Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1903-05-22
should ne nave even distant cain 10
ANYTHING that belongs to FablnnW

ting up very straight, and forgetting to
wave her fan.
"Not exactly" says Dulce, meditative-
ly; II really don't think hate him, but ne
can be disagreeablc, promise you"
But If you marry him, hardly tolerat
ing him, and afterward you meet some
body you can love, how will it be with you
then"
"Oh, l sha'n't do that" she says; VI
have felt go married to Roger for years
that it would be positively indecent OF me,
even now, to fall in love with any one
In fact, / couldn't" -.
81 dare say, after all, you like him well,
enough" says Miss Wharf, with her low,
soft laugh. MARK Gore says you are
exactly suited to each other"
mark Gore is confirmed old bachelor,
and knows nothing" says Dulce, contemp
tuously.
"Yet, once, they say, he was hopelessly
In love with Phyllis Darlington"
$50 he was. 1t was quite romance
and he was the hero"
'Phyllis Is quite everything she oughf
to be, and utterly sweet" says Portar
thoughtfully. "But is she the sort of .
person to create a grande passion in o
man like Mark?
81 dare say. Her eyes are lovely; SO
babyish, yet so full Of intent coquetry.
A man of the world, like Mark, would
like that sort of thing. But it is all over
now, quite a WORKOUT tale. lie visits
there at stated times, and she has
81 Go ha nv
Duke as she calls her husband"
81 WONDER" says Miss Wharf, with 9
faint yawn, eff at times she doesn't find
that trife slow"
you must try to like Fabian" says
Dulce, presently. Her voice is sad, but
quite composed. She appears mournful,
but not disconnected. "You have no doubt
heard his unfortunate story from Auntle
Maud, and-you believe him, don't your
She raises her eyes to her Cousins face.
81 hardly think have quite heard the
story" says Miss Wharf, evasively.
1T is very sad one, and quite unac
countable. Nothing has ever been ex
planned; l am afraid now nothing evcl
will be. 1t rests as it did at the beginning
that is the pity Of it-but you shall
hear"
Not if it distresses YOU" says POr
tia, gently. A feeling Of utter pity fol
Fabian's sister, with all her faith and
trust so full upon her at this moment
touches her keenly. AS for the story
itself, she has heard it q score of times,
with variations, from Auntie Maud. But
then, when brought to bay, what can one
say?
at will not distress me-" says Dulce,
earnestly. at all happened four long
years ago-years that to him must seem
u lifetime. He is twenty-nine now. lie
had just come home for his leave. He
was SO handsome, and so happy-without
a care on earth-and was such pet with
the men in his regiment. And then one
morning it all happened; we were at
breakfast when one Of the men came In
and said somebody wanted to speak to
Uncle Christopher. When think Of it"
with long-drawn sigh-"my blood
seems to run cold"
Il don't WONDER" says Portia, feeling
h, "How could one ever forget it?"
'Uncle Christopher went out to see the
man who wanted him, and after q little
bit came back again, with white face,
and told us one Of the clerks at the Coun.
ty Bank had dared to say Fabian had
forged his-Uncle Christophers-n
for $500 | think l hardly understood;
but Fabian got up, and first he grew very
red, and then very white, but he said
nothing. He only motioned to me not to
stir, so sat quite still, and then he went
up to Uncle Christopher-whow was very
angry-and laid his hand upon his arm
and led him out Of the ROOM"
'Dulcinea," said Miss Wharf, very
sweetly, holding out soft, pale, jeweled
hand, with tender meaning, "cone and sit
here beside me-"
Duce is grateful for the unspoken SYM
patty, but instead of accepting half tho
founging chair, which is Of goodly size,
she sits down upon cushion at Portals
feet, and leans her auburn head against
her knee,
at was quite true that somebody had
forged Uncle Christophers name for 1000,
but who it was never TRANSFERRED, Uncle
Christopher wanted to hush it up, but
Fabian would not let him. The writing
II
taton was exactly like it. Unfortunately,
Mt that time Fabian did want money. He
had lost something over the Grand Ma.
tional-or one of those horrid places-and
people heard of it; and then, even after
long waiting and strictest inquiry, we
could rot discover who had been the real
offender and that was worst Of all. II
seemed to lay the crime forever upon Fa'
bian's shoulders. He nearly went mad at
that time, and we, who loved him, could
do nothing to comfort him."
"Ah! that was hard" says Portia, lean
Ing over her. mot to be able to lift the
burden from those whose life is dear to w
rs our own is almost more than one can
bearw
"How you understand" says Dulce,
gratefully. "And then, you see, somehow
every one got to know about it; Fabian
could not prove his innocence, and-I sup
pose-the story sounded badly in alien
ears. And then there came a day wheu
bian publicly, and that made an end Of
nil things. Uncle Christopher wanted tc
take notice of that, tOo-wanted, think
to challenge Lord Ardley and carry him
over 90 France and fight it out with him.
but Fabian would not allow it, and ]
think he was right"
"Quite right" There is curious ring
in Miss Vibart's tone as she says this, but
Dulce is too occupied with sad retrospect
to notice anything at this moment. "How
could the writing have so exactly resem
bled Fabian's?' she says, presently; ut
was Uncle Christopher's name was forg-
ed, was it not?"
'Yes, but Fabian writes exactly like
him. He makes his capitals quite the
same. Any one trying to copy Uncle
Christopher's writing would probably sue.
coed in initiating Fabian's perfectly"
"Ah! he writes like Uncle Christie