Middletown transcript., 1904-03-05

them, still looking at him. was startled
for moment, but it is quite good news
Some one-some one is coming homt
sooner than l had expected-that is all
The light went out of his eyes all ths
lines OF his young face stiffened.
Some one he echoed. Who? For
give me, he added. know that have
no right to ask.
Why should you not ask !? she said
Her glance never faltered and she laughed
little as she spoke. Are we not cousin.
and old friends, cousin Tony? ough
to have told You and my sisters before
1t was foolish of me. am engaged tc
Mr.. Creighton. He is coming tomorrow
that was his telegram--so you see
shall be obliged to confess now. Didn't
you suspect when / talked OF him?
He was struggling fiercely for his self
control. He loved her so dearly that hs
would not let her see how great a shocl
her words had been to him. Though
she had made shipwreck of all his hopes
darkened the very sun in heaven fol
him, no word of his should reproach Ter
What she had done he knew that she
had done tEoughtlessly and unknow
ingly. She was not to blame because in
short week or two he had come to love
the very ground she trod on.
Does Miss Mary know? he asked in 9
curiously gentle voice. You ought. to
tell her, Stella.
What was the pang that went through
Stella's heart? Was it relief? Was il
disappointment? She did not know. But
she had somehow expected Anthony to
take her news very differently. He had
received it as calmly as the Vicar might
have done.
I am going to tell her and Catharine
tomorrow, she said humbly. 1t was
silly of me not to tell them directly ]
came. But I wanted Molly toto
She seemed to think that I was little
girl still, and didn't want to make her
feel that l was quite grown-up. knew
it could be only for a little while, but
Yes-I quite understand. he said in
the same gentle voice. You did moi
want her to know how soon she was to
lose you again. l must congratulate you,
mustn't I? Isn't that the proper thing
to do when you hear that friend is en-
gagged?
Despite himself, his eyes were betray.
ing him. He could keep his voice calm;
but as Stella met his glance, she sud.
denly began to tremble. She could not
answer him, and before he could speak
again the drawing-room door opened and
Molly came hurrying out. She came to-
wards them with little cry Of relief.
Oh, Anthony, are you there? Catha-
rine is i'll. 1t has been too much for her.
Do send for the doctori 1t is one Of her
bad attacks.
I will 60 myself Anthony exclaimed.
I shall be quicker than James. l will
bring him back with me, Miss Mary.
1t was little relief to get away from
the Grange, and to gallop along the quiet
country road to the doctors house, four
miles away. But, gallop as he would,
he could not escape from himself or from
the jealous agony that burned in his
veins like fire. The very road that he
was following was full OF memories OF
walks and talks with Stella and there
to the left, its white front shimmering
through the trees, was Newlyn, where
his rival would be on the morrow.
Fool-fool that he had beenl Yet he
would not have crushed out his love for
Stella even if he had had the power to
do so. Happy or unhappy, he would 60
on loving her to the end and she should
never guess what she had done. No
touch OF grief for him should mar the
brightness of her lot. If only the man
had been any other than Creighton But
perhaps she would never know that he
had once been believed to be Miss Mary's
suitor. Miss Mary would do her best to
keep her from knowing. But let Creigh-
ton take care to play the faithful lover
this time!
And Anthony's brow grew black as he
glanced again at the house that was so
soon to shelter Stella's lover.
CHAPTERv
All the guests, except Mrs. Deane and
the Vicar, had departed when Anthony
returned with the doctor. Miss Passing
ham had recovered sufficiently to be able
to walk up to her room, Mrs. Deane told
Anthony as they stood together in the
hall after the doctor had gone upstairs,
but she still looked frightfully i'll.
Poor Mary is greatly alarmed about
her. l do not wonder at it. She looked
in her swoon as ifshe was already dead.
Her face was corpse-like.
Was it quite sudden? Anthony in
quired, feeling bound to ask some ques-
ton when Mrs. Deane paused.
He had his hat in his hand, and he
was longing to get away from the house.
He could not bear to see Stella again that
night. But he knew what was expected
Of him as one who had been treated al
most as younger brother by Catharine
and Molly, and he did his best to play
bis part.
Mrs. Deane had quick eyes, and she
saw that he was distrait and unlike him
self. She noticed too how continually
his eyes wandered towards the gallery
above them. The inference which she
drew was natural one, though exactly
opposite to the truth. She thought that
he was hoping for word with Stella be-
fore he left, and she determined to help
him.
1t was terribly sudden. Mrs. Chilcot
and l we're talking to Molly at the other
end of the room, and we saw her sud
denly fall back in her chair. Mrs. Har-
vey, the wife of the new Vicar of Deep
dene West, was talking to her, and she
was very much frightened. moor little