Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1905-07-21
CHAPTER II.

The head waiter was in the hall, alone,
and staring out through the glass door.
When he heard some one behind him,
he turned quickly, and there was a vague
alarm in his face.
"The-the lady, sir, has been here
again"
Mr.. Winterbourne paid no heed to
him; passed him hastily, and went out.
The lamplight showed a figure standing
there on the pavement-the figure of a
tall woman, dark and pale, who had a
strange, dazed look in her eyes.
II thought I'd bring you OUT" she said,
tauntingly, and with a slight laugh.
what do you want?p he said, quick
ly, and under his breath. Have you no
shame, woman? Come away. Tell me
what you want"
you know what I want" she said
s~ullenly. II want no more lies" Then
an angrier light blazed up in the impas-
sive, emaciated face. "Who has driven
me to it, if l have to break a window?
1 want no more lies and hidings. l want
you to keep your promise; and if l have
to break every window In the House of
Commons, l will let everybody know.
Whose fault is it?"
What madness have you got hold of
now?" he said, in the same low voice
and all his anxiety seemed to be to get
her away from the hotel. Come along
and tell me what you want. l suppose
| can guess who sent you. l suppose it
was not for nothing you came to make
an exhibition of yourself in the public
streets. They asked you to go and get
som money!"
IL will take them some money, n you
like" she said, absently.s "They are
my only friends now-my only friends;
they have been kind to me-they don't
cheat me with lies and promises-they
don't put me off, and turn me away when
| ask for them. Yes, l will take them
some money"
By this time they had reached the cor
ner of Piccadilly, and as a four-wheeled
cab happened to be passing, he stopped
it, and himself opened the door. She
made no remOnstrance; she seemed ready
to do anything he wished.
Here is some money. l will pay the
driver"
She got into the cab quite submissive
ly, and the man was given the address,
| I'LL Dulu. Itl lIt NtllNlt W 40 Nl
off; and he was left standing on the pave
ment, still somewhat bewildered, and not
conscious how his hands were trembling.
He stood uncertain only for a second
or so, then he walked rapidly back to
the hotel.
Has Miss W~interbourne's maid gone
to bed YETI" he asked of the landlady.
"Oh. no, sir! | should think not, sir"
the buxom person answered; she did not
observe that his face was pale and his
eyes nervous.
evil you please tell her, then, that
we shall be going down to Oatlands Park
again tomorrow morning? She must
have everything ready; but she is not to
disturb Miss WinterbOurne tonight"
Then he went into the coffee room,
and found the head waiter.
Look here" said he, II suppose you
can get a man to put in a pane of glass
in the window of our sitting room-the
first thing in the morning? There has
been some accident, | suppose. You can
have it done before Miss Winterbourne
comes down"
He stood for n omen apparently list
ening if there was any sound upstairs;
and then he opened the door again and
went out. Very slowly he walked away
through the lamp-lit streets, seeing abso-
lutely nothing of the passersby, or of the
rafting cabs and carriages; and although
he bent his steps Northumberland it
was certainly not the affairs of the ma
ton that had hold of his mind. Rather
he was thinking of that beautiful fair
young life-that young life so carefully
and tenderly cherished and guarded, and
all unconscious of this terrible black
shadow behind it. The irony of It! 1t
was this very night that Yolande had
| chosen to reveal to him her secret hopes
and ambition; she was to be always with
| him: she was to be "in%dispensable;" the
DAYS of her Punishment were to be now
left behind; and the two, father and
daughter. were to be inseparable COM
p~anions henceforth and forever. And his
reply? As he walked along the half-de-
serted pavements. anxiously revolving
many things, and dreaming many dreams
about what the future might have in
store for her, and regarding the trouble
and terrible care that haunted his own
life, the final summing up of all his
doubts and fears resolved itself into this
If only Yolande were married! When
he passed into the House 1t was to seek
out his friend, John Shortlands, whose
rough common sense and blunt counsel
had before now stood him in good stead
and served to brace up his unstrung
nerves. The tall, %corpulent, big-headed
ironmaster, he at length found with two
or three companions. Winterbourne
touched his friend lightly on the shout
der.
Can you come outside for a minute 2"
"All right"
! CO BE- continued.)