The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-07-16

on her right hand, or TOR Eyerard, who
is standing on her left.
The little touch of calm that seems to
have fallen on them all is now broken.
From outside, from the stone steps lead
ing up to the first room in the old tower.
comes yell both loud and Deep Nat
urally, Mr.. McGrath is the owner of it.
Owen says Mrs. Clarence at once,
with an air of resignation; "he has evil
IDENTIFY fallen on the hard stone steps.
coming up in a hurry, and hurt himself. "
Indeed. second later, as he stumbles
into the room. he tells them so.
"Beastly stairs. Fancy putting stones
inside a house. Bad enough before the
hall door. Well, here 1 am at last. Not
missed, l can see, although l have been
fighting your battles down below. But
it's no good, Nothing would get our
darling Lucien off to his silken couch. He
grows livelier every minute. He wants
to see you, Hilary; I'd advise you to go
at once, as he's in one of his tantrums.
What are you all doing up here, Ell?
Mooning?'
Everard casts an involuntary glance at
Dolly, whose face is impressive. Had she
arranged it? And, indeed, perhaps she
had Who could say?
At all events, she does not betray her
self. Her wonderfully youthful little face,
with its lucent eyes of simple blue gaz-
ing through the window up to the lustrous
stars, is innocent as babes of any hid
den meaning.
Everard's heart begins to beat quickly
The time has come, with or without
Dolly's intervention. Why trife with it;
Five minutes alone with her-with Am
Der A word spoken-a word answered
If she will give herself to him. He jibs
a little at this thought. he, woh, up to
this, has sworn against lasting charms
of any sort But this one creature in all
the world has caught and held him.
Hilary below is caught by Sir Lucien
in q discussion about the rents of the
lower farms frst-and then, as to the
chances of making Brian Deane tell all
he knows of the missing jewels. HE
knows everything" says Sir Lucien. Il
don't believe it," says Hilary, she is false
all through. He is playing with you,
and so on. Hilary's manner, in spite of
ulIlStsl, - a lltbic lnlpdlicnl, unu lie mas
lost the power to conceal it. His heart
is with the lovely Amber upstairs, with
the girl who has dragged it out of his
breast This thought delights him. Il
have now no heart" he has told himself
a hundred times, glad at his loss. NO
heart, but she has given me hers in
stead. And what a heartl" All her
grace and sweetness comes to him now,
threefold as he sits listening to Sir Lu-
cieu's violent diatribes against her mother
and her detested father.
As he saw her last, looking up to the
stars, her pretty elbows on the window
sill, how dear she was. Truth and beauty
lay in her eyes. All that is her princi-
pal charm, Truth. But beauty is truth
And what lovely nature is hers!
Poor Amber. she has need of many
witches to keep away the many harms
that are following her tonight, had he
only known it, Breaking free at last
from Sir Lucien, he rises, and with a
haste that am afraid can hardly be call
ed decent, leaves the room.
Now, with mad haste in his steps. he
rushes up the broad staircase from the
man, tobtA " Atdth again AAdt lOOm
the old tower where he had last seen his
beloved gazing with rapt eyes upon the
stars
The room is empty No Amber Is
here now. No one is here-it is swept
clear of any living thing. Dolly indeed
had been careful TO carry off all the
others downstairs, when she saw Amber
apd Evorard ro touo r1y tha t;,r sto;-s
that led to the very top of the tower
Something he cannot define strikes
cold to Hilary's heart, as he stands on
the threshold of the empty room. She
had not waited 1t was the one, the
first thought. 1t was senseless-absurd
how could she wait, if all the Others
went? 3ut still she had not wait.
ed.
He turns to retrace his steps. If moi
here, then perhaps in the drawing room
1t is late, however, and no doubt once
having abandoned their desire for the
stars, they-the women-had all gone
to their rooms. Slowly he goes down
| wards, and reaching the gallery that runs
round part of the house, walks slowly to-
wards back staircase that leads to the
halls beneath. He has gone half way
when a slight sound in the distance be-
hind him brings him to a full stop.
Steps! Steps surely. He turns ,and
through the darkness-Sir Lucien's eco
nomical mind has ordered lights out al
eleven o'clock sharp every night-througf
the darkness lit only by the moon, that
now is riding gloriously in the heavens
outside. his eyes rest instinctively upor
the stone steps that lead to the tower.
4 moment he waits, his heart beating
madly-a moment, and now through the
mists of night, and the strange shadows
of it, and the faint rays rushing through
the central windows, he sees two forms
come slowly forward.
They pause. One-it is Amber-leans
slightly forward. Some words fall from
her lips. Her ompanion-Everard, be-
yond doubt-answers her. Another mo
ment, and then Everard has taken bel
hand. has raised it to his lips, she con
senting. A fervent, a passionate cares
on the back of that small brown hand
and Everard goes down the principa
staircase, leaving her still standing in tn,
full moonlight gazing after him. Adar,
can see her face perfectly Beyond doub
there Is intense feeling in it-for him
for Everard !
The fact that Amber is now comm.
his way, across the unlit gallery, fails e
check the devil that is raging in hi.
breast. All! last night. How he hac
admired her then, mad fool that he was
because of her determination not to marry
him until her fathers name was cleared
| She had not waited to clear her father.
memory before accepting Everard. VIVA
a dupe he has BEEN 1t was a mere pu
off TO him, until she could make sure o.
| Everard, and his immense fortune. AnC
he had believed in her; he would hav,
| staked his soul on her truth.
Nearer, nearer come the footsteps
Quite in the shadow himself, he Cal
watch her as she approaches. without
being seen himself. A cold, hateful dis
belief in all things-in everyone-has seiz
ed upon him, taking place of his late mae
J rage. As she gets within two yards o
him he steps forward.