Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-08-24

aims and high ambitions had been
praised by my family until his very
name sickened me: and yet my own
| grandfather had thought IL wise TO In.
trust his fortune and my future to the
man Of all men who was most repug-
nant to me. I rose and paced the floor
/ in anger.
Ny rage must fasten upon some one.
/ and BATES was the nearest target for
II. went 20 the kitchen. where he
usually spent his evenings, TO vent nv
feelings upon him. only TO End him
gone. climbed 70 his room and found
II empty. Very likely no was OF con
I doing with his friend and fellow con-
spirator, the caretaker. and | fumed
with rage and Disappointment was
! thoroughly tired.-ss tired as on days
when l had beaten my way through
tropical jungles without food or water:
I but I wished. In my impotent anger
against I knew not what agencies. to
punish myself.--to induce an utter
WEAKNESS that would send me ex-
hsusted 70 bed
The snow IL the highway was we'll
beaten down and I swung on country
/ ward past st. Agatba's. A gray mfst
hung over the fields in whfrling clouds.
: breaking away occasionally and show
I Ing the throbbing winter stars. The
walk and my interest in the alterna-
ton OF star-lighted and mist.wrapped
/ landscape won me 90 a better state of
mind. and after tramping a couple Of
miles, set oUt for home. Several
/ tunes on my tramp 7 bad caught my
selI whistling the air OF a majestic
Old hymn, and smiled. remembering
my young friend Olivia. and her play
Ing in the chapel, She was an anus
I ing child; the thought OF her further
/ lifted my spirit. and I turned into the
/ school park when 7 reached the outer
I gate with a hafrecognized wish TO
/ pass near the barracks where she
| spent her days
At the school gate the lamps OF a
I carriage suddenly blurred ia the rnlst.
/ Carriages are uot common in this re-
| zion. and I was not surprised 70 find
/ that this was The familiar village hack
/ that met trains day and night at An
nsndsle. Some parent. I coujectured.
/ paying a visit 90 ST Agatha's: posi-
/ bly-and the thought gave me pleas
ure-perhaps the father OF Miss Olivia
I Gladys Armstrong had come 90 carry
her home for a s.-.ctor discipline than
Sister Theresa school afforded.
The driver sat asleep on his box.
and I passed him and went on into
the grounds A within seized me to
visit the cryr, OF the chapel and ex-
anime the opening 90 the tunnel AS
passed the little group OF school
buildings a nan came hurriedly from
one OF them aud turned toward the
chapel.
I FIRST thought II was Stoddarri. but
! / could not make him out in the mist
and in my uncertainty waited for him
| 20 put 20 paoes between us before
! followed.
He STROBE into the chapel porch
with an air OF assurance and heard
/ him address some one who had been
| waiting. 20 mist was now so heavy
/ that I could not see my hand before
\ my face and stole forward until
heard the voices Of two men distiScuy.
Bates"
yes. SIR"
heard feet scrsping on tho stone
floor OF the porch.
This SIS a devil OF place 20 talk
IN, but It's the best we can do Did
| the young man know I sent for your"
No. Sir ] kept him quite busy
I with his books and papers"
"Humph, We can never DE sure OF
him"
II suppose that ls correct, str"
Well you and Morgan are a fine
pair, I must say, ] thought he had
some sense and that you'd see to Il
/ that he didn't make mess OF this
! whole thing He's in bed now with a
/ hole in his arm and you've got % 10
on alone"
III DO my best, Mt. Pickering"
Don't call me by name. you idiot
I We're not advertising our business
from the housetops"
Certainly not" replied Bates hum
bly,
The blood was roaring through my
head. and my hands clenched as
stood there listening 70 this colloquy.
Pickerng's voice was-and is-un-
mistakabe. There was always purr-
ing softness In IT, He used TO remind
me al school OF sleek. cSmplacent
cat, and hate cats with particular
| loathing
Us Morgan lying or not when he
says he shot himself accidentally"
demanded Pickering petulantly.
Il only know what I heard from
| the gardener here at the school Youu
understand. / hope, that can't be
seen going 10 Morgan's house"
"Of course not. But he says you
haven't played fair with him. that you
even attacked him a few days after
Glenarm came"
Yes, and he hit me over the head
with a club. II was his indiscretion,
sir. He wanted 10 go through the IT,
brary in broad daylight, and it wasn't
any use. anyhow. There's nothing
! there"
but don't like the looks OF this
shooting Morgan's sick and out Of
mis- head But a fellow ike Morgan
isn't likely TO shoot himself accident
ally, and now that it's done the works
stopped and the time is running on
/