The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-11-12

nary friend or adviser. L am i'll q
difficulty as great as hers, but l am
almost afraid to hope that you can do
as much for me-"
Ser me hear Mt least what is wrong.
then / can judge. If l see no likeli-
hood Of being able TO help, | will tell
you so at once"
"The trouble has to do with my only
daughter. Sic is delicate girl, high
~ strung and excitable, and 1t was
on her account that / came here. The
doctors said she had been going out
too much, and needed perfect rest and
sea air. Well, she has them both here,
but so far she is distinctly worse, not
better. than when we came"
"Have you discovered any reason for
;his?"
None She tells me she likes the
place, and l believe she does. 1t is 4.
very old house, as you will have noticed
and she takes the greatest interest in
It, She has explored every nook and
corner. But she Is more restless aud
excitable here than she was in London.
can't understand 1t, it seems 50
strange. | am sure something is worry
ing her, but she won't confide in me. "
Mrs. Drummonds tone was fretful and
berse;f, and she felt distinctly aggrlev-
ed ut having a daughter who did no.
take after other girls.
Then am afraid 1t is hardly likely
stranger to her."
'Sbe might If she thought you SYM
pathetic and foundSout that you have
similar tastes to her own. She was
always an imaginative girl, inclined 10
dabble in spiritualism and that sort of
thing, and as you have devoted your
lfe TO psychical research l thought you
might be able to understand her-l
can't"
Il will see what can do, but | am
rot very hopeful. In any case. don't
let her suspect that | am anything
more than an ordinary visitor. or you
Will put her on her guard If she really
has something TO conceal"
While they were talking the door
opened, and Helen Drummond came ~.
| Eorthbrook saw q tall, slender girl,
with n dazzling complexion and red
hair She did not belong TO the inahl-
mate, anaemlc type of invalid, that was
evident. Indeed, at first glance, oaa
would hardly have thought that auy-
thing was the matter with her. But
to trained intelligence like North
brooks she soon betrayed herself. lie
saw how restless she was; how alb
sert-mlnded She could not keep ss;ll
for long at n time she was constantly
moving about, though apparently with
ort any object. No doubt she was too
finely organized TO stand the strain of
London season as some girls can, but
there must be something more than
that. She did not look tired or eX-
hausted, but over alive. She suggested
tie idea of being on the lookout for
something or somebody. She could not
settle to anything. There was expec-
tation in her air.
There may be quite an ordinary ex-
PLANTATION OF all this" Northbrook
thought. "She may have left some
Lody I'm London in whom she is more
than little interested" He discreetly
questioned Mrs. Drummond on this
point.
''She had a good deal OF attention, .
was the reply, las YOU see she Is an
attractive girl. But there was only
one man of whom she took any par
ticular notice, and / persuaded her to
give him up. His name was Douglas
| Vansittart He was dangerous man
as fascinating as he was worthless.
think 1t was only a girlish fancy and
! she has forgotten him.
Northbrook did all he could to make
! friends with Helen, and he was sue
cessful up to a certain point. She was
quite ready to talk to him on different
subjects, to have him stroll by her side
when she was gathering flowers for the
! house, to treat him generally as q
pleasant acquaintance: but that was
all. He had not reached her real sell
vet he knew that He knew, toe, thai
1t was quite time somebody did. There
was some adverse influence at work
What 1t was he could not guess-per
haps she did not know herself-bu
her mind preyed on her body.
They were standing one evening oil
the terrace that overlooked the sea-
was a favorite walk with Helen. Sh'
liked to pace up and down between tn,
old house and the gray, rolling Allan
tic, whose waves dragged ever at tn,
rocky shore, as though they would teal
IT away.
"This will not be n cheerful outlool
month or two hence" Northbrool
said. ut is a little overwhelming evel
now on a summer night, there Is sucl
sense of space and loneliness yol
hear nothing but the sea and the wind
But in the cold grayness of winter /
would be nothing less than formidable
they ought TO be left to themselves
They are not meant for human habl
tation."
at mas a wondrful fascination,
think" the girl said, dreamily "Yo
are so cut off from the world that yo
almost forget 1t Is there. You forge
Its hard matter-of-factness, its limite
views. You could imagine anythin
here; all things seem possible"
''You believe in the influence @
places? So do 1. But / believe In th
influence Of things as well-thing
made by man. For instance. that oil
house there" nodding his head bacl
wards, "lmpresses me almost as niue
as the sea that rolls at its feet.
has stood there two or three hundre
years at least. what history it mu:
have. Think of the joys and sorrow
the sin and wlckedness perhaps
that It has known; all shut up With