Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-23
CHAPTER XIII.
Missing!

Mary Holland had resumed an interrupted
habit, and was once more making brisk
walk contribute to the solving of problems
and calling her old confldante, Dame Ma
ture. into silent counsel to help her. She
had been confined to her mothers sick room
for two days; but this morning the doctor
had said that all immediate danger was
over and that Lady Holland might come
down stairs tomorrow, and might resume
her hobby of drawn linen work whenever
she pleased. Then he had turned TO Inc
girl, frowned and shook his head when he
saw that the brown eyes were bo-dered IN
derneath with dark rings, and tod her TO
get her hat at once and spend COUPE OK
hours at least n the open al.
1t was just a week now since mat a1ter
noon when she had walked along the cl'L5
by the golf course, and Thought out the au-
vertisement which she meant 10 pug N the
Scotsman. to ask for employment 1or
Young lady with no accomplishments, ana
few talents except that she could shoot
IA bbit for the pot, darn stocking, ana .eI-
you from memory from when OF Inc VIC
torian poets your favorite quotation was
taken She remembered that she had told
Harvey Wiseman then that she meant To
live, not simply to eX st, which was az thac
she had done hitherto; and thAt NE Dd4l VI
merely material comfort and p4acld luxury
which he dlngled DeforC her was not
enough unless he had the gilt OF unusual
happiness to add to it also 10 lie WlialF,
deliriousy happy was the modest de!a'nu
which she made of fate; inl II tate wouiu
not give her a happiness ike that. she had
asserted with the arroga 1t confluence OF
health and youth that she would accept
sorrow, rather than a c0lorie3s nuIi-'g VI
mere content! -.
She was waiting for fate'I hour, she said;
and Harvey had thought tlae he was listen
ing to a prophecy And on that afternoon
fate's hour had struck.
Today she had chosen the same route tor
her walk. The and she were Old
friends and usually she could tune herself
to its moods; but today it was not 50. y
fiat calm was canopied by iilmy haZe; ana
after each dive widening circle Which
lasted while one might count a htindred
slowly. The sea was IN sleepy mcoo,
resting placid, content, and Mary plCked
up stones and threw them in with udGvn
irritation, which Was half-real, AT lis want
of sympathy
How dare you doze, when 1 want you
to twinkle and dance, and help me 10
Think she exclaimed, with a lauS ailS pet
ulance We are old chums, You ana. L,
aren't we? Then why don't you help me
20 settle things? There! that ma lie Dig
splash on your sleepy face, but it has gone,
and you are as smooth and torpid a. ever
| shall get no help from you today.
She turned, and struck inland across the
golf links following the path which WISE
man and she had taken when they SPOKE or
fate's hour. She felt that her challenge %
fate on that afternoon had been accepted,
and that Tor the last week she had been
living in every minute; the unln-errss'llS,
uneventful monotony at which she Shaleo
had been broken in that hour. Bue lor inc
rest? There had been hint set or a
wild. delirious happiness; and sorro" rad
come near enough to make her TeaNze that
even the monotony at which sac ra!ieu
might be thing more easily endured.
She had seen nothing OF Wortley sliice
no rar1t WI
hand and kissed ii. day and halt hao
passed since then, and she began TO won,
der at the length of his absence he hao
neither told her what the business was
which took him away, nor how long it
would detain him; but she had gathered an
impression that he did not intend to De
away more than few hours.
What II, after all, he did not intend 10
come back? Or rather, what If he had In
tended it when he gave her his promise,
and had afterward decided that to Keep the
promise was too dangerous! she peleHeu
thoroughly in his expressed repugnance 70
keeping the deception up any longer, and
she specialized whether a PROMISE gwen 10
her in moment of excitement, would De d
thing which he would hold sacred. II ne
loved her of course there should be no
question but that he would hold faith with
her even in trfles-if this was trli1e And
he had said that he loved her. And though
she shrank with curious mental timldlty
from assigning consequences OF any Klho
TO his declaration, she believed 1t.
But when one is eighteen-and more espe-
cially If one is a girl of eighteen-mor-
ality and honor are simple things, which DO
not admit Of qualifications of time and CIR
cumstance He had deceived her once;
therefore there no reason why he
would not be likely to deceive her again:
The fact that there may be two KINDS OIL
deceit, and that one may be easy and the
other Impossible to the same man, does
not enter into the straightforward phil
osophy of eighteen!
And yet in her heart she did not believe
him capable of flight now. Whatever else
he was, he was no coward. Besides. the
battle with Harvey was not finished. ON,
Of course he would come back!
But again the thought forced itself upon
her, and she coL'd not shake it off: If he
didn't?-and if her mother had to be told
the reason why. Mary breathed hope that
she would not be called upon to meet this
question; for she saw way by which II
could be answered.
Sims met her at the gate on her return,
and touched his cap. The little man was
looking anxious, and Mary saw that he
wanted TO speak 20 her.
well, Sims, what Is fT' she asked.
Has Mr.. Wortley returned?'
Sir Eustace Holland has not yet re-
turned answered Sims.
Mary smiled at her own slip and the
chauffeur.s correction of 1t. With Sims, of
course it did not matter; but it was a
warning to her that as Il conspirator she
must be more careful.
Il should have said, has my brother re-
turned?" she corrected. You say he
hasn't. When do you expect him?'
II expected him yesterday, miss
Mary felt a sudden thrill of misgivins
for there was unmistakable anxiety in the
| little monkey-man's tone
DO you mean that he told you to expect
him them" she asked, quickly.
Yes, miss. About midday or little
after. were his words. And he told me TO
keep near the house in case you wanted
me- l thought perhaps he might have writ
| ten to you to say why he had been de-
| layed.'
Mary shook her head.
| He hasn't" she said.
Sims touched his cap again.
Il beg your pardon, miss, but the post
| man has just left today's letters at the
| abbey. l thought there might be one tor
you from my MASTER
Are you anxious about him. asked me
| girl quickly.
| Yes, miss
Then I'll go and see
| She hurried into the house. and three
| minutes later returned to the garden, where
| Sims was waiting for her.
| There is no letter. she said graveiy.
| Now tell me why you are anxious about