The Haslingden Gazette. — 1905-09-30 (Haslingden, Lancashire, England)

CEL PTER V.  It was ten minutes Liter. Downstairs, in that t part of the house usually kept seared to the person and the belongings of Mr. Miles Rafferty. Miranda and Mrs. O'Dowd could be heard bustling about and sweeping carpets anti carrying articles of furniture in and out ins manner which betokened not cuilv great haste. but a &sire to effect a complete ehange in the equipment of the room. Upstrars. the little unknown slept peacefully in I the big not t chair besiik• the open window. and Lefroy, who hail gone bitch to his old post. 6t0,X1 kaaning against the mantelpiece and watching her with interosted eyes; a brooding shadow on his face and a Jeep ridge dug between his knotted brows. " I wonder what she meant by saying that this fellow. who calls himself Gordon. Powiss. told her that he was her stepfather when lie called to nee hoe just is-tore she and her nurse set eailt Didn't she know that he was her stepfather before that? And if snot who not Wlat a foil The Oltowil was not to have asked that question, and what an ant I was not to have thought to suggest that she shouki explain it to the woman. Some way, howvier. I mast nianage to get at that point and find out all about it, hut how! bow? I can't ask her, for that is utterly out of the queen., if I am to remain the man she believes 1 am: and remain that man I stilt. until I have got at the bottom of this business. and she, poor little thing is beyond all danger of falling into she hands of that beast Le Pray. Poor little laesie! Poor pretty little child! How little els: knows, how little elle sun. poets; and what a winsome little creature it a— irs fair as a tower and as natural as Heaven's own blue. How childishly happy she is a the impacts' flea of this new life that is to be opened out to her, this new home which she hopes and believes is to be her,. What was it he ~aid? 'lf you were a girl, you'd know what it all memo to me —to have a home: to have .mothing decent to wear, and to he Somebody at last.' Poor little lassie! Weil. you shall he 'Somebody.' alit reste with me, and if that stepfather of yours meant to abandon yin., or mouse, when he sent you to that fellow Le Fray—" An ugly glint got into his eyes, end his lips tightened under the SCTOOtt of his thick moustache. He swung lawny from the nmatelpiece end made one or twin noiseless tuna up and down the room, the ridge digging deeper between ha knotted brows, and the expression of hi: foe grinning absolutely •• The dead-wiaie` Osa. if assesfish leirow's game." Ill' said after a While. 'sit he wont hunk tea his old pest at the mantelpieer seid reverissikitite old task of tuggiog at his noustaChe aro liriUkik the sleeping girl. '` Vou. fellow, that call yoursslf Gordon look out, look cult, or you may find your. in a buil box if you run foul of me. And an l'hepploy it dead, is he? Tie, dog of a brother who saddled his foul deeds upon me and meilt the been years of my life. is dead and in his grave --dead, and gone to join that poor girl, Maggie Valiance. in the world beyond. Poor little Maggie! Poor, trusting little bolt wasn't it enough that he had ruine:l your brother Steve's life--maski a thief and an outcaet of him to get hits out of the way— but you must fall into his net after all, and kt him ruin yours too? . I'll not believe that you ewer wrote that letter whisk saddled your slia.me upon nie—you wets' a ailly little thing, but not a bad one, to my thinking—and I'll rot believe that your death was one of suicide, either. But. whatever it was, the secret has gone with you and with him to a world where it will he safely kept, and not even Stephen Valiance. if he ever comes hack from exile. will be able to get at the truth of it there! 140 a all ends: as is grave for yob a grave for Chersiley, and-Hi, eyes sought the sleeping figure in the chair. sisl for a time ho was silent. And in a grave for me. too. perbips." he mutt. •red presently: and then. in a dreamy. Folellllll sort of way, he fell to repeating, softly:—"' If you were a girl, you'd know what it all means to me—to have a home: to have something dooot to wear. and to Somebudy at last.'" A clattering footstep tonic tip the stair. the door wee swung suddenly open, said a boisterous figure came lurching over the threshold. lt tftte. Rafferty, in a state of hilariousness and tembintoxication. " Dinky, me poll me starlit:l.! be the piper. I've the trmst vassals:v.l piece of news to tell ye that ever-''Sh—h—li!" strunik iii betray, sharply. as he waved his hand toward the °hair beside tile window. "Re null, you foil. or you'll wake her. Step out into the passage if you've anything to say to 10e: I'll one you there.For ati instant Rafferty stool stock still and stared; then, without having said a word, he