The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-05-28

StOpptAlS pcCliuS uONu llTOuSu
a great hole in the flooring near the
doorway. A trap-door once had covered
it no doubt, because some of the broken
fastenings can still be seen, whilst a
ladder caught on by iron crooks hangs
over the gaping space. Does it ever
come TO an end?"
Il don't know. | suppose so, down
there" She has come up close, to him,
and is now bending. as he is, over the
yawning gulf in the rotten boards, and
gazing into seemingly unfathomable
depths below DO you know" she goes
on, this old mill has the strangest fas-
cination for me- 1 cannot keep away
from it. I Think smiling, lit will make
me, or mar me, some day. Black as ii
looks down there, another floor is beneath
1t, and beyond that something else lies
l don't know what"
a cellar, probably"
Il daresay. As | tell lon't
know. / have not had the c. to go
down. There is a sound of yva~er when
you get to the flooring below, and that
means rats | hate rats--I'm a coward
Il confess it,
They are standing together, peering into
the black void beneath, but now she turns
and gives him a little glance. 1t is the
archest, merriest little glalce--the most
innocent one-and she accompanies it
with laugh, soft and light-hearted.
You spoke of home n while ago.
says he presently. 1T is that house up
there. is it not? But house does not
mean home, and you have told me moth
ing of yourself. You have friends?''
Il, NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. And
then, with a cold little smile, You had
not even learned so much about met"
Il am so seldom here" begins Adare
flushing hotly- Then losing all his SELF
control. Il know you have been most
disgracefully treated by the lot Of us
But for the most part we never knew. y
And did not care to inquire" Her
tone is no longer aggressive 1t is low
and a little sigh breaks from her lips
well, you shall know all there is to
know. l live here with cousin of my
fathers, Esther Deane She has some
little money, and / have a little more
and so she says it is we'll for us both to
keep house together"
Yours being the house,"
20, yes. If such torn-down old -uin
can be called one."
She seems crushed for the moment, but
almost in a moment RECEIVERS herself
Adare, who has not known the Irish
character sufficiently well to make allow
ances for these sudden inexplicabla
changes of mood, is little taken aback
when she says calmly:
Talking of that, 1 must seem very
inhospit.tble. That is my house up there
have a cup of tea? Esther, l am sure,
will be"
Not to-day. thank you / am afraid
as it is, shall be a little late for din
ner. But another day, if you will al
low me-"
He breaks off, expecting an snswer
But she is silent Her whole air up to
this has been so gracious and so sweet
that he turns sharply to look at her. Her
eyes are steadily downcast: a faint tinge
of color that seems to him born of con-
fusion warns her cheek. To cover it he
goes on quickly:
You have another relation here, have
you not?'
She glances at him quickly. a little
disdainfully perhaps. And Adare grows
less sure that that touch of color a mo-
ment since was born of confusion.
"You know something about me. after
all, then:" says she. Yes, Esther's
brother, Brian Deane, is staying here
for the present only" Had that quicl
flush meant that he was out now, bun
might be in another day? "He came
from Australia about month ago, where
he has a sheep farm. Why he came. oil
for what, / don't know: but Esther says
on business. l know she wrote to hin
to come"
90 busincss?"
$50 she says. l sometimes think she
wants TO go back with him. And they
both want me to go, too. However,
with sudden recollection, these detail:
cannot possibly interest you. And-yot
want to know your road home. do yor
not? You see that hill over there? Yor
go up that. and then in the valley below
it you will see a straight white road
Follow it, and it will take you straight
to Carrig" She bows her head slightly
"Good-byw
I'VE are not living so very far apart,
says he hopefully. I'VE shall certainly
meet again."
II don't think so. / hope not. Dom
think me too rude, but believe me it will
be better that our acquaintance, such a,
it is, shall be ended now. There coult
never be friendship between our houses.
There might be-" begins he impulsive
", '.:f you and Sir Lucien were to meet.
II have no desire to meet Sir Lucien.
says she in low voice full of concen
trated bitterness. .He believes my father
stole and sold those jewels that my moth
''of course you, too. know the whole o
that detestable, hideous SANDER" He
eyes are afame. IF you had known M
father
Il believe the whole story a most de
spicable lie." His tone is almost as We
hement as her own.
How does that old man dare to sa,
my father was a thief? Oh. yes, he did
He met Brian the other cay. and accused
him of knowing what my father had don.
with them. My father IS if he woul,
touch them. My mother had them
know that L often saw them The neck
lets-thc tiaras. And they were her OWL
she often said so-that her father CAV,
them to her"
'Yes. But"
'Ohl - haughtily, and fitting her round
ed clsn, Il know what you woald say
that they were only hers for a time Blu
how could my father help it if she los
them? And of course she lost them
because if she had sold them, there woult
be the money-do you see? But Their
was never any money. Therefore the.
must be lost know ther are lost"
She turns deliberately and runs dow
the path away from him. His eyes fol
low her until she is out of sight, then
with quickening of his breath, he turn
and makes for the hill she had pointed
out.
lie has hardly gone a few yards how
ever, before his attention is caught b.
a man who has jumped over a wall int,
the road. man of about forty, tall. dark
forbidding looking, handsome of a sort
aud v-f4b a coPfain strength of ,.haraeta,