The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1908-06-26

and her not less enigmatic amuse.
ment.
"Your brother proposed to marry
me, If you please" said Christabel,
laughing outright. Rather than per-
NIT such an excellent article as l am
to go out of the family he actually did
me the honor of asking me to marry
him."
Maxwell asked you to marry hint"
exclaimed Mary.
Eyes, nothing less" Then the laugh
ter died out Of Christabeps eyes and
face, and she grew grave as she went
on. cit is infamous!"
Maxwell really asked you to be his
wife," said Mary. II can hardly cred
it it, yet know it must have been so
or you would not have said it. It is
extraordinary! Was it no temptation
to you, Christabel? 1t was just like
offering to you all the Kingdoms Of
this world"
eyes, dear, realized that thorough
ly. Was I not beggar maid in COM
parison with your brother? But 1t was
no temptation"
Il understand" said Mary, softly.
did he say anything about making
restitution"
ut was mentioned between us, but
he scorned the idea."
did he?" asked Mary, greatly dis.
composed. well I shall speak to him
and to Lady Sisterson about it, for
am determined that restitution shall
be made; it is the right thing to do,
and it shall be DONE" And Mary's
pale face took on an expression of
fixed resolve. Maxwell must be made
to see and do what is right. What did
he say?"
HE accused me of wishing Mr..
Forde to get the Sisterson money, or
share of it. because was to marry
Mr.. Forde. That was a nice little
thing to say. wasn't it? And yet it
was just after saying that that he
asked me to marry him." said Chris
label, Indignantly. "Your brother has
strange ideas about women!"
Il shall not attempt to defend him."
said Mary, bitterly. "You know what
think of him. For my own part 1
have made up my mind that restitu-
ton shall be made to Mr. Forde, and
if need be I shall compel Maxwell to
make it,"
"But how?"
''By threatening to reveal the truth
to the world" said Mary, bravely, but
with whitening lips. "And if it is nee
essary shall reveal it." And she evil
IDENTIFY meant what she said.
For some time longer the two wom-
en- talked, and then Christabel went
on duty.
Only few hours had passed since
she had last seen Sir John, but they
had been hours in which she had
learned much and had been called on
to suffer and endure much; her life
and her outlook upon life had under
gone great change. so that she hard
ly felt the same person; for one thing
she could not but regard her patient
with the utmost repugnance.
Sir John, she knew, was thief and
| murderer. His career for many
years past had been one long living
lie. In spite of his crimes-nay, be-
cause of them-he had become great
and prosperous far beyond the aver
ag; he had been fattered. courted,
made much of, held up to other men
as model Of success. She pictured
I, him as moving through the world
| sleek, smiling, suave, with never
thought of the man he had murdered
and robbed. And all the while he had
| had these dark and terrible secrets in
his breast.
And then the truth flashed upon her
as she looked at him. Sir John had
never forgotten; these secrets had
never been obliterated by all his
wealth and success; they had been
ever present in his brain, burnt into it
beyond all power of forgetfulness. And
this was the explanation of his social
ed delusion. Perhaps, thought Chris.
label, he,too, had suffered. But none
the less he was murderer and a
thief-a criminal to whom his crimes
had never been brought home by the
justice he had outraged.
Yet, here, too, her duty was clear
she was his nurse, and must, because
she knew SO much, act as If she knew
nothing, and take even more scrupu.
lous care than usual that she should
leave nothing undone for him.
The hours Of the afternoon passed
slowly and drearily. DIR. Flint looked
in, and Mary came and stopped for a
few minutes; she said she would come
at the dinner hour to relieve Christa-
bel, and insisted on doing so, notwith-
standing Christabel's protests.
At 6 o'clock Christabel received
Norman's letter, and for a few min
utes she permitted herself tn be happy
and to dream. The letter was very
brief, and written in short, crisp sen.
fences, that denoted certain agita.
ton and excitement In Norman when
he penned them. He thanked her for
her telegram in reply to his, and was
glad to hear she was better.
There is something I wish very
much to say toiyou," the letter went
on. = remember you saying tl,at your
mornings were free till noon. Could
49,