Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-08-26
CHAPTER XVIII.
Rufus Tremont's Hour.

"a - IkuiUS 1TCuIOHJS I1UUrs H-H .
n morning, a week after Lord
Breeme's stroke, from which, with his
remarkable buoyancy, he was steadily
recovering, a gentleman of stout fig
ure and a suit of small checks, STROLL
ed in a leisurely, masterful fashion
up and down a little trecption-room
rat Breeme House. He was not an at
tractive visitor. There We're BLUSH
white puffs of flesh under his eyes,
and the dewlaps or his jaws joggled
a little as he walked. He had, how
ever, an air Of tremendous assurance.
He seemed almost a proprietor. His
eye, glancing at his choice piece of
furniture and that, was a caressing
eye. He had sent in his card to Loru
fremont and he. had been waiting al
ready half an hour. This did not
seem to ssurpriseEor to annoy him.
Perhaps he was used to waiting. He
at his watch. The wholesday was be-
fore him.
Two or three rooms away, mean
while, Lord fremont sat forward in
d chair, with his head clutched in his
hands. Mr.. Unterberg's card was
crushed by his fingers. His face was
pale and hunted and piteous. He did
not dare to send tho man away, and
he did not dare to go in and talk to
him. His bad hour of reckoning was
squarely upon him, and had found
himself a little, the gentleman a great
! deal, and Fate most of all; Fate hay-
ing always to put up with the heav-
lest burden Of censure under such CIR
cumstances as these.
Every now and then Alec moved
a little, IKE a man in physical dis
comfort, and looked up. Opposite to
framed by it. Claire, on the lawn,
played at ball with Humphrey. Per
haps she felt the haggart look upon
her, for from time to time she
glanced uneasily over her shoulder.
She was dressed in white, and her
hair shone gold against the turfy
green.
II am a fool" thought Alec. "A
fool! A fool!"
father and had promised to ask Claire
to be his wife. He meant to be honest
with her.-practical. He would ask
no woman to marry him on false pre-
lenses. If she wanted his title and his
house in exchange for what he want
ed-wealth and the happiness of his
father-they were hers for the TAX
ing. She was a clear-eyed, straight
minded creature, who cared, it. SEEM
49, 80 IA 1Ao pCs
tngs; she had not been studying them
all during these past weeks for moth
ing. She knew. He had meant to
explain himself to her this very morn
ing. And now-this Unterberg was
waiting to prompt him, as it were.
Why had he dallied n long with the
hideous situation? He had lost his
picture. for which Rufus fremont
would have paid a fortune, and now,
perhaps, he had lost his chance with
Claire. In that case he had lost his
chance OF sparing Lord Breeme any
knowledge of hisldebts. for, with I'm
1 terberg at Breerney House-Alec
jumped up and took to striding to and
fro; hands knotted, in his pockets, un-
der-!ip bitten in and thrust out, broWs
frowning, lines OF grief5and WEAKNESS
under his eyes And all the while Mr..
Unterberg, very much at his ease, Was
waiting.
There was a very ugly temptation
upon Alec. A hint to Unterberg OF
his engagement to an American heir-
ess would probably slip the moose Off
his neck for a time:$it would certain
~ ease its pressure. Why not? The
thing WasNa all but settled. No Cir,
takes possession by act and look and
had done, without the ful intention
Of making herself understood. When
he had spoken to her on the ride to
Lone Tree Hill, her look, though en-
igmatical, had been far from discour-
aging. Her face had lit up-that de-
scrtbed tilt up from within. IT
he went out now and spoke to her!
Alec stopped in his walk before the
window, and Claire, looking up, sent
him an uncertain smile. After hest
tatfng a moment she came slowly to-
wards him, to stand below the win
dow. Humphreys ball In her hands.
Tell me. p.ease, how does your
father seem today?"
Making slow progress. the doctor.
says
Alec's heart was pouncing. She
had come over to him of her own ac-.
cord. He glanced oyer his shoulder,
as though expecting to see Inter
berEs ugly person behind him, and
fnojstened his lips.
Miss Wilton" said ne awkwardly,
Il should likesto speak to You. May
I come ont?"
She thought this over. Joking down
gaxer.
TIL come In"
She tossed the pJaything to Hume
phrey M vent round the fvy-cover-