque oval mirror whose gilded carvings
reflected the light of the candle She held
1T above her head with one rounded arm
He stood In deep shadow and the girl
had been too absorbed in the play to note
his coming. He took one noseless step
toward her, but then thru the curtained
doorway by which she had come he saw
a man enter swiftly and furtively.
trembling on the verge of laughing
speech something held him back, some
unexplainable instinct, making itself
known in a thrill that went from his
feet to his head; he could feel the roots
of his hair tingle. The newcomer went
QUICKLY. with catlike tread, toward the
slrl. Fascinated he stood, wanting to
speak, to laugh yet powerless from the
very sWiftness of what followed
In the mirror under the candle light he
saw the mans dark face come beside
the other, heard little cry from the girl
as she half-turned; then he saw the man
! take her in his arms, saw her head fall
on to his shoulder, and her face turn to
| his kiss.
| He tried to stop breathing, fearful of
discovery, grasping with one hand the
heavy fold of the curtain back Of him to
steady himself
Ihere was the space of two long, trem-
| bling breaths; then he heard her say, in a
| low, tense voice, as she drew away:
why?'' -
She fled toward the door to the hall
Don't come this way she called back
in quick, low tones of caution.
The man turned toward the door where
Percival STOOD and in the darkness
stumbled over a hassock. Instantly Per-
clval was on the other side of the por-
| tiere and, before the other had CROPPED
MS way to the dark corner where the door
was, mad recrossed the empty parlor and
| was safely in the hall.
He made his way to the dining-room,
where supper was under way.
MIR. Bines has seen ghost,'' said the
sharp eyed Mrs. -DrelmerI
Poor chaps only starved to DEATH
said Mrs Gwilt-Athelstan. 'sEat some
thing, Mr.. Bines; this supper is go as-you-
please. Nobody's to wait for anybody
Strung loosely about the big table a
dozen people were eating hot scenes and
bannocks with clotted cream and marina
lade, and drinking muled cider
And there's cold fowl and baked beans
and doughnuts and all, for those who can't
eat with a Scotch accent said the host,
cheerfully. :
PeEciyal dropped into one. of the chairs.
I'm Scotch enough to want Scotch
| high ball.
and you're getting it so high it's top
heavy cautioned Mrs. Drelmer
Above the chatter OF the table could be
heard the voices of men and the musical
Ilallghter of women from the other rooms.
u simply can't set 'em together" id
| the hostess (,51ss i
! ITS nice to have 'en1 all over the
place. said her husband, flair women and
brave men, you know
| The men have to- be brave she an
| sWered, shortly, with a glance at little
| Mrs. Akemit,s who had permitted Perciya]
to seat her at his side, and was now plead
| ing With him to agree that simple ways
of life are requisite to the needed measure
of spirituality.
| Then came strains of music from the
! 81 .
Oh, that dear Ned Ristine is playing
cried one; and several of the group saun-
tered toward the music-room
| The music flooded the hall and the room
so that the talk died low.
lies lmprovising," exclaimed Mrs
Akemit. How splendid! He seems tt
| be breathing a. paean of triumph, some
high, exalted spiritual triumph, as if his
soul had risen above us-how precious!''
When the deep swell had subsidized tc
s1lVery ripples and the last cadence had
tainted, she looked at Percival with moist
ened parted.lips and eyes alf-shielded, as
if her full gaze would betray too mucl, n
her quivering soul.
| Then Percival heard the turquoised bru.
nette say: What a pity his wife is such
an Ensympathetic creature!''
/ But Mr.. Ristine is unmarried, is he
not?" he asked, quickly.
There was a little laugh from Mrs Drel-
mer.
1 mot yet-not that I've heard off,
IT beg pardon!''
i There have been rumors lots of times
1 that he was going to be unmarried, bu
they always seem to adjust their little
difficulties. He and his wife are nov
staying over at the B1oynes''
/ "Oh! see" answered Percivar; .syou' n
1 a Jester, Mrs. Drelmer.''
i 'Ristine," observed the theosophic VIII
4 berforce, in the manner Of a hired oracle
q lis. in his present incarnation, imperfect,
homogeneous
Miss Milbrey' has stayed by the or
ganist," said one; "and she's promised
to make him play one more. Isn't he di
4 vine?''
The music came again.
sOh,' from Mrs. Akemit again in Al
ecstacy, he's playing that heavenly stuff
from the second act Of Tristan ant