Year: 1870

away few struggling customers dropped
in, then came the post-boy bringing rather
more than his usual complement of letters.
Alfred took them into the office at once.
Mr.. Sherwood was sitting in listless atti-
tude, his chin resting on his hand. He
sprang up with little flash of excitement
in his face as Lindsey came up to the desk,
and took the letters with a short nervous
clutch, running them over rapidly in his
hand till he came to one superscmbed in
coarse, scrawling hand. Tossing the rest
on the table, he tore this open with hands
that trembled visibly 1t was very brief,
for he crumpled it in his hand almost in
stantly, and sank back in his chair with
low groan.


"Talle me home," he said, in hoarse
whisper, as Alfred held a glass of water to
his white drawn lips.


A carriage was at once brought to the
back entrance, and leaning on Lindsey's
arm, he walked out to it, and was driven
speedily homeward, leaving his bewildered
junior in state of doubt and perplexity.


Slowly the hours dragged away, and the
bell of the Office clock rang out sharply
one sharp ringing stroke. One o'clock !!
No word or hint from the great silent house
on the knoll-not so much as an open door
or blind all that long, long forenoon! AL
fred Lindsey grew positively nervous watch
ing it through the restless leaves of the
beeches that ran in slender zone about
the soft, velvety knoll. Had some fateful
hand fallen upon and paralyzed every liv-
ing thing? The suspense was becoming
intolerable, when the font door opened,
and Robert came swiftly down the street.
Lindsey stood in the door awaiting his ar
rival, strange, overwhelming sense of
danger shutting down upon him. He lean
ed forward eagerly, scanning his face, try
ing to get some hint of the story he felt lay
behind its immobiliry and pallor.


"Ah, Lindsey how hungry you look I!
Don't devour fellow so with your eyes,
man" he said, with laugh, as he came up
the steps,


Something in his tone-its lightness, per-
haps-janed upon his highly-strung nerves
with such suddenness that it was with diff
ficulty he could repress a cry. A moment,
and he had himself in hand, and could
laugh at his nervous anxiety.


81 believe am little faint" he said
taking up his hat. 81 have no recollection
of eating any breakfast, his face darken-
ing at the remembrance of what it was
that had taken away his appetite, and driv-
ell sleep from his pillow


"You need not hurry back, Lindsey"
young Sherwood said, turning over the
leaves of huge ledger 81 am at liberty,
and if you are back by three, the time trade
usually sets in, it will be soon enough"


81 have nothing to keep me so long un-
less take a row up the river.


"Do by all MEANS" was the eager an
swer "you keep too close indoors. Yes,
take a good long row, and don't feel hur-
ried about it."


"Thank you, believe should feel bet
ter. Do you know" laughing still little
nervously, 81 imagined all sorts of terrible
things about you up at the house, this
forenoon"


"Why?"


The question came sharp and vibrant,
and in voice SO strange that Lindsey in
voluntarily stopped and looked back at the
speaker, feeling very much as if he had
been hit by some invisible ball. But the
face was turned away--it- had been all the
time-and the leaves of the ledger turned
slowly the white fingers slipping down
mechanically. He quite forgot the ques-
tion for the moment, but presently recol-
lecting, answered:


"Your father was taken ill here this
morning, you remember, and I suppose
that, added to sleepless night"


" You should know nothing of sleepless
nights-you who are free from"
! He paused abruptly, and as Alfred did