The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1907-05-04
Nv EFFIE A. ROWLANDS

said? 1 suppose you have sent for fur
ther police assistance, Miss Fraser7" he
went on.
Sheila confessed she had not even
thought of it.
Are not the Mountberry men sufi-
cient?" she asked.
This is pre-eminently a case for an
astute detective" he said; land I should
telegraph up at once to Scotland Yard,
if I were you. As the affair happened in
your grounds, of course, it would be
pleasanter for you to have it sifted thor
oughly."
You are quite right !" Sheila said,
warmly, although she could have struck
him with her whip for daring to dictate
to her. IL will send up to London at
once"
As she said this, the thought Of Bever-
ley Rochfort came into her mind, and all
dress from Mr.. Thorngate, and telegraph
to him to send down a detective, why,
she could scarcely have told.
CHAPTER XII.
1t was long before poor Audrey closed
her tired, aching eyes that eventful night !;
she had shed no more tears after that one
passionate outburst; she felt too much
pain and anxiety for this natural relief.
All she could think Of was Jack Glendur-
wood, lying alone in the bracken, insen-
sible, half murdered. She accepted her
mothers tender comfort, in a vague,
dreamy way. All the sudden Joy and
pride that had sprung into being early
in the evening, as she listened to the story
Of her birth, seemed to have vanished
beneath this great sorrow.
The sun was shining high In the heav-
ems when she opened her eyes, and found
her mother bending anxiously over her.
Constance Fraser gained strength at sight
Of her child's suffering. She was now
the strong, courageous woman; she put
aside all her invalid ways, and rose su-
preme to the moment.
Look after her WE'LL" she said to
Marshall, as she donned her outdoor gar
ments, and prepared to drive over to
Craiglands.
The duchess, proud, self-reliant, self
possessed as she was generally classed
to be, was after all only an ordinary
woman, with a mothers heart beating
quick and strong in her breast. Her two
boys had been her darlings from the ear
lest days of their childhood she had new
er been so fond or so proud of her one
daughter, who was too much like her
father in nature and character to prove
comfort to the other parent
The tears came to the mothers eyes
as Constance Fraser, after speaking all
the consolation and sympathy she could
think Of mentioned the countess name.
Il will stay with you till Gladys
comes" she said, gently; II am sure
there Is much I can do"
GLADYS will not come" the duchess
answered, quietly enough; and then all
stance! My dear! My dearp' she
moaned, what shall 1 do If lose both
my boys? Duncan's days are numbered
Il know it only too well-and Jack,
my bonny, my dear, good, noble Jack !"
Then Constance knelt beside her and
cheered her again.
"You are alarmed by this insensibility
it is nothing; it often happens with con-
cussion of the brain. I prophesy that
in weeks time you will have Jack out
of bed, or very nearly so. Now I want
you to look at me don't you see change
in my face? Yes, see you do; shall I
tell you all about it?"
And then, as gently, as briefly as she
could, Constance barred the secrets of her
heart to her friend.
"And you have found your child, Con-
stance? am glad. rejoice, my dear,
in your happiness. You must let me see
her soon. l shall love her for your sake
and for poor Franks; he was a great
favorite of mine"
Constance Fraser covered her face with
her hands, and when she drew them away
it was ashen white.
Hush - she said, almost inaudibly !;
do not let us speak of him. The pain
is too deep, too great. Such horrible re-
morse comes over me when I begin to
think, that 1 fear for my reason
know now was deceived, that doubted
him wrongly; but-but that is all 1 dare
let myself know just yet, 1t makes my
heart bleed"
white face.
"Have courage! Remember your
child J" she whispered.
II do! l dow answered Constance,
brokenly. I'm her I must live again.
God-mamma, want you to promise to
befriend her, to stand by her always"
For your sake and for hers, I prom
Use this, Constance; she shall never want
a friend while / am alive"
John Glendurwood's condition showed
no change, and although DR.. Sentance
declared he would pull his patient
through, he nevertheless felt much doubt
and anxiety as to his ultimate success.
1T is the mind that IN keeping him
back" he declared over and over again
to Mrs. Fraser, and at last ventured to
IL Il