Washington State journal and Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1906-1907, 1907-08-21
CHAPTER Iv.-(Csati,usd.)

OF the upper ten. HIS Ionsy. HIS -
litical views, aad his power, a. detsrnin-
ID By the fact Of his being lArss en-
pisyer Of labor. aad. therefore, Of Gen.
trsliiag q large percentage Of vsteA
brought about an acquaintance. and then
. f,issdship, with Sir Edwin Gasceisne.
an inJseanieus but nest aristoeratic
karsAef. By Sir Edwin's lid. Mr. Fra
ser was returned In the Conservative
cause, and his step planted IN the nrst
RING Of the ladder. He was . decidedly
clever nan, and although tes mean and
nisgardly to be altogether popular, he
was not lsng in anding some friends.
Among these, however, could DOT be class
Cd Constance Gascoigne, Sir Edwards
second and only surviving daughter. Miss
Gaseoigne was a very beautiful! girl. but
she had won the reputation Of having a
bitter and unkind tongue. Every one
knew that Constance Gascoisne did net
share In her fathers infatuat.on for Mr.
Fraser. and yet she electrified the whole
social world by suddenly be,0miny his
wife. There was the nine days gossip.
and then the Fraser marriage became
. thing Of the past, although there were
Some Of Csnstance's women friends who
still discussed the subject.
"There has been something mysterious
about the girl for the last two years !"
cried Mrs. Fanfare, the. biggest scandal
monger Of the time, land for one al
ways thought that young Frank Anstru-
Tiers sudden death had a great deal to
do with it. Constance was ,nadly in love
with him, poor girl! Well, she has done
very we'll in one sense. This Fraser man
is rolling in money-positively rolling
my dear"
In vague, yet uncertain, way Sheila
felt that it was only through her step
mothers popularity and undoubted social
position that she was received and well
coined as the friend Of the county fami-
lies around the neighborhood, and pos
sessed the entree of the lest houses in
London when they stayed there for the
season; and, bearing this in mind. it
was only natural she should he very care
full to keep on good terms with one who
was so very indispensable to her. Deep
down in the girls shallow pretense of q
heart there iurked q rank!iug jealousy
for the delicate, aristocratic, still beau
tiful woman who had been her fathers
wife. Sheila had never quite understood
Constance Fraser, and she was just lit
tie bit afraid of her; she knew how bit
ter the sweet, refined voice could ring
sometimes, and how contemptuously the
pale lips could curve when occasion mer-
tied 1t. She felt vaguely that Mrs. Fra
ser knew her at her exact worth; and
yet the young stepmother had never, by
word or sign, been anything Lut kind and
affectionately considerable 70 the girl
whose guardian she was
Sheila turned away from the mirror
with frown, and throwing herself on her
lace-trimmed pillow, again .cok up her
letters. The frown vanished as she read
the warm and pressing invita- tions from
two or three of the best houses around to
luncheon. dinner, tea, and the like.
bah! am a fool" she said to her.
self, and she laughed shortly. II was
only half awake just now, and what IL
this girl is pretty, how does that affect
met l am Miss Fraser, of Dinglewood,
and heiress to good hundied thousand
pounds. don't think need trouble
my head about a servant maids face ~
She read through the rest of her letters,
and then rang her bell sharply. "Why
doesn't the girl come back? l must get
up, or Jack will be Of before I have
half dressedl r.
The bell rang sharply in the corridor
outside, but Audrey neither understood
nor Needed its purpose. She was very
frightened. and very full Of pity at that
particular moment.
She had gone direct, as Miss Fraser
had commanded her, to Mrs. Fraser's
room; she knew 1t, because BRIGHAM had
pointed it out to her the evening before !;
she had knocked gently, and on receiving
an answer, she had gone timidly in. The
room was large, airy and pretty; it was
hung with dainty chintz, and was, COM
pared to Sheila's magnificent apartment,
simple beyond description vet Audrey
felt, in a sudden and indescribable way.
that she liked 1t much better; it was so
fresh and dainty looking, and there was
plenty of room to move about. A fire
was burning brightly, and a large bowl
Of daffedils and tulips made q spot of
color in the window. A woman, In a
white mob cap and large apron, was just
placing a tray by the bedside, and Au-
Grey, raising her eyes very nervously, saw
. delicate, lovely face lying on the pillow.
'Whe is 1t, Marshall2" inquired Mrs.
Fraser In . low, but singularly sweet
voice.
IF you please. IL am come from
Miss Fraser"
Audrey stammered out the message al
easily as she could. She was not exact.
ly frightened, and yet her heart was fut-
tesing, for she felt rather chan saw that
Mrs. Fraser's eyes were fixed upon her,
Marshall was replying in brisk yet re.
spectful way when her mistress stopped
her. She stretched out q fragile hand,
white as snow, toward the girl.
"Who are you" she asked in eager
hurried tones. "Where do you come
from? Come nearer! Come close!
want to see your face. u"
IF you please, ma'am. th's Is Miss
Eraser's new maid as Mrs Thornsate
as got for her." said Marshall.
Mrs. Fraser had pushed herself up In
bed; her deep blue eyes were shining like
stars. and rush Of color had come into
her white cheeks. Involuntarily Audrey
had drawn nearer, and had put her small
work-stained fingers into those other del
icate ones. Mrs. Fraser pushed the girl