Middletown transcript., 1907-08-17

nonnced the -needfnl words of
Introduction. and after an aps
preciable pause, the two men
shook hands. The soldier stared
at the other for a minute.
Odd, he said. I seem to know
your lace. Have we met befores
L;ttimer smiled.
-tlink-not, he said quietly,
and Sir Richard S face cleared in
an almost magical fashion.
All u chance resemblance no
doubt, he said. though indeed !
can't for the life Of me think who
it is yon remind me OF SO forci-
bly,. What a charming fireplace.
Duchess
Latimer crossed the hall and
sat down beside Rachel, and she
wondered what had brought an
altogether new shadow to his
face. It was as if Sir Richards
words had called it into being,
and for the next day or so, as
she watched him wistfnlly, it
seemed to her that he was wait
-
ing and watching for something.
The blow fell three days later.
Clifford ? said Sir Richard in
quick response to a question from
another man. No, I never met
him, but heard a good deal of
him in India. There were some
very ugly stories about him he
was only boy at the time, and
resigned his commission little
later, as daresay you know. |
don't know what became of him.
There was case of card cheat
ing = an unpleasant busi-
ness connected with a lady in
the station i was hnshed np, !,
but a thing of that kind is bound
to leak out despite all endeavors
to keep it quiet. By the way, I
fancy / have photograph of the
man himself in group. You
were looking at my collection of
| photographs, Duchess ? Well,
in group taken some years ago
in the hills / fancy Clifford ap-
pears. Allow me.
He took the bulky book in
Il which he had collected such a
Igoooly store of interesting photo
graphs, and turned its pages
rapidly. Several of the men
drew near and glanced over his
| shoulder as he did SO, and Rachel
| found her eyes straying to Lati-
| mer, who stood somewhat aloof
| from the rest. There was a
| flicker in his eyes-a passing ex-
preston that terrified her. 1t
was if a veil had been lifted for
one brief moment from his in.
scrutable face. She did not know
tOhat she feared, but
i All! here it is, and-that is
Clifford.
4 There was momentary pause
Ia dead silence-during which
Latimer sauntered over to the
Il group and glanced indifferently
at the photograph on which the
soldiers finger was placed.
!, Someone turned and glanced al
him.
i Jove /! said a voice, what a re.
| sem blance to Latimer.
!, At that everyone looked up,
and Rachel swallowed a gasp.
! Was it this she had been dread.
ing ? She looked at the faces oil
the men-the distinguished sol.
dier and the rest-and then at
Latimer, standing there straight
and goodly to look at.
II There was an uncomfortable
silence. A few OF those present
remembered that in Latimer's
history there had been one or
two ugly stories-they were
barely remembered now, but still
everyone knew they acre ugly
it was a moment of awkwardness.
il Latimer came to the rescue in
an instant. He bent down and
gazed at the pictured group of
men in the book, then stood up
again with laugh.
A, Yes-there is a likeness, he
said easily; that accounts for
your idea, Sir Richard, that you
had seen me before.
81
Sir Richard looked up sharply.
Yes, that accounts for it, he
said, and then someone broke
into the uncomfortable silence,
and Rachel heard no m5re.
| Later in the day she was sit.
ting alone in the anteroom near
t the library, q book on her lap,
and her eyes fixed on the dancing
flames. What visions she saw il
their brilliant tongues she hardly
knew till voices broke in upon
her dream, and she found herself
all unconcoinuclv lirto,;