Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1905-12-28
locked that also, and went slowly

locked that also, and went slowly
through the contents.
She came upon one or two letters that
interested her slightly and drew her
thoughts away from her original purpose
to search the desk, and it was not until
both sides were quite empty that she
discovered with a sudden heart-quaklng
fear the absence Of that for which she
was searching.
A look of wild despair flashed from
her eyes and her breath came in short,
sharp gasps. as she turned to the heaps
of odds and ends which she had already
gone through. with a hope that in her
absence of mind she might have passed
what she sought without noticing 1t.
Her quick nervous fingers turned over
the papers until the pile had once more
been thoroughly searched; and then Pau
line Mailing sank back in her chair with
her hand to her head and a look of de-
spair in her eyes Horrible thoughts
chased each other through her aching
brain; and. when o'clock at last struck,
she had arrived at only one definite con-
clusion, that the person who had posses
sion of the missing article and the one
who had advertised for the address of
Sir Geoffrey Mailing were one and the
same.
When she rose and relocked the desk,
she was haggard and pale, and she look
ed at herself wistfully in the glass; and
an instructive prayer went up from her
heart that her beauty might not leave
her until she was Jack Dornton's wife.
In the midst of all that threatened her
loss of name, wealth, posltion-it was
almost touching to note how this worldly
woman counted everything as nothing
compared with her love for Jack.
Lord Summers was one of the guests
at Mallingford. He was staying "over
the seventeenth" and the fussy, kindly
old man was slightly concerned at the
existing state of affairs. He arrived only
on the Saturday evening, and he was
surprised to find Jack still at the Park.
And when are my pictures to be
completed, Mr.. Dornton?' he asked.
This very question had been point
of disa greement between Jack and Pau
line. He had wished to carry out the
commission for those six pictures, and
she had urged the unftness Of his earn
ing another penny by his painting after
their marriage. So he hesitated little
before he answered.
''Are you anxious to have them soon?
I am anticipating winter in Rome this
year and l should like, If possible, to
devote myself while there to a close
study of the old masters. But, if you
are particular as to time, l will finish
your commission before touch any other
work, of course"
"No, l don't think l am exactly in a
hurry, if you are not" and as his lord
ship spoke he thought of the avidity
with which Jack had accepted the offer
when it was originally made, and his
voluntary promise to complete the series
by the end of the year. $50 you mean
to winter in Rome?" he said, pleasant
ly. And how does Miss Ethel Mallett
like the prospect Of SO long a separa-
ton?'
Jack Redeemed suddenly, and he hated
himself for it.
II did not know you took enough In
forest in my private affairs to be led
into investigating them," he answered,
with a decided touch of displeasure In
his voice.
Nor do I. You are mistaken: 1t h
Miss Malletts affairs l am interested
in. l beg you will not credit me with
prying into your personal affairs at all.
As l have spoken on the matter, and
as you seem to resent the liberty-which.
believe me, was not intended as such
must explain how things are. l met
an old friend of mine, with his daugh
ter, at the Exhibition of the Royal Acad-
emy one day last season. l had known
him in years past a. an enthusiast In
art, and I was delighted to meet so con-
genial a companion" Lord 4ummers
pa used a moment, and looked carefully
round the table, seeing everybody occu-
pied in conversation, he went on, in 4
eighty lowered voice. "My friend has
had many reverses in life, which has No
eeeeitnted his taking the name of Mr.
Nallett,' and have driven him to earn
living for himself and his family BY
giving lessons in drawing. l SEQ you be-
rin to understand now"-in answer to
Jacks start of surprise "WeIl We went
through the rooms together and he oams
to a picture Of yours. Mics Aallctt's
dslisht at its position on tho line was
eloquent of many things. l looked the
question l did not dare to ask, and Mr..
lallett told me of tho engagement be-
tween his daughter and you, and ex-
pressed his wish that she should remain
In the same class of society that she had
been brought up in, in answer to my
suggestion that she should come to us
for a season out Of town. Now, perhaps,
you will understand my motive in seek
ing you out to excuse my seemingly i'm
pertinent curiosity"
CTo be continued.)