The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-04-28
.CHAPTlDR XII,

| the great mousse, aIter5 all the excitement
Of the last 70 hours,S that oppressed me-.
unnaturAliy silent There was not b
sound III the wide grato where the last
ashes OF the fire were silently giving UP
the ghost not a rumble OF wind In the
old chimney which had had 80 much to
say the night before, Z tossed and turn.
ed and vainly souCh. for sleep, now on
this side; now on that At last L gave
steal upon mo una wares. thought OF
the play and the bnil, OF poor Chnrles
and hls debts-of anything and every
| thing, but It was no good IN In the midst
Of a uinhe OF disconnected ideas. sud
derly found myself listening again to
the silence, listening Ms II It had been
broken by a sound which / had not heard.
Ny va tcl licked loud and louder Of, the
dressing g. table and presently + gave quito
a start as the distant stable clock tolled
| out the tour-one--two --throe-fo,lr. $T
had gone to bed before three. Had 4
only been awake an hour7 1t seemed In
credible. Getting up on tintoe, vaguely
anDAid myself OF broaking the silence, I
nolselessly pushed aside tho heavy CUR
tains and looked out. 8 .3a3s8 NJ st3i
The moon had set. but by tho frosty
| starllghtth the outline OF the great snow
laden trees and tho wide sweep OF white
drive wero still dlm,ly visible. All was
silent without as within. Not a branch
moved or let < fall Its freight OF snow.
There was not breath Of wind st ,l.i
was on the point OF getting back Into
bed. when 4 thought Iii tho distance !
heard Il sound. listened intently. mol!
must have been mistaken. All! again.
and nearerl I hold my brea tn. ~ could
distinctly hear stealthy step coming
1 up the stairs. My room was t5s heaf resi-
| to tho staircase end OF tho corrtdofl nT l
anyone coming up tho stairs must In W.,
| my door. with q presence OF mind awtlcn
l@I@nm glad To say rarely deserts liza !
blew out my candle, 81 pped to tho door,
i and noiselessly opened 1T ichink.l
Some one was coming down the corri-
dor with. the lightness OF a cut. candla N
hand. as q faint light showed me. q q, r. r
other moment. and saw Charles, pale
and hnggard, still in evening dress. COLI
! ing toward mo. He was without his SHOES.
He passed my door and went noiso lessly
Into his own room. a llttlo further down
| the passa Co., There was tho falntest sus-
\ 5piclon OF q sound, as of a key being gem
tly turned in tho lock. and then all was
| still again, stiller than ever. .i6.
/ E:What could Charles have been after,
| wondered. Ie could not have been re-
turning from scnng Denis. who was
not only much better. but was in tho
1 room beyond his own. And why had he
| still rot on his evening clothes, ut 4
/ O. clock In the morning? I determined to
ask him about It n ext day; : so p got pac k
| into bed again, and then, while wonder
ing about It and trying to get warm, =
fell fast asleep. was tonly $roasen' az
/ ter being twice called, to find that 1t was
broad daylight and to hear the boxes
being carried down OF many OF the guests
| who were leaving by an ehr!y train
was late, but not so late as SONS.
Breakfast was still going on. Evelyn and
Ralph had been up to zoe their friends
off but General and Mrs. Marston and and
Il r. did .SSssfs Lady Mary and 5tAurelln were
4 having break fast In their own rooms. I
think nothing is moro dreary than along
4 breakfast table laid for large numbers,
with half dozen picnicking at II among
| tho debris left by earlier raYages. I'VE we
| lyn,f behind the great silver urn, looked
i pale and preoccupied, and mad very NJ
! up to her end OF the table and sat down
by hcr. she asked mo twice II q took
/ sugar. and was not bright and alert
| and ready in conversation. as thlnK
girls should be- Carr, too. was eating
I his breakfast In silence beside Mrs. Mars
ton.
" II was not cheerful, And then Charles
came in. lstless and tired. and .Witho y
an appetite. He sat down YEARLY on
| the other sido OF Evelyn, and watched
her pour out his coffee without O word.
''Tho Carews and Edmonts and Lady
| Delmour and her daughter have just
gone" said Evelyn. ''and g.dr. Denis. !"
Yes replied Charles. seeming to pull
himself. together; Denis came to my
room before he went, He looked. n wreck ir,E't' !.
poor fellow; but not worse than some Of
u.s. These late hours. these frlsklngs
with energetic young creatures in the
! school-room these midnight revels. are
| too much for me- I feel o perfect wreck
this morning. too,
Flo certainly looked It. IN Il II
4 Have you had bad letters = said Eve.
lynn In a low voice. 5{
He laughed lttle-a grim laugh-and
shook his head. but I had yesterday
he added, presently. In d low tone. 7
shall have to try change OF air again
soon am afraid 4" u. az sBS a
ii was Just going to ask Charles what
\ no had been doing walking about In his
socks the night before when thedoor
not noticed, came in. He looked much
perturbed. It seemed" his father had
been taken suddenly and ala,mingly ILL.,
while dressing. In q moment nll was
confusion Evelyn precipltately left the
room to go to him. while Charles rushed
1 round to the stables to send a groom on
horseback for the nearest doctor. Ralph
|
party gathered in a llttlo knot round the
IRE, Mrs. Marston expressing the senti-
iment Of each Of us when she said that
| she thought visitors were very much In
the way when there was illness In tho
house; and that she regretted that she
| and her husband had arranged to stay
over Sunday, to-day being Friday. @
$50 have" said Carr; abut am sure
/ had better have refused a stranger IN
| 81 siok house is n positive nuisance. /
think shah so to town by an afternoon
| train, II there Is one.
Nippon my WORD ] think we had better
| do the same, said Mrs. Marston. What
do you say, Arthur And she turned
| to her husband.
"I must go to-day, anyhow--on husl-
moss, - said General Mnrston,
~ hope no one Is talking OF leaving"
said Charles. who had returned sudden
~, rather out Of breath, 8
Carr, IA! s 81.
Eyes, that is exactly what we were
dolng,'' said Mrs, Marstpn. Nothing isl
an tiresomo as having visitors on ones