The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1907-07-23

wits. pa.roEccs CT all the arts, gracious
queen CT an ideal salon-when the en-
lie returns t. ILL.,; own"
And doubtless he could also see him
seIf-,as Tom could see him-sweil.ng
with happiness and pride and sAtisfac-
ton, Her happiness he appeared to
take for grauted It might be unfair
to say that he never thought CT it at
all. buf lie very seldom spoke of it
even TO Claire
Tom was in and out at breakfast.
He contriyed to he out as much as
possible. Her face tortured him. He
saw marks like bruises beneath tie
lustrous eyes that never looked his
way. He noted the nervous effort Of
her conversation while he was present.
But after breakfast. when he must
have met her face to face on the veran-
da, she turned her back upon him in
a manner not only pointed. but barbed.
And for awhile his compassion desert
ed him altogether,
Claire was indeed not herself, Her
indisposition became more and more
transparent, and when she ultimately
confessed to perfectly sieepless night
Daintree put it down to her great hap
piness and was the first TO insist that
she should run away and rest" till
luncheon. Lady Starkie. on the other
hand. made herself extremely comfort
able. quite doting on the harOor and
Rose bay while she declared that she
had seldom felt better in her life. New.
ertheiess when her host began reading
her his poems u faintness overcame the
lady before he had got very far, Il
was quite inexplicable and most disap.
pointing. but she feared that both
Claire and herself were still suffering
from the effects OF the atroc!ous table
on board that horrible ship. So Lady
Starkie followed Claire upstairs. With
the poems. which she took care tc leave
there when she came down again
II was little hard on Daintree. but
he was now much too happy to be
readily depressed or vexed. His ram
pant spirits sought relief in activity
and he gal!oped off to Sydney to secure
rooms at the PuIteney hotel.
Ton was meantime behind the
scenes. So was Peggy O'Brlen. and
already those keen Irish eyes had seer
more than he thought. for homeless
.ovs had fitted them with strong lenses.
even as his triumphant suit had blind.
ed her master TO every passion but his
own. The girl had long OWNED that
some other woman stood between her.
self and Tom. and there were more
reasons than might appear for her in
stantly bouncing upon Miss Harding
as the one.
Peggy was sure that Tom and Dain
tree must have known each other in
England, or why were they more like
brothers than master and man? Ton
would not tell her. and the Fawcetts
could not. So Peggy set them down az
two old friends. and what If the friend,
had loved the same woman? The ide;
occurred TO her when she saw Ton
manipulating the cork ship aud 81
zealously preparing for the bride. l
was then an idea only. Ii became |
suspicion on the evening OF the BRIDE
arrival. aud Claire was not the onl,
young woman who lay awake all tina
night.
The other had been transported 70
a comparatively venial offense and hat
come through the thick of her Ordea
a better woman than most. She Is no
put forward as an average specimen
Of her sex and kind In that colony ant
at that time. The Irishwomen wer
almost invariably the best Of de
plorable lot. and Peggy was certainl.
not the worst Of the Irishwomen. Blu
there was evil in her. and passion wa
TO bring II out. as IL had alread.
brought out the good. A callous maj
she could bear with and wait for =
long as he was callOus and cold TO al
But TO see aud hear him signing 10
another woman-and that other wOmaI
-. there on the spot-was to lash pa
tent and single hearted devotion int
tumults OF jealousy and bitter rage.
The thing CALLED her while II wa
, still a suspicion. II maddened he
. when she knew II for a fact. AM
, that was when. In the same half mil
ute. she met Claire OH the stairs 4
, tears and saw Tom In his pantry wit
his head claspcd tight between hi
I hands. Peggy stole away without
, word. and there was mischief In ever
noiselcss step sne took.
Her first thought was 20 tell Dair
!. tree. II she dismissed on considerable
/, and tried making friends with the ID
\ dies maid In order 10 acquire informs
ton. This young woman. however
could only talk Of the fourth office
a aboard the Rosamund. aud II took Pei
n gy half an hour 60 discover that sh
: had never even seen Miss Harding b,
Q fore the voyage. SO she knew moth
ing. and half the morning was gon'
n but Peggy was all the more determine
4 10 learn everything before the visitor
. left.
The masters departure on horse
Z back at last inspired the way. TOT
4 in the pantry was still listening TO Oh
q gathering hoofs when Peggy opcne
!. the door.
;. "oh. ION. the masther would like y