Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-10-17
her n,eces naa got DIT out Of

events since we landed.'
From that point their conversation |
dealt with seneralitics. Soon the girl |
perceived his intent. His sole desire
was to place her nj her case, 10 make
her realize that no matter what trou-
blcs life held they could he vauluishcd |
if faced with Il smile. She responded
to his mood and culivcncd the drive
with comments on tie people they met
and the ho%seS and villages they pass
ed. For two hours the world went well
because it was forgotten.
Enid, the conspirator. waited until
the pair in the dogcart We're out of
sight Then she went to the little room
at the back of the cottage where Brand
pretended to be busily engaged in COM
piling scientific account of his auri-
scope.
Il am going out, dad" she said, try
ing to appear uncOncerncd.
"4All right he answered. laying
down his pipe.
Il only came to tell you because Mrs
Sheppard is out too"
obviously Enid was determined that
If Pyne's calculations We're worth any
thing they should have fair play.
"Oh," he commented sharply, but
the maid is in:"
"Yes. She is such stupid girl iii
some things. Tiff our guest rings you
will hear her. Would you mind asking
Mary what it is in case she gets mud
dled:"
He glanced at her. She was pulling
on her gloves and vastly bothered by n
refractory button.
"If hear the bell will inquire" he
said, and she escaped, feeling quite
wicked
When he was alone he did not re
sumo his task In the next room. sepa-
rated from lin only by u brick wall.
was his wife. A wall! Why should
there always be wall between them?
| 1t was not of his building. Had she
| made it impossible during the long
years? And what would be the out
come now that Constance was in daily
communion with her mother? The doc
tor in kindly ignorance had told him
that Mrs. Nansittart was convalescent
uItl NOGli nc " tiaNNi III ~ ""
days. In response 10 question the
doctor added that the lady herself
asked when she might be moved.
What was her plaa? Mr.. Trail that
day had written him sympathetic let
ter mentioning the fact that Mrs. Van,
sittart had voluntarily rescinded heI
promise to marry him and indeed
judged b. the light of present knowl
edge, had determined on that course
since she first knew that her former
husband was living.
Suddenly Brand pushed back hi;
chair from the desk at which he sat.
",The Young do.w he growled. He
had. in fact. followed the exact menta
process Which Pyne mapped out fo
him. The letter, the drive, Mrs. Shep
pard's absence, Ends uneasy wrig
ordered plan. He was to be given al
opportunity of seeing his wife and dis
cntangling the twisted strands o
twenty years. He rose impatiently an,
paced the room quietly withal lest tn
woman in the next room should hea
him. 4 decision had been forced Oh
: him. He could shirk it no longer
"Pyne has contrived this" he nut
tered. He thinks he can see NOR
clearly into the future than a MAJ
twice his age. Enid is in the plot.toc
And Connie! No, not Connie. Dea
heart! She is Worn with anxiety, We
she has never once mentioned he
, mother to me since she carried her in
to the house like an ailing child"
Back and forth he walked, wrestlin
with the problem. See his wife h
must and before she quilted Cornwall
t Was it advisable in her present stat
Of health to take her by surprise
: Pyne evidently thought so. And til
8 doctor! Good heavens! Was the docto
in the thing too?
at last he tugged at the bell.
"Mary," he said, task Mrs. Nansi,
= tart If she feels able to see Mr.. Brand.
= There; it was done.
e Mary, rosy checked and soft c
n speech, dreading only Mrs. Sheppard
|. matronly eye, knocked at the door {
O the sitting room. He heard her delive
his message. There was no audibl
d answer. He was lamenting his foil,
!. hoping against hope that no i'll result
:. might be forthcoming to the invali
thus taken by surprise, when lie caugl
a Mary's formal "Yes'm," and the 81
/, came to him
please, SIR" she said, "the lad
s says she is anxious TO see YOU"
~ He walked firmly to the door, opene
:, it and entered. He had made up h
mind what to say and how to say
J. 1t would be best to ask his wife to di
10 cuss matters in Il friendly spirit an
I for their daughters sake agree
~ some arrangement whereby Constant
: should see her occasionally. The
need be no tears, no determinations. l
N painful raking through the dust heal
M of the vanished years. The passion, Il
,e agony, Of the old days was dead. Tie
n secret had been well kept. 1t w;
q known only to those whom they cou
trust, and they might part witho
heartburnings, while Constance wou
A be spared the suffering of KNOWN
/. that her mother and she We're sep
rated forever.
AZ These things were well ordered in Il
9 brain when lie looked at his wife. 81
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