The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-06-01
CHAPTER VIII.

III WENT back to the fishing place
II with a heavy heart, overcome by
mournful thought, for the first time
in my life. 1t was plain that she did
not dislike me, and equally plain that
there was some obstacle connected with
her father, which forbade her to listen
to my offer of marriage. From the
time when she had accidentally looked
toward the red brick house, something
in her which it is quite impos-
sible to describe, had suggested to my
mind that this obstacle was not only
something she could not mention, but
something that she was partly ashamed
of, partly afraid of, and partly doubtful
about. What could it be? How had
she first known it? In what way was
her father connected with it?
In the course of III walks she had
told me nothing about herself which
was not perfectly simple and u~nsugges-
tive.
Her childhood had been passed in
England. After that, she a lived
with her father and mother at
Paris, where the doctor had many
friends-for all of whom she remem-
bered feeling more or less dislike, with
out being able to tell why. They had
then come to England, and a lived in
lodgings in London. For a time they
had been miserably poor. But, after
her mothers death-a sudden death
from heart disease-there had come a
change in their affairs, which she was
quite unable to explain. They had re-
moved to their present abode, to give
the doctor full accommodation for
the carrying on of his scientific pur-
suits. He often had occasion to go to
London, but never took her with him.
The only woman at home now, beside
herself, was an elderly person.. who
acted as cook and housekeeper, and
who had been in their service for many
years. 1t was very lonely sometimes
not having a companion of her own
age n sex, but she had got tolerably
used to bear it. and to amuse herself
with her books, and music, and flow
ers.
Thus far she chatted about herself
quite freely, but when 1 tried, even
in the vaguest manner, to lead her into
discussing the causes of her strangely
secluded life, she looked so distressed.
and became so suddenly silent. that I
naturally refrained from saying an
other word on that topic. One concur
sion, however, I felt tolerably sure that
l had drawn correctly from what she
said: her fathers conduct toward her,
though not absolutely blamable or
grossly neglectful on any point, had
still never been of a nature to make
her ardently fond of him. He per-
formed the ordinary parental duties
n respectfully enough; but he
had apparently not cared to win all
theNflial 10y which his daughter would
have bestowed on a more affectionate
man.
When, after rejecting on what Alicia
had told me, l began to call to mind
what 1 had been able to observe for
myself, 1 found ample materials to
excite my curiosity in relation to the
doctor, if not my distrust.
I have already described how | heard
the clang of the heavy door, on the oc-
casion of my first visit to the red
brick house, The next day, when the
doctor again took leave of me in the
hall, I hit on a plan for seeing the
door as well as hearing it. I dawdled
my way out, till I heard the clang
again; then pretended to remember
some important message which l had
forgotten to give to the doctor, and
with a look of innocent hurry ran
upstairs to overtake him. The dis
guised workman ran after me with a
shout of Stop 1 was conveniently
deaf to him-reached the first floor
~landing-and arrived at a door
which shut off the whole stair
case higher up; an iron door, as solid as
if it belonged to a bankers strong-roonl,
and guarded millions of money. l re-
turned to the hall, inattentive to the
servants not oyer-civil remonstrances.
and, saying that 1 would wait till I
saw the doctor again, left the house.
CTo BE Continued TOmOrrow.)