The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-07-10
CHAPTER XVIII.
Continued.

why, I thought they were a-lay-
ing five or six to n against the
Briarroot FLY"
Tut! Your mind is always feed
ing on horse1esh," returned the
other, contemptuously. Il meant
there are no quotations on the S. S.,
stupid"
Not till the train stopped at the
ticket platform did the young gentle
man in the corner begin to awaken,
which he did with much yawning d
stretching; one would have said that
he had either been undergoing great
bodily fatigue of late or must have
been a very lazy young man indeed.
No sooner had he departed from his
companions, however, and found him
self in a cab, than all trace of sleepi-
ness vanished. There was an angry
light in his eye, and an angry ring in
his voice, as he exclaimed to himself:
THAT man again! How strange
that his cursed name is the first to
meet my ear in England. What
scoundrels those two fellows looked:
his accomplices, no doubt, in some
scheme of villainy. 1t is too late to
get on tonight, and I can't stop all
these hours alone, eating my heart
out with bitter thoughts. No doubt
Henry will give me a bit OF supper,
and-what 1 crave for infinitely more
news of Cambridge. Her
husband is a clever fellow, by all
accounts, and his advice may be
He put his head out of the window
and substituted for the address he
had first given to the cabman that of
the Irtons' house in Mazda Vale.
1t was past eight when the cab
drew up to the door; he rang the bell
and gave his card to the servant for
Mrs. Triton. Henry was still in the
dining-room, where her husband was
smoking his after-dinner pipe (she
was much too good a wife and wise
a woman to object to the smell of to-
bacco). She read the card, jumped
up with a cry of pleasure, and ran
into the passage, where Mr.. Frederic
Irton heard her exclaim, tumpltuous-
ly: You dear, good fellow" These
words, so distressing to a husbands
ear, were followed by an unmistak-
able kiss.
The next moment she ~reappeared,
leading by the hand a very handsome
young man, looking not so much
ashamed OF himself as embarrassed.
II owe you an apology, Mr.. Irton,"
he began, smiling.
Its quite out Of the question:
said the lawyer, gravely. THE mat
ter must 60 to a jury, who will assess
damages"
Why, it's Robert" cried Henry;
Robert Aldred, from India; I knew
he'd come" and then this extraordi-
nary young person, who had quite a
reputation for ~self-control, burst into
tears.
Il am very glad to see Robert"
said Irton, shaking hands with the
newcomer warmly. This is, indeed,
friendly Of you. You come to stay
with US, of c~ourse?"
NAY. l was going to Cambridge
this very night, but found I was too
late, so I just looked in"
Henry was in the passage again in
an instant, giving orders about his
luggage being taken down and car
ried to the spare room.
You will have to stay, Aldred,'
said Irton, smiling. IF ! were a
ter here 1 would add and welcome;'
but Henry presides over the estab-
lishment. This sad news of the canon
has brought you over, I concluded"
Yes; I am come on short leave in
stead Of long; but I could not leave
him to bear his misfortune alone"
II have always heard you were 4
good fellow, and nov I'm sure Of it,"
exclaimed the lawyer, %approvingly;
sit down, and you shall have some
dinner at once.
In Henny's house matters were
eve run so finely that there was
difficulty in suitably providing for an
unexpected guest; and if viands were
not wanting on the occasion, we may
be sure there was still less lack of
conversation. ..
The three sat far into the night,
comforting and discoursing On many
things, and, as generally happens
when a traveller has come from the
ends of the earth, the first topic Of
Roberts talk was upon his latest
comparatively unimportant expert
ence in the railway carriage.
How odd it was that I should hear
of this Adair so soon, was it not?"
he said.
We'll, a good many people are
talking about him, and none to his
credit" replied Triton. II have no
doubt, as you suggest, that the men
r engaged in some scheme-prob-
ably a nefarious one-in which he is
interested. l dare say it's no worse
than many another in which he is
mixed up. But III just take a note
Of the expected quotation of S. S.
shares" ..
And don't you think his having
to find $4,000 apparently, at some
early date, was rather significant"
why, yes, I've got that down al
ready" said the lawyer, dryly. Its
evident that he's approaching a crisis
probably a very dangerous one"
HE can't do my poor father any
more harm; that's one. comfort" OBJ
served Robert, grimly.
mo, he can't do him any more
HARM" said the lawyer, slowly. Per-
haps he was thinking Of the canon's
wrongs, as Robert was doing: for