The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1903-02-26

n IT 5t5s 1ff,ff
At length Miss Vandeleur made her
appearance, carrying the soup tureen.
Mr.. ROLES ran to offer her assistance,
which she laughingly refused, and
there was an interchange of pleasan-
tries among the trio which seemed to
have reference to this primitive man
ner of waiting by one of the company
Zone is more at ones ease,' Mr.. Van
deleur was heard to declare.
Next moment they were all three in
their places, and Francis could see as
little as he could hear of what passed.
But the dinner seemed to go merrily.
There was a perpetual babble of voices
and sound Of knives and forks below
the chestnut, and Francis, who had no
more than roll to gnaw, was affected
with envy by the comfort and delibera-
ton of the meal. The party fingered
over one dish after another and then
over delicate dessert, with a bottle of
old wine carefully uncorked by the
hand Of the dictator himself. AS it be-
gan to grow dark lamp was set upon
the table and couple of candles on
the sideboard; for the night was per-
fectly pure, starry and MINDLESS. Light
overlooked besides from the door and
window in the veranda, so that the
garden was fairly Illuminated and the
leaves twinkled in the darkness.
For perhaps the tenth time Miss Van
deleur entered the house, and on this
occasion she returned with the coffee
frQv which che nj 81 IL
board. At the same moment her father
rose from his seat.
'"The coffee is my province" Francis
heard him say.
And the next moment he saw his sup
posed father standing by the sideboard
in the light of the candles.
Talking over his shoulder all the
while, Mr.. Vandeleur poured out two
cups of the brown stimulant and then.
by rapid act of prestidigitation, emp
tied the contents of tiny vial into
the smaller of the two. The thing was
so swiftly done that even Francis. who
looked straight into his face. had hard
ly time to perceive the movement be-
fore it was completed, and the next in
slant, and still laughing. Mr. Vandeleur
had turned again toward the table
with cup in either hand
ERE we have done with this" said
he, I'VE may expect our famous He
brew"
1t would be impossible to depict the
confusion and distress of Francis
Scrymgeour. He saw foul play going
forward before his eyes, and he felt
bound to Interfere, but he knew not
how. 1t might be mere pleasantly,
and then hoN should he look if he were
to offer an unnecessary warning? Or,
again, If it were serious, the criminal
might be his own father, and then how
should he not lament if he were to
bring ruin on the author of his DAYS?
For the first time he became conscious
of his own position as a spy To wait
inactive at such juncture and with
such conflict of sentiments in his
bosom was to suffer the most acute
torture. He chung to the bars of the
shutters, his heart beat fast and with
irfegularity, and he felt a strong sweat
break forth upon his body.
Several minutes: passed. o.. r-~.., 49,
He seemed to perceive the conversa-
ton die away and grow less and less
in vivacity and volume, but still no
sign of any alarming or even notable
event.
Suddenly the ring of glass breaking
was followed by faint and dull sound,
as of a person who should have fallen
forward with his head upon the table.
At the same moment piercing scream
rose from the garden.
TO BE CONTINUED.