The Washington herald., 1907-07-14

the strain Of REFRESHING the inward pas
sion Of revolt.
L am getting two more men down from
London. I've lost faith in those they
sent, and in our own men. too. We should
be making some progress; we should have
hit upon some clew before now" walking
up and down. driven by a goading impa-
thence. Marian. ! know. is losing hope"
with an upbraiding glance toward his
wtfe'S stately figure. She started round
IN swift appeal. but he went on. unheed-
ing. But ] viii not give up hoping
never-I can't-I can't"-violently God
could not lay such a punishment on any
man: II would be too dreadful, too horri-
ble'-the restless. red-rimmed eyes row
ing from the one to the other Under all
the misery Of the worse than bereaved
father some other feeling. some deeper
dread, seemed 20 look out from these
strained eyes. from that haggard face.
Lady Stormont came quickly to his side.
David, she said. gently. laying her
hand on his arm; and the light touch, the
quiet voia4 seemed 10 steady the man
for the moment. and to recall him TO him
self. Now Conyers understood why. save
for that one outbreak. she held her grief
down with 50 strong hand. why she
masked il with that set, still face.
For himself a sense of nightmare op-
preston was growing on him. Was this
Stormont? Was that stricken, tragic pair
his kind old friends? Was it Isobel-Iso-
bel, his little play-fellow. the gentle girl.
his wife almost, who had stepped, in her
muslin fTock and her little slippers-how
these trifies stung-Out of this safe, shell
tered life into-wbat? Like the older man,
he, too, burst into a flame Of revolt
NO, viii not give up hope, either. I
can't-I won't despair. I believe she IS
alive, and if she Is alive. by God. I will
find her"
Brave and honest words, and coming
from the very depths Of his nature. a ma
ture beyond the pleasant easy surface of
which the young man knew as little as
yet. perhaps. as his acQuaintances did.
Now for the first time that outer crust OF
cool, easy good nature had been pierced.
and the slumbering forces beneath had
been stirred to a passion OF pity. to a
whitehead Of resolve But how to turn
that resolve into action, or rather into
action which seemed to hold the faintest
hope of success? It was easy enough TO
be futilely busy. he told himself, bitter
y, as he went over every rod of ground
finding some clew that might have escaped
other eyes. and questioned and cross-ques-
toned every soul about the place. and
for miles around.
From Justine. Isobers little French
maid, he got no satisfaction. Between
hysterical grief and the grewsome I'm
portance attaching to her amid her fell
low servants. as the last person who had
seen poor Miss Isober' alive, the girl
was well-nigh beside herself. She burst
into passionate tears at Conyers' first
words.
"Ah. mon Dieu. m'sieur. ask me not
again to tell it: what can I say that I
hat no already say?"
But there might be something-someI
little trifie which might help, which might
strike me though the others did not no.
tice it, urged Conyers.
No, no, not possible! haf tell # so
often to miladi, to Sir David, to the po-
lice. to every one. What more to say
alas! hat nothing. We go to the wood
as every day. and the poor angel she say
Justine, fetch me another cushion, only
that-no more. / go-of course I go; II
ask you, m'sieur. could I do other? Mi
ladi, she blame me net. but how to for
give myself wringing her hands; land
yet how 10 know that 1t was a last
word&
of course. you couldn't know" broke
in COnyers, abashed, manlike. by the girls
uncontrolled distress. the little, piouant
face all marred with tears. NO one
blames you why should they? But you
noticed nothing, no footmarks anywhere,
nothing dropped?"
"Ah. m'sieur. It was long before I think
Of that. I think maamselle. she change
her mind, she go to walk, she wants me
not l wait, 7 wait, then I wonder, then
1 seek. fear, I despair-for there is theI
water so near. and the paths were dry
dry and smooth with the-how you call |
them?-the needles. All. 'sieur, there is /
no more-haf pity-aslE me no more" And |
Conyers left her. feeling that 1t would be
cruel to urge her further. The girl had
been attached 10 her gentle young mis-
tTessi there seemed no possible reason