The Washington times., 1912-07-03
CHAPTER XIV,
The Atonement of Janet Glen


H. moving apace. Yet human af-
fairs seemed 10 have lapsed to
normal conditions. Since the dispersal
of the crowd ON the previous niSht,
nt msttsrs had hung fire in the village.
on wakeful pillows, what the morning
would bring forth. The morrow gave
birth to a clear. cool, runnv Septem-
per morning, and the pi evious night s
aHu1rs took on the atmosphere of n
passing bad dream.
ror as SOON as men went abroad they
r0utu mat the situation had changed.
tIne Inc chiettains and tine. l!ishlandars
coats Of Fort Janes. No doubt the dis
appearance of the first had to do with
lhe disappearance of rhC second. Save
Tor few scntries and orderlies. the
The village worthless turned to Can
Gy' Becketts for information. None
WAS Forthcoming. In the night all par
ties, including the prince, had taken
AlcClung -isked call upon the domi-
ME, ana from Sandy came a little in
forma tion that only deep
Jamie Dalgieish had answered Tho
S0or. Bnt II was not the same Jamie
TIE dominic, as sandy McClung de-
scribed him, was older-much older
in the night. and his shoulders were
STOPPED. He had answered Sandys
question with 10 great good nature. In
d,t:: daet:: he had "Eey near bitten ma held
L ken nothing!'' said the dominic.
..Wha; should ken? They've gone.
They've left my house. That is all
ami please let me be!'
."Gangy" Beckett solemnly. 1T Gamma
he the weather." he added refectively,
gazing through the window an the clear
autumn sunshine.
Hughie Gibson, Davie Blue. and Sandy
tried to revive some excitement and
interest. But something had gone
wrong. The bottom had completely
furore had been but flash in the pan.
At least, whatever 1t was, 1t had
changed its scene of action. 1nverlachie
was-just Inverlachie this morning, and
back and accepted the job to straighten
out the weather cock on the school
house. The CHEEKY. musical clang OF
hs n the on 1hs
matters were nearly as they had been
in Inverlachie.
But human affairs were still moving
sat in the living room wrapped in
thought. Dumbly wondering at what
was come over Peggy, the physician
was still occupied by thoughts touch
ing himself even more closely; He was
thinking of the previous night-not o.
the riot and the part he played in It.
but of the after affair with Janet Glen.
skirts of the crowd Tom Wallace knew
Janet's secret. Thrilled to his heart.
Wallace suddenly realized what his &C
tion had meant to Janet Janet was vas
seemed to be both proud and concerned
over his steel-nerved interfering.
1t pleased Wallace somehow. IT
pleased him more and more as he
o,.I har 10
He knew that he was pleased and began
to dissect the feeling. He discovered,
before he had escorted her halfway
home. that he thought lot Of Janet
Glen, and much more OF what she might
think of him.
He also realized before three-quar-
ters of the way had been traversed,
that being widower nrd %ith uss daugf1er .itner
ton in which assistance-womanly as
sistance-would not be amiss.
''It takes a mother-a maternal adroit-
oS "to handle EsA a situation Of this sort.
ats early yet" said Wallace at the
gate Of Janet's garden. If you aren't
afraid of an old widower IKE me. In
step in and help you poke up the fire.
You're alwayh welcome, Doctor said
Janet, opening the door, and leaving
him the task of closing 1t behind him.
Wallace laid his bonnet aside, and
poked up the fire, while Janet took of
came back wallace wondered what had
come over her.
there was a touch of color in ner
cheeks There was something else, but
Wallace could not place the charming
little difference a new touch OF her hair
had made.
In that instant DR.. Thomas Wallace
Janet" said he, "sit down-there-
right opposite me: so can see the
She obeyed, with just little smile
and a certain tremor of her underlip.
Janet" said the doctor, I'm a prac-
tical man, but I've got well-meanins
"Eyerybody knows that, Tom Wal
lace"
But not as well as I'd like you to
know II, Janet" said he.
There was no embarrassment in his
manner. His face was calm. If little
suffused with pleasure, and hts eyes
back again as he spoke: 1t was as II
ne was talking to the fire and turned
to Janet at intervals to see what she
thought of it.
he. land there are an amazing lot OF
fools in this village. Speaking as a
man and as doctor, you are the hnest
woman all round ever knew-or heard
of. I'm a plain, matter-of fact sort OF
fellow, but l have good opinion OF
myself, too. That's self-respect. I fancy.
and while l don't lie awake thlnklng
what a pity 1t is lot of people don't
know me. I'm as good as the average
man-with a hankering to be better"
Janet" he concluded, Peggy needs
you. Speaking for myself, 1t has sud
denly come to me that l don't want to
travel anv further without you. Could
you marry me?
His eyes came from the fire to hel
face as he put the question. He saw q
light flash across Janets face: 1t tolC
him better than words that there wa'
no man she would more like to marry
than himself, Tom Wallace. This, al
least. is how he interpreted the hgh
that filled her eyes suddenly, and the
way she slowly blushed. He somehow
hated to make the bald statement tc
himself: "She loves mel" That was
for her to say IL she wanted to.
He waited. The light died out of hel
eyes. Presently, while the pleasure die
not altogether leave her face, there
came look of regret, and her gaze
took on that peculiar sheen of intro
snection-the look that ignorant mer
nisinteTpreted.
Tom" she said very softly and very
steadily, you know that think more
or you than-than of any man in Inver-
lachie-any man alive, II you like. And
It. has made me very happy-what YOU