Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1908-07-23
CHAPTER Xlx.-(Continued).

had said no more he might have at
tanned it. But to reinforce his words
he made a hopeless blunder-the sort
of blunder which the man who is too
clever is specially apt to make; it is
the cleverest men who make the most
irretrieyable blunders. He went on
TO say, with that confident air, Faith
er told me that you had placed the
packet with Coutts' people"
Father never told you that" said
Mary, struggling to a sitting position,
for he did not know that | had placed
it in COutts' bank. He expressly told
me not to tell him where had put it.
Maxwell, what is the meaning of this?
Have you been lying to me?"
Mary's attack was SO sudden and I'M
expected that Maxwell, completely
taken aback, made no reply. He saw
that he had failed-that his slip had
ruined his scheme with Mary. But he
had courage-the sort of courage
which such men as he often have.
Maxwell" asked Mary, why have
you told me this lie?"
why, why, why?" he said, fiercely.
ITO get the packet, of course. I should
think that even you might see that.
What business have you with that
packet at all? You must let me have
it, Mary
Must, MAXWELL" said Mary, fam
ing up. "You forget yourself"
Yes; you must give it to me-" he
clustered
''Never!" she said ''You shall new
er get it from me. l shall do precise
ly what father told me to do, Maxwell
that, and nothing else"
He looked at her with eyes that
cleaned with menacing light, but he
knew that for the present he was beat
en-, and without further speech walked
out of her room, telling himself that
he would soon find some means of pro
curing the packet, which he now de-
sired more than ever to have in his
possession. Would it not be easy, for
instance, to forge Mary's signature?
AS for Mary Sisterson, she felt that
another heavy burden had been added
to the load she already carried.
She could not understand how Max
well had come to know about the
packet. She was certain that Sir John
had not told him of it, and the only
person, besides her father and those
in Coutts' bank, to whom she had
spoken about it was Christabel. For
a few anguished moments she was in
clined to suspect that Christabel had
gone over to the enemy, for an enemy
row she held her step-brOther to be.
Mary was still full of establishment
that Maxwell had offered himself in
marriage to the nurse, and she was
near imagining that he had prevailed
on her to accept him. 1t was possible,
quite possible, for was it not an enor-
nous bride which few women would
be able to resist? 1t was great
temptation to a poor nurse, and it was
on the cards that she might fall be-
fore it.
But these ideas fed almost as soon
as they came. Mary recalled all she
knew of Christabel!- sweetness,
her simplicity, her high devotion to
y
could not believe that Christabel was
all the while treacherous and false.
And yet if Christabel we're not the
traitor, who was it that had betrayed
her? 1t was plain that some one had
done So She felt certain that Max
well had only very reCently-prObably
that day-learned the packet was in
existence.
Who had told him of it?
Mary, for a wonder, came to the
right conclusion. Some one had over
heard what she had said to Christabel
on the previous evening, and had re
peated it to Maxwell. At first Mary
guessed that it was her own maid
whom Maxwell had subOrned, but the
girl had been with her for several
years. and she had always found her
trustworthy. Yet Maxwell would
stop at nothing she was sure, to gain
his ends, and perhaps he had got at
the maid, and had induced her to be-
come a SPY. But Mary was lOath to
believe this of the girl, and cast about
her for some other person who might
have overheard her remarks to Chris
label about the packet
Who else was there that Maxwell
might employ to spy on her? Mary
had been told of the secretary he had
installed in the house, and had not SO
far given a thought to that individual;
now she remembered him, and it flash
ed upon her that he was Maxwells
SPY, and had, in some manner OF
which she could form no conception,
overheard what she had said to Chris
label
And if this man were Maxwelrs spy,
on whom was he spy. On her and
,Christabel. was the obvious answer.
Mary, bordering all these things and
gradually feeling her way to the light,
resolved to lose no time in warning
Christabel. With pain and difficulty
she contrived to go to Sir Johns room,
but she found that DR.. Flint was also
watching with Christabel. She stayed
some time, and then as she was going
away gently drew Christabel outside
with her.
There is a spy in the house, she
whispered. 81 must see you in private
as soon as you are free"
"a spy!" said Christabel, wonder
ingly. I'll come after midnight to
your room. At present l dare not
leave Sir John"
But long before midnight Mary was
summoned to Sir Johns bedside, as
were also Lady Sisterson and Max
we'll. For the end was at hand.