The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1910-05-13
CHAPTER w.
Continued.

ltreperous. I wish-how I wish we
,ould do something for Tommy! He
sught to be at school; it is such
pity, for he is out and out the clever
lst of the whole brood. My dear Ar
thur, could you conceive such thing
happening to one of us? Colonel
Curtis has proposed to Janet! Alas!
HAS! why did they not tell me? I
might have prepared the way; but he
lid the most foolish thing he could
possibly have done. He went straight
10 father. What a want of common
sensel You would have thought that
father would have been pleased, and
10 he would have been, but as it was
be had the quarters bills all pouring
In, and he was in no humor for more
worries. So he just told Colonel
Curtis that he could not be bothered,
that Janet was much too young
and she is actually nineteen-that l-e
could not afford the expense of
wedding, and as l passed the library
door I could not help hearing him
saying, For Heavens sake, go away!
My good sir, I entreat you to go
Rway!' Oh! dear, how unlucky it is!
Colonel Curtis is as proud as Lucifer
and speeds into the nearest shop at
the most distant vision of our pro-
cession of perambulators upwards.
He will never get over being told to
go away, and Janet looks all to pieces
from crying all night and reading one
little note he sent her all day. Col
onel Curtis has not shown himself
again. I fancy he has left the Grange
In a huff. think he is touchy indi-
yidual, and If Janet does marry him
we shall lose her altogether, for he
will never be able to tolerate us,
even at twelve miles distance. The
quarters bills are all paid now and
we are quite serene again. Tommy
has given up epitaphs and taken to
riddles. but he is out of his depth
there, so the editor sent them back
to him, and the snubbing has done
him good. Before you are quite set
tied down for ever and aye at your
work, could you not run home and
see us?
Dearest, dearest Arthur, how I
miss you, and yet l am so thankful
you are not here. Lefty gets no bet
ter, I am convinced it is her spine;
but father says it is temper. I wish
we could have good advice for her.
Your own loving
R-WITCH."
Arthur determined to obtain leave
from his uncle to go home for few
days, though he was not quite so SAN
guine as his little sister as to the pos
sibility of making things right be-
tween his sister and her fine, huffy
suitor.
He obtained the leave readily
enough, and as M. Rigaud was about
to return to his French home it was
agreed that they should be travelling
companions as far as London.
CHAPTER V.
The train was at 1920. Aunt
Betsy was quite low at breakfast at
the thought of the departure of her
nephew.
"Perhaps you will never come
back, Arthur" she said, sorrowfully.
81 an not given to presentiments,
but l have one that 1 am not to keep
you, my own boy, as I wished to do
so much"
Don't say that, auntie," said Ar
thur, gaily. "On the contrary, the
danger is that you may have too
much of me-"
"Presentiments are very odd
thing said old Monsieur Rigaud,
who was eating vigorously, prepara-
tory to his own departure.
rs madame often troubled with
them?"
They are generally the result of
her eyes. Il hope I don't believe in
any such nonsense"
They are also very real" went on
the old Frenchman. "The last time
1 left my poor wife 1 had PRESENT.
ment that I should never see her
again She was very i'll at the time"
Then why did you leave her?"
said Mr.. Denstone, Indignantly.
Il did not believe in any such non
swers that showed that his native
shrewdness still existed, but he went
on, as if to soften the effect: There
are strange things in nature, strange
hereditary faculties and powers Of
which it is difficult to trace the origin.
They exist to an unusual degree in
my wifes family"
fbpv cpcnDi ciuht 2~
said Mr.. Denstone, lightly.
No, not that; faculty as power
full, perhaps more useful. That
ragout is superb! May I venture to
help myself a second time?"
Have you many relations, Ri
gaud?" said Mr.. Denstone, handing
him the dish.
No." he answered, 81 have no re-
Iations in the world. l had one sis
ter, Louise She married Monsieur
Leduc; they settled in Peru. Once l
heard from her; she wrote requesting
money | was not in position to
grant her request. I heard afterward
that both she and her husband were
dead. ] imagine that they left no
1amny or 1 should nave heard OF
it. Of my wife's family none are
left; yes, the Aymers are extinct; the
only lineal descendant is my daugh-
ter, and she is but a child. Yet l be-
lieve the strange powers; but 1
apologize. Bah! the garrulity of old
age is astonishing. You should check
me madame"
"It interests me-" said Aunt Betsy,
though I cannot say that l UNDER
stand you, Monsieur Rigaud; why,
for instance, you should have let that
poor creature out in Peru want when
you were rolling in riches! It passes