Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-28

face gave her courage to speak more open
mo. Miss Rede. and it would be
strange thing If you didn't feel for him.
seem the way he feels by you, askin' your
pardon if I'm taking liberty. But there's
something come to my ears as happened
at the Green Man last Sunday night. as
makes lump come in my throat when
think of that lad!'
Piety kept her eyeids down, but her
mouth quivered.
a voice which was hardly more than a
whisper.
Mrs Mason put her hand upon her hips
and disposed herself for an harangue i'm
mediately.
well, Miss Rede, it was my father-in-
law-Ben's father, you know-as told me.
He was down at the Green Man O Sunday,
an he was in the meader behind the house.
when out comes young Treveddoe, an that
there Mr. Mercer from Carstairs, an there
was a fight, an Ben's father see it all, an
Treveddoe got the best of 1t; and it was all
on account of Mr.. Mercer's'-she dropped
her voice-"a-mentiOning your name while
he was in at the bar, which Treveddoe said
he didn't oughter have done. There, Miss
Rede, hope as l have made no mischief
by tellin' you. which I'm sure is far from
my Intentions; but truth is truth, and l
make so bold to think you haven't heard
the truth on it before"
! The tears stood in Pietys eyes, and for
a moment she could not speak
THANK you, thank you, Mrs. Mason"
she whispered, husktly, after pause of a
few seconds; Tim very glad 1 know"
And then there came upon her a sudden
horrible recollection of the CHASTITY Sthing
she had just seen, and she burst Into
food of tears.
If Mrs. Mason had remained with her
few moments longer 1t is probable that the
instructive longing to impart to another
some information too terrible to be borne
alone would have induced Piety to c0nfess
what she had seen. though not what she
suspected
But Mrs. Mason, naturally unable to
guess the cause of her extreme agitation.
had the deicacy to retire into her own cot
tage before the girl had recovered suf-
f1ciently to speak again.
Left to herself, Piety was seized by a
mad longing to see the unhappy Nigel once
more. II only for few moments. to tell
him. whether he was Innocent or guilty
committed. that her sympnthy-her friend
ship-for him were stronger than he knew.
But in the meantime, this seemed to be
clearly impossible. There was no sign of
but wish that he might be far away. After
waiting by the roadside for a few minutes
therefore, to recover from the At Of trem-
bling which had seized her in every limb.
she remounted her machine, and again
started for home.
She had not gone many yards, however,
had got. indeed. no further than the orch
ard on the right. which was the end of
this little patch of beauty among the bare
fields-when Nigel himself appeared before
her. lurking In the shadow Of the trees on
the right.
He did not hear the approach OF the BIZ
cycle. and was creeping along close to the
hedge, when she came suddenly into view.
"Nigel?' she called out, In a subdued
voice indeed. but with an unmistakable
note OF eagerness in her tone.
But he did not answer. Doubling quick
ly back before she was able TO stop her
SELF he ran down the road. still in the
shelter OF the trees, In the direction Of