The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-01-09
CHAPTER Xxx.

by and by, II you dOut Ike It.
CHAPTER Xxx.
They found Miss Skipwith pacing
the weedy gravel walk in front of her
parlor window, with a disturbed air,
and a yellow envelope in her hand.
My dear, this has been an eventful
day." she exclaimed. 81 have been
very anxious for your return. Here is
telegram for you; and as it is the
first you have had since you have been
staying here, l conclude it is of some
importance"
Vixen took the envelope eagerly
from her hand. 1t was from Captain
Carmichael to Miss Tempest:
Come home by the next boat Your
mother is i'll, and anxious to see YOU
The carriage will meet you at South
ampton."
Poor Vixen looked at her lover with
conscience-stricken countenance.
"Oh, Rorie, and have been so wick
eddy, wildly bappy," she cried, as if
it were a crime to have SO rejoiced
And / made so light of mama's last
letter, in which she complained of be-
ing Ill. l hardly gave it thought"
Il don't suppose there is anything
very wrong" said Rorie, in comfort
ing tone, after he had studied those
few bold words in the telegram, try
ing to squeeze the utmost meaning out
of the brief sentence. You see, Cap
tai, Coryn;obool doac not COW fba+ xy<,,r
mother is dangerously i'll, or even very
ill; he only says ILL.,"
But he tells me to go home-he who
hates me, and was so glad to get me
out of the house."
ut is your mother who summons
you home, no doubt. She is mistress
in her own house, of course"
You would not say that If you knew
Captain Carmichael"
They were alone together on the
gravel walk, Miss Skipwith having re-
tired to make tea in her dingy parlor.
1t had dawned upon her that this WIS.,
itor Of Miss Tempests was no common
friend; and she had judiciously left the
lovers together.
Isn't it dreadful?" asked Vixen.
walking up and down with the tele-
gram in her hand. 81 shall have to en-
dure hodrs of suspense before / can
know how my poor mother is. There
is no boat till tomorrow morning. It's
no ues talking, Rorie" Mr.. Vawdrey
walk affectionately, out not saying a
word Il feel convinced that mamma
must be seriously III; / should not be
sent for unless it were So"
But, dearest love, you know that
your mother is apt to think seriously
of trifies"
"Rorie, you told me an hour ago
that she was looking i'll when last you
saw her"
Roderick looked at his watch.
There is one thing l might do" he
said, musingly. Has Miss Skipwith
horse and trap"
mot the least bit in the world"
That's pity; it would have saved
time. I'll get down to St Helier's
somehow, telegraph to Captain Car
michael to inquire the exact state of
your mothers health, and not come
back till I bring you his answer"
"Oh, Rorie, that would be good of
you." exclaimed Vixen, latter travel
ing so long. You have had nothing to
eat. You must be dreadfully tired"
Tired, Have / not been with you?
There are some people whose presence
makes one unconscious of humanity's
weakness. No, darling, l am neither
tired nor hungry; | am only ineffably
happy.
Rorie had to walk all the way to ST.
Helier's. He dispatched an urgent
message to Captain Carmichael, and
then dined temporarily at a French
restaurant not far from the quay,
where the bon yivants of Jersey are
wont to assemble nightly He went to
the Office two or three times before the
return message had come; but at last
it was handed to him, and he read it
by the Office lamp:
Captain Carmichael, Abbey House,
Hampshire, to Mr.. Vawdry, st. He
lier's.
my wife is seriously i'll, but in no
imemdiate danger. The doctors order
extreme quiet; all agitation is to be
carefully avoided. Let Miss Tempest
bear this in mind when she comes
home"
ROderick drove back TO Les Tourel-
les with this message, which was in
some respects reassuring. or at any
rate afforded a certainty less appalling
than Violet's measureless fears.
Vixen was sitting on the pilgrims
bench beside the manor house gate
way, watching when her lover re-
turned
Together they went to the manor
house, where they found Miss Skip
with annotating a tremendous manu-.
script on blue foolscap-a work whose
outward semblance would have been
enough to brighten and deter any pub
Usher in his right mind.
How late you are, Violet?" she said,
looking up dreamily from her manu-.
script. Il have been rewriting and
polishing portions of my essay on
Buddha. The timel has flown, and /
had no idea of the hour till Doddery
CANE in, just now, to ask il he should
shut up the house; and then / remem-
bered that you had gone to the gate
to watch for Mr.. Vawdrey."
I'm afraid you must think our 60
ings-on rather eccentric" Rorie began,
shyly: but perhaps Vix-Miss Tenn