The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1908-05-22

''Has she not returned yst?' "a 5
II don't know; but I don't think 60"
Restlessly Maxwell took turn UP
and down the room before he spoke
again: then he halted in front OF his
sister.
Il dined with Anderson and Lorimer
at the Savoy-they are our two big
gest customers in England" explained
Maxwell. "And there, II you please, I
saw Nurse Joyce with her brother and
Norman Forde.''
Norman Forde?" said Mary, shrink
ingly.
Il told you the other day that / had
learned from her that Forde was her
brothers partner, did not?" he asken
angrily; and then, with a half-smoth-
cred curse, he added, but rather to
himself, WAS there ever anything so
peculiar as that she should come
here?" Speaking again to Mary. he
went on, "And If am not mistaken
Forde and Nurse Joyce are in love
with each other. Do you see what
that means to us? Suppose she should
repeat to him what father says when
he is wandering in his mind-when
the 'delusion' is upon him."
Yes. see," said Mary, in quak-
ing voice.
"Of course, she may not tell him;
she ought not to tell him, but she
probably will Now, Mary, you and
she are great friends, believe: can
You not find out from her If she has
said anything to Forde? I'll tell you
rather strange thing about her. You
know how we'll she always lools-the
picture OF health. Well. this evening
she was compelled to leave the res
taurant with her friends on plea of
illness. She may have been back here
hours ago.
"Christab il!!" exclaimed Mary. in
wonder.
she certainly did look queer" said
Maxwell. perhaps she went to- bed
when she came in. However that may
be. wish you would see her and have
a talk with her. OF course, you will
be careful not to mention Forbes
name. nor to refer to him in any way.
Just find out if you can what she says
about telling any one-any one at all
of fathers 'Gelusion.' And Max
wells face showed an ugly sheer as
he uttered the word "delusion."
eff she is i'll and in bed" objected
Mary. 81 should not care to disturb
her tonight. Tomorrow morning Ill
see about it,"
Mary said not another word but a
arranged for Cross" he added, in
tone of deep significance, Ito take a
months holiday
Now Cross was the man who knew,
who had known from the beginning.
Mary said not another work, but a
convulsive shudder shook her frail
body. 1t was by means of Cross that
the riddle of Sir Johns speech had
been read, for he was the man who
knew. Maxwell and Lady and Miss
Sisterson came to know the truth
through him. 1t was in this wise.
On the evening of the accident they
had all been in Sir Johns room when
he first gave utterance to what Dr.
Flint had characterized as delusion
"a felicitous term which was kept up
to describe this feature of his illness
after the truth was known. They had
listened to Sir John with blanched
faces, and at the time. though they
were shocked and terrified beyond ex-
preston, they readily and completely
accepted Flint's statement. But when
Sir John repeated the same forms of
words day after day for several days,
Maxwell, thinking out dark hint of
Flint's, became suspicious that such
persistent delusion must have some
foundation beyond that which it had
in the known facts of Sir Johns early
days-facts with which he was well
acquainted.
The great Sisterson cement works
were built on that large, unlovely
tract of waste land that lies in the val
ley of the Thames east of T1lbury;
gigantic black pillars of smoke con-
,inually rose into the air that was sell
dom blue by day, but was ruddy with
furnace fires by night; and all the
time the atmosphere of the place was
full of fine rain of dust-cement dust
which made length of life impossi-
BILE to the Sisterson workmen.
ITO Be continued.)