Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-04

weather., and it will be seen that the
valet who went for George should have
returned In twenty-five minutes. Twenty-Five
minutes passed, however, thirty thirty-fve, and
yet George and the valet failed to appear The
conversation languished, the guests yawned, and
Daphnes face assumed an anxious look
Il do wish he would come!" she said, her lin
qulver1ng. Something must have happened to
him."
| NO, no. little woman, you mustn't get that
idea into your head" her father said hastily.
His friends in that case would have
| At last!
There was ringing of the door-bell, a rush of
feet to the hall, and twenty voices exclaimed:
Here they are!"
The plural pronoun however, was not justified
by the event, for only one person was visible,
and that was my uncle's valet
Captain Willard is not at the church, sir
whispered the man.
What "What time did you leave the church,"
Quarter past ten"
And he was to have been there at half past
nine!" cried my uncle.
"The Vicar wishes to know what Won are 90.
ing to do, said the valet. "Is he or his curate to
come and perform the ceremony here?"
Go to the church again. If the Captain is not
there tell the verger to send him on here as soon
as he arrives; and ask the Vicar or his assistant
to step over here. Then hasten at once to the
Metropole, and see whether-whether any acci-
dent has happened to my nephew. Hurry"
we returned to the drawing-room and explain
ed matters to Daphne, my uncle striving to put
the best complexion he could upon the case.
Dark, and ever darker grew the gloom out
side. 1t was impossible to keep up pretence of
conversation
Presently there was another furious ring of the
bell at the hall door, and again there was rush
of feet and score of voices exclaming "Here
they are!"
'fWho is it?" said Daphne, trembling like
leaf.
'I think" replied l. chat I can hear them
saying name that sounds very like Chunda."
Chunda? That's Georges native servant. Ask
him to come here Frank"
The visitor, having shaken the snow from his
garments, conducted-almost pushed-nto
the drawingroom and turned out to be dusky
Hndoo in English garb. He was followed by my
uncle's valet, who had met him the way.
"Chunda,' said Daphne addressing the Hin
doc. "where is Captain Willard?"
"I do not know, Miss Daphne" returned he,
in a tone in which surprise and perplexity were
blended. "Is he not here? He has been absent
from the hotel all night"
"Absent from the hotel all night?"
eyes, Miss Daphne. He left about seven O'Clock
last night saying he going to spend the even
ing in Belgrave Square, and would be back about
eleven. He never came back"
"Then he must be at Sydenham," said Daphne.
$50 I thought continued the Hindoo; "and
as he had told me that he had some orders which
he particularly wished me to attend to before the
wedding took place. I set off for Sydenham, and
walked up the housekeeper But the Captain
wasn't there, she said. | walked back to London.
But the Captain was not at the hotel when I
got there; and had not been in while I was
there, the hall-porter said. found his bed un.
touched
The artist now stepped forward into the circle
which had been gradually forming around the
Hindoo.
"I am afraid" he said, chat I must make
statement now that I would have made before
but for the fear of agitating Miss Leslie; it is
this Last night, about twelve o'clock, happen
ing to be at Charng Cross Station. I saw Cap
tain Willard take the express for Dover Before
could get near enough to speak with him the
train off.
"Tt is true said in voice too low to reach
Daphne's ear. "As I was landing from the
packet-boat this morning I saw George on the
pier at Dover, but not to speak to- He avoided
me-fled from me, in fact"
Ny wondering uncle gazed at Angelo and my
SELF as if not quite comprehending the import
of our words.
"Do you mean to say that George has deserted
her." he gasped. 'T will not believe it."
Once more the hall-bell rang, causing an ad
ditional wave of excitement to pass over the
company Alas! it was not George who rang
but the postman, with letter directed to 'Miss
D. Leslie"
'Tt is Georges handwriting" said Daphne
"Read it for me, papa"
NV uncle took the letter and turned it over sus
picously. At length, breaking the seal, he pro-
ceeded to unfold the letter, and he mastered
it's contents his face darkened.
'"What does George say?" asked Daphne with
her hand pressed to her beating heart.
''He says" replied her father, not wishing
to let the whole truth burst on her at once,
Chat he regrets having to defer his wedding
for few days but as
"Thats not it! You are deceiving me- papa!
Give me the letter: will have it-it is mine!"
With difficulty she rose to her feet, trembling
all over and before my uncle could prevent her
she had snatched the letter from him, and,
oblvious of the company, read out each word
aloud:
dearest Daphne-Break not your heart over
what is as sad to you. That has occurred
which compels me to leave you forever. What
the terrible circumstance is that forces me to this
step dare not say. 1t has occurred only within
the past hour I can never hope to look upon
YOUR face again. We must part forever. By the
time YOU receive this I shall be crossing the
Channel Do not seek for me; you will never
find me. In some secluded part of Europe shall
live out my days a lonely recluse. Try to
believe that this is all for the best, and forget
that there ever lived such
GEORGE WILLARD"
Daphne would have fallen to the floor if some
one had not caught her in his arms She lay
Graded within the artists embrace her face rest
inc on his breast and his arms wound round her
slender figure Brief this embrace, it was
nevertheless of sufficient duration to make me
hate him.
Tenderly he laid the figure of my cousin on an
ottoman The ladies Of the assembly crowded
round, and applied such remedies as were at
hand to restore her from her swoon. Angelo
"A bv he counh with folded arms min