Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1907-04-22

buruum cottage. lie admitted tnat he
directed the lady to the house in the
FIRST instance and that Mr. Brand told
him subsequently 10 convey the stated
message to the hotel.
Nevertheless he was the richer for a
sovereign as he went out
Mr. Trail helped himself to n whisky
and soda
Here's to the reconciliation of
Brand and his wife," he said. with a
lighter tone and more cheerful manner
than he would have deemed possible
eve minutes earlier.
Pyne followed his example.
say. uncle" he cried. heres a
queer item. When l first met Con-
stance I spoke of Mrs. Vansittlrt, and
called her my prospective step-aunt"
- very silly name too"
Constance seemed TO think that. or
its feminine equivalent She corrected
me. You mean your fancee's aunt
she said"
"Oh, did she?7
Yes. ana here's to her being my
fiancee's mother"
With the morning came doubt. 4
maid who was given charge of the two
children told Pyne that Mrs. Vansit-
tart had been greatly upset the pre-
viOus evening. The girl was sure that
the lady had passed nearly an hour in
tears kneelng by the side of the bed.
Then. having regained control of her
Il, fDv 4INn
maid and asked ut what time the first
train left for London next day. She
ordered her breakfast at an hour which
/ seemed to Indicate her intention to de-
! part by that train, said that she would
leave instructions with Mr.. Pyne con-
corning the children, and gave the maid
two letters which she had written.
| These were to be delivered at 8 o'clock.
| What was to be done with the letters?
As they were addressed to Pyne and
his uncle respectively, he soon settled
that point
/ His letter read:
! Dear Mr.. Pyne-I am leaving for Lon
/ don quite early, so l will not see you
again in Penzance. l have supplied the
{ little girls with all the garments they will
| need during the next few days. If, on in
! quiry, you ascertain that they have no
| relatives anxious, not merely willing, to
! take charge of them, l shall be most
! pleased to assume that responsibility. In
/ that event kindly write me, care of my
bankers. Yours very sincerely,
Z. VANSITTART.
The communication to his uncle was
equally brief. Mr.. Trail read it to
him. 1t ran:
Dear Mr.. Traill-I cannot marry you
/ Please forgive me did not realize when
you hOnored me with your proposal that
! an insuperable obstacle existed. That is ali
! "a lame explanation. but complete so fan
as it goes. A woman who has wrecked
| her life finds it hard to choose her words.
Your sincere friend, E. VANSITTART.
They discussed these curt notes dur
ing breakfast.
Il do not like their Tone" said Mr..
Trail gravely. They impress me as
the hurried resolutions of a woman
driven to eXtremeties. Were it not for
her request about the children should
think what you thought last night,
Charlie. when that policeman turned
up
Il must have telephoned my ideas to
you mighty quick" was the retort.
My dear 10y, even at this moment
we don't know what she intended tc
do. Why did she go out? What is the
nature of her sudden illness? How
comes it that she is at Brands house?'
81 may be mistaken, but | think we
will be given answers to all your ques
lions in due time. Nothing really seri
Gus can be amiss or we should have
heard of it from Brand himself. Now
will you remain on guard here while
/ 90 out with Elsie and Mamie? The
one thing that matters in their littlt
lives this morning is that shall hurr,
r up and go doll hunting with them"
t Il will hold the fort until you return
4 You will not be long"
e perhaps half an hour. While / an
o out will make some inquiries as t
n the condition of our other friends o
t, the Chinook
t by the way. many of them must b
Il destitute. 1t is my desire. Charlie, t
pay the expenses of any such to thei
t destination and equip them properl
for the journey"
make your arm tired if you o. X. th
bill all the time. Now, here's a fai
offer. Let me go halves"
It BE off. you rascal You are keepin
L two ladies waiting"
't With seeming anxiety to atone fo
the excuses of the week. the weathe
that morning justified the claim c
D. Cornwall to be the summer land {
'e England The sun shOne from a blu
sky flecked with white clouds. III
lie waters of Mounts bay sparkled an
lie danced in miniature wavelets. The a
er was so mild, the temperature SO equ;
d bic, that it was hard to credit sea an
ir wind with the havoc of the precedin
N days.
" The Gulf Rock disaster did not stan
r alone in the records of the hurrican
Even the days papers contained b
i. lated accounts of casualties on IL
W coasts of Normandy. Holland and ia
II