Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1906-10-09

saw writ on all three faces.
She burst into tears
Apparently am the last person to
be taken into anybody's confidence"
she sobbed
Madam" said Mr.. Trail. bending
over her, ~in this instance at least
you have no cause to feel aggrieved.
Neither the girl herself, nor her sister
| by adoption, nor Mrs. Vansittart, to
whom, until the past half hour. con-
sidered myself to be engaged, is aware
+ of the undoubted fact which your son
has just told you. Let me say that I,
as her father, am proud to think she
| has won the affections of such a man
as Stanhope There is no reason why
you, his mother, should not be equally
satisfied with the pedigree and pros
poets of my daughter"
His calm assumption of rank equal
if not superiSr to her own was con-
! vincing to a woman of her tempera-
ment Assuredly that evening was
| memorable one to her ladyship. The
repose of We're de We're was rudely
| shocked for once. Nevertheless the
knowledge that her lifelong ambition
had been realized in a way little
| dreamed of by any of those most con-
cerned was in itself consoling. Mr..
Trail, quite unconsciously, loomed
large in the social eye of Penzance,
and the widowed lady had not been so
| long withdrawn from the wealth wor
Shipping world of London as to be
wholly unleavened with the worship of
| the golden calf
| So it was with quickened interest
| that she set herself to listen to the
story of, Ends parentage, and, if her
| fear of local gossip mongers shrank as
| her perception of Enid's real social po-
sition increased. much may be forgiven
to the motherly sentiment that no wife
can be too good for an excellent son.
| Meanwhile Brand and the sorrow
laden girls, ushered by obsequious
servants to the entrance hall, were con-
strained to comfort themselves with
true British phlegm in view Of the in
terest caused by their appearance.
The hour was not late, about $50.
Even while the hall porter was sum-
moning a cab the news spread, within
and without, that the lighthouse keeper
and his daughters, whose exploits filed
the minds of all men, were standing
near the door.
Several people, complete strangers,
came to them and offered warm
congratulations. A smart journalist
pressed forward and wove his own
complimentary utterances into an in
terview. A crowd gathered quickly on
the pavement. Policemen, those mar
shals of every English demonstra ton,
cleared a path for them through the
throng. So, with smiling words 'on
their lips and anguish in their hearts.
they made triumphal exit. How lit
tie could the friendly enthusiasts who
cheered them realize that these three
had been atrophied by the deadly
malevolence of fate in the very hour
when great achievement had ended
happily. =
Enid suffered almost as keenly as
Brand and his daughter, Their joys
and sorrows were hers. The startling
nature of Brands avowal rendered it
difficult for either Enid or Constance
to piece together certain fragmentary
memories of Mrs. Vansittart's odd be-
hayior during her enforced sojourn Oh
the rock. So thoroughly had she shat
tered those dimly' outlined impress
sions by the quietly vivacious charm
of her manner at dinner that they both
experienced tumble of sensations. A
..-....lI v;u--.,,.., IL E:Gt ;i..I torn cloth
ing, covering in the snunt interior of
storm airt lighthouse. is very t.if-
fereut being whe.l uttired in expensive
garments ard surrC:.::.--,cI by the lux
--r.2s OF a first class hotel.
1t WAS I relief 10 ti-'iTc to their cot
tage il silence, yet, 50 easily moulded
is our L:,,H;:n clay, it was q greater
re.:a- y-,icl tie tc-G.o2 CT the noisy
rate of tie CO VS. r2.-.-cl. 1t cos
some effort to assure Ms. Sheppard, q
bu@c:n, nnotleriy sou! OF sixty cc there
abo1ts. that they cou.l not possibly eat
any supper. The effort was forthcom-
ing. They pleaded weariness. and at
last they Were alone.
Constance knelt by her fathers side
when he dropped listlessly into the
armchair placed in his accustomed
corner.
"Now, dad she said. bravely un-
emotional, there Will De no "oFe
tears. Tell me all that 1 ought to
know"
Enid drew hassock to his feet and
seated herself there, clasping her hands
about her knees.
"Whatsver she Gid l am sorry for
her." said the girl decisively. "And
she cannot have been a really bad wo-
man. dad or you would not have loved
her once"
Brand sighed deeply. His strong will
had deserted him for little while. He
shrank from the ordeal before him
Why should he be called on to sully
the mirror of his daughters innocence
by revealing to her the disgrace Of her
mother?
Constance caught something Of the
dread In his soul.
"Don't tell me If it hurts you, dad
am content to bear more than have
borne tonight IL it lessons your SUI.
texngs," she whispered,
He placed an arm around each 4oa
than