Year: 1874

you are still willing to stake all upon him.
If he has escaped from the prison, where
shall we find him !"


"You will at least try r pleaded Myrtle.


81 will try, Myrtle, was the ColoLets
response.


For the first time since their arrival from
the West, Myrtle was thoughtfully sod
upon the evening Of that day. When the
guests had all retired to rest, she sat in her
| little room, musing over the lover whom
still so devotedly and truly soliciLous ot.
| To her his welfare was of more material
Importance than aught else. Quietly loving,
she had not attempted to seek him out be-
fore. But now, however, when some in
tuitive sense of womanly divination made
her believe and feel that he had been
wronged, every sense was upon the alert In
his behalf and in his interests.
| Seated at the window Of the little room,
and gazing out upon the garden below, the
clock in the silent hall below chimed the
midnight hour ere she arose from her seat
at the window. She was about to draw the
shades, light her lamp, and prepare for dis
robing and retiring, when the presence Of
form in the garden below, ,stealthily skirts
ing the acacia walk sttracted her attention.
| 1t was the form of a man, man we'll
dressed, but wearing heavy, thick beard
busby and long. His whiskers did not hide
the well-cut features and handsome face,
the glittering eyes and the well-formed
head. He was evidently bent upon some
surreptitious errand for while his eyes were
directed towards the building his body
was not in bold relief, his object evidently
being to observe without being seen.


When Myrtle Adams first noticed the
man, her impulse was to call for her father
whose room was directly below her own, or
to awaken some of the servants by ringing
the bell for them. Not knowing. however,
but that she might be groundlessly, fool
ishly alarmed, she was resolved to
maintain a discreet silence and to watch the
proceedings Of the man.


The moon shone SO brightly and full that
she readily discovered that the man was di-
recting all his powers Of observation sgsinst
that poortion Of the building in which
were located the apartments of the lady
who had been so conspicuous during the ar
rival of the guest, Miss Durand, or rather
Beatrice, as she was wont TO call her
She saw the man, after a furtIve glance
around, as if to determine il he we're
watched or not, and critical survey of
the building advance to the house, and
casually testing the strength Of the trellis-
work, which bore a magnificent Virginia
creeper pendant upon its frame, mount it
carefully but boldly. Step by step he as
cended the trellis- work until he reached the
balcony surrounding the apartments occu-
pied by Beatrice, and then disappeared
over the railing Of the verandah, and ap-
parently into the roonl wherein slept the
occupant Of the suite.


For some time the girl sat completely
bewildered and stupetied by the occurrence
which she had just witnessed. She was not
a woman of quick impulses, and sha deter
mined to make no alarm for the present.
She determined to wait and watch the fur
ther developments Of the affair.


If the scene to her was a startling one,
to Beatrice Vernon it was still more 80.
She had been reading and attempting to
compose her mind for rest, for it had been
much perturbed by recent occurrences, and
with her lamp burning brightly she had
fallen asleep in her chair. She ewas abrupt
" awakened from her light slumber by
some innate consciousness that there was
another occupant in the room besides her
self, and had raised her eyes to meet those
of man standing before her.


Involuntarily, as she failed to recognize
the hair ir-disguised features, she was about
to shrek aloud, when the man, tearing the
false -whiskers from his face, spoke her
name


Gas you value your life, you must pre-
serve silence, he said, quickly. Il have
travelled many miles to communicate some
matters Of importance to you"


An angry glare came into the woman's
eyes.


"Vans Evelyn :" she cried, "did | not
command you to remain in New York un-
til could communicate with You r.


He stood de6antly bold before her.


''Go :" she cried, stamping her foot.
He turned to go.


81 have but one word to say" he said
slowly to her. "You think me only mer-
cenary to come to you thus. 1t was pity. :"
''Pity = she repeated, her cheeks blsnch-
ing.


"Aye, pity, Beatrice Vernon, for you
are already pursued by an avenger who will
spare you no longer"


"An avenger," she echoed, her face
growing winter and whittier.


AYE" replied Vane Evelyn, for it was
he, as Beatrice Vernon sank in a swoon at
his words, ''and that avenger is Eugene
Allerton !"


ITO BE CoNTINUED.)