Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1903-10-03
CHAPTER VII.
MISSING.

whence.
"a stir within our hearts a subtler sense,
Than light may read or wisdom may con
troll
The glasses sparkled on the dinner
..ble at Lord Sefton's house in Hill
.+reet the flowers were beautifully ar
ranged. but both master and mistress
we're out.
The cook was tuning, everything
,ros,ld De spoilt. so she asserted. The
bntler. sympathizing with her, made
frnitless journeys from the kitchen to
the hall door.
Finding no sign of the truants, he
knocked at the drawing room door, and
ventured to intrude on Miss Brabazon,
Who was sitting with her hat on. in the
easiest chair the room contained, reading
a novel.
"Wili you not decide to have dinner
served for yeu alone, madam" he said
denrecatingly. Il am sure both my mas
fer and mistress will be much vexed to
think that you should wait here so long
without refreshment."
Miss Brabazon kept her place in the
hook with her first finger, and looked
slightly bored at this harangue.
NO. thank you, Sherman" she re-
plied: "as | told you on my arrival, |
expect your master will be in before
LADY Seton; in fact, he ought to be
here now.' and she threw an impatient
glance at little French clock, with a
Cupid pointing at an impossible hour.
Perhaps his train is later" Sherman
suggested i'll dismal tone.
Very likely; anyway, shall not de-
eide whether l am to dine here or not
until he arrives"
The butler withdrew with sigh.
"A very decided young lady" he told
the cook; "masterful and short-not a
bit like her ladyship'
whats keeping her ladyship, I should
like to know" said the cook, with visions
of spoilt entrees; everybody knows
what trains are, and perhaps Lord Self
ton can't help it. But l suppose she
only went to drive in the park"
At this moment there was a loud
knock, and Sherman hurried away with
an air of relief.
Lord Seton had arrived.
He looked pale and harassed, and quite
disregarded timid suggestion as to the
dinner propounded by Sherman.
Where is Miss Brahazon?7 he asked
quickly.
The butler wondered how he knew that
she was in the house. and while he won
dered the drawing room door shut with
a sharp click. His master had disap-
peared
Miss Brabazon hooked up as Seton
entered.
you got my te3egram97 he asked hur-
redly.
"And came at once" answered Mabel
quickly, not appearing to notice that no
conventional greeting had passed be-
tween them. "Oh, Bayard, Bayard, what
an awful mess your sense of delicacy has
got us into. l was exactly one hour too
late to stop Joan"
Seton dropped into chair with a
groan, as. she continued
Sherman, who is the only person /
have thought 1T wise to question, says
that she went out at o'clock.
Seton looked at her with despairing
expression.
"Alone2" he asked anxiously.
no, not alone" said Miss Brabazon,
with undiminished cheerfulness; "she
went out with lady who called about
an hour before. A handsome woman,
who spoke with a foreign accent. She
introduced herself to Sherman as an old
friend of Lady Sefton's, and insisted on
coming in on Joan unannounced, so as
to give her pleasant surprise!"
Seton swore so suddenly and heartily
that although Mabel coughed loudly, she
was scarcely able to drown the oath.
which, under the circumstances, she felt
was quite eXcusable.
I am afraid, my dear Bayard, she
said, giving him the same fanciful title
she had used at first, that between us
we have made sad mess of this affair.
1t would have been better to have found
out the truth of Madame de St. Maur's
story from my aunt herself, even at the
nsE of reviving painful memories. And,
anyway, you really ought TO have eau
toned Joan that Madame de st. Maur
meant mischief
/ did do that" burst in Seton eager
"; but she was so unsuspicious, and
She takes things in such an extraordi-
nary way. She seemed almost sorry she
had married me when she understood
that madame thought herself badly
treated. | foresaw there would be
trouble, and was on the watch; but /
mad no idea that that fend of woman
having failed once would strike again SO
quickly"
His voice broke, and he turned away,
obviously on the point of breaking down.
1t was probably in the hope of restoring
ms self command that Miss Brabazon,
without appearing to notice anything
smlss. gave new turn to the CONVEX
sation.
You forget that do not know what
TOOK you out of town at such an impor-
tant crisis in your affairs she said
soothingly.
Seton answered her in weary and
dispirited tone.
Ibis morning l was wired for to go
u oIn to Earlsfield, my agent had been
thrown from his horse, and was not ex-
Pected to live. thought at first /
would take Joan with me. 1t was the
merest chance that did not do so.''
Yes" said his nearer encouragingly,
as he stopped short, with a despairing
gesture.
l thought the fellow would die per-
maps before we got there, and / did not