The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1909-04-09

thought, and went out and climbed
upon the Glenarm wall and stared at
the dark bulk of st. Agatha's as pun
ished myself for having entertained
any other thought of Helen Holbreek
than of weak. vain, ungrateful girl
capable of making sad mischief for
her benefactor.
lima passed and repassed in the
paved walk that curved among the
school buildings; I heard his step, and
marked his pauses as he met the gar
dener at the front door by an arrange
ment that 1 had suggested. AS con-
sidered the matter I concluded that
Helen Holbrook could readily slip out
at the back Of the house, when the
/ guards thus met, and that she had
/ thus found egress on the night before.
At this moment the two guards met
precisely at the front door, and to my
surprise Sister Margaret, in the brown
! garb of her sisterhood, stepped out,
nodded to the watchmen in the light
| of the oyerhanging lamp, and walked
! slowly round the buildings and toward
the lake. The men promptly resumed
their patrol The sister slipped away
like a shadow through the garden;
and I dropped down from the wall in
side the school park and stole after
her. The guards were guilty of no
improperly in passing her; there was,
to be sure, no reason why Sister Mar
garet should not do precisely as she
liked at st. Agatha's. However, my
curiosity was piqued, and I crept quiet
ly along through the young naples
that fringed the wall. She followed a
path that led down to the pier, and |
| hung back to watch, still believing
that Sister Margaret had gone forth
merely to enjoy the peace and beauty
of the night. paused in a little thick
ct, and heard her light step on the
pier flooring; and drew as near as I
dared, in the shadow of the boathouse.
She stood beside the upright staff
| from which the pier lights swung
the white lantern between the two red
ones-looking out across the lake. The
lights outlined her tall figure distinct
ly. She peered about anXiously sew
eral times, and I heard the impatient
tap OF her foot on the planks In the
lake sounded the faint gurgle Of water
round a paddle, and in moment a
canoe glided to the pier and a man
stepped out. He bent down to seize
the painter, and I half turned away,
ashamed of the sheer curiosity that
had drawn me after the sister. Nuns
who chafe at their prison bars are not
new, either to romance or history;
and this surely was no affair of mine
Then the man stood up, and I saw that
it was Gillespie He was hatless, and
his arms were barred. He began to
speak, but she quieted him with a
word; and as with a gesture she flung
back her brown hood, 1 saw that 1t
was Helen Holbrook.
q had given you up" she said.
He took both her hands and held
them, bending toward her eagerly. She
seemed taller than he in the lantern
light.
Z should have come across the
world" he said
you must believe that l should not
have asked this of you if 1 had not be-
lieved you could do it without injury
to yourself-that it would impose no
great burden on you, and that you
would not think too Ill of me"
q love you; I am here because I
love youl7 he said; and 1 thought bet
ter of him than 1 had He was a fool
and weak; but he was, 1 believed, an
honest fool and my heart grew hot
with Jealous rage as saw them there
together.
IF there IS more l can dol"
No; ana l should not ask you II
there were. have gone too far, as it
is she sighed
You must take no risks; you must
take care that Miss Pat knows moth
ing"
Mo- l must see father He must
go away 1 believe he has lost his
+ senses from breeding on his troubles"
But how did he ever get here?
There is something very strange
about it."
"Oh, I knew he would follow us!
But I did not tell him l was coming
here-I hope you did not believe that
of me. did not tell him any more
than I told you"
He laughed softly.
You did not need to tell me; 1
could have found you anywhere in the
world. Helen. That man Donovan is
watching you like hawk: but he's a
pretty good fellow, with a Milesian joy
in row. He's going to protect Miss
Pat and you If he dies at the bust
ness"
She shrugged her shoulders, and I
saw her disdain of me in her face A
pretty conspiracy this was, and I
seemed to be only the crumpled wrap
ping of a pack of cards. with no part
in the game
Gillespie drew an envelope from his
} pocket, held it to the white lantern for