The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-25

Ing would do 1t. md, frat and foremost.
you will have to guard against their
vigilance"
'"rhen. In Gods name. what do you
ask?" Llwellyn almost shouted. The ten
sion was almost unbearable.
s;chunbe rose from his seat For tho
first time the Professor saw that he was
terribly agitatcd. HIS eyes glowed. the
apple in HIS throat worked convulsively.
You are TO change the history OF the
world
lie drew Llweliyn into the very center
Of the room. and held him firmly by the
uipows. Till aa the TfoAcssor was,
schuabc was taller, and he bent and wbis
pered into the others ear for a fall five
minutes.
There was no sound in tho room but
the low hissing Of his slbilants
Llwellyns face became white, and then
ashen grey His whole body seemed to
shrnlt from his clothes; he trembled
terribly.
Then he broke away from his host and
ran to the fireplace with an odd. jerky
movement, and sank covering into an
armchair filed with an unutterablc
dread.
AS morning stole into the room the
Professor took bundle of bills and
Observation-Disclosures IToin S'ciiuhuc anu
thrust them into the fire with n great
sob of relief.
Then he turned into bed room and
sank into the deep slumber OF absolute
exhaustion.
He did not go to the Museum that day.
CHAPTER VII.
LAST WORDS AT WALKTOWE.
The great building OF the Walktown
national schools blazed with light. Every
window was a patch OF vivid orange in
the darkness of the walls. The whole
place was pervaded by loud, whirrng
hum of talk and laughter and an incredi-
BILE rattle of plates and saucers.
In one Of the class rooms downstairs
Helena Byars. with dozen other ladies'
Of the parish, presided over a scene of
intense activity. Huge urrs OF tee. ready
mixed with the milk and sugar were
being carried UP the stone stairs to the
big school room by willing hands. Piles
OF thick sandwiches of ham. breakfast
cups OF mustard, hundreds OF slices of
moist wedge-shaped cake covered the
tables, lessening rapidly as they were car
ried away to the crowded rooms above.
A Lancashire church tea party was in
full swing, for this was the occasion when
Basil Gortre was to say an official fare
well to the people among whom he had
worked in the North.
In the tea room itself several hundred
people were making an enormous meal at
long tables. under fiaring. naked gas
lights which sent shimmering vapors of
heat UP TO the pitch-pine beams OF the
room above.
On the walls of tho school room hung
long. map-ike pictures heavily glazed.
Some of them were representations of
foreign animals, or trees and plants, with
the names printed below each in thick
black type. Others represented scenes
from the life of Christ. and though some
what stiff and wooden, showed clearly
the immense strides that educational art
has taken during the past few years.
AT one end of the room was platform
running along its length. Some palms
and tree-ferns in pots, chairs. a grand
plano, and some music stands, promised
a concert when tea should be over.
All the ladies' of the parish were act
ing as attendants. or presiding at the
urns on each table. There could be no
doubt that the people were in state of
high good humor and enjoyment. Every
now and again a great roar OF laughter
would break through the prevailing hum
from one table to another. Despite the
almost sitting heat and a mixed odor
of humanity and ham. which sensitive
person might have shrunk from. the
rough. merry Lancashire folk were happy
as may be.
Basil Gortre. in his long. black coat.
his skin somewhat pale from his long m
ness. walked from table to table. spend
ing few minutes at each. His face was
wreathed in perpetual smiles, and roars
of laughter followed each sally of his
wit, homely cut-and-thrust style of
humor adapted to his audience. The fat
mother of families. wives of prosperous
Golfers and artisans. with their thick
gold earrings and magenta frocks. beamed
motherhood and kindness at him. The
Sunday school teachers giggled and
b.ushed with pleasure when he spoke
The vicar. smiling paternally as was his
wont. walked up and down the gangways
also, toying with the pincenez at his
breast, and very successfully concealing
the fact from every one that he was by
no means In the seventh heaven of happi-
ness. Tea-parties. so numerous and popu-
lar in the North. were always somewhat
of a trial to him.
Basil and Mr.. Byars met in the mid
die OF the room when tho tea was nearly
over. Tears were cleaning In the eyes
of the younger man.
1T IL hard to leave them ali,p he
said. How good and kind they are,
how hearty! And these are the people,
l thought disliked mo and misunder-
stood me. I resented what l thought
was vulgar familiarity and a coarse
dislike. But how different they are be-
meath tho surface!
They have warm. loyal hearts. Basil. ("
said the vicar. ut is a pity that such
'uncouth manners and exteriors should
&c with them. Surfdce graces may not
mean much, but there Is no doubt thew
have a tremendous influence over the
human mind. During your illness the
whole parish thought OF little else, I
really believe. And tonight you will
have Very practical evidence OF their
friendship. You know. Of course, that
there is going to be presentation?' !,
Yes. I couldn't help knowing that
much. though wish they wouldn't,
''It is very good Of them. Now shall
call for grace"
The vicar made his way on to the
platform and loudly clapped his hands.
The tumult died suddenly away into
silence, punctuated here and there nv q