Bisbee daily review., 1915-06-27
sr I1r SfNA7Z- sfI flsLhylang 70

tu du NplDl luull1 loI duOlutI Cudl with the dark.eyed girl who was en- gagged to the man whose alias was Hornby. I particularly desired to as- certain the reason of her fear when had mentioned the Lola, and whether she possessed any knowledge of Hyl- ton Chatter
 The opportunity came to me in due course. for next afternoon the Rannoch party drove over in two large brakes, and with other people from the neigh borhood and a band from Dumfries, my aunts grcunds presented a gay and animated scene.
 As ! expected, Woodroffe did not ac- company the party Mrs Leithcourt, a slightly fussy little woman. apologized for his absence, explaining that he had been recalled to London suddenly a few days before, but was returning to Rannoch again at the end of the week.
 "We couldn't afford to lose him. |" she declared to my aunt He is SO awfully humorous-his droll sayings and antics keep us in perfect roar each night at dinner He's such per feet mimic"
 turned away and strblled with Uuriel. pleading an excuse to show her my uncles beautiful grounds, not a whit less picturesque than those of the castle, and perhaps rather better kept
 "l only heard yesterday of your en. a.fN [ marked presently when we were alone. "Allow me Co offer my best congratula. tions When you introduced me to Mir. Woodrono the other day had no idea that he was to be your husband"
 She glanced at mo quickly and ] saw in her dark eyes a look Of suspicion. Then she flushed slightly, and laugh ing uneasily said, in a blank, hard voice:
 Its very good of you, Mir. Gregg, to wish me all sorts of such pleasant things"
 And when is the happy event to take placer"
 "The date is not exactly dxed-early next year. I believe" and l thought she sighed
 And you will probably spend a good deal of time yachting?' sug- gestcd, my eyes fixed upon her in or der Co watch the re-ult of my pointed remark Put she controlled herself perfectly.
 "AIr Woodroffe has gone up to town your mother says"
 "Yes. He received a wire, and had to leave immediately It was an awful bore, for We had arranged to go for a picnic to Dundrennan abbey yester day"
 'But he'll be back here again, wont he?"
 q really don't know. It seems quit, uncertain. l had letter this morn ing which said he might have to gC over to Hamburg on business. instead of coming up to us again"
 There was disappointment in hel voice, and yet at the same time could not fail to recognize how tho man 10 whom she was engaged huC fed from Scotland because of my pres ence.
 As We passed along those graveleC walks it somehow became vividly i'm 1 pressed upon me that her marriag, was being forced upon her by her par l ents. Her manner was that of on' i who was concealing some strange ant 1 terrible secret which she feared nigh 1 be revealed. There was a distant lool of unutterable terror in those darl eyes as though she existed in som, constant and everpresent dread. o course she told me nothing of her owl feelings or affections, yet l recognizes , in both her words and her bearing curious apathy-a want of the real en thusiasm of affection. Woodroffe, mucl her senior, was her fathers friend, am 1 it therefore seemed to me more thai 1 likely that Leithcourt was pressing matrimonial alliance upon his daugh ter for some ulterior motive She wa 1 perplexed; she lOnged to conide am i seek advice of someone, yet by reasol ! of some hidden and untoward circuH stance her lips were sealed. l tried to question her further rC | garding Woodrone, of what profession he followed and of his past, but sh | evidently suspected me for had UT fortunately mentioned the Lola.
 Martin Woodroha did not rejoin tn house party at Rannoch Although remained the guest of my uncle muc longer than ] intended Indeed righ l through the shooting season, in orde to watch the Leithcourts, yet as far a we could judge they were eXtremel weil-bred people and very hospitabl' We exchanged a good many visits an dinners, and while my uncle severi l times invited Leithcourt and hi ! friends to his shoot with al fresc ] luncheon, which the ladies joined, th
 tenant of Raunoch always invited . 1 back in return.
 Thus ] gained many opportunities (
 talking with Muriel, and of watchin
 her closely. ] had the reputation ,
 being a confirmed bachelor, and on a
 count of that it seemed that she wa
 in no way averso to my companion
 ship. She could handle a rock rife q well as any woman, and was really very fair shot We often found ou v selves alone uanp.ng across the Eis