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Hr^ '.^1' fu ■*r>- «,ii 1 1. r»*^ ■' •^ al.- *^^-|"4 ' -r^rt*''*' fi£l.' m >t( 5» I T' ^^' .£**> -«» 4i|if^'^^.aSi>,» 1 -^ >^-'.v '^f/^iyf^;,!' iio-; The Rainproof Invention OR SOME TANGLED THREADS By EMILY WEAVER Author „f.._,r„ ,.,„/ , BOSTON AND CHICAGO: R Copyright, 189G, BY Congregational Sunday-School anu Publishinc. hociety. * ;| CONTKNTS. CHAPTKR PACK I. — TiiK NoiMUiKY Mills 5 IT. — TiiK NouHiiKY II t6 III. — Anotiiku Family or Teihkk 'ii» IV. — TiiK (Jkkat Man iiAH A Kali 40 v. — FOH liKSSIK'S SaKF, — AN1> HlS OWN .... iVi VI. — Arthuu Lfstkh ti" VII. — A Lesson i\ I)ksignin(j T8 VIII. — "Work AND Waoks" 89 "X. — Elsik in Mischikk 102 X. — Mrs. NoKiJUur's " At HoMK" 114 XI. — Bkiiind a Lockki) Door 125 XII. — Bob's Unwklcome (iuEsT 135 XIII. — The W. I. I. a 148 XIV. — On thk Downward Road 102 XV. — Arthtr's shoes IT.i XVI. — Rather too Friendly li)l XVII. — Pisgrackd '203 XVIII. — Gleams OF Light 217 XIX. — The Happiest Man in the World .... 22S XX. — Deceived and Deceiving 240 XXL — LiNKLLY 247 XXII. — In THE Gray Dawn 250 XXIII. — " A Lot OK Little Accidents" 267 XXIV. — Delusions 278 XXV. — Trying TO RK Thirl 289 XXVI. -Tea and Talk 298 XXVIL — Trodden Under Foot 312 CONTENTS. rilAPTKR p^Q , XXVIII. — Rkd Brurirs 322 XXIX. — TliK Way OK TRAN8(JitK8soKS 886 XXX. — "But Onck A Ykak" 347 XXXI. — MlDNKJIlT IN THK MlIJ 3(50 XXXII. — Face TO F'ack wiTir Dkath 373 XXXIII.— O^ OK ItKAClI 3S0 XXXIV. — Two Bridals 394 XXXV. — After Seven Years 402 PAG • . 3'22 . 830 . 347 . 3ti0 . 373 . 3H6 . 394 . 402 THE RAINPROOF INVENTION CHAPTER I. THE NORBURY MILLS. IT was a dull day ; not stormy, nor windy, nor particularly foggy for Wharton, but dull — depressingly dull. Business was dull too. Not a customer had been in to vary the tedious monotony of the morning, and there was almost nothing to be done ; consequently, the clerks were dull too. It was provoking to sit for hours over work that they suspected had been given to them mainly to fill up the time. It really was not fair, so they worked with a sense of injury upon them that deepened the despondency proper to the weather into something little short of despair. Was there ever so long a morning ? "Another hour yet!" groaned Bob Littleton with a lugubrious glance at the clock. " I can't see the use of all this, Mr. Milwood." Mr. Mil wood made no aLJwcr. Perhaps he did not hear, or perhaps he did not see the use of it either. Immediately afterwards he was called away to Mr. 6 THE RAfXrnOOF INVENTION. Norburv's piiviilc room, and Hob ioho from liiH scat and went to rcficHli liim.Hi'lf by a ratlirr lengthened examination of the "allant followers to victorv on the field of Creyy ; when the Baron clc Warrington had kissed the fair hand of luckless Lady Jane, dying for her sake on the scaffold ; and when another de Warrington, granted an earldom at the Restoration, had kept his oaths of fealty through good report and ill, and had so tutored his son in loyalty to the Stuarts that he had thrown away his all for their worthless sak :s. It was many years since the aristocratic " de " THE NOBBUBY MILLS. 11 had been dropi)ed from their name bv some repre- sentative of the family with a keen sense of its incongruity with liis present surroundings, but Ralph regretted it yet. In private he often solaced himself with the contemplation of a great roll of parchment, on which the family pedigree was set forth, and the last names on the list were Ralph and Maud de Warrington, written in a hand that, in spite of itself, was strongly suggestive of account books and ledgers. It was a ilaily trial to this descendant of barons and earls to associate on equal terms with men of no family, like Bob Littleton and Mr. Milwood, and to take his orders from the lips of one whose boast was that he was a "-self-made man." He wished himself back in the Middle Ages, lord of a feudal castle and of submissive serfs and vassals. Alas ! he had been born some centuries too late. The old distinction of his family was utterly forgotten, or was remembered only to point the careless jests of Bob Littleton and such as he. But plebeian labor for his daily bread was not the worst that had befallen him. He had sunk lower yet. Against his will, with his eyes open to the degrading fact that her grandfather was neither more nor less than a •' common workingman," *Ralph Warrington had stooped to fall in love with his master's daughter. When Elsie Norbury came home, and he found him- 12 THE BAINPROOF INVENTION, ■ ; :■ ' self falling a victim to her enchantments, he had wished to break the spell by leaving "Wharton and Mr. Norbury's office forever. But he had had his widowed mother to think of, and he had stayed, hoping to live his fancy down, and, instead, growing every day more enslaved. Johnson, who came next below Warrington in office rank, it is scarcely necessary to describe particularly. The same may be said of one or two other young men working with more or less diligence at their desks ; but though Bob Littleton has already been introduced to the reader, he perhaps deserves a word or two. Unlike Warrington, his ancestry was not among the grounds of his claim for consideration. Bob troubled himself little about such matters. His forefathers had been — well, Bob did not know exactly what they had been, and certainly no one else was likely to trouble to find out. His abilities were not above the average in any way, unless it might be in singing comic songs, in which art it must be allowed he excelled. Though his general knowledge of music was not great, he knew an almost unlimited number of the particular kind of ditties in which his soul delighted, and he was sure to charm an audience whose tastes lay in the same direction as his own. Unfortunately, the singer of comic songs is not always blessed with appreciative hearers, and the performer I ss. / THE NORBUBY MILLS. 13 becomes doleful and the listeners are bored ; but Bob's good humor was infectious, and his audience had to be either very tragic in its mood or deter- minately ill-tempered to resist him long. Perhaps his appearance contributed to his success. He was not handsome — far from it ; he was rather of a style of plainness — ugliness is too harsh a word — that was admirably adapted to comic songs. He was extremely short; his nose had a slight iQclination upward ; his eyes were gray, large, and somewhat prominent ; he took great pains in the cultivation of a mustache, and was much addicted to wearing a white waistcoat in season and out of season. Most l)eholders were struck witii a certain contradictoriness in his appearance ; nature seemed to have manu- factured him of odds and ends, without paying much regard to general harmony. The curve of his fore- head suggested an entirely different shape of nose from that which actually adorned his face, while the prominence of his eyes was totally unexpected from tlie smallness of everything else about him. His good nature was untiring, and he was ready to do anything or everything in time of need. With his companions he was a far greater favorite, in spite of liis love of teasing, than handsome, dignified, silent Ralph. CharJrjy Milwood was the youngest of the clerks, 14 THE RAINPROOF' INVEXTION. and still felt tlio dignity of boiiiij; promoted from a school desk to an ollicc st«t()l. His chief charjictcr- istic was his extreme desiiu to attiiiii the estati; of manhood. He was conseqiicntiy sensitive on tlie sub- ject of his yonth, anil Mt'fectcd <>rown-ni) airs. He dressed as njuch like Warrington as he could, took immense pains to learn to smoke, and lost no oppor- tunity of asserting his rights, especially in conversa- tion. The other cleiks exi)ended ti vast amount of lal)or in the atteni[)t " to take him down," with little perceptible effect for good or harjn. Even in his present undeveloped condition he was not without his good points, but he was likely to be a i)leasanter and more useful member of society when he h:id really attained to years of «liscrction. Dignity is never more apt to be troublesomely aggressive than when it is of doulitful right. Charley's privileges as a nuin extended to the fashionable otiice fiiiling of falling in love with his master's daughter, who was some five or six years older than himself. Not that that mattered ; he felt old enough for anything, though in |)articularly senti- mental moments the yout'fuliHvss of his own appear- ance distressed him. Charley's father, Mr. Milwood, had l)een employed in the mills for over twenty years. Mr. Norbury found him useful in so nianv different wavs that his THE NOR BURY MILLS., 16 position would be by no means an easy one to define. All liis life he had been oveiworked and umlerpaid, but he was a gentlc-tempt'U'd, patient man, unac- customed to complain, and slow to see that he was ill-used. Perhaps it had never dawned upon him that Mr. Norbury ou<>lit to have raised his salary ; at least he did not object to doing an ever-increasing amount of work for the very same annual sum that he had received when the business was in its infancy. If he did view it as an injustice, he never mentioned the fact, but went on in his old fashion, tliinking of his master's interests before his own. He had a large family to support, and at times the struggle to provide for it was almost too much for him. He was natu- rally a silent man, with a quiet, subdued manner, and the heavy pressure of his life, with its unremitting toil and ceaseless anxiety, had increased this quietness as he grew older. He was over fifty now, but his amiability was still unsoured. As successive trials were passed and left behind, he grew only more patient and unselfish. In spite of all, Mr. Milvvood was dis- tinctly happy, for the peace that passeth understand- ing had raised him far above the sordid cares of his lot, and his inner life was absolutely unrullled by its outward storms and contests. CHAPTER II. iii THE NORBURY HOUSEHOLD. IT was almost uoon before Stanton was summoned to Mr. Norbury's presence. He had spent the time of waiting in a lively conversation with Bob, who had not troubled himself to make even a pretense of working except when Mr. Norbury's door opened ; then a spasmodic fit of industry seized him and Ee wrote diligently for a few seconds, only to relapse into his former state as soon as the door closed. Yet, if work had been pressing, Littleton would have done as much as any one. His notions of morality forbade him to idle when he conceived that his master's inter- ests required industry, but on such occasions as the present he felt perfectly free to enjoy himself if he could. Whether or not his companions argued the matter as he did, in their case also there was rather the appearance than the reality of industry, for Stanton's conversation was interesting. Ralph Warrington, in- deed, endeavored to attend strictly to his occupation, for it was due to himself to give his employer the time he had bought, but even Ralph could not refrain 16 THE yOItnVRY HOUSEHOLD. IT entirely from listening to the stranger's entertaining talk. ^^ Nobles.,e ohlifje" was Warrington's motto; but, though good enough in its way, it is a poor stronghold in the hour of temptation, and occasionally it failed him. Bob had embarked in an eager defense of his favorite style of music, which Stanton had spoken of disparagingly. In the excitement of the moment he was about to illustrate his argument by an example, when Stanton raised a warning hand, the door of the inner oHice opened sharply, and Mr. Norbury came out. Bob began to scratch away with his pen, but his dreaded chief came slowly down the long room to his desk. "What have you been doiiig this morning, Little- ton ? " he asked sternly. Bob showed hiin silently. Mr. Norbury frowned and rel)uked him sharply, telling him that if such a thing happened again, he would be dismissed on the spot. Bob looked abashed, and inwardly resolved to mend his ways ; but it was not the first time he had received such a reprimand, nor would it be the last. The great man appeared to have forgotten Stanton altogether, and was leaving the room without a word to him, when that young man rose and stated his errand. Mr. Norbury made no immediate answer, 18 THE liAINVROOF INVENTION. but led the way into his own room and, throwing hiniyolf into a ehnir, began a lonj^ and rigorous examination as to the aspirant's (|naliHcati soon as i finish it )U how I ;ton, that 3e of any iderstand arringtou i^e aunoy- l through ANOTlIEIi FAMILY OF TIUiEE. 31 it. He politely took her bundle from her, but looked very much as if he would like to throw it into the gutter. " Well," he said, after they had walked some dis- tance in silence, " are n't you tired yet, Maud, of Mr. Norbury and this ridiculous designing? " " I am not going to give it up, Ralph, if I can keep it," she said with a touch of defiance, " though 1 won't pretend to like Mr. Norbury." " I don't see what made vou begin it. We were able to live well enough without it. Why can't you keep to your painting ? " " It was of no use, Ralph. You know my sketches would n't sell, and my china painting cost more than it was worth. If I ever am to paint, I must have good lessons, and I can't go on using mother's money, or yours either, for lessons. Besides, what can it matter, my doing work for Mr. Norbury any more than you?" " It does matter in every way. You know very well that the olKce is no place for a lady, and Mr. Norbury will never be satisfied till you do your work there." *' Lots of girls are bookkeepers and typewriters in offices now." "It is n't suitable work for my sister." "It is honest and respectable work; what more 32 THE KAlNritOOF INVENTION. would you have? We ciin't pretend, Kalpli, to live like fine ladies and gentlemen, and I for one wliould n't want to, if I could. Surely, if I don't object to the work, you need not." *' I have told you again and again, Maud, that I strongly disapprove of it. People will say that I don't treat you properly, and that you are obliged to earn your own living." " I don't believe people are always talking and thinking of us, Ralph. The world knows and cares very little about us, in spite of our grand ancestors." Something in Maud's tone provoked Ralph to say, "It's all very well to put on scornful airs, Maud, but you know you think as much as I do of belonging to a good family. I only hope you will do nothing to dis- grace it." "I should disgrace it or myself, which is more to the purpose, if I settled quietly down to the sort of life you wish. I tell you, Ra^h, I must do some- thing. I can't go on wasting my time with bits of fancy work and sketching. I am twenty- three already, and I have done nothing yet. I am sure I could paint if I could only get some lessons, and I must go on with Mr. Norbury's work. O Ralph, why will you worry so?" "Because the thing is most unsuitable, and you ought to be able to see it. How will you like to make ANOTHER FAMILY OF THREE. 33 the acquaintance of Littleton and Johnson and all those fellows?" " I dare say I shall not object. It would be better than having no accjuaintances at all, in any case, and so far I don't know a soul to speak to in Wharton excepting the Milwoods. What is the sense, Ralph, of shutting ourselves up like licrinits, because Lady McMaster and Mrs. Underwood don't call on us?" "How foolishly you talk, Maud! You know that those people would not think of visiting with us." ' ' That is what I say, but you never like rae to make friends with people in our own position, like the Mil- woods and the Frosts." " Our own position!" repeated Ralph with scornful emphasis. "Practically we are in the same position. I wish the old pedigree and all that nonsense had been burnt up years ago. It only makes us uncomfortable and stu- pid with people, for we are neither ' fish, ilesh, fowl, nor good red herring.' The grand folk won't have anything to do with us. Indeed, I suppose they are not even aware of our existence, and we are so fine we are afraid to see anything of any one else. Oh, I am sick of it all, and I don't believe it 's right I " " I am very sure, Maud, that it is not right for you to disregard the wishes of your best friends as you do," sai4 Ralph coldly. ^ 34 THE RAINPROOF INVENTION. *'You are so inconsistent, Ralph," retorted hio sister, once more carrying tlie war into the enemy's conntry. '' "Why, mother told me only this morning that you had promised to go up to Mr. Norbury's to dinner again to-night! Why is it so different for you and for me?" Ralph's face grew red, as it had done in the ollice when Littleton talked of Miss Norbury, but he said, " I am obliged to go. As long as I am in the ollice I cannot refuse Mr. Norbury's invitations." " Miss Norbury called on us this afternoon, Ralph, just before I came out." The young man's face brightened. " Did she, INIaud ? That was very kind." "I thought you would be annoyed that she had chosen to patronize us, Ralph. I was." "You are hard to please. I suppose she was only trying to be friendly." " I hope she will not try again, then. 1 don't like her as well as her father, even." " I do hope, Maud, that you treated her civilly." The anxiety in Ralph's tone was so strongly marked that, though she did not trace it to its right cause, she hastened to reassure him. ' ' Indeed I did, Ralph. I 'm sure she did n't see what I thought of her. I felt like a story-teller afterwards, though I don't think I exactly said what was n't true." 'V, J: ■1 1 -•if ANOTIIEIi FAMILY OF THREE. 86 >rtcd his eiiciny'a morning bury'H to t for you the odlcu he said, the olllce II, Ralph, Did she, she had was only lon't like ivilly." V marked ;ause, she t see what terwards, u't true." By this time they had reached the door of tlio low old-fashioned cottage where they lived, and taking her papers M .ud ran ui)stairs without another woril. She threw them down on the bed, and instead of taking oil' her hat and jacket, sat down beside the window and, resting her head on her hand, fell into a deep reverie. She was a sli^Mit, delicate-looking girl, with beauti- ful clear gray eyes and a quantity of wavy golden hair. The shape of her face was oval, and her com- plexion was pale and fair. Though not very like her brother, she was quite as good looking, and IMrs. Warrington was often gratified by the admiration be- stowed on both her children. Just now Maud's pretty face wore a decidedly dis- contented expression. Ralph's opposition to her plans annoyed her extremely ; ami the worst of it was, what- ever he said her mother concurred in, for her son's influence with her was unbounded. She loved her daughter, too, but Maud never had doubted (and there really Avas no room to doubt) that the affection given to her was nothing in comparison to the passionate devo- tion lavished on her brother. It was so old a story now, that Maud accepted the fact quietly, but in her childish days she had rebelled against it with all her might, not knowing then that love is not a prize to bo won by force. There were times, even yet, when she was bitter and angry at Ralph for having, as she felt, ji 36 THE liAINFEOOF INVENTION. taken away the birthright which she would have valued more ihau he. In moments of difference of opinion she was inclined to make it in her own mind a reason for disregarding his wishes ; for, if she did not look aftci" herself, neither mother nor brother was likely to consider her desires, especially if they chanced to clash with Ralph's. As she had grown up (she was several years younger than her brother), she had deliberately set herself, with a strong feeling of the injustice of her lot, to take her own way in spite of him. In this course, however, she tried to give proper weight to all his reasonable wishes, but she gave no quarter to those wliicli she regarded as unreasonable, and whether the oi>iaiops ol an unprejudiced person would always have agreed with her views on the matter might have been open to question. At least the effect was a natural one. What Ralph characterized as her willfulness and obstinacy carried her triumphant tlirough inany a con- test, but the cost of such victories was more disastrous than defeat. The breach between them had steadily widened, and now, though they lived in the same house and were called by the same name, the less they saw of each other the better it was for the peace of the familv. Some months earlier another factor had entered into the problem that at present crJ.y added to Maud's I •■■■ t i ANOTHER FAMILY OF THREE. 37 ^e valued f opinion a reason not look as? likely laueed to •al years ately set L^e of her In this i^ht to all r to those letlier the vays have uivo been a natural ilness and ny a cou- lisastrous I steadily the same less they peace of I entered o Maud's unhappiness. She had resolved to be a Christian, and she was slowly learning what it meant to be a follower of the gentle and lowly Jesus. It seemed to her that the new life mvolved sacrifices greater and more painful than she could ever be prepared to make, and yet she did not see that they were all centered in one — the sacrifice of her own self-will. Very dimly did she apprehend the real character of the service into which she had entered, and yet she was sincere. The difficulties that beset her path bewildered her ; but she struggled on, striving at once to do her Lord's will and to have her own way, and failing as dismally as might be expected. To-day. as she sat looking down into the misty little garden and thinking over the conversation with her brother, she blamed herself for her hasty speeches, but she never dreamed that her whole attitude with regard to him was wrong. She felt convinced that she was right to prefer honest work and independence to idleness, and thinking so, she was determined to keep her position, whatever Ralph might say or think, though she also resolved to avoid irritating him need- lessly. Even now, though she fancied herself repent- ant for the sharp, unkind words that had passed her lips, she allowed herself to dwell scornfully on her brother's foolish and unfounded pride. As she went down to tea she heard Ralph shut the 38 THE liAINPliOOF INVENTION. I m : i I street door, and the sound roused all her bitter feelings again ; for " how could he be so foolishly inconsistent as to object to her doing work for a man whom he was willing to treat as a friend ? " Her vexation was increased by her mother's sud- denly remarking, " My dear, did you tell Mr. Norbury to-day that you could not do any m(Me designs for him?" " No, mother ; I never dreamed of such a thing." " I thought you knew that Ralph wished you to give it up." " I know tiiat, mother; but I think I have as good a right to earn my own living as he has himself." " I think, my dear, that you ought to be more ready to give way to his wishes." "Why, mother? It is only spoiling him when his wishes are foolish. He is getting terribly overbearing ; one must make a stand somewhere." " But, Maud, you have not earned anything v/orth mentioning yet ; is it worth while to have so much contention for such a tritle?" " I shall earn more soon," said Maud shortlv ; " and if I earned nothing, Ralph has no right to try to coerce me in this way." " You forget, Maud, he is much older than you, and knows a great deal better what is proper for you to do." I ANOTHER FAMILY OF THBEE, 39 joiisistent m he was ler's siul- Norbury signs for thing." >u to give as good If." Jre ready when his ■bearing ; ]g w^orth so much shortly : it to try " Mother, do you believe yourself that there is anything disgraceful in it?" "If it annoys Ralph so much, that should be a sullicieut reason for your giving it up." " Why do you always care so much more about Ralph than me, mother?" cried Maud. " It is always what will please him! I do so hate being" — She stopped, ashamed to find herself already breaking the resolutions she had made to be kind and forbearing. " Mother," she said in a different tone, " I beg your pardon ; but it is hard to be always the one in the wrong. You know I would give anything for good lessons in painting, and it is the only way I see to get them. Please don't ask me to give up the designing. 1 really can't ; and I do think Mr. Norbury would be very angry, for he has taken a great deal of trouble to teach me." So saying she rose from the table and went to her own room, where she passed the evening in a weary and disheartening struggle with the refractory design. lan you, for you m CHAPTER IV. THE GREAT MAN HAS A FALL. m \ AFTEli INIiss Warrington left him, severiil things occurred to delay Mr. Norbury's departure from his office. One or two people came in to speak to him, and he was obliged to have a long consultation with Mr. Milwood over the delinquencies of one of the dyers, who had carelessly damaged a considerable quantity of goods. When at last he took his hat and went out he was in no ver}' enviable frame of mind. A number of small matters had gone contrary with him. The mist was thicker than he had thought. He had almost to grope his way down the familiar street ; but when he had turned the corner and reached the broader road, he went on with more confidence and less care. There were many passengers in the streets, for it was market day, and the country people had not all left the town ; but Mr. Norbury walked quickly, caring little for the very considerable amount of jostling which he received and, perhaps, returned. His house was nearly a mile from the factory, and in that distance he had to take three or four turns, as 40 i THE GREAT MAN HAS A FALL. 41 I things jpartiire speak ultation oue of iderable liat and f mind, •y with He had et ; but led the ice and streets, )le had walked amount irned. ry, and u'ns, as there was no very direct road between the two places. Tlie fog was so thick that, though he knew the way so well, he took a wrong turning and had walked some distance before he perceived his mistake. When he did so, he recognized the street he was in, and instead of retracing his steps, decided to make a short cut across a piece of land that had long been lying waste. This would bring him directly into the street where he lived. Now it happened that Mr. Norbury had not walked in that direction for some weeks, and, to his astonish- ment, he soon found himself stumbling over a heap of bricks. This should have warned him of danger, but he was so near home that he did not like to turn back. He walked very slowly and cautiously, but seemed to be perfectly entangled among heaps of mortar, piles of stone, and unfinished brick walls. The fog was so dense that he could not see half a yard in front of him, and at last he became so con- fused by the perils of the way, that he could not decide whether he was going towards home or away from it. By this time he would have been thankful to reach even the point he had started from, but it was not to be ! Turning aside to avoid a lime pit on the right, he incautiously advanced too quickly to the left, stumbled over something, fell headlong a distance of 42 THE BAINPROOt' INVENTION. some eight or nine feet, and alighted in the half-finished cellar of one of a partly built row of houses. For some little time he lay stunned by the fall, and when he came to himself he was lying on damp earth, stiff, bruised, and chilled through by long ex- posure to the foggy air. lie could not move without great pain, and he was equally confused as to where he was and how he had come there. At length he began to remember what had happened, and the neces- sity of making some effort to improve his situation occurred to him. He did not linow how late it might be, and he began to fear that he might not get help that niglit. With a great effort he managed to move a little from the uneasy posture in which he had been lying ; at last he even contrived to sit up. He had matches in his poclvct, and after several vain attempts he struck one, witli the agreeable result of being able to see the fog as well as feel it. He lit another. It glimmered for an instant on the brick wall close at hand. He guessed now where he was, and the prospect was not encouraging. Poor Mr. Norbury ! he grew desperate, and, fancying he lieard the faint rumble of a carriage in tlie distance, he shouted as loudly as he could. The sound of wiieeis came nearer and nearer (at least there was the satisfaction of know- ing tliat he was not far from tlie road), nearer and nearer, and Mr. Norbury shouted in a fashion tliat TSS BEE AT MxiN HAS A FALL. 43 would have done credit to his rollicking, noisy clerk, Bob Littleton. He listened breathlessly, gave another wild halloo, and waited again, then fairly groaned with despair. The carriage had passed and gone on. The hour that followed was perhaps the most try- ing that ]Mr. Norbury had ever spent in his life. It was trying in every way — to his health, to his tem- per, to his lungs, and to his dignity. Every time a conveyance rattled by, he shouted as he had not shouted since he was a boy, but his efforts brought no relief. Then followed intervals of suspense, of anxious waiting and listening. All in vain, no one came to the rescue. He felt cramped with lying on the damp ground, and the pains in his head and limbs became more violent. He shouted and shouted again. Still no one came ! His position was not likely perhaps to prove con- ducive to clear reflection, and his thoughts wandered. He thought of his own comfortable fireside, of Elsie chatting to some one of her many admirers, of his patent and the factory, of his father and the old days at home ; and then he meditated strangely on death, thinking less of the dim future beyond the grave (very dim and very uncertain to him), than of his unfinished and wasted toils to add one improvement to another. Would any other man, he wondered, win from the traces he had left the secret that had foiled 44 THE liAINPIiOOF INVENTION. i him so long? Another carriage passed and left him there. He was in despair, past shouting, past thinking, almost past caring wliat became of him, when a famil- iar voice sounded from the darkness above: "Mr. Norbury! Mr. Norbury, where are you?" He answered faintly, and another voice said : " He is there, Warrington, don't you hear? down one of those cellars, I suppose." " How can he have got in, and how shall we get him out? " muttered Warrington. "Give me your hand, Ralph, and I'll find out what 's the matter. It 's lucky if no bones are broken. Hold the light steady — now — that 's right ; let go, please ; " and Bob swung himself down, not without a slip that threatened to disable him also. Then Warrington passed the lantern to him and he tried to discover whether Mr. Norbury was seriously injured. In the unsteady light the mill owner pre- sented a most melancholy appearance, for his face was white and bruised, and his garments were covered with mud and clay. The kind-hearted little clerk was dismayed at the spectacle. " I am afraid he is badly hurt, Warrington ! " ho exclaimed. He spoke to the injured man and tried to rouse him ; but he neither answered nor stirred. He next attempted to lift him into a more comfortable posture, but he was heavy THE GREAT MAN HAS A FALL, 45 and Bob not very strong ; so .he took off bis overcoat anil arranged it as a pillow on the little heap of bricks that had done duty before. Having accomplished this improvement he went to consult with Ralph, who was still waiting above. "I don't think we two can manage to get him up without help," he said; "but if you '11 go for a carriage and a doctor, I '11 stay here with him." "Very well; I'll be as quick as I can. There's something passing now ; " and Warrington was hur- rying away when Bob called out, " Here, Warrington, you had better take the lantern, or you '11 be in one of the other cellars next." "Thank you; well, perhaps I had," said Ralph. So Bob was left in the darkness to keep watch beside a man vfho might be dying, for anything he knew. He sat down close to him, listening impatiently for Warrington's return. The silence soon began to be very trying to his nerves, especially as it was broken at irregular intervals by the deep groans of the invalid. Bob expected them, and ought not to have been startled ; but each time he was startled never- tlieless. By and by he began to whistle softly to keep up his spirits, but his tunes sounded very melancholy down in the cellar, and he was so cold that he could hardly keep his teeth from chattering. He stood up at last and stamped his feet to warm 46 THE BAIN PROOF INVENTION. \ them ; then, by way of doing soiuctliing, ho iiiade a tour of investigation round their prison. He was not reassured to find that without help from above he himself would have some ditllculty in escaping from it, for the masons had removed their planks and ladders. Suppose something had happened to War- rington ! He had been gone so long that Rob began to fancy all kinds of possible and impossible explana- tions for his delay. He traveled round his cage three times, feeling the walls with his hands, but in the darkness he failed to discover any means of egress ; and at last he sat down beside his unconscious com- panion to wait with all the patience he could muster. Bob had been returning home, after doing some business in the town, when he came suddenly upon Warrington standing perfectly still in the middle of the road with a lantern in his hand. This astonishing sight brought Bob to a halt, and he was going to ask whether Ralph had lost his way, when that dignified gentleman made a hasty but imperious gesture to silence him, saying in impressive tones, " Listen ! don't 3'ou hear, Littleton ? " " Hear what? " said Bob, staring with all his might into the darkness. "Mr. Norbury. I am pretty sure I lieard him calling." "Mr. Norbury!" exclaimed Bob in accents of THE GREAT MAN HAS A FALL. 47 le iiKule a [e was not above he pin^ from aiiks and I to War- ^ob began ! explana- 3age three lit in the )f egress ; ions corn- el muster. 'Ing some anly upon middle of Uouishing ng to ask dignified estui'e to " Listen ! his might 2ard him [jcents of bewilderment. " He 's safe at home long ago. You 're dreaming, Warrington ! " " He is not safe at liomo, for I iiavo just come from there ; and he is n't at the olllee, for Miss Norbury sent to see." Bob gave a low whistle. " He 'd never lose himself in AVharton, Ilalph. He knows tlie place too well. 1 expect he luvs just gone to call on some one." " I don't think so. He has never done such a thing before, without letting them know at home. Besides, I am sure I heard some one callin.!; over there." "Well, if you did," said Bob with liis usual prac- ticality, " let us go and look for him." So saying he plunged valiantly into the fog, leaving Warrington to follow ; but he was brought to a standstill, as Mr. Norbury had been, by a new brick wall. " Come on, Warrington!" he shouted; "I do believe I did hear soniething then, but I 've got mi-.ed up with the tower of Babel or something, and I can't find ray way out." For the next few minutes he followed cautiously in the wake of Warrington's lantern. Suddenly he stopped, <2;rasping Ralph unceremoniously by tlie arm. " What fools we are!" he exclaimed, "to risk our necks amongst all this rubbish ! Mr. Norbury always goes home up ^ing Street and along Dunham Road." Ralph shook off his hand a little roughly, for he resented the familiarity of both speech and action, 48 THE RAINl'lWOF INVENTION, \ ' I \ and replied: " F had to come to Mr. Drayton's to borrow this luntcM'n, uiul I am sure I heard Mr. Norbury calling for luilp." '*\Vhy doesn't he call now then?" said Hob im- patiently, " Ilnsh ! what 's that? " " I don't know ; some drunken fellow who has lost his way, I should think." " Perhaps it is he. Let us look and see." But that was more easily said than done, for the lantern only threw a narrow track of liglit in front, and left the mist on either side utterly unilluminated. There was no sound to guide tiiom, and though they searched carefully all over the waste ground, they found no trace of him, except some fresh footprints, that, as Bob said, " might just as well have been made by any one else." "I wish he would give on? good shout!" said Littleton as they again began to stumble amongst the bricks and pitfalls of the new buildings. He had hardly spoken when, seeming to come almost from beneath their feet, they heard not a shout, but a groan. Then Bob had scrambled down into the cellar, as we have already stated, and Warrington had gone for assistance. It was not an easy matter to get Mr. Norbury safely up without hurting him, even with the help of the men who came with Warrington. He groaned a good I '% :^, ^ ■m THE (fJiEAT MAX HAS A FALL. 40 yton's to 'jird Mr. Hub iin- ) liuu lost }, for the in front, mniiuited. )iigli tlicy 11 ml, they ootpriiits, ave beeu It!" said ongst the He had lost from it, but a the cellar, iiad gone [iry safely Ip of the id a good deal as they put him into the cab, but he did not open his eyes, and his face looked drawn and pali; in the liglit of the lantern. " Do you think he is dying, Ual[)h? " gasped Rob. " Dying ! " repeated Warrington ; " I hope not, but — I don't know." '* Had n't you better go on and break it to them?" HUggosted Littleton after a pause. " They ought to be told." "Won't you go?" asked Ralpii, unwilling for (Mice to go to Mr. Norbury's house or to see his daughter. "No, oh, no! I don't know them as well as you do. You go on quickly and I '11 see Mr. Norbury safely home, and then I'll run for the doctor." Halpii made no more excuses but hurried on. and in spitt' of his desire to be calm and collected, gave such a thundering rap at the door that he startled the whole household. Elsie met him in the hall and led hii" into the draw- ing room. She could see from his face that something tdaiining had happened. Iler quickness of apprehen- sion made his errand easier. He told his story in a very f(!w words, but rather incoherently. "Then you think him dangerously hurt?" said Elsie. " I fear so. Miss Norbury." With a lialf-conteuiptuous glance at her mother, i ill I 1 '! i; .1 i( :; 50 THE BAINPJiOOF INVENTION. wliD was hysterical in her nervous excitement, Elsie stepped to the bell and rang it. When the servant appeared she quietly ordered her father's room to bo prepared and told the girl to send for the doctor. Ralph explained that Bob was going, and she did not forget to expresy her thanks for their thoughtfulness, even though she could hear the wheels already at the door. She told them where to take him, and what to do, but at the sight of her father's deathlike face her own paled slightly Like the young men, she feared the worst ; but " there was no immediate danger," the doctor said, " and if great care was taken there might not be danger at all." Ralph lingered until he was satisfied that he could be of no furthev use, and then left very regretfully, for he fancied that Miss Norbury found his presence a comfort in her trial. Late as it was, Bob had waited for him, being anxious to hear the doctor's report, and not liking to go into the house. But Dr. Thay had been mistaken. In 3pite of all possible care Mr. Norbury grew worse ; for several days he was delirious and hung between life and death. He was a difficult patient to nurse, for it was his first serious illness, and he would not submit to the doctor'L'> orders. As his mind began to get clearer his impatience and irritability increased, for he could THE GBEAT MAN HAS A FALL. 51 not LMi dure the thought that "his business was going to rack and ruin" in his absence ; yet he was too weak and helpless to take the law Into his own hands and follo" liis ordinary course of life as he would have desired. •-T"«-T"K < j r « ir c I CHAPTER V. FOR Bessie's sake — and his 0"\vn. A FORTNIGHT passed and Mr. Norbury was still confined to his bed, fretting and fuming over his misfortune, and spending the greater part of his weary, restless days in the unprofitable labor of count- ing the prol)al)le magnitude of his losses. "Elsie," he said, one morning after the physician's visit, "I think that Dr. Thay knows nothing about his business. Here he says this morning that I am worse, have more fever, or some such nonsense, and that I must not see any one on business. Much he knows about it ! I shall not try him any longer, and I want you to write to Dr. Morton to come down at once." " Who, the London doctor?" "Yes, it will be very expensive, but I am losing hundreds, perhaps thousands, while I lie here. Mil- wood was up yesterday, and from his own account he seems to be muddling things fearfully, and the rest of them are worse. There is not one with a decent head on his shoulders in the whole set of them." "How can I get Dr. Morton's address? " 62 FOR BESSIE'S SAKE— AND HIS OWN. 53 '* Thay will give it to you. I told him I was tired of his shilly-shally work and intended to try some one really first-rate. I never heard such nonsense ; he insists that it is my own fault, and that I should be well in less than a month, if I could only let things go at the factory without worrying over them. Less than a month indeed ! why, the business will be ruined in half th.ai time ! " The London specialist could not arrange to journey up to Wharton for several days after Elsie's letter reached him, and when he did at length arrive the invalid had worked himself up to such a state of anxiety and impatience that he was on the very verge of delirium again. Alas ! his hopes of a speedy and complete recovery were ruthlessly crushed. 80 far from being less rigor- ous in his treatment than his former physician. Dr. Morton seemed to poor Mr. Norbury to forbid every- thing that mitigated his sufferings in the least. But he tilked so learnedly of all the ills that would inevi- tably be the result of disobedience, and he drew such a picture of the decrepitude to which his patient might be reduced that he was frightened into submission. The great man gave unqualified approval to his pred- ecessor's management of the case, so the refractory invalid sullenlv reinstated Dr. Thav as his adviser, and at last consented to lie for days together in a 64 THE BAINrBOOF INVENTION. room from which the light and sound and bustle of the world were carefully excluded. Nay, he did more. Always thorough in what he undertook, he was now so bent on getting well, that he resolved to follow his doctor's directions to the bitter end. He gave orders that, come what might, the factory must be managed without him for a time, though he darkly hinted that future promotions would depend upon the behavior of his subordinates at this crisis. Having thus pro- vided to the best of his ability for the object nearest his heart, he resigned himself to the strange hiber- nating existence prescribed by his medical men. A curious reward followed this exercise of resolution. Skeptical as he had been as to its possibility, a restful calm took possession of him, when he had finally cut himself off from the pains and pleasures of business. He slept and ate well, and his shaken nerves began to recover their tone. Then Dr. Thay recommended change of air and scene, and for the first time in his life Mr. Norbury allowed himself something worthy of the name of a holiday. It was odd how much more he thought of Dr. Thay's advice since it had chanced to coincide so exactly with that of the expensive Loudon physician. He had now some of the old satisfaction in making a good bargain when he received a professional visit from the young man, and he endured his tyranny with a better grace FOR BESSIE'S SAKE — AND HIS OWN. 55 for the soothing thought that at least he was getting good value for his nionoy. P^lsie managed everything in these days of inva- lidism. She opened her father's letters and answered them as well as she could, except those that were addressed directly to the office. She arranged for lodgings at Southport, and carried her father and mother off there as soon as Mr. Norbury could be moved. To do her justice, though she found the place rather dull and stupid, she exerted herself to keep her parents amused and happy, and her success was really marvelous, considering the material she had to work upon. But that fortnight by the sea, with its unique expe- rience of rest and leisure to the hard-working manu- facturer, came to an end at last. One evening, as Elsie and he wandered on the beach, Mr. Norburv broke the silence he had mniutained on the affairs of the factory. "Elsie," he said, *' I have asked Dr. Thay to come down to-morrow, and all being well, we will go home on Monday." " Well, papa, I am quite ready to go home whenever you like," she replied. " I am more than ready. I would give a good deal to know what those fellows have been doing in my absence. I think INIilwood is to be trusted, and pt!r- haps Warrington ; but neither of them has a clear 5C THE BAINmOOF INVENTION. t enougli nead for business, except when he can be looked after the whole time. I wish you had been a boy, Elsie." *»0 papa, that is too bad of you! I do believe you would think twice as much of me if you could make me useful at the factory." Mr. Norbury's laugh had a touch of grimness in it. " Perhaps I sliould ; who knows? However, you are not, and that 's all about it ! I 've been wishing that we had n't lost sight of that nephew of mine in the way we did." "Why, father?" " In the first place, I really need some one to take an interest in the business besides mvsclf. I sliall ft/ never be the man I was before this accident ; both Thay and Morton said so" — "I think YOU are mistaken, father. Tliev told me again and again that if you would only spare your- self, you would be all right — as well as ever, in fact ! " "Stuff and nonsense, Elsie ! They did n't wish to alarm you, that was all. But about Arthur Lester — how old is he? I don't remember." "Three or four and twenty, 1 think." "He was a bright, smart fellow enough when he stayed with us that time for his holidays ; and if only he isn't too fine a gentleman, something might be FOB BESSIE'S SAKE— AND 11 IS OWN. 57 less in it. made of liiiii, I should say. 1 have half a iiiliul to write and ask him to come down; and then, if he suits me, I dare say J could make it well worth his while to stay." " Do you mean that you would take him into the ])usine8s?" "I shall do nothing in a hurry, Elsie ; you may be sure of that. It is not my custom to act without mature deliberation," said Mr. Norbury reprovingly. " Rut if he shows any capacity for business, and is willing to do his best and make himself useful, I shall certainly make it worth his while." "I hope he'll come. He used to be a very nice boy," said Elsie. ""What put him into your head now, papa?" "I don't know — unless it is that I have been thinking a good deal of poor Bessie during these weeks. Perhaps I was hard on her, and I might have done more for this boy of hers. I should like to give liim a chance. I always meant to look after him a l)it, but I have been so busv and — tliat meddlesome Armstrong annoyed me so much about the lad that I fmally washed my hands of him. Perhaps it was not quite just ; but the thing is done, and there 's nothing for it but to make the best of it ! " " Suppose Arthur won't come ! " "If he won't, it will be more his loss than mine. 58 THE RAINPROOF INVENTION. tt ,,|l It will be easier for me to get some one to look after the business than for him to get such jiuother chance as I ihall give him. Well, for Bessie's sake, I hope he '11 be reasonal)le." " It all sounds like a story," said Elsie. " I never heard anything more romantic." " Romantic. Elsie? I thought you had more sense ! Poor Bessie made a re3:ular fool of herself, and hud to suffer for it, too; raore's the pity." Throughout his illness Mr. Norbury had thought of no one so often as the sister whom he had not seen for twenty-five years; who had, indeed, been in her grave for more than twenty. Other people l)esidcs Elsie had thought her story romantic ; but, short as hor life had been, the poor little heroine had lived to regret that it had not ended in the same ordinary fashion in which it had l^egun. She ha■ '^ it 1 i ■: 62 TJIE RAINriiOOF INVENTION. blind! twice-over l)liiKl ! He liad been foolish to many her, smd wicked to make her HutTer so for what was not her faiilt. Bessie's death grieved him more than he would have believed possible. Henceforward lie devoted himself entirely to his sou and to his profession ; and in the child's admiration and affection he found comfort. In after years Captain Lester lived in his son's memory as a saint and a hero, for, from the dark hour when he sat beside Bessie's deathbed, he had set self aside and had lived for God and his fellow men. His little lad looked up to him with loving reverence, for by his own high example he taught him to be true and manly and unselfish; and when Arthur had his own way to make in ♦ho world the beautiful and noble memories of his earliest days served as a witness in his heart against evil, and called him to make choice of what was pure and good. Hi^> loving admiration knew no check, even when he heard from his father's own lips the story of his sin ; but, strange to say, at first it had grieved him sorely to learn how humble his mother's birth had been. He was but ualf reconciled to the fact when his father pointed out that still he might be a gentleman if he would, and quoted with his grave, quiet smile the famous words of the ploughman poet : — " The rank is but the guinea-staiDp, The man's the gowil for a' that." FOR li ESSIE'S SAKE— AND HIS OWN. 63 FJko most children, Arthur set an undue vulue on uorldly position, lie was well read in Scott's ro- nlanc•(^s, and believed with all his heart in certain nnniistakable sii;ns of high birth, so that he never regarded " the gray-haired seneschal" as showing any remarkable keenness of insight when he graded liis lord's guests at a gUince in the order of their rank. On the contrary, he would in those davs have dared to att(uni)t some such feat himself. Hut that early revelation of his true position had its effect, ncver- tlu!l(!ss, for, in spite of himself, he had to own his real kinship with '' the horny-handed sons of toil," tlioui!;li the graces and relinements of those whose lot was cast in the higher ranks of society pleased him inllnitely better. Captain Lester was able to keep his boy in India longer than most parents, as he was stationed for some lime in the comparatively cool hill country ; indi'cd, Artluu' and his father had never been parted for more than a few days at a time, till the regiment was ordered to the seat of war in Afghanistan. Ik' fore he left, Captain Lester made all arrangements to send his son to England, but he had not started on his long journey when the regiment marched away to join tli'3 rest of the army. Arthur never felt prouder of his handsome, soldierly father than on that last sad morning when he bade him farewell, for a longer MS 64 THE BAINPliOOF INVENTION. time than he knew, for Captain Lester died bravely and gloriously, men said, at the head of his company. Strange to say, much as he thought of his father, Arthur never felt inclined towards a soldier's life. He would have much preferred to enter one of the learned professions, but his inheritance was so small that it buvely sufficed to give him an ordinary educa- tion at a middle-class school. His gurrdiun, Mr. Armstrong, made great efforts to induce either his father's or his mother's family to take charge of him. Mr. Norbnry made vague promises and invited him once to spend his Christmas holidays at Wharton, but Mr. Lester did nothing ; he did not even answer Mr. Armstrong's letters. Then that gentleman lost pa- tience, and wrote so sharply to both of Arthur's relations that, though his grandfather still refused to be provoked into a reply, Mr. Norbury was mortally offended, and from that day to the time of his illness apparently succeeded in dismissing all thoughts of his nephew from his mind. Arthur nearly ruined his health by studying for a scholarship at Cambridge, but le lost it by a few marks ; and having by that time exhausted the small sum which his father had contrived to save for him, he vias obliged, much against his will, to take his guai'diaii's advice and apply for a clerkship in a great Loudon warehouse. It was fortunate for him that FOB BESSIE'S SAKE — AND HIS OWN. 65 Mr. Armstrong's influence was sufficient to get this position for him ; but Arthur never could persuade himself that he was happy in his fate. He hated both his office life and the smoky, noisy city from wbich there was no escape for him from one week's Olid to another. He was still employed in the office ill which Mr. Armstrong had placed him when he left school, but promotion was slow and his salary was still so small that he had to practice the greatest economy. His work was monotonous but not over- taxing to brain or strength, and in his leisure hours Arthur studied a good deal. Latterly, indeed, he had been trying his hand at writing, as well as reading, and he was beginning to hope that the way of escape might yet open from his distasteful London life. He looked back to the years with his father as by far the happiest he had ever spent, but he liked to dream of some time, far in the future, when he should again have a home. His dreams were as vague yet as they were pleasant, but they were all bound up with the great things he hoped to do with his pen, though he had not yet succeeded in inducing any publisher or editor to make the venture of printing his productions. If Mr. Norbury had known in what direction his nephew's ambition lay, he might have reconsider'^d the advisability of inviting him to Wharton, but he had no means of knowing ; so before he left Southport he 66 THE EAINVIiOOF INVENTION. ■r t ' i dictated to Elsie u letter, desiring Arthur Lester to come down to Wharton without delay ; and after a little hesitation the young man accepted both the invitation and the apology for past neglect with which it was accompanied. in n CHAPTER VI. ARTHUR LESTER NEARLY a week after they reached liome Elsie was sitting at dusk in her own room, when the servant knocked at the door. " Mr. Lester has come, J\Iiss Norbury," she said. " Missus told me to tell you." " Very well, Mary ; I will come down." Elsie was eager to see her unknown cousin. She stood for a moment in the dimly lighted hall before entering the drawing room. Arthur was standing l)eforc the fire on the side opposite the door. She had a good view of him from where she stood, though he did not see her. The young man was tall, slight, and decidedly good looking, and Elsie found herself com- paring him with the small, delicate-looking little lad who had visited them twelve years before. He had alteied greatly, though his hair was scarcely a shade darker, and his eyes were as clear and almost as blue us they had been in his childish davs. He looked manlier than Elsie had expected, and altogether he impressed her very favorably. She began to think that they had lost a good deal in not keeping up the 67 I- I ■ i i u 68 THE BAINPltOOF INVENTION. acqiiaiutance with liim, and already in imagination she pictured him as a devoted and very creditable addition to her train of admirers. If Arthur had known what a scrutiny he was under- going, he might have felt some degree of embarrass- ment, but he continued his chat with Mrs. Norbury in easy unconsciousness, and Pilsie, on the door mat, grew quite enthusiastic in her observations. "He has nice manners," she decided, ' and such a pleasant voice ! " Mrs. Norbury was making not very original remarks on the discomforts of railway traveling, but indeed there are subjects on which it is impossible to be original, and Arthur was doing his best to pay proper attention, when Elsie at last thought fit to go into the room. " How do you do. Cousin Arthur?" she said, offering him her hand. "Very well, thank you. I hope you are well. Cousin " — " Elsie," she filled in, seeing that he hesitated. " So you have forgotten even my name ! That is n't exactly com[)limentary." " I beg your pardon ; but I am afraid you will soon discover that I never am complimentary," said Arthur, smiling. " I have iiot the requisite talent." Elsie laughed. " I am glad you have given me fair warning. I must confess to a weakness for pretty AMTHUB LESTEB. 69 speeches. Shall I ring for the tea, mother? Where is father? Isn't he in vet? I am sure he will make himself ill again, if he is n't more careful." Mr. Norbury came home late, too tired and cross to eat. Things had been going wrong at the factory, or rather he had discovered several mistakes that had been made in his absence, and he had worn himself out with scolding, first one person and then another. Every one in the office, from Warrington to Charley Milwood, had come in for his share of censure ; and a general sulkiness pervaded the counting-house, which the master imprudently insisted on regarding as "deliberate impertinence." Arthur eyed his uncle rather gloomily, for the smoke of the many conflicts in which he had been engaged that afternoon still hung about him. His shaggy eyebrows were drawn together in a frown that naturally suggested ill-temper, and the corners of his set, determined-looking mouth had a downward inclina- tion that by no means modified that expression. Elsie made conversation for everybody, and the meal came to an end at last. Immediately afterwards Mr. Norbury requested his nephew's attendance in the room which his daughter dignified by the name of the study, and put the young man through much the same sort of examination as that to which he had sub- jected Stanton. All the while he kept his eyes fixed I 70 THE ItAlNPROOF INVENTION. sternly on Arthur's face, as if he desired to catch him Ml some attempt to deceive. In reality, however, that was not his motive so much as a desire to learn what sort of man his nephew was. He looked at the face as the index to the character, and he flattered himself that he read men well. Mr. Nor bury did not par- ticularly admire Arthur's well-cut features, for they brought too vividly to his memory the thought of the man whom he would never forgive for the wrong he had done poor Bessie ; yet, though the blue eyes that Elsie liked so well had some faint suggestion of his long dead sister, he would willingly have forgotten her too, for he felt that his own conscience was not clear of wrong ; moreover, beauty was a very second- ary consideration with him. This time Arthur was fully aware of the severe scrutiny which he was undergoing, and was disposed to resent it as equally unkind and impolite. Mr. Norbury was under the delusion that he pre- ferred men with strong wills, and rightly or wrongly he set his nephew down as wanting in determination of character and the more solid qualities necessary for the successful transaction of business, and he was disappointed accordingly. As a matter of fact, how- ever, it was notorious that he did not usually agree with people who had " wills of their own." It was his custom to insist imperiously on Unving his own way ARTHUR LEISTER. 71 regardless of other people's preferences ; and when, as occasionally happened, he met his match in dogged obstinacy a conflict ensued more lively than pleasant. The oral examination satisfied the mannfacturer better. He was pleased to hear that Lester thoroughly understood the important mysteries of bookkeeping, and that his experience had been of a kind likely to prove useful in his new position. Fortunately Arthur had the prudence to keep to himself the history of his experiences with editors, for the knowledge that he cherished such ambitions would have lowered him many degrees in his uncle's estimation. Even as it was, his uncle warned him solemnly against fanciful and romantic notions, and ir, pressed on him most earnestly the necessitv of a thorouj/a surrender of his time and talents to the interests of the "Rainproof." He was careful to make no definite promises, but he dealt in vague hints of the grandeur of the position which it was la Arthur's power to attain by industry and perse- verance. To enforce the lesson he gave a slight sketch of his own history, in such a self-satisfied strain that Arthur hardly knew whether to be more amused at or ashamed of his self-made relative. And yet, if the story had been told by any one else, he would have been the first to acknowledge that there was something heroic in the patience and determination that had triumphed over difficulties so various and formidable. 72 THE RAINPROOF INVENTION. W'nej the brsiness .rrangements bad been talked ov^ t Mr. Norbury's gruffness began to wear off, and for a t.l^ 1e while he cliatted really pleasantly on indif- ferent subjects. Arthur readily responded to his change of tone, and the impressions which each received of the other were not so distinctly unfavor- able as at first they had promised to be. Arthur came up to Wharton on Friday ; and though there was not much to see in the neighborhood, Saturday was specially left free by Mr. Norbury for his nephew " to look about him." Accordingly, he was thinking of beginning his pilgrimage soon after breakfast when Elsie came into the room with her hat on and said : " I have a little shopping to do in High Street, Arthur. Should you care to walk with me and take a look at the town ? I should be glad of your company, if you would." " Thank you. I should like to come very much." "I am' sorry to say," said the young lady as they were walking down the street, "that there isn't a single object of interest within walking distance, though I am grieved, for the honor of my native town, to be obliged to confess it." "Wharton must be unfortunate then. There is something in most places that the inhabitants are proud of ; but don't trouble yourself on my account. I shall enjoy the walk for its own sake, I assure you." AliTIIUli LESTEE. 73 Elsie laughed. " I aiu glud you are so easily pleased; but, really, Wharton is unfortunate. It is an ugly place in the midst of an ugly country. I suppose an artist would n't find anythir worth paint- ing within ten miles ; it does not r/^ se:- fi single building old enough to be interestir-,, a'lv? ;t has no history, no legends, no ghost storie^ ^j^ok As far as I can discyvet , nothing ever hapi ened at Wharton ; and, to add to all these negatives , .bething positive, it is dirty, it is smoky, and it is noisy, as no doubt you have already discovered." "Arc you not a little hard on Wharton? Your three positive facts are true of most large towns." " But it isn't a large town; it's the dullest little place on the face of the eavth. You have n't seen it at its worst yet, or you wouldn't have a word to say for it. Wait till vou have been through the winter and have tried Wharton nuid and Wharton foijs ! If you can defend it then, 1 '11 never say another word against it." " I doubt if Wharton fogs can be worse than some I 've seen in London." *' Oh, I know London fogs have a bad reputation ; but it seems to me >Vharton attains at times to the furthest limits of darkness and tliiokness. When my father met with his accident it was impossible to see half a yard before one, and he lost his way between 74 THE TtAlNVnOOF INVENTION. 1' 9 % "A the oflice ami the house, though he known the road so well. It waa the first serious illuess he ever hud in his life." "It must be a great relief to you that he has recovered so completely." " I am rather afraid his recovery may scarcely be as complete as it appears. The doctors say his health will not be fully reestablished for some time, and any excitement and anxiety or even overwork may lay him up again." " I had no idea that he had been so ill." "Oh, he was very ill for weeks! He felt it extremely on account of the business ; its success depends so much (;ii his own peroonul supervision. I think he has made a great mistake in keeping the thing so much in his own hands, and indeed he sees it now. I do hope " she added confidentially, "that you will stay with us. It would be such a comfort to us all." So saying Elsie entered the shop whither she was bound, and, thougli there was no lack of conversation going home, Arthur avoided the subject of the factory, and Elsie, with her usual amiability, followed his lead and talked of books and music. Meanwhile Lester's coming had given rise to much discussion in the otlice. If there had been any truth in the old saying, his ears would have been burning AliTHUJi LESTER, 76 most uncomfortably while he escorted his cousin on licr wiilk. Hob Littleton hml been called into the private room on tiie previous afternoon, and had been recpiested to <;o to the station and direct Lester to the house, as Mr. Norbury found it impossible to meet him as he had promised. Bob had executed his commission with such jiood will that he had seen Lester safelv on the doorstep of his uncle's house before returning to enliven his friends at the ollice witli all kinds of con- jectures concerning" the new arrival. The junior clerks, at any rate, were looking out for him eagerly on the following morning, but Mr. Norbury marched in alone, perhaps a little grimmer in aspect thuu usual, just ])efore the clock struck nine. " Perhaps," suggested Johnson, " old Norbury's illness has done him good, and he just wants to be a little friendly to him. I dare say, after all, he has only come on a visit." "It doesn't look like friendliness; he's cross enough to bite your head off this morning ; besides, J.ester said he had come to stav," said Bob. " What is he going to do?" " I doubt if he knows ; and, at any rate, I did n't ask him." "Is he like Mr. Norbury?" demanded Charley Mil wood. 76 THE JiAlNVnOOF INVENTION. "Not a bit of it, my son," replied Rob with some contempt. " Wait till yoii see him." As usnal, AVanin'^toii did not join in the conver- sation, but in his own mind ho felt aggrieved at Mr. Norbnry's having asked his nephew to come, for he regarded it as a sliglit upon those who had been in the olliee before, especially upon himself. The scraps of conversation that drifted to iiim from the other end of the room did not improve his humor. "I should think," he heaid Bob say, " he must mean to train him for a kind of manager, so that he can look after the thing when he 's ill or goes off for a holiday, for the doctors say he '11 be bound now to take holi- days once in a way. If that 's it, I don't envy the fellow." " Neither do T, " chimed in Charley. " He '11 have a lively time when old Norbury comes home." But Warrington did not agree with them. If he must do ollice work at all, he disliked having people put over his head. The conjectures of the clerks had come very near the truth. After a short period of probation, to test his nephew's ])ro(itiency in the art of bookkeeping, Mr. Norbury, who was thorough if he was anything, required him to take a course of lessons in the whole mystery of manufacturing the material, from its first appearance in the form of bales of wool till it left the ART nun LESTER. 77 If be people 10". •SI mills in the Hlmpe of thick rolls of cloth or gjinneiitH ready for wear. To tell the truth, this rigorous course of instnu'tion was nlinoHt more tlnm Lester had bargained for, and more than once, when half deafened by the roar of the machinery, he wished himself back at his (luiet desk in London, doing the mechanical work that left his thoughts comparatively free. IJut he never gave expression to his discontent, and his uncle watchcTil- wood were his stanchest friends, ami Ralph War- rington was not far from being his enemy. Th reason was easy to find. Klsie Norbury was currently reported to smile on Lester. ^* CHAPTER VII. A LESSON IN DKSIGNING. i i > ARTHUR," called Mr. Norbiiry one m()rniurothcr hardly ever talked of the alTairs of the factory, and she had heard almost notliiiig about j\Ir. Norhury's nephew. That evenii):^ at tea-time Ralph told her onee more how much annoyed he had been at her r,pendhig the morning in the of lice. Maud let the storm wear itself out, then asked, " AVho is that Mr. Lester, Ralph? 1 tliought at first he was one of the ' hands,' but he looks and speaks like a gentleman." *' lie is Mr. Norbury's nephew. That is all 1 know about hiia, Maud." "What does he do?" " I can't tell you, IMaud. I do not fi>el any curiosity about hira," replied Ralph curtly. Ri ' tiiat was not quite true. He had given many an kIous lliought to Lester's relations with IMiss Nor' y. '* Did n't you see him the last tii you spent the evening at Mr. Norbury's?" asked irs. Warrington. " Yes, he was in the room, bi 1 hardly spoke to him." Arthur had no idea of the depth of Warriiigtou's aversion, and from that day showci most unmistak- able signs of a desire to be on friendly terms with him. Ralph was blind and deaf i( 'U his overtures, and returned his efforts at civility with a rudeness that Lester seemed singularly unconscious of. Bob Ill 82 THE TiAiyrnooF ixventio^. t ; Littleton wondered loudly tluit Arthur " could stanri the fellow's Insolence " ; but he had not the clew to tin; mystery. There were times when Lester agreed with him, and felt tempted to pay back Warrington in his own coin, but the memory of ISIaud's pretty face was a wonderful help to keeping his temper. lie hud seen her several times, at church or in the street, since they met in the oilice, but he had never been able to speak to her. He began to think that her brother must have divined the secret of his desire to be friendly, and must dislike the idea of his sister's making his ac- qualutance. He had not been many weeks in the oilice before he had heard the storv of Warrington's pedigree, and, as a concession to that young man's overweening pride of birth, he allowed it to leak out, through the convenient medium of the loquacious Bob, that he liiinself was not without some preten- sions to gentility. He tried to tell the story naturally and carelessly, but he feared that it looked " snob- bish," and for some days he suffered in the estima- tion of his friend. This little scheme did not bring him one whit nearer accomplishing his end, though Littleton duly told and exaggerated the narrative of his father's cruel disin- heritan(!e. l?ali)h was still inexorable, and in despera- tion Arthur resolved to do without his help. P. A LESSON IX DESIGNING. 1(1 stand )W U) the cod with )n in his Face was liud soon ince tluiv to spoak I8t liave dly, and ; his ac- i in the rington's ig man's oak ont, quacious preton- iiaturally " snoh- ! ostinia- it nearer told and lel disin- despera- At last, one day vvhen Maud had spent half the afternoon in the oflice, he discovered that she had left her pencils and brushes behind her, and with this somewhat tlimsy excuse he hurried otT after her. He soon overtook h^r, but she looked so surprised that he hardly knew what to say for himself. " Ralph would have brought them for me," said Maud with a slight flush of color in her pale cheeks. "Yes, I know," admittei? Arthur, "but I wanted to bring them myself. Won't ; ■ju give me your par- cel? I have au errand to do for Mr. Norbury on Clark Stre°et." What thev talked of on that memorable walk Arthur trietl in vain to remember afterwards. Per- haps they had not said much, for Maud was shy, and he himself was bewildered, hut at any rate he had never enjoyed any conversation more. When, they reached the gate of Briar Cottage, Maud held out her hand to say ',' Good by," then, glancing u\) at her mother sewing in the window, she changed her mind and asked him to come in. So at the first serious attack the barriers that had seemed so impene- trable crumbled into dust ; and before he left, Mrs. Warrington herself invited him to come whenever he felt inclined. What did Ralph's rudeness matter now? He availed himself very often of the privilege of visiting the Warringtons ; and for the next few weeks '-f 84 TllK UAINPliOOF J WENT ION, I II ' i he lived u LClorified lift" of love and hope, ovcmi sinionfrst the dust and noise of the dnll ohl factory. lie was very happy in those days when he first l)e«^an to fancy that Maud brightened at his visits, and was sorry when he went away. Even Ralph's evident dislike troubled him very little, tlioiiiih he still tried to conciliate him. Kali)h was hardly ever at home durineforehand with me in several places, and I thought I had l)ettcr come back nnd report to you." Mr. Norbury solemnly signified his approval, but w;is so perturbed in mind that he kept the young man till long after midnight answering his oft-repeated (juestions. Lester was called into the discussion, and Mr. Norbury decided that if he found that the two patents were as much alike as Stanton supposed, he would at once take steps to secure redress at law. This, however, was not so easily done. Upon con- sulting his lawyer he was assured that he bad uo case, IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) // 1.0 I.I l^|2£ |2.5 1^ 1^ 12.2 ^ US, 12.0 IL25 i S.4 6" 1.8 1.6 V] vl f is. *-> '^> .^v z;^ ''^# r 7 Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716)872-4503 4r ^ #•'.- m'\ "t j I 88 THE BAINPBOOF INVENTION. and was advised not to take the matter into court. Not satisfied with this, he consulted other legal gentle- men, who were one and all of the opinion of the first, de- claring that it would be absolutely impossible to prove that his patent had been infringed in any way. Thus convinced at last of the impossibility of punishing the offenders, though still persuaded in his own mind of their guilt, Mr. Norbury sat down under his wrongs, and worked with might and main to perfect his im- proved process and to outwit his rivals. Lester did not agree with his uncle in regarding the other patentees as blamable in any way, for, as he labored most earnestly (in the interests of justice) to prove, there were radical differences in the two pro- cesses which p-howed that the ideas had been worked out independently. The lawyers apparently agreed with him, but no argument was forcible enough to convince Mr. Norbury of the correctness of thid con- clusion. He insisted that he had been defrauded, and Mark Stanton said the sarje. •4 chaptp:r viii. " WORK AND WAGES." rr^^IIE winter was a busy one for Lester, but it was -L the iuii)piest lie had ever spent in his life, for soon after Christmas Maud had promised to be his wife, and in another year or two he hoped to have a home of his own. Mr. Norbury had never entirely forgiven him for his energetic expression of opinion about the patent, but the cloud was so tiny that it gave Arthur no con- cern. In other respects his uncle was well satisfied, and with unwonted generosity had already raised his salary. Nor was this all ; latterly he had begun to talk less vaguely of his intention of giving him an interest in the business, and everybody expected that the firm would become Norbury & Lester in a few months' time at the latest. Arthur had been so much occupied that his pen had had a long rest; but he had still continued to send forth his old productions to try their fortunes with one editor after another ; and to his great astonishment a little paper on " The Markets of the Metropolis " was at last accepted and paid for. This small success 89 tiii! ii:\\ 1 W II ' liili 90 TEE BAINPBOOF IXVENTIOm emboldened him to try a new and more ambitious article on " Work and Wages," a subject on which he felt he really had something to say after his winter's experience. He wrote earnestly and sympathetically, trying, as Carlvle sav3, " to speak out the truth that was in him " ; but when he read his essay over he felt self-condemned, for he knew that he had not moved one finger to right the wrongs to which he could no longer pretend to be blind. Half unconsciously his uncle's factory had been taken as his model, but now he wished with all his heart he had chosen some other subject. Set down in black and white by his own hand the wrong seemed all the greater, and yet he knew too well the fate that overtakes the reformer, and he could not risk all his hopes of Maud and his future by remonstrating with Mr. Norbury. If it had only been likely to do any good, he would have ventured it; as it was — Arthur thrust the paper deep into a drawer, careless that he was crushing and crumpling it, and went out to forget his perplexities in Maud's society. She had lately begun to go to a night school, teach- ing a class of the roughest and wildest specimens of young womanhood how to read and write, and, after sauntering about the streets till it was time for her to come home, he went to meet her. He seemed fated that night to give his mind to the subject he wished to avoid. Maud was standing at the door of the %1 KG. m 1 1 " WOEK AND WAGES.'' 91 ambitious which he 8 winter's thetically, truth that er he felt lOt moved could no iously his , but now Dme other ' his own it he knew ir, and he future by only been red it ; as a drawer, ng it, and 's society. )ol, teach- cimens of and, after for her to med fated he wished or of tlio 't.J mission room, where the classes were held, talking earnestly to a grave-looking, dark-eyed young man, who looked like a clergyman, though his dress was not excessively clerical. He was thin and about middle height, and his features were rather strongly marked than good looking. His voice had a strangely familiar sound, though Arthur did not remember having seen him before. " Mr. Lester," said Maud, " this is Mr. Milwood." "I have often heard my father speak of you," said the clergyman. " I am glad to meet you at last." Hugh Mihvood was the hard-working curate of a large and very poor parish in the lowest district of Wiiarton; and, small as the town was, the destitution amongst some of his parishioners was appalling. Maud hardly waited to introduce her friend, but went on eagerly, "What can I do, Mr. Milwood? I cannot help her much in any way." " I am sure she will be glad to see you, at any rate, and she is one of vour own girls." "Well, I'll go and do what I can. But it's a shame that such things should be. Mr. Milwood has just heard that a girl is starving, Mr. Lester, — one of Mr. Norbury's girls; oh, I wonder he can sleep nights ! " " What do you mean?" asked Arthur. " She is making ladies' waterproofs for I don't Il t ™ 92 THE BAINFROOF INVENTION. |i '■' ill know bow little, unci she has been ill and did n't get them all finished in time, so the foreman would n't pay her for any. Won't you speak about it? Mr. Norbury ought to know, if he does n't." Arthur said nothing, and Maud went on: "Come with me to see her, and I 'm sure you '11 do something. Good night, Mr. Milwood ! Shall I tell her you will be coming to see her soon?" "Yes; I'll be in Winchester Street to-morrow afternoon, and 1 will call then. Good night!" " Have you told your brother of our engagement yet, Maud ? " asked Arthur as they threaded their way along the dirty street amongst the little groups of children playing marbles in the dust or sitting on the curbstones. "No, Arthur. I can't till he gets to know you a little better. Mother knows, but Ralph would be so angry. I should have no peace from morning till night. He would try to make me give you up. I think he must be jealous. Before you came he was next to Mr. Norbury, you know." " You don't repent of it ; do you, Maud?" " Not a bit, Arthur. But Ralph would tell you that you were more to be pitied than congratulated, I have such a horrid temper." " No one would believe it, Maud," said Arthur, laughing. " Do you know if Elsie said such a thing, ;!»i ''wouk and wages.' 93 i didn't would n't it? Mr. : "Come )mething. r you will o-morrow It!" gageraent [led their le groups jitting on ow yon a aid be so rning till »u up. I le he was 1 you that d, I have 1 Arthur, I a thing, i-V I should know that I was expected to be very com- plimentary indeed? I always thought you did n't care for compliments, but if you talk so, I " — " I have wanted to talk to you about it for a long time, Arthur, only I could n't bring my mind to it. I mean exactly what I say. T have a very bad tem- per, and I only hope I sha'n't make you very miser- able. Kalph and I quarrel all the time, and I dare say it is mostly my fault " — " I dare say it is n't." "Oh, but you don't know! I am so selfish and horrid. You know he wanted me dreadfully to give up that designing, and I would n't, because I wanted to get lessons in painting ; but though it 's hardly of any use, I don't see that I can give it up now, when Mr. Norbury has spent so much time in teaching me. I do wish I had done what Ralph wanted at first. He worries mother to death with being out all the time, and she says if I had been kinder to him she thinks he might have stayed at home." " I am sure, Maud, it is not fair to blame you like that." "Oh, I don't kuow, it may be; and it will break mother's heart if Ralph goes wrong ! I seem bound to confess my sins to-night," Maud added with a doleful little smile; "but it is such a relief to liave some one that one is sure understands. I feel as if ii 94 THE JiAINrilOOF INVENTION. 5 '! 1 i I I !!! iini I can say any tiling to you. You have no idea what a difference it has made to me." " Have n't you ])een happy at liorae, Maud?" " Not very, Artliur. fou see when I was a tiny chihl I found out tliat mother loved Ralph twice as much as me, and I could n't bear to he always second with both of them. I don't wonder now that mother did n't find it easy to love me ; but oh, it was so hard ! And till you came I loved mother belter than any one else on earth, in spite of being cross and disagreea])le with her." " Poor little Maud ! who wt)uld have thought it? " "You will Icugii at me to-night, Arthur; but now you can't say I did n't give you fair warning." "No, I never will, however cross and disagreeable and unreasonable you may be." " I did n't say I had been unreasonable," said Maud quickly. Arthur laughed outright this time. "I beg your pardon; wasn't that the word you used?" " No ; I am quite sure I had good reason to feel vexed — only I suppose — the thing is, one ought to be ready to forgive people, and to be kind when they are not." " Well, forgive me for the unfortunate word I used. I thought I was merely agreeing with you ; but I have often noticed that it is n't safe to even agree " WOIiK AND WAGEiiV 96 idea what as a tiny twice as ^'s second it mother 1 so hard ! 1 any one lagreeable htit?" but now lagreeable aid Maud beg your m to feel Light to be hen they I word I you ; but i^en agree with any one who is calling liiniself (or herself) names. People don't like anyone else to do it; do they, Maud? even when they are confessing their sins. " Perhaps tiey don't. But you have no idea how often I 've made up my mind that, come what might, I would be different ; and yet 1 do believe I am just the same as ever. Ralph laughs at me sometimes for calling myself a Christian, and says he does not see that I am any different for it. Oh, Arthur, won't you try to help me ? " "If you knew the sort of a fellow I am, Maud, I doubt if you would ask that," said Arthur grimly. " I often think my father would have been pretty well ashamed of his son." "Look," said Maud, after a pause, "isn't that Number 20 ? " " Yes, and a wretched, miserable hole it is." Number 20 was a tumble-down brick house, with a narrow ill-kept grass plot in front, swarming with ragged children. Maud picked her way amongst them with a disgusted face, but stopped to ask if they knew where Jane Fisher lived. " Hoo's at top o' th' 'ouse," replied a boy with such a strong Lancashire accent that Maud could hardly understand him. Following his directions, she made her way up the ;kJ fir* 'J m i ill : I i ': I '■;( 96 77/A^ RAINPIiOOF INVENTION. rickety stairs to tiie attic. Art'uir vviiited on the little landing, bnt Maud went in. A thin, bent old woman (or she looked old) was sevvin<^ for dear life at a heap of stiff liglit-eolored ties, but Jane lay back on the poor bed, too sick and faint to set another stitch in the waterproof that half concealed the ragged coverlet. "Oh, what is the matter with her?" cried Maud, horrified at the sight of the girl's deathlike face and her mother's apparent indifference. ' ' Hoo 's clemmed — it 's now't else. Thee canst sit down if thee likes, lass." "Have you nothing to eat in the house?" asked Maud. "Nay, neither bite nor sup." Maud stepped to the door, exclaiming, ' ' They are starving, Arthur ; do get them something to eat." " 1 don't like to leave you here alone." " I 'm not afraid. Oh, be quick ! The girl will die!" Lester was not absent for many minutes, but it was a long time before they could bring poor Jane out of her faint. "Hoo '3 always been a weakly lass," explained her mother, who at the sight of the food had thrown down her sewing and was doing her best to help Maud. Between them they at length succeeded in rousing the sick girl, and her hard-featured, rugged-looking mother I 8 ^'WuJifC AXD WA(/ES. 07 n the little )lil woman ! at a hctip )n the poor itch in the coverlet, ■ied Maud, e face and ie canst sit se?" asked 'They are ) eat." le girl will , but it was Tane out of plained her uovvn down lelp Maud. I'ousing the dng mother ■; held her in her arms and wept over lier, calling her by tender and emlearing names. She would let no one but herself feed her, though she also was half starved. Iler strange apathy had left her with the dawning of new hope, and she talked loudly and eagerly as she drank the tea Arthur had managed in some way to procure ; though even as she talked she took u^) her work again and sewed busilv. It was the old storv of misfortune and gradual degradation. Her husband had been a carpenter, but he had met with an accident and had been unable to work for months before he died. Tlieir savings had gone in medicine and doctor's bills, and she and Jane had had to Avork at anything they could get, neither being strong enough to wash and scrub. The girl had gradually grown weaker from overwork, poor food, and bad air, for they worked in the same close, little room where thev and two children lived dav and night. A quick workwoman would have found it dif- ficult to earn her daily bread at the prices paid by Mr. Norbury, and every day Jane grew slower, till at last she could not rise from her wretched bed. Even there she had tried to go on with her work, but had been t bliged to give up the struggle. If it had not been lor her mother she would have ])een glad to die, and the weary, despairing look in her great eyes haunted Maud for weeks. » I :.!^ *■ i ! 98 THE RAINPROOF INVENTION. She had only seeu her two or three times before, though her luiino wjia on hev chiss book ; Jane was usually either too busy or too exhausted to attend tlie night school ; but Maud blamed herself that she had made no effort to look after her before. Now in Ler penitence she emptied the whole contents of her purse into the woman's hand, assuring her earnestly that she would see her again soon and try to get help. Arthur added something, and Mrs. Fislier followed them to the top of the stairs, calling down blessings on them in her strange Lancashire tongue. *' You will try to do something for them, won't you, Arthur?" Maud asked coaxingly. '*I will, Maud, 1 promise," said Lester solemnly, feeling that he was taking a vow that might involve the destruction of all his hopes. The longer he thought about it the more he feared that his uncle would resent his interference, but he had promised and could not go back from his word. " I am afraid it is a bad time to speak of Uncle Norbury's raising the rate of payment for the outside work," said Lester after a long pause. "He is struggling with all his might to undersell Cox well and Brighton, and I fear he will be more likely to try to lower the wages than to raise them. He told me the other day that he had never had such small profits as during these last six months." ''WORK AND wages:' 99 les before, Jane was attend the at she had fovv iu her f her purse ncstly that get help. ;r followed u blesshigs won't you, r solemnly, iht involve longer he his uncle promised I am afraid y's raising said Lester tvith all his and I fear wages than hat he had jse last six si "Yet he has made a grout deal of money, hasn't he?" "A good deal, I should fanoy, hut he has never spoken to me about it. I wish he could discover something that would make h's last idea workable, ami then I think ho might leave the wages alone." '' I think it will bo downright wickedness if he does lower them. 1 am sure those people would starve, and Mr. Milwood says there are many others no better off." '' I suppose Mr. Norbury does n't know how miser- ably poor they are." " He ought to know. Could n't you get him to go and see those people, Arthur?" Arthur shook his head. " You don't know him, Maud. Besides, the mother is not working for him. I fear the other firm pays no better." '' It is wicked and wretched," said Maud energet- ically. " Will you come in, Arthur?" " No, tliank you, not to-night. I have some work to do." But he did little of it, for Elsie met him at the door, saying in a complaining tone, "Where have you been all the evening, Arthur? I wanted you so badly to practice 'The Wolf for Tuesday. You would sing it splendidly if you would only practice, but it is u't easy and you don't quite know it yet." ! i I II i ■ ws what jave you snid he hicliester 3o to see ihe?" can vou i dignity, een eyes i seen it is secret nake her ce if she to be his he found g. Is it " Yes, Elsie, I have thought of telling you before, but " ~ "Well?" she said a little sharply. She was deter- mined not to help him out. " Well, the long and the short of it is, that we have been engaged since Christmas." Elsie was not very well pleased, though she could J3a"dly have told why, as she herself had no more than a friendly regard for Arthur ; but with praiseworthy presence of mind she only said, " 1 wonder I never guessed it, Arthur. She is beautiful, and you have been there so much, haven't you?" " Not a' much as I should have liked to be," said Arthur truthfully. "We haven't told any one yet, except Mrs. Warrington." " Not even Ralph?" " No ; Maud is doubtful whether he will approve, and we hope that he may get to like me better in time." " 1 doubt if father will think you have done wisely. I should n't tell him just yet if I were you." " No, I dare say we had better say nothing. It will be a long engagement, I am afraid." "I am sure you will be happy, Arthur," said his cousin amiably. "I am glad you told me, and I promise to keep your secret as — as if it were my own." ii ■•t ' "'in ' iilll 1 ill! CHAPTER IX. ELSIE IN MISCHIEF. ELSIE NORBURY was an active assistant of the curate of St. Luke's in parish work, and an indefatigable visitor at the hospital. She was so bright and pleasant that the patients gave her the warmest of welcomes, and even the nurses looked forward to her coming. Her visiting day was Thursday, and it is a curious fact that on leaving the hospital at five o'clock she was almost always overtaken by her father's physician, Dr. Thay. On the day following the conversation with Arthur, recorded in the last chapter, she began to think that her faithful attendant had deserted her, for she was just turning into her own street, before he joined her, breathless with haste. " You came out earlv to-dav, Miss Norburv ! " he exclaimed rather reproachfully. " Not five minutes before my usual time. Dr. Thay ; and I am sure I have walked slowly." " Then you were not trying to avoid me?" said the little doctor with an air of relief. Elsie looked at him with innocent surprise. " Oh, 102 1 -si ELSIE m MISCHIEF. 103 Lut of the :, and an 5 was so ; her the 38 looked a curious k she was physician, iversation he began jrted her, before he ury ! " he )r. Thay; said the J. "Oh, m\ no ; I think you are the last person I should try to avoid, when you have been so good to my father and to us all. I shall never forget your kindness." He was so pleased with this acknowledgment of her obligations that he stopped in the street to make a low bow, and Elsie said wickedly, though she knew very well that he would walk with her for hours, if she would permit it: "Good by, doctor! Am I to have your company no farther? I thought you were surely coming in to dinner to-day ; but that is always the way. It is impossible to see anything of you now- adays." "I — I had intended to spare an hour or two," he answered; "that is, if you are not having company. A doctor must allow himself a little rest and recre- ation." " Yes ; I don't believe you allow yourself enough of either ; you look wretchedly thin and pale. I know you will excuse so old, or at least so true, a friend as I am saying it, even if it 's not complimentary. Be- sides, 1 never flatter people ; I really can't do it." " Miss Norbury, if I might beg you not to walk so fast, I " — Elsie immediately began to stroll, saying, " How very inconsiderate of me ! I had forgotten how dreadful! v hurried vou had been all dav. Such a practice as yours must keep you always busy." iiii ^t I I; (1 I 104 THE RAINPROOF INVENTION. " 1 am fflad of it, Miss Norburv ; it emboldens me to say what I should otherwise not have found courage for. I have been wanting to speak to you for weeks." " Well, then, come in to dinner, and you will be able to talk and rest at the same time. Is it about that poor girl that you wished to send to the Con- valescent Home ? " Ur. Thay did not hear her question. " Shall you be alone?" he asked anxiously. " Really, 1 cannot tell," said P^lsie. " I expect we shall. Arthur and I are practicing for the concert, so I told him not to invite any one to come in this evening ; but if you can stand our mistakes, we sha'n't mind having one listener, especially such an excellent critic as you are. Do come in, Dr. Thay. I am so tued, and I hate standing." " You should take better care of yourself," said the doctor as he followed her into the house. " Oh, no, I shall be all right directly. Have you seen the Graphic for this week ? I 'm sure you will excuse me for a few minutes." " If you could spare me one minute. Miss Norbury, — I have a most important question " — *' It has just occurred to me," exclaimed Elsie in a tone of dismay, " that I forgot to tell cook that papa wanted dinner half an hour earlier than usual." So saying, she made her escape, leaving the doctor to ELSIE IN MISCHIEF. 105 oldens me k1 courage or weeks." )ii will be s it about tlie Cou- Sliall you expect we joncert, so le in this we sha'n't excellent I am so ," said the Have you ! you will Noi'bury, Blsie in a that papa ual." So doctor to amuse himself as he could until she heard Lester come into the house. Dr. Tliay stayed us long as his conscience would permit him to disregard the claims of his neglected patients, but Elsie never gave him the opportunity he sought; and he went away, vowing vengeance on Lester, on whom Miss Norburv had bestowed all her attention, while the little doctor sat gloomy and dejected in the shadow of the piano. But he was a man of determination, and after sulk- ing over Elsie's treatment of him for three or four days he began the siege anew, by sending her a box filled with lovely ferns and roses. Elsie was delighted. " They have just come in time, Arthur, for the concert to-night ! " she exclaimed. " I shall wear my gray silk now with an easy mind, for it will set off this lovely color. You will be sure to come home in good time." " I'll not be Ir^e," said Arthur, wishing that Maud had been going with him instead of Elsie. " Do you know who sent those flowers ? " "No, I haven't the least idea, and I don't much care. "Whoever it was, he has my best thanks, for I do like to be well dressed, and these roses would make anything look handsome. I 've been telling father that he ought to increase my allowance, for, now I go out so much, I really need more nice things." hiiii ■■; ' 1 ■ i 1 ; i 1 j 106 ri£E RAINPROOF INVENTION. Elsie had persuaded ber father to buy tickets for the concert she had spoken of, and when he presented one to Arthur he could not well refuse" to accept it and to escort his cousin, though he had proviously intended to take Maud. It was an unusually good concert, for two or three famous singers were to be present ; and half the hall was devoted to the happy possessors of reserved seat tickets at half a guinea each. " How do you like ray roses now?" asked Elsie as she came downstairs with her white opera cloak over her arm. Lester looked critically at her and said with quiet approval, " You look very well ! " Her gray silk and white lace was too cold in color to suit her, but the deep crimson of the roses gave her dress the warmer tint it needed. She was satisfied with her cousin's comment, though his words were not enthusiastic, and putting on her cloak she said, "I think the cab is waiting, Arthur, and it is getting late, so perhaps we had better go." As they opened the door Dr. Thay came up the steps and made Elsie one of his exaggerated bows. "Are you going out?" he said in a disappointed tone. But his face brightened as he caught a glimpse of his flowers in her hair, and he murmured, " I am glad to see that you have honored my poor gift, as 1 scarcely dared to hope." tickets for ! presented cept it and ly intended oncer t, for esent; and Bsessors of 3d Eilsie as cloak over witii quiet in color to 3 gave her IS satisfied s were not ; said, "1 Btting late, me up the I ted bows, in ted tone, pse of his mi glad to 1 scarcely ELSIE IN MISCHIEF. 107 "Why, doctor, it would have been waste not to wear them, but, do yon know? till this moment I had no idea whom I had to thank for them. They are lovely; I never saw finer roses, and it was so kind of you to think of it. I do so love flowers ! " So saying Elsie passed on, leaving the little man in a state of happy bewilderment. Rut he wished that he had written the note he had thought of, inviting her to accompany liim to the concert, for now he was sure she would have gone gladly. " What a silly little man he is ! " she said, laughing as they drove off, leaving him gazing after them with a ludicrous expression of mingled grief and pleasure. "I do wish he would n't bow and scrape in that ridicu- lous fashion. I always feel afraid that he '11 do some- thing to make one look absurd, whenever he comes near. He is as bad as your great friend, Bob Little- ton, Arthur." Arthur did not answer, for he was wonderhig whether Maud would hear of his going with Elsie to this great musi'^al treat of the season, and what she would think of his leaving her at home. It was too late then or he would gladly have made the little doctor happy by resigning Elsie and his ticket both to him. Elsie did not seem to notice his discontent, but swept up the hall with about equal satisfaction in Dr. Thay's flowers and her handsome cavaliei*. She had sense ill II ll;:- 'ii 1 108 THE liAINriWOF INVENTION. and 20od taste euoujjrh not to talk while the music was going on, but l)ctween the pieces she whispered con- fidential nothings to her cousin, contriving to claim liis attention constantly and making him appear absorl)ingly interested in her lively chiitter. The music was excellent, though Arthur was not able to enjoy it, for thinking of Maud alone at home. But she was not at home, as he suddenly discovered to his utter discomfiture. She was ui the gallery amongst the unaristocratic folk who could not afford to pay high prices for their enjoyment, and she was looking down on him and Elsie with eves that even in the distance looked sad and angry, or he thought so. His cousin found him beyond her management after that; talk he would not, but sat in grim, unsmiling silence, with an air of endurance that exasperated her. " For goodness' sake, Arthur, what is the mat- ter?" she demanded at last. ''Are you ill? " " No, thank you, \ am all right. How many pieces are there still to come, Elsie ? " "If you want to go home, say so, Arthur. Though I nuist confess I think you are hardly polite. Come, what have I done to offend yow?" she added in her usual tones. At that instant the orchestra began to play a soft prelude to a song, and in the sudden silence that ensued it was impossible to continue the conversation. i V. ELSIE IN MISCHIEF. 109 music was :)ered con- [ to claim m appear I" was not at home. lUscovered le gallery not afford \ she was it even in light so. nent after unsmiling :asperated 1 the mat- iny pieces . Though 5. Come, ed in her lay a soft eiice that versation. "Arthur," asked Elsie at the next break in the music, " do you see Miss Warrington up there in the guUerv ? " " Yes," said Arthur without looking round. " Is that why you have been so cross?" continued P'.lsie sweetly. " But if you like, you may go to her. 1 dare say Mr. Littleton will see me home, if you explain to him how anxious you are to escape." " Where is Bob? I don't see him," said Arthur, looking about him in surprise at this suggestion. But he was grateful for it, nevertheless. " Ke is in the gallery to the right, just opposite to Miss Warrington and her friend. He has no one with him, so I dare say he would n't mind taking 'lare of me." Arthur said no more, but, after all, he saw Elsie home himself, for it was impossible to get at Bob, and Maud was with Charley Milwood and his sister, \vho might not thank him for joining their party. " Good night, and thank you for not deserting me," said Elsie, adding mischievously, " I think, though, you had better go to see Miss Maud to-mor- row, for I don't believe she liked the concert any better than vou did." Arthur was a good deal annoyed, but he was even more angry with Elsie on the following cAcning, for that afternoon she had taken it into her head, out of : li i n M ^^^ 110 THE HA mm OOF invention. the mere spirit of miscbief, to go and explain mutters to Maud herself. She was sitting in the drawing room with a piece of fancvwork in her htmds, when Lester came In. She looked up as he entered, then bent over her work, saying, " I went to see Miss Warrington to-day, Arthur, so vou don't need to, unless vou like. I thought as I had got you into the scrape, I ought in common justice to get you out of it." " What do you mean, Elsie? " " Why, any one could see she was vexed last night. She never took her eves off vou. 1 just told her that father had bought the tickets, as he was so anxious that I should n't miss hearing Lloyd and Patti ; and that I had no one to go with but you, so you had ])een kind enough to take me. She was very angry about it, I could see ; she could hardly speak civilly to me." " Elsie," said Arthur in a low voice, " if ever you dare to meddle in my affairs again, I'll not have anything more to do with you." Elsie laughed and shrugged her shoulders. " You are both such firebrands ! " she said. " How you will get on together, I don't know ! I 'm sure I meant well. I have no wish to come between you." " I don't know why you should have such a wish, but you act as if you might have," said Arthui angrily. .■snI ELSIE IN MISCHIEF, 111 1 matters piece of in. She icr work, to-djiy, like. I ought iu st night. P her thcit d anxious fl itti ; and lad I)cen 17 about to me." ever you lot have " You :- you will I meant k a wisli, Arthur Elsie's cheeks flushed and she said: "Really, Arthur, you arc almost insulting. What possible intarest can it have for me whom you choose to marry? I never thought you such a coxcomb before ; but any one would think — you fancied — that I — well" — "No one would think anything of the kind, Elsie ! " exclaimed Arthur, alarmed at the suggestion. " Only you are too fond of" — " Of what?" asked Elsie sharply. " 1 don't know how to put it — of amusing yourself at other people's expense," said Arthur more calmly. " You can't deny it, Elsie. If you really were my sister, I should feel bound to try to prevent it." " Prevent what? " demanded Elsie once more, but now she was more anmsed than angry. " Come, Arthur, do say out what you mean. I hate insinua- tions, and you will hesitate and stammer so provok- ingly. What would you like to prevent?" " Your making a fool of one fellow after another. It's too bad, and you know it. There's that fellow Stanton, and Dr. Thay, and — well, half a dozen ovners, I dare say. It's a shame, Elsie, when you know you don't care a straw for any one of them." " It seems to me, Arthur, that you are meddling in my affairs just now," said his cousin ; but her face wore a gratified smile, for she felt that Arthur had f H li »iil 112 THE IlAIXrilOOF INVEXriOff. paid licr a high eompliincnt. "You talaiMi!i 2V. MRS. NOR HURTS ''AT HOME:' 119 b. It took Ju to Bob's t seemed to lat eveninff. er and Dr. of the sub- pretty sure have been winced, but 11 i ration for liing of it. artuer. By t like Dick ir pardon," start from ig of Miss it, doctor? 1 as most very odd iiv loniier: Littleton ; I' vanished, to Elsie or 4 her mother. But, distressed as he was, he could not forbear talking of the news he thought he had heard, and in no long time the rumor of Lester's attachment to his cousin reached Maud's ears, grieving her more than any of Elsie's tortured admirers except Ralph, to whom the tale had come back in a form he could not recognize as the result of Bob's Ciuelessuess. His temper became almost unbearable under the strain, and if Lester would have quarreled with him, he might have done so every day and all day long. He felt guilty about keeping his engagement with Maud a secret, and for her sake he endured Ralph's stately rudeness with an equanimity that provoked the cashier almost to frenzy. He believed that it was owing to his rival's consciousness of power ; but a note from Maud soon disturbed Lester's calm. She wrote in cold, carefully chosen words, telling him that their engagement had been a mistake ; and that as he so evidentlv wished to be free, she was content that it should be so. It was Elsie who handed him the little note, and she watched his face while he read it. At first he looked alarmed, then vexed, and then an air of quiet deter- mination settled on his face as he crushed the paper together and put it into his pocket. Alas ! he had for- gotten the ring, and it dropped with a little clink on the floor and rolled away out of sight. ■■i • 1 rw I 120 THE RAINPROOF INVENTION. "What have voii lost, Arthur?" asked Elsie as he stooped down to look for it. " Shall I help you ? " "It does n't matter, thank you, Elsie." "What is it?" " A ring. Don't trouble yourself about it." " It 's no trouble. There ! " she said triumphantly, " is that your ring? " " Thank you," said Arthur. " How pretty it is ! I suppose you don't mind my looking at it." Arthur did not object in words, and Elsie examined it critically, saying, " I suppose it is for Miss War- rington." Arthur hesitated, then said hastily, "It was hers; she has sent it back." "Why, Arthur?" "She seems to think I shall know, but the whole thing is as dark as Egypt to me." Elsie was silent for some seconds. "I may be wrong, but I think I can guess," she said at last, " only I am sure you would not like my guess." " If you have any idea, tell me what it is, Elsie," said Arthur, looking so utterly miserable that even Miss Norbury pitied him, and for one moment was inclined to spare him, but the temptation was too great. " My guess is — but, Arthur, I may be wrong, you know " — •ih; \ Miis. xoiiiiunrs ".ir home:' 121 "Yes, I know. Go ou, Elsie, for pity's siilvc, go on!" "I think she likes — I mean Mr. Milwood likes her." " Hugli Milwood, the clergyman?" "Yes; and she is always going to that dirt}' mis- sion room." " There is no harm in that. She goes for the sake of her girls." "Well, if you think so, it is all right." Elsie, with all her faults, was not generaUy malicious, but she had never forgiven Maud for the bitter words she had spoken after the concert, and she could not resist the temptation to humble her if possible. Besides, she was not saving what was not true. She believed that Mr. Milwood did admire her, and that belief salved her conscience. Arthur's troubled face made her un- comfortable nevertheless. " Poor Arthur ! " she mur- mured, " I am so sorry, but you will soon get over it." Arthur made an impatient gesture, but deigned no reply. " What shall you do, Arthur? " "Do ! notliing^ if you are right ; but I will see Maud herself. She is bound to give me some explanation ; but if she cares for that clergyman I '11 not ask her to keep her word." On the following day Lester marched sternly down 122 THE BAINPBOOF INVENTION. ^8 SI '* ; I J- to Briar Cottage and asked for JNIaud. She came down at once and did not wait for iiim to speak. " I wish you had not come, Arthur ; it is only painful for both of us, and nothing can alter my resolution !" " I have a right to ask, Maud, why you wish to break off our engagement? Is it that you are tired of it?" . "Yes, I am tired of it. I am only thankful that it is not too late. If I had married you, I should have been wretched for life." " Do vou m«^an that you have discovered that vou prefer some one else?" demanded Arthur in tones that sounded hard and cold from the effort he was making that thev should be stead v. Maud thought of Elsie, and fancied he was delib- erately insulting her by trying to make it appear that the blame for their quarrel rested on her shoulders. "I don't mean anything but this: that nothing on earth would induce me now to be your wife. Let us talk no more about it, Arthur. Some day perhaps we may be friends, but I don't know ; for the present we can't be even that." " Very well, Maud, it must be as you wish," said Lester. " I shall never trouble you again, and I hope you will " — Maud did not wait to hear the end of his sentence, for she was afraid that she would show him how MEJ!^. NOBBURY'S ''AT HOME: 123 I wretched she really was. She left him to find his way out of the house by himself, and rushed upstairs to her own room. Once in that refuge she bolted the door, (lung herself on the bed, and wept as if she were very miserable indeed. Arthur's visit had done nothing to undeceive her ; she was still convinced that P^lsie had stolen his love from her, and in her first wild pain and anger she felt as if she would give anything for vengeance. She did not wish even to try to forgive her rival. She felt a kind of pleasure in the bitterness of her own hate. But that mood passed and a dead stony sorrow succeeded. Out of the depths of her despair she cried for the mercy that even at that moment she would have been ready to deny to her fellow mortal, and the thick darkness about her grew blacker and deeper. The foundations of her faith seemed broken up, for she could not believe that God could at once love her and let her suffer so ; but still she cried to heaven, not for forgiveness, or greater light, or even resignation to God's will, but for the one lost blessing of her life, without which she would not be content. Meanwhile Elsie set herself with all her might to charm and please her cousin, for it piqued her that he could resist her so long. But he was clad in armor of proof, and Elsie found that so far from having gained a lover, she had lost her merry brotherly companion. I' I' i 124 THE BAINPUOOF INVENTION. ill I ii! i ii He was quieter and graver than of old, and no longer cared to be ber escort to parties and concerts, nor even to practice witli her at home. She could not make him bow down to her, and she was beginning to feel him a kind of Mordecai. It was in these days that Arthiu' heard that his paper had been accepted, and not only accepted, but read with much interest, provoking comments of all kinds, some favorable, many the reverse. wSoon an answering article appeared, impugning not only Les- ter's judgment, but his accuracy and sincerity. Upon this he again entered the lists, engaging perhaps all the more eagerly in the fray because of his disap- pointment; and thus began a contest "grim and great " that raged dubiously in many of the periodicals of the laud, and was fraught with unexpected conse- quences to the hero who had first adventured himself into the field. CHAPTER XI. HKHIND A I DOOR. I ■i* I WONDER," said Bob, "what can be the matter with Ml'. Norbnry this inoniing?" " Why? Ho looks all right ! " said Charley. " Siiows all yon know. Look at him now; he is like a ghost. I do believe he is killing himself with spending all his time in that closet amongst his nasty chemicals. 1 don't believe he '11 ever get his precious new process into working order." "He told me last night," said Arthur, "that he thought he had got it at last." "He's said that hundreds of times, but the cloth spots or rots or does something that makes it useless. The old ' Rainproof ' is worth ten times as much. If I were you, Arthur, I should advise him to go home." " Mrs. Norbury begged him to stay away from the factory this morning. He is cougliing dreadfully, but he is determined to stick to his work, if it kills him. He Avould only be angry if I interfered," returned Arthur ; but when he saw Mr. Norbury making his way up the long staircase he remonstrated with him once more, for it was plain that he was really ill. 125 r 126 THE liAINVliOOF INVENTION, hi ! m 1 ■! ' 1 i . I il lii ,: f 11 '^ 3.' Mr. Norbury only told him .shurply " to get on with his work," and went on npstairs to the little dose' he had had coustrneted in the third story. It was not nuich larger than a cupboard, but was ho strongly built tiiat Bob had nicknamed it " the jail." The narrow win- dow that lighted it was defended with iron bars, and the door had a heavy lock and bolts within. These were always drawn when Mr. Norbury was at work, and sometimes he took the additional precaution of locking the door. He had been upstairs some hours, and the hands were leaving the mill at noon, when a gentleman came 'n who had an appointment with Mr. Norbury and was extremely anxious to sec him at once. Charley Mil- wood ran up with his message, but received no answer and concluded that Mr. Norburv must have ^onc home after all. It was Bob's turn that day to stay in the oflice during lunch-time. He politely endeavored to entertain the stranger while he waited, and on hearing Charley's report declared that he was sure Mr. Nor- bury must still be up in the laboratory, for he had cer- tainly not seen libu come through the ollice. Charley was disposed to argue the matter, but Bob did not wait to listen. Begging the gentleman to wait "for five minutes" he ran up himself and hammered vigorously on the closet door, but there was still no answer, and he decided that Charley had been right. BEHIND A LOCKED DOOR. 127 ,1 M Tlicrt! was nothing to be done, therefore, but to apol- ogize to the Htranger and let him go. Hob attended him to the door, and stood for a moment or two watch- ing the men and girls go out. He was a favorite in the mill, and often indulged in a little ''chaff" with the "hands." There was oae'^saucy little "lass" in the finishing room who pretended to be a great ad- mirer of his singing, and as she passed him now, arm in arm with another girl, she stayed to inquire when he was going to sing for them in the Ilall again, liob was gratified, but pretended to believe she was only trying to tease him, and a lively conversation ensued, though on the one side it was conducted in the very broadest of broad Lancashire, and a stranger would have been puzzled to understand the fun. Not so Bob, however ; his only difficulty was to avoid mimick-* ing it in his replies, for he could do it perfectly, but he was afraid of giving ofifenso. The brisk cross fire of homely wit was still going on, when Arthur, who had been busy cill now, came up to ask him if he knew whether his uncle had gone home. Sally answered instead : " VVhy, no, he 's i' th' finishiii' room ; leastways he 's been theer all mornin' ! " "Oh, but I 've just been up to look for him," ex- claimed Bob. "How could thee look, mon? Th' door's been I 128 THE BAIXPBOOF INVENTION. '(IM :i . 1 '. \ I' ■ ! ! t ;i: locked all niornin' au' him inside o' 't. Aw tell thee aw 've heard him." " Well, then, good morning, Sally," said Bob, "If you 've heerd him, I suppose he must be there." Then he turned to Arthur: "Could those nasty smelling drugs have stupefied him, do you think?" "I don't think there 'f,- any danger; but let us go up and try the door." "It's locked and bolted," said Bob. "If he is inside, there is no getting at him till he is ready to come out himself." Lest?r knocked with all his might at the door, and Bob applied first his eye and then his ear to the key- hole. "It's as bad as the cellar adventure. I do hear something, I think. You take a turn at the key- hole, Arthur." " So do I, but the sound is very faint. What shall we do?" " I don't know ; he '11 be awfully angry if we break in this door ! " " But suppose he should have fainted. He may die in there." " Well," said Bob heroically, " do what you think best, and I '11 go shares in the row. I dare say we shall survive it if he does rage." " Don't you think it would make the least upset if we got a cai pt-uter to that door, or some one who under- stands locks ? " k 3 :;i BEHIND A LOCKED DOOR. 129 "There is a carpenter on Catherine Street, just around the corner. I '11 run for him ; but how would it be, just to ease our consciences, to call out to him that if he does n't answer immediately we are going to break in the door." " I don't know that it would do any particular good or Inirni either, for that matter. But do it, if vou think it well." Accordingly Bob stooped down and roared a kind of proclamation through the keyhole, informing the oc- cupant of "the jail" (if it had one) that they in- tended to force the door open ! Receiving no answer, Bob went for the carpenter, but the man seemed to dislike the task of breaking into the little room, and wanted so nuich persuading that Arthur began to get alarmed lest his uncle should die while they were plan- ning his rescue. " Look here, my good man," he said at last, " if you don't get to work at once, 1 shall try my hand myself. Mr. Norbury may die while you are think- ing about it." Thus urged, the cnrpenter made a beginning, but he was so slow and the door was so strong that Bob debated whether it might not be quicker to break a hole through the wall. But when the man had suc- ceeded in boririg one small hole in the door he worked with more heart, for there certainly was some one lying i I Hj ir 1 i Si- 1!" 'i "i ,1 ■ i ■' i ■ ; I .1 130 THE BAINPEOOF INVENTION. in the midst of the bottles and papers on the floor. The door was so defended with nails and bars of iron that it had to be hacked to splinters before it was pos- sible to get past it to the help of the sick man ; but the terrible noise they made did not seem to rouse him in the least. When at last there seemed a prospect of reaching him, Bob suggested that he had better fetch the doctor and a cab. Arthur agreed and stayed himself to superintend the carpenter's operations. A few min- utes later he was able to force his way through the narrow and jagged aperture into the closet, and then finding that he could unfasten the remains of the door from within, he sent his coadjutor for some water, with which he bathed his uncle's face and hands. While he was thus engaged the mill bell began to ring, and it occurred to him that Mr. Norbury would blame him exceedingly if he left the closet open and exposed to the investigations of those who might be curiously disposed amongst the work people. Accordingly he asked the carpenter to try to mend the door as quickly as possible, but the man declared that it was out of the question. "A new door," he said, " is the only way of mendin' it." " Well, then, could n't you get some boards and nail it up securely? " The man agreed that this might be managed, and BEHIND A LOCKED DOOR. 131 went to fetch two or three suitable boards from his shop. While he was gone Arthur gathered up the scattered papers from the floor, carefully wiping off some acid that had apparently been upset in Mr. Norbury's fall, and seeing a small cabinet in one cor- ner of the place, he tried to unlock it with one of the keys from a bunch on the table. Just as the work people began to come in he succeeded, and hastily bundled together all the papers and pushed them into a little drawer already half full of powders and small bottles, for he was only anxious to get them safely out of harm's way. The exclamations of astonishment, curiously enough, seemed to disturb Mr. Norbury, for he stirred at last and half opened his eyes, but Arthur was so much engaged in preventing an invasion of the sanctum that he did not notice him. One and all came to have a peep into the mysterious chamber where " the boss " employed himself so often ; and if Arthur had not been very resolute, the secret of the new process would have become common property, as far at least as it could have been understood by mere scrutiny ; for Mr. Norbury's attitude towards his work people did not inspire them with any very delicate consideration for his feelings. They regarded him as their natural enemy, and he too often spoke unfi acted as if he reciprocated the sentiment, so that the knowledge that 1;,. ^ii i ; ■ i' 1 i ]32 THE BAIN PROOF INVENTION. their curiosity would annoy him was with many a strong reason for its gratification. As Arthur stood with his back against the mangled door he wished that Bob would make haste, for now the room was crowded with people from every part of the mill, and the good- humored ''chatf" with which they had begun to entreat for entrance into "the prison" was fast changing into complaint and anger. It was a sort of uncomfortable parody of the situa- tion of " the dauntless three" " who kept the bridge so well " ; and Lester wished that he too had been blessed with trusty friends to stand on his right and left, for every moment he expected that some of the rough mill lads would try to hustle him from his posi- tion by way of amusement. If they had succeeded, Mr. Norbury, lying unconscious on the floor behind him, would have been in considerable danger of being injured in the rush that was sure to ensue ; but fortu- nately h(3 was reinforced by the return of Bob with the doctor just when the situation was beginning to look serious. It was not Dr. Thay, but an older man who was well known to many in the room, and his authoritative commands to "Stand back and give the man air," being enforced by sundry good-hnmored pokes and pushes, were promptly obeyed ; for his rough-and- ready geniality and his true kindness of heart won BEHIND A LOCKED DOOR. 133 11! Dr. Rowswcll golden opinions among the poor. Mr. Norbury did not like him, but Dr. Thay having gone out, Bob felt justified in bringing any doctor who would come, without regard to the patient's pref- erences. Dr. Rows well had a quick, energetic Avay of doing things in spite of his stoutness, and in less time than it takes to tell he had Mr. Norburv Ivino; on a table in the larger room, where he employed himself in vigor- ous efforts to restore him to consciousness and equally vigorous anathemas against people " who have n't the sense to know that a man can't live without fresh air." He addressed some severe rebukes to Lester for not "having had the wit to carry him out of that vile-smelling cupboard " ; but that young man, having satisfied himself that his relative was in no immediate danger, was so much occupied with the carpenter that he did not hear the strictures passed upon him. It was of course impossible to set the machines going till the patient had been conveyed downstairs, and the work people buzzed about between the doctor and the carpenter in a species of distraction, getting impartially into the way of both professional gentle- men. The door was soon boarded over and Mr. Norbury's secret was safe again ; but the inventor was still half unconscious when they carried him down the narrow stairs and into the cab. When he had seen ■ ' I 5 ii ^'1 134 THE BAINPIiOOF INVENTION. I ! ! him safely home, Dr. Rowswell resigned his charge to his regular physician. For a day or two Mr. Norbury was delirious ; then the same symptoms showed themselves which had followed his accident in the autumn, and Dr. Thay rigorously pursued the same treatment, declaring that his illness had been brought on by nothing but overwork. Ill CHAPTER XII. bob's unwelcome guest. HALLO, Warrington ! have you heard the latest news?" asked Bob a week or two later. "No; I have heard nothing," replied Ralph indif- ferently. "How is Mr. Norbury this morning?" " Much the same as yesterday, and my news is, that he is going to tear himself away from his business and his invention and spend the rest of the winter in a warmer climate. It 's his only chance, they say." " How are things to go on while he is away? " asked Charley Milwood. " I dare say he wonders that himself ; but Lester is going to reign in his stead, so make yourself easy, my son. I suppose it is for this kind of thing that old Norbury has been training him. Did you expect to get a holiday, like a schoolboy when his master is ill, Charley?" Chnrley turned away, deigning no answer. " He knows more about the business now than old Norbury himself," Bob continued ; "at least, he knows quite as much. Never fear, Charley, he'll keep us all up to the mark." 135 136 THE liAINriiOOF INVENTION. M if •1 Si "It's a jolly thing for Arlluir, isn't it?" said Charley. " I wish I was in his shoes." " My dear child," returned IJob provokingiy, " they would n't fit you. Nice boy you would he for Mr. Nor- burv to leave to manage the concern I I would n't be in Arthur's place for a good deal. He '11 have a lively time when the old gentleman comes back, I can tell you. There '11 be no satisfying hin). Don't you remember the rows in the ofllce after he was ill last year?" " When is he going?" asked Warrington. " At the end of next week." " Who is going with hiui? " "Just Miss Norbury." ''Who told you Ml this?" " She did ; I walked home with her last night. She was carrying a lot of little parcels and asked me to help her." " Where are they going? " " To the Mediterranean, (ireece, and Italy, and I don't know where. JVIiss Norbury wants to sec the pictures and all the rest of the shows, and Mr. Norbury wants to keep out of the way of anything in the shape of machinery. But won't he feel like a fish out of water ? " Just before closing time Mark Stanton walked into the office. He had missed receiving some of his % BOB'S UNWELCOME QUEST. 137 letters, and so had not heard of Mr. Norbury's ill- ness. He had some inaportant business to discuss with him. "I suppose you will have to see Lester," said Warrington ; " but he is n't in now, and it 'a so near six I don't think he'll come back to night." " Well, I '11 call in to-morrow, but it's a nuisance. There, it is striking six now. Won't you come and (line with me at ' The Green Man,' Warrington? Stafford and Thomson and one or two other fellows are connng. " Thank you ! I should like to join you very much." " Do you think Lester would come?" asked Mark after a pause. " I cannot answer for him," said Ralph stiffly. Evidently he was not anxious that Lester should be of the party. " How do you like him?" asked his companion, watching him with some amusement. " Oh, he's a pleasant fellow enough. Mr. Norbury thinks very well of him." " So I should suppose, or he would hardly have put him in the position he has. Is it true thivt he is engaged to Miss Norbury ? " " I really don't knovr," said Warrington in a tone that suggested that for sone reason he was nearing i ■■■■ Win i ; {■' t ■ I 138 THE UAINPliOOF INVENTION. the limits of his patience, and Stanton adroitly changed the subject. The evening passed pleasantly to Ralph, and he afterwards spoke warmly of Stanton and his friends as " very gentlemanly fellows " ; yet their amusements were of a character that Bob Littleton, whom War- rington was accustomed to stigmatize as " insufferably vulgar and plebeian," would have been ashamed to take part in. Their geutlemanlinoss c-usisted largely in the deference they paid to their new friend, and as he was not quick enough to see that it was only assumed, he talked more than usual and was e^ccep- tionally gracious and condescending. Stanton had previously told them something of his history, as he had learned it from Bob, and they were all inclined to have some fun at his expense. Their victim, nowever, was so perfectly unconscious of tlie irony in the remarkable courtesy with which they treated him that he enjoyed it all immensely, unbending more and more under the iutluence of the good company and good wine. Alas ! as time went on he forgot his dignity altogether, and made so much noise that Stanton, who had a stronger head, began to be ashamed of him, and afraid lest their carousal should get them into trouble with their employer. At last he broke up the festiv- ity abruptly, but Warrington had no notion of going home, and resolutely declined to move from the posi- BOIi'S UNWELCOME (fUEST. 139 tion ho hud taken up agaiii.st tho sij^uijost of " The (lieen Man." Persuasion was useless, and Mark, not liking to leave him, and disliking still more to quarrel with him, was at his wits' end, when no loss a person than Bob Littleton appeared in the distance, and Stan- ton, who did not wish to be recognized at that moment, hastily decamped. IJob had been si)ending a quiet evening with some friends, but had not found it in his heart to tear him- self away till nearly midnight. He was humming one of his songs as he came briskly down the street, but he stopped suddenly and liegan to whistle when he saw Kalith. For a moment he stood regarding him with his hands in his pocket and his head a little on one side, an attitude which he used with great effect in his songs, but which at this moment he fell into from the force of habit, for the situation was very far indeed irom being comic. What to do he did not know, for he had had no idea till that moment that drink had the least temptation for the aristocratic Warrington. Indeed, Ralph had not known it him- self. At last he ordered a cab, and with combined force and persuasion got Ralph into it, directing the coach- man to drive to Briar Cottage ; but as the horse slowly jogged along he thought of Ralph's mother and his pretty sister, and he was dismayed to be obliged 140 THE IIAIS PROOF INVENrWX. to take him lioiiio in siicli a (liH4ic, or gone out for a walk to escapi! the sight of that nightmare figure on the bed, hut he was obliged to keep guard over his unwelcome guest. Kal[)h scarcely stirred all night long, but soon alter six liolt began to think that he nuist wake him at all hazards and get him out of the house before his landl.idy went downstairs. Accordingly he shook him with hearty good will, for he felt that he deserved shaking or somethin<' worse, and said his name in a loud whisper in his ears and splashed cold water in his face. Kalph at last sat up and rubbed bis eyes and thought he was dreaming. " It is time to get np, Warrington," said Bob severely, "for my landlady will be downstairs in no time, and she might make no end of a row if she knew von had been here." "How did I get here?" " Perhaps you may remember by and by," said Bob with a disgusied face. " I sent a note to your mother saying that yon were safe and well, and had n't been able to get home. That was true, but she'll want to know more, so you had better decide how much to tell her." Warrington made no answer, but hastily made what improvements he could in the disheveled condition of U2 THE RAIN Pit OOF INVENTION. ;■■ m \h his garments. "Good by, unci thank you, Bob," he said at last, half inclined for the first time in his life to offer his Land to his fellow clerk, but afraid lest it might be refused. Bob mistook the cause of his hei^^itation, and thought no better of him for it. "Good by, Warrington," ae said ; then thinking it his duty, under the circum- stances, to add a word of warning he went on : " If I were you, I 'd keep clear of those fellows in future, and perhaps it might 'le a help to you to sign the pledge. I 've heard that many a fellow gets on all the better for having made a definite promise to keep off touch- ing the stuff. Come ; if you like, I '11 sign it too." But Ralph shook his head in disdr.in. The very name of pledge offended liiiii, for he had been accus- tomed to associate it with what he called ' rant," and with rough, tipsy men of the lower orders. He had yet to learn how much was common between himself and the lowest specimen of humanity. He would not even argue the question with Bob, nor tell him, as he might have done, how bitterly ashamed he was of his last night's amusement; but he thanked him again almost with the air of one conferring instead of receiving a favor, and went stealthily down the stairs and out into the street. He went a long walk into the country, anu break- fasted at a little inn four miles out of the town, but BOB'S UNWELCOME GUEST. 148 lie (lid not enjoy his ham and eggs, tliough air and ex- I'lcise were beginning to clear his aching head. That was a weary day at the office, for he felt as if he were a marked man, disgraced forever in the eyes of bis inferiors. When Stanton came in to discuss his busi- ness witli Arthur he looked as fresh and alert as usual. As he passed Warrington going out he stopped to whisper, " How did you manage about getting home, last night, old fellow ? I came back to look for you when Littleton had had time to get out of the way, but you had vanished." Warrington preserved a gloomy silence, and Mark iiiughed and passed on. Ralph would have given anything to avoid having to talk to his mother that evening. All day he wor- ried himself by trying to devise some excuse for his .absence ; at last he went home, and for the first time in his life told her a lie, and rather a clumsy one. He saw that even she did not believe it, and when Maud qnestioned him he had no refuge but to fall into a rage, and declared that he would not submit to being watched and questioned. But when he had gained his point and silenced them, he tried to make up for his ill-temper by being specially kind and thoughtful, and for the next few days there fell on all the household the calm that follows a storm, though in some ways it was more like the dull, heavy weather that precedes one. Mill II .-jfiii I > 144 THE nAINPIiOOF LVVENTIOK. l\ '-i I '■ , m .wi He was for a while so ashamed of himself that he did not even go up to see Elsie as usual, tliough he knew she was so soon going away. But as tiie sense of his sin and shame grew duller, he tired of his quiet evenings at home and went once more to call upon the Norburys. He liked to have Elsie to himself, and was much disappointed to find Stanton therj and Dr. Thay, besides Arthur, who was always tiiere and always in the way. Miss Norbury scarcelv noticed him when he went in ; she was occupied with Stanton, who was talking in his usual quick fashion, while Dr. Thay, who was making himself useful by holding the wool she was winding, was rewarded occasionally with a gracious word or smile. Arthur was not far away, but was silent and preoccupied, while by the fire sat Mrs. Norbury, knitting and rocking placidly. Ralph took a chair beside her, and Elsie scarcely deigned him word or look during the whole evening. She left him in the distant place he had chosen, with- out one effort to draw him to her side. He watched the others and listened gloomily to Mrs. Norbury 's conversation and wished himself at home. He was angry with himself and angry with Elsie. She knew that he was waiting hungrily for her notice, but she was enjoying Stanton's company, and was not in the mood to trouble herself about Ralph. The evening BOB'S UNWELCOME GUEST. 145 lie Beenied very dreary, and ho left at last, sullen and angry at her almost insolent disregard of him. But the next day (the last before her journey) he met her in the street, and nothing could have been more gracious than her manner. She made the kind- est inquiries after his mother's health, regretted that she had seen so little of him the night before, and finally begged him to come again that evening if he could possibly spare tiie ti' le. She wanted so much to see him before she went away. Ralph dutifully accepted her present kindness and both forgave and forgot her very recent slights. On this occasion there were no other gentlemen to distract her attention ; even Arthur was upstairs in his uncle's room, and Ralph enjoyed himself siitllciently to com- pensate him for the misery he had suffered on the pre- vious evening. Elsie was very kind and led him on to say more than he had intended. They were alone, for Mrs. Norbury thought her daughter quite able to take care of herself. Thus there was plenty of opportunity for sentimental speeches, and Elsie had a keen enjoyment of them. Ralph could hardly talk of anything to-night but his pain at her departure. "But it will not be for long," was the lady's consol- atory reply. " I could not bear to leave dear Whar- ton for long — and all my friends here," she added in a low voice. 146 THE liAINPROOF INVENTION. 1 :,f " It will seem long. I — we shall miss you terribly." " O Mr. Warrington, I am afraid you are trying to flatter me ! " " Indeed I am not. You are above flattery."- " I wish I was," sighed Elsie ; " but I do like to be flattered, even when I don't believe a word of it. I wish my friends may miss me half as much as I shall miss them." ' ' You will have so much to see that you will forget us entirely, I am afraid." " Indeed I shall not, Mr. Warrington. I never forget a friend." Perhaps it was the look that accom- panied her words that made this vaguely magnanimous statement at once soothing and exciting to Ralph. " Then I may hope that you will sometimes think of me?" he said eagerly. " Certainly," said Elsie. "lam thankful to say I have many friends, but among them you are " — She stopped suddenly with a downcast look. Ralph eagerly filled the blank with, " O Elsie, then you can call me more than a friend ? " " Friend means a great deal." " Yes, but you cannot mistake me. Elsie, I must have more than friendship from you." "You shall have what I can give. Friendship is the most — at present," she added deliberately. " Then there is hope for the future ! There must ii; BOB'S UNWELCOME GUEST. 147 be, Elsie. I cannot live without it. At least give me hope." Ralph spoke excitedly. " I Clin make no promises. I dare promise nothing. You must understand that." " I understand ; but still you have given me leave to hope ? " "We may all hope," she replied oracularly. "I give you nothing." " Yes, you have given me something. I can wait now. The end will come in time." Wtirrington looked so earnest and so handsome that Elsie felt proud of his admiration, yet he must not misunderstand her. " Remember," she repeated, " I made no promises. We cannot settle for the future." "I do not ask for promises yet, Elsie. I will trust all to the future £iud to you." A little later he took his leave, saying earnestly, " 1 shall never forget this evening while I live. Good night, Miss Norbury ! good night — Elsie!" And she said, "Good night, my friend Ralph," with what she meant for a warning emphasis. It had little effect on him, however ; he felt for the time as if Elsie were won, and during the weeks she was away he lived on the thought that she was his in all but words. He had never before had so good a right to hope. 1 r i I ;, 'i ! '1 I; f ii m\ i 'Si ■I ! . |;! pl^ II 4 ■' ■ i: > ;;'.: ' '" ^j OHAFrER XIII. THE W. I. I. A. BOB," said Arthur, one evening about a month after Mr. Norbury's departure, "could you come up to see me to-night or to-morrow ? 1 have a great scheme I shoukl bke to discuss with vou." Bob was rather astonisiied at this request, as Lester in these days seemed to care little for society or amusement of any kind. Many of iiis friends c(m- eluded that he was grievously atllicted by the absence of Miss Norbury, but the better informed reader knows that that pained him very little. One reason for his depression was his disappointment with regard to Maud ; but he was also overburdened with the heavy responsibilities of his present position, more especially as his uncle had given him so many direc- tions and commands that he was not at liberty to use his own judgment at all. Among his other duties the full report that he was obliged to despatch to Mr. Norbury every week was a tedious and distasteful task, while that of reading the ungracious comments and criticisms upon his best efforts was more annoying still. 148 THE W. I. L A. 149 He had no ono with whom he could consult in any emergency but Mr. Mllwood, who was too timid and afraid of makinu; mistakes to he a good counselor ; for Warrington, whose experience might have helped him, was as unaccommodating and (in i)lain language) as disagreeable as it was possihle for man to be while preserving the semblance of politeness. Left in charge, as he was, Lester was at times obliged to make suiTsrestions to him about the work or his manner of doins it, but such sugsjestions were always received as a bitter affront, and the cashier was a thorn in the manager's side. Another matter that caused him extreme anxiety was the painful question of the outside wage-earners. Even the hands actually employed in the mill were badly off, and as the winter advanced he knew that the distress among the work-women was increasing fright- fully. Now that the management was to a certain extent in his own hands, he felt oppressed with a terri- ble personal responsibility for these starvation wages, yet he was helpless. He wrote to his uncle, setting forth once more the suffering which his work j)eople wore undergoing, but he would do nothing. " They liad now as much as they had ever had," he said, " but there was no contenting them." A large portion of his own salary found its way to them in the shape of gifts of coal and clothing, often 160 THE RAINPliOOF INVENTION. ^k I I \ through the medium of Hugh Milwood, iu whose parish most of them lived ; but do what he miglit to aid them he felt that it was unjust that their own long hours of labor should not raise tiicm al)ove the need of charity. It was a terrible wrong that when thev were both able and willing to work, when they even actually accomplished so much work, they should be ol)liged to live in such abject misery. As the sense of the op- pression by which his uncle had helped himself up the steep roatl to wealth grew stronger on him, Lester scarcely dared to look the poor, miserable, ill-elad victims iu the fare ; he was as ashamed before them of his comfortable, whole garments as many a man is of his rags. The winter set in early and fiercely tiiat year. "The skating was grand!" but Lester was haunted with thoughts of empty grates, shoes with holes in them, and tables better furnislied with guests than with food to set before u'ein. To make matters worse, trade was bad. In many branches of business the market was overstocked, and tho nuisters, in the dreariest w'ntti weather, were forced to close their doors ; vet the taverns had never driven a brisker trade. Wherever the money ean-.e from, too often it was spent iu beer and gin, while the wives and babies cried for food at home. Arthur by no means forgot Maud ; i o had never THE W. I. I. A. 151 whose M to loiltr loved her better thau now, but bis first despair and dismay bad passed, and be could tbink now of otber people's sorrows besides bis own. lie began to feel like a soldier ordered on a forlorn bope, and was balf tbankful tbat tbe blndering thougbt of bis own private bappiness bad been taken awi-y. He bardly knew as yet bow to set about belping in tbe deatb struggle against tbe wrong of wbicb be bad a clearer conscious- ness every bour ; but be was resolved tbat, God strcngtbening bini, be would use every power be pos- sessed in tbe contest, wben be sbould see tbe way. And in tbe mean time be tried in little ways to soften tbe bard lot of tbe few witb wbom he came in con- tact. He went often to tbe mission ball where he had gone to meet Maud, for Hugh Milwood was both earnest and practical, and tliougb be never forgot tbat bis highest call was to bring tbe souls of men into tbe llgiit, be remembered tbat bis Master bad fed tbe hungry and healed the suffering, and, witb all his migiit, he endeavored to go and do likewise. At first Arthur had avoided him, because of P^^lsie's guess about Maud's feeling for him, but wben circumstances threw them tt)gether, Lester could not resist the attraction of his simple earnestness, and tiiey soon fell into tbe habit of discussing together any subject in which either was Interested. The plan which Lester ,^^''.r.\'; I ' 162 THE liAfNPROOF INVENTION. i( m \m t ' :i )■ sH k i 'wS If fWw 1 'U- IffH proposed to talk over with Littleton was one to whieli the clergyiiian had uh'eady given his hearty approval. "Well, Hob," was Lester's first (piestion when they were Hettled comfortably l)eside the (Ire in Mr. Nor- bury's dinin<^ room, " do you feel inclined to go to a lecture on chemistry next Wednesday?" IJob stared. " What in the world should I go to a chemistry lecture for?" " To improve your mind, to be sure," said Lester, laughing at his face. " Suppose I don't want it improved ! " said Bob. "And why should chemistry do it? I don't know less about anything." " Then by all means come, and you '11 know more. It won't cost you much, and there are to be other lectures afterwards on l)otany and geology and music, and perhaps on other subjects, too." " So you call this a great scheme, do you ? " said Bob in unaffected amazement. " Well, you are a queer genius, Lester! Why on earth you should take the trouble to beguile me into improving my mind passes my understanding ! " "I suppose I ought to admit that I have begun at the wrong end of the story," said Lester; "but if you '11 come to the window, I '11 show you what first put it into my head." Bob followed him silently, and, drawing back the TIIK W. I. I. A. 153 C'lirtiiiii, Arthur pointed to tlio l)riL;litly liglited win- dows of :i new inn, only liiiirtlud since Klsie and Ihm- father set out on their journey ; hut the Hwin<; doors were moving constantly, and a continuous stream of peoitle wont in and out, some of them not too steady Ml tluiir walk. ■'Heastlv, isn't it?" said liob. What will Miss Norhury think ? She '11 hate the street worse than ever. 4( I Ihit Lester was not thinking of Miss Norburj sui)[)ose if we lived where some of those fellows do, we might go in there ourselves to spend an evening (»nce in a way. It is lirjht and warm, at [iny rate. Hob watched the crowd with mingled interest and disgust. " Look, Arthui', at that old cha[). Hang it all! I believe he'd go after the stulT into a — coal- hole ! He must have soaked and soaked for years to get such a face as that. But what h:is my education and your i)recious schenu; to do with this?" " I thought that perhaps you would understand ; but, to put it shortly, you know, or perhaps you don't know, for I lind that a gootl many Wharton men are ignorant of its existence, that we have an Intellectual Imi)rovement Association in this town." "Never heard of it!" said Bob. "But it isn't exactly in my line." " Well, it is n't nuich of an alfair at the best. There 's a bit of a reading room, where no one ever VI ill I M 164 THE ItAISriiOOF INVENTION, IN 1? ' I goes, and u libraiy with about fifty books in it; but Milwood and I have boon thiiikin;; we nii; Itow and flung himself off tlic platform to disappear among the rest of the performers at the side of tlu' room, the enthusiasm rose to a most extraordinary pitch, and nothing would still the storm of shouts and clapping till his white waistcoat and beaming countenance onec more dazzled all eves. For his encore he sang the " Farmyard Song," which involved such snrprisir.g imitations of the voices of every animal or fowl domesticated in England that it was wonderful that one human throat and pair of lungs could stand the strain. At times it seemed as if the dwellers in the fannvard, like a dis- orderly family, were all '' speaking at once," each neighing, crowing, quacking, s(iuealing, barking, or braying, as nature liad given the power. After this great huist of genius, cake and coffee were passed round, and then Hugh Milwood delivered a short address, explaining the objects of the 1. I. A., and inviting every man or lad [jrcscnit to join it. Thus was brilliantly inauguratcnl what Stanton afterwards dubl)ed "the revival of learning" in Whai'ton. The local pai)ers had a good word for everybody, from the [)r()jectors of the scheme to Charley Milwood ; and now it only remained to see whether it would be of any pnictical benefit to the class whom it was intended to help. THE W. I. I. A, 161 Incidentally it seemed likely to be of benefit to its promoters, at any rate. Bob Littleton, though a sadder as well as wiser man from his peregrinations in the slums, liad a deepened interest for all mankind. And even Charley Milwocjd thought less of his collars Mild his dignity for his efforts t<^ devise a practicable scheme for teaching the dillicult art of reading to men who had grown up in complete ignorance of anything beyond the streets and workshops. And Arthur found in it solace both from his cares and his sorrows till unkind whispers reached him of insincerity and hypocrisy, for the evil reputation of his uncle brought suspicion upon his nephew and manager. m 5 i i 1 CHAPTER XIV. ON THE DOWNWAKI) ROAD. "TV ^AUD and Ler mother had been present at the ■^-^ I. 1. A. concert, but Ralph had spent the evening with some of his friends. He disapproved of the whole thing, and loudly declared that it was utter nonsense to attempt " to educate the masses above their position." The question was exhaustively dis- cussed one morning in the ofllce, and Rob and Ralph were the ciiief spokesmen. Bob insisted (reasonably enough) that there was little danger of the I. I. A. or any other association having the power to over-educate anybody. " It will put a lot of nonsense into their heads at any rate," said Ralph. "Those people are ready enough to think themselves as good as their betters." " I hate that word," said Bob; "betters begs the whole (piestiou, and talking of the masses is nearly as bad. One is apt enough to forget that they are all men and women just as much as those who have decent clothes on their backs. The great difference between us is, 1 suppose, that we have had some chance in life, and they have n't ; that is, except some 162 ON THE DOWNWAIW ROAD. 163 few poor beggars (the wretclicdest of the lot) wbo have thrown their chances away. I wish, Warrington, that yon wonld come and give us a hand down there. We want to have a double or treble staff so that we can have the thing going all the week, and not be !)Ound to give up all our evenings to it. I wish you would take my class — writing and bookkeeping, you know — for one or two evenings in the week. It's awfully interesting, but it ties one uncommonly." Uai[)ii shrugged his shoulders, saying coldly, '■ i don't approve of the thing, Littleton ; did I not tell you so before ? " r>ut Bob was not easily put down, and he persisted ir his efforts to get Warrington interested in the I. I. A., till that gentleman was so much annoyed that he would scarcely answer liim. Bob shrewdly suspected that the shameful lesson he had received had not cured Kal[)h of his liking for late hours and foolish company, and he dreaded that sooner or later another outbreak would occur as disgraceful as the last. Yet he had never spoken to him of the matter sine 3 tiie night he sheltered him, for he knew instinc- tively ihnt Ralplj's pride would not endure the most kindly meant .varning. Ralph's mother and sister were still in unsuspecting ignorance of his follies and sins ; indeed at this time Maud was so much absorbed in her own affairs that \! I mmmmm •::f: t; i 2ri i 164 THE / ' 4/ A' PA' UOF l\ VENTIOy. she luul little tlioti,i;lit to o worthy of her. T promise you again, mother, T will do nothing to disgrace our name." Christmas passed more liappily than might liave been expected, and for weeks IJalpli kept his word, coming home earlier than formerly and attending better to his work at the oflice. And Maud kept her word, thoiigii it was unspoken save to God. She had begun the struggle for the mastery of self, and she was not always defeated. Her mother felt, though she scarcely unendants and inferiors, counting on their humble su))missi<)n as due t<^ liis position. Rut he had reckoned without his host. Arthur spoke very quietly, but wilii tin air that would have done no discredit to one of his old favorites — Lord Nigel or Vichlan Vohr. "Uncle James," he said, '"■ I do not caro to discuss the matter just now, but will wait until you are in a different state of mind." So saying, he opened the door and made his exit with much dignity, but by the time he had arrived in the street be bc-an to Avonder what to do U3xt. For a moment he stood still, but IF m UMl 178 THE liAINPliOOF LWENTlOy. Jfji'! ! retlecting that the siijiiH of hM-esoliitioti niij!;ht bo observed by his iiiK^le from the ollice windows, lie iiu- niedlatoly proceeded on Jiis way t(j nowhere in particular with a firm step and a haughty carriage. lie had not gone far before he almost ran against pjlsie, who greeted liim effusively, saying, " Well, Arthur, 1 really am (lattered that you should be coming up io see me iu such haste." "• I was not coming," said Arthur truthfully. '•' The fact is uncle and I have had what liob calls ' no end of a row,' and 1 just came out to let him cool a little." "And vourself, too?" asked Klsie with lathcr a comical look. '' I thought you had rather m tragic air. But what's the matter? Father's tired with his jour- ney, and that always makes him cross. I 've had some lively exi)eriences with him myself whenever we have had to travel all night." " I dare say you have." " But the only way is to laugh at him, and take no notice *" what he says." "I don't suppose you have ever seen him as — vio- lent as he was this morning." "Oh, I don't know. He was about as angrv as he could be when he got your last letter. Was the row this morning about that?" "No, about everything, or rather nothing. We had not got to that when I came away. I want to discuss AliTlIUlVS SHOES. 179 it fairly, but there vvuh no use in trying to do that this niornnif^. '' If I were you, Arthur, I would let it go. He has made up liis mind on the subject, antl nothing ever changes him." "I can't stay in the otilce, Klsie, and have such things go on. It is wicked to grind down the poor like that, and 1 won't be a party to it. '* If he will do it, it won't be your fault. If you oppose him too much, there will be an end of your prospects. Do have a little prudence and connuon sense, Arthur ! " Elsie spoke earnestly, for she really liked her cousin. ''Elsie, if vou had seen as much as 1 have of the way those peo[)le live, you would do anything to pre- vent uncle's making the wrong worse." "• If you roally could do any good, I should n't blame you, but it's folly to throw away a good chance of getting on, for what will do no good to anybody. I think father has been very well satisfied with your management until that last letter came." '' You would n't say so if you had seen his letters." " Oh, you are too thin-skiuned. His letters mean nothing ; he always grumbles to keep people up to the mark. He was talking of staying away till JNIay, and he dropped a word or two about the partnershi[)." '' 1 'm sorry 1 shortened your travels, but 1 would u't . i \ 180 TIIL AM /A7 7i' O F IN VENTION. jjjo into pjirtiu'r.shii) with him, uiiIohs he would engage to i)ay proper wtiges." " Well," HJiid Klsie, smiling, '' I ciin't stay to argue the matter now. I niUHt Hay I think you are quite as obstinate as father himself, and a little wrongheaded into the bargain ; but you nuist manage your owu affairs. 1 supixjse we shall see you at lunch?" '"I don't think so," said Arthur; "I will get my lunch in town." " Well, good morning then ; " and Elsie walked briskly away, looking exeeptiontdly bright and fresh in a si'nple but tasteful costume she had brought from Paris. Arthur looked after her a moment, then, turning down a (piiet side street, went into a clean, old-fash- ioned little inn rejoicing in the name of "The Pea- cock," where he ordered lunch and asked for pen and ink. lie intended to write to Mr. Norbury, but it was no easy matter to decide what to say. AVheu he left the oiTice th.it morning he had fully expected that his uncle would apologize and humbly request him to return ; and that perluqjs something might then be done to avert the contemplated reduction of wages. His con- versation with Klsie, however, had given rise to painful doubts as to the probability of Mr. Norbury's acting according to this program. And another doubt, which had really been taking shape iu his miud for some AiiTjjuirs snoKS. 181 fagc ray weeks, started into 8tnnif such unnatural proceedings by its suddenly overbalancing with him on the top of it, he desisted from his efforts to overconie or circumvent the law of gravitation, and began to practice tlie F'arrayard Song with all his might. But as the door handle rattled, he stopped in the midst of a quack, fearful lest his dreaded master should surprise him in his enjoyment. "Hallo! it's you, Lester, is it?" he said with a sigh of relief. " So you're not gone off, after all." " Not gone, but going this morning." " Then you can't make it up? What is the matter, Arthur? But there! ray blessed mother always used to tell me not to ask questions that did n't concern me, {.nd 'pon my word ! I sometimes wish she was at my elbow to make me mind my manners now." " My uncle was angry about my management of affairs, and he won't listen to my advice (only, don't talk about it. Bob) . He intends to lower the wages all round and dismiss several of the hands, and I don't think he ought to do it." " The old skinflint ! I wish he 'd come to our next I. I. A. concert. He would see then how short they are, as it is. So, that's why you 're going, is it? " ARTHUR'S SHOES. 187 nces, after icces- snch ncing flforts , aud II his ::)pped eaded "Partly," said Arthur; "and we both got pretty hot, I suppose. Then, to make matters worse, he stumbled on some extracts from that article of mine in The Adviser. How it came to be in it I don't know, but he seemed to think I wrote it purposely to annoy him. I have a good mind to ask the editor how he happened to put it in." Bob looked conscience-stricken. "You don't need to ask him, Lester, it's my doing. When I was in the reading room the other day I took up The Onlooker, and the first thing I saw in it was your name. The editor was explaining that he was authorized to state that you had written something or other, and he referred to a back number of the paper. As I 'd nothing better to do, I looked it up, and you gave the masters such good hard knocks that I was ready to dance to think how mad they 'd be ; then I made bold to borrow the paper and took it in to show it to the editor of The Adviser, and he printed it. He *s a sort of chum of mine, but he said it was the best thing he had read on wages for years." "Well, Bob, you have got me into hot water with these Wharton people," said Lester. " 1 don't believe my uncle will ever forgive me. You had better keep quiet about your share in the matter." ' ' Trust me for that. And do you mean to say you 're really going ? " I 1 I 188 TIIK RAIWnOOF INVENTION. " I wish 1 was, too. What docs Miss Norbury think of it?" " She advised mc to try to make it up." "Of course she wouhl." Arthur smiled at Rob's tone of quiet conviction, and said, " Tiiat was l)eforc we had the second part of our quarrel. I met her when I was leavinii; the olllce." Bob sighed sentimentally and said, "You're a lucky fellow, Lester." " I don't think so." "It's no use to pretend to misunderstand me. You know half a dozen fellows would give their cars to be in your shoes." "As yet, I am quite ignorant as to what kind of shoes I possess, or whether indeed I nhall not be obliged to go barefoot. I intend to try to get some work on a paper, but I doubt whether I shall have much chance." "Of course you will, you'll be rich and famous in no time, and then your reverend uncle will give you his blessing, and you 'U both be happy ever tif ter, like the people in the fairy tales.'* Now, strange to say, until this moment it had never dawned on Arthur what his friend was driving at, but as Bob ran on at his usual rate his enlightenment was rapid. AUT null's SHOES. 189 u It seeiiiH to WW. it's ratl'iT iiddiii^ iiirtiilt to injury to prctcixl yomlon't iinut the borrowed money was not lepaid, and Ralph would only repeat his promise to pay it as soon as he got some money. His salary was due in about a fortnight, but when the day came IVIrs. Warrington was dismayed to hear him say he would not be in to tea. She knew very well what that .neant, and she nerved herself to remonstrate. " Ralph," she said, "if you have the least love left for me, come straight home to-night. You must expect to fall if you will run into temptation. You will ruin yourself. Mr. Norbury must have heard something by this time, and if you lose your situation I don't know what we shall do." "What do you mean, mother? Surely my saying that I am going out to dinner is no reason for all this." "It is a reason, you know very well. Last time you went out you know how you came home." " Mother, you never let me hear the last of a thing. You are worse than Maud ; she can hold her tongue, even if she has a bad temper." 206 THE ItAlNPliOOF INVENTION. '* I have held my tongue loo well, Ralph. I know I spoilt you as a child. \ Hhall never, never forgive myself if you go wrong." Uul])h made no answer, but hastily threw open the door and walked out with his head erect and his shoulders straight. Ills mother looked after him, sick at heart. How could sho save him from sinking into the loathsome pit he was digging for himself? Alas, she could do nothing.; argument and persuasion alike bad failed, and she sank back in her chair in a passion of weeping and self-accusation. She had let lier handsome, self-willed boy tyraimize over every one in the house from his infancy, and now she could do nothing wit!i him. But she could still pray for him, and when Maud came to look for her she was kneeling by her bed, calm and peaceful. "We shall save him yet, Maud," she murmured; "God loves him, too, better even than I do." Maud kissed her gently, and they went downstairs together. "Mother," said the girl suddenly, "I have been thinking lately that we had better let IMattie go. I can do the work easily enough, and she costs a good deal altogether. Besides" — But on second thoughts she did not add her strongest argument, that it was better there should be no one to see Ralph l)nt DLSaiiACED. 207 ive tliiMHSclvcs. MrH. Wiirrinj^tou acqiii».3C0(l gliullv, and Miittic recoivod notice that m()rniii«^. l)iiriii|^ the loiij^ hours of thirt (In^iry day ft proscnti- inciit of (!oinni{^ evil himg darkly over tho hoimc. MiH. Wan iii<;toi( hardly .spoke ; ar»d thoii \ i; I i !■■ • : 21G THE ItAlNPEOOF INVENTION. Having thus nettled a plan of proceodings, they went to bed, all (iiiniself included) hoping much from Ralph's good resolutions. He did not even now explain how his heavy debts had been incurred, and neither Mrs. Warrington nor Maud asked for an explanation. It was only too probable that he would not answer, and they were unhappily certain that however the money had 1 .en spent, it was for no good purpose. Ralph's next few days at the otJ'^e cost him more than he ever told any one, though he assumed a reckless air that sat ill enough upon him. He held his head more erect than ever, and was apparently daring any one to question him ; but his fellow clerks knew him well enough not to venture upon such an ill-judged proceeding, and gradually their sympathy with him died away into mere tolerance of his pride and his pecidiarities, for his downfall by no means improved L.d social qualities. they from CHAFER XVIII. GLKAMS OF MOIIT. IT chanced that one evenin*); about a fortnight after the eventti narrated in the last 'ihapter, Elsie Norbury met Warrington on his way home, and innocently inquired why he had not been at their house for so long. "I shall never come again," he answered hotly. " Your father has behaved most insultingly, and I should feel that I had lost all self-respect if I accepted his hospitality again." Elsie looked down and murmured almost under her breath, " I do so miss you ! " " Do you, Elsie? " and for the moment Ralph forgot all the misery of the last few weeks. " Father is a little bit hard sometimes where business is concerned ; indeed, it was not my fault that he made any change. I did ray very utmost for you, I assure you. 1 would have given anything to spare you — things are so much exaggerated in a little town like this." Elsie's sympathetic tone nearly broke Ralph down, while it stirred the old hopes in his heart. "O 217 I '; 218 THE RAINPROOF INVENTION. Elsie!" he cried, "is it possible that you can think kindly of me even yet? Some day, I swear it, I will be worthy of your friendship. I will never forget what you have done for me ! " The young lady gave him her neatly gloved little hand as she said, " Good by ! " adding, " Please, Mr. Warrington, you must try to forgive my father. Won't you, for my sake?" "For your sake? I will try, Elsie;" and he ap- peared to succeed so well that in a few weeks* time he again frequently spent his evenings in the manu- facturer's drawing room, and was alternately depressed and uplifted by Elsie's varying treatment of him. " The poor fellow looks so wretched," she told Stanton one evening when she had been driving Ralph nearly mad with her sudden freaks and changes, " that I try to be kind to him. He is so proud he never will forgive father for disgracing him, but it was really necessary, I suppose. It makes him wild to think that any one can look down on him." "It would send me wild," said Stanton, truly enough, " if I had had to go through what he has. I wonder he stayed in Wharton to be pitied and sneered at by all the virtuous Fiiarisees in the place. Oh, you good people can be as cruel as death when you choose ! It *s a case of give a dog a bad name, I think." GLEAMS OF LIGHT. 219 *'Mr. "Warrington always talks as if you had been a true friend and have stood by him faithfully. Do you see much of him now?" " A good deal. Some of the fellows have cut him, you know. That story about his mother — not true, I dare say — has gone round, so half of them won't have a word to say to him, as an easy way of showing their own superior virtue." "Mr. Stanton, I have a great favor to ask," said Elsie, for once honestly trying to do Warrington a kindness. " What possible favor can be in my power to grant you. Miss Norbury?" said Stanton with a theatrical air that made Elsie wonder whether he was laughing at her. "Only, will you use your influence with Mr. War- rington to keep him from going wrong ? You know what his temptation is, and 1 think you might do something to save him." " I fear," replied the young man quickly, "that I have very little influence over him, at least for good." He was serious enough now, but he did not care to pursue the subject. " Will you play something. Miss Norbury?" he asked rather suddenly. " What kind of music do you like best?" " I hardly know. Different pieces chime in with different moods." 220 THE RAINPliOOF INVENTIuN. " What is your mood to-iiiglit?" stiid Klsio, looking up at him over her shoulder us her fingers strayed softly over the keys. (( If I told you, you would he displeased, pci iKip That iUeutly. What is it? I do not suits me e know that I ever heard it hefore." " It is a new thing from one of the operas. I don't know it very well." " It is lovely ; what is it called?" " It 's the prelude to a song called ' Sweet Dreams of Love.' Did you ever hear a sillier name, Mr. Stan- ton?" She spoke r-xther nervously and at random. " I don't call it silly — I think it is very expressive. Those chords are soft and sweet enough to make the veriest old hermit that ever lived dream of love. I shall blame you if I dream of it to-night, Miss Norbury." Elsie made no answer, but she played the piece again with even more expression than before, and a soft warm color came into her cheeks. At that moment she looked almost pretty. She did not see Stanton's face as he stood beside her, but she would have given anything to know what he was thinking of. On this occasion, however, she did not discover, for Mrs. Norbury came in, and Stanton began to talk in his usual brisk fashion on subjects that interested Elsie much less than that LI: GLEAMS OF LWUT. 221 wliich she fancied was in his miiul. She felt vexed thut her inutiier luid disturbed tliein just then, and whh half iiielined to be cross in conse(iuence, but she hud not nnicii to coniphiin of in the mutter of being looked after. Mrs. Norbury, like niuny otlier people, regarded the triidit'ons of her youth us un infallible guide, and she thought that the simple rules that had been fol- lowed in her cottage home were ccpudly applicable to Elsie's case. That young huly in conse(iuence enjoyed herself as she chose untramnielod by the interference of a ehuperone ; sometimes, as we have seen, she slightly abused her privileges. Her mother never dreamed of such a thing, for she had the greatest admiration for her daughter, and however puzzled she herself might be on points of etiquette, she was sure that in society Elsie always knew both what to do and how to do it. Stanton had fallen into the ranks of Elsie's pro- fessed admirers long before this time, and spent at least part of one evening in every week in her society. lie made his headquarters in Wharton and was never away for longer than three or four days at a time. He was doing well for his employer, but was by no njeans satisfied with what he was doing for himself, though he had the wisdom to conceal that fact. He disliked a good many of the accompaniments of his l)resent life, though it had some advantages over ordi- nary office work. Like Mr. Norbury himself, he kept I 222 THE BAIN PRO OF INVENTION. one object steadily before hiin, and that was to make money ; but, unlike the painstaking " self-made man," he was impatient of slow progress, and was continu- ally casting about in his mind for some means of hastening the accomplishment of this desired end. Already he had contrived to make several lucky little speculations, but they had only whetted his appetite for gain. His tastes were expensive, so that his suc- cesses had been of little permanent benefit to him. His favorite scheme at the moment was to marry for money, but Miss Norbury was the )nly heiress whom fortune had thrown in his way, and though he had quietly begun to try to attract her he did not wish to cummit himself lest he should have cause to reinet it. The fact is he had a deep-rooted prejudice against " a thorough-going ftirt," and he did not know whether Mr. Norbury might not be more unendurable as a father-in-law than as an employer. Influenced by these considerations he labored earnestly to o[)en some other paths to wealth which woukl cost him less, but in the mean time he still made himself as agreeable to Miss Norbury as he knew how, for he prided himself on his prudence. As he left the old-fashioned house which Elsie was still tilling with soft music he began to feel some dis- quietude on one point. He never lost his self-control as Warrington and some of his friends did, but that GLEAMS OF LIGHT. 223 make man," he belonged to the same wild set was evideutly well known, and he feared that then* excesses might injure his character also. What if his follv should bring down swift and sudden judgment on himself ! He was uneasy at the thought, though at that moment he was on his way to a jovial supper at the memorable " Green Man," where he expected to meet Ralph and two or three other old friends. He felt much anxiety and somp compunction at the thought of this festivity, for he had planntd it and it was impossible to draw back now, though he knew that it would require something little short of a miracle to g t Warrington, at least, home in his right mind. Strange to say, Elsie's remonstrance liad impressed him greatly, for he knew that his part in Ralph's ruin had been no light one, and he resolved to do what he could to save him. Warrington was so readily excited now, and so utterlv reckless when under temotation, that it was no easy matver to gnt him away from the am sober. But Stanton accomplished this feat, though it involved the early breaking up of the feast, and earned for hiui the undeserved epithets of " mean and shabby." He only laug'ied, and told his companions that he had resolved never to be such a fool again, then taking Warring- ton's arm led him away, though in his heart Ralph was calling him "mean and shabby " too. ! ] ii'il! lililM- m I 'I! 224 THE BAINPROOF INVENTION. " I suppose, old fellow," he began, " you wonder what 1 am doing to-night ! " " Oh, it 's all righc ! " returned Warrington, not seeming to be in the best of tempers, however. " Well, the fact is, I had a kind of warning that our good old friend, Mr. Norbury, has not forgotten us, and I thought we could neither of us afford to rislv our situations." Ralph clinched his teeth and muttered, "I hate him, the old hypocrite ! " " Well, perhaps you '11 have a chance to get even with him some day (I should n't blame you), but just at present we neither of us want to be kicked out of the office altogether, and that's what will happen if he gets wind of our ' Green Man ' meetings. For my part, 1 am determined not to take the risk, and I sha'n't go to another, let Thomson &. Co. say what they choose." " Perhaps you're right. Neither will I." " Should you be angry if I gave you another piece of advice ? " " I '11 try not to be," replied Ralph, but his tone was ungracious. "Well, if I were you, I would give up the cards, too; you only lose every time." " 1 will. I have promised to do so when I have won back what I have lost." J:! GLEAMS OF LIGHT. 225 "You never will win against those fellows, "War- rington. Even if they play fairly, you haven't a chance against them. They keep cool and you don't, and thev are sure to get the best of vou." " You don't know what a frightful mess I 'm in," gn^aned Rali)h. '' If I can't win back that money, I might as well give up trying to do anything. It 's all up with me." ^ Hut you are only making it worse every time you phiy. Cannot you see that? You always lose more llitui you gain. Look here ! come into my rooms for :i bit, and let us have a cup of coffee to clear our heads, and we '11 see if we can't find some way of straightening things up a bit without touching the cards." Ralph shook his head dismally, but accepted his fiiend's invitation. Stantou had various suggestions to make, and promised to do his utmost to find War- rington a better situation, and at last that young man went home in compartitively high spirits. He aston- ished JNIaud, who was sitting up for him in much anxiety of mind, by kissing her warmly as he bade her good night, and i)roniising to tell all about his even- ing's employments in the morning. ^Irs. Warrington was still awake when Maud crept up the narrow stairs, and called her iu to ask whetiier " Ralph had come home." 226 THE BAINPBOOF INVENTION. i ii 4 i'ii " Yes, mother," said Maud reassuringly, " he is all right to-uight. He has been busy in some way, he told me, or he would n't have been so late." Viewed in the sober light of morning, Stanton's sug- gestions did not seem to be of the most practical character, but Ralph was cheered by them, and the break-up of the meetings at the "Green Man" wns of very positive benefit to him, though he felt more lonely than ever now that he had nowhere to go in the evenings except to Mr. Norbury's. Fortunately, two or three days after this he got some temporary work to do in the evenings, and Maud won a prize of sev- eral pounds offered by The Amateur for a water-color sketch. In this way several small instalments of the debts were paid, and fortune seemed to smile on the ugly little towny house where they had taken refuge. Even Mrs. "Warrington looked brighter and happier, though as the summer advanced she missed the little garden of Briar Cottage more and more, and longed inexpressibly to escape from the sultry, noisy streets into the green and quiet of the country. Her unexpected success was a great pleasure and incentive to Maud, and she planned marvelous things as she cooked and dusted. She seemed so nuuth more contented that Mrs. Warrington fancied she must have forgotten Arthur, or had at least con- cluded that their engagement had been a mistake. mJ^ i^ GLEAMS OF LIGHT. 227 II sng. Whether she was right or wrong, Maud was silent on the subject. Since their distress about Ralph she had done her utmost to be a comfort to her mother, and insensibly Mrs. Warrington was beginning to lean on her and confide in her more. In after years Maud looked back to those few months as strangely peaceful and happy, for a great hope and joy brightened the dull- ness and c.nxiety of their quiet lives. Ralph seemed to be really changed for the better, and for weeks he never once gave way to his temptation. He was, moreover, kinder and less overbearing at home, and he and Maud were good friends at last. I CHAPTER XIX. THE HAPPIKST MAN IN TIIK WORLD. l! TjlLSIE was alone in the drawing room, deep in -■-^ the perusal of a novel of a ratber exciting nature when the door bell rang ; but she was too interested to hear it. A second later the door opened and a servant announced Mr. IMonitor. An elderly gentleman entered, rather stout, slightly bald, and not particularly good looking, but none the less of a pleasant expression. His hair had more than a trace of gray, but his eyes were sharp and bright, and his manner was that of one pleased with himself and all the world. As p]lsie rose to meet him he kissed her forehead, saying, '* You don't know how glad I am to see you, Elsie. But you are not looking well, my dear. What is the matter ? " " Nothing," said Elsie. " How long is it since you said good by to us in Rome? It has seemed ages." '' It is just six months, Elsie." ''Why didn't you come sooner?" and Elsie pouted and pretended to be angry, though she would just as soon have finished her book as talk to him now. "If 228 II II THE HAPPIEST MAN IN THE WORLD. 229 you had really loved mc so very much, I don't think you would have stayed away." "Well, my dear, you know I couldn't spoil poor Anna's little holiday because I had happened to become the happiest man in the world in the mean time. The poor girl has had such a hard life of it, and she is so good and unselfish tliat 1 didn't even tell her of our engagement, for fear it should make her uncomfort- able. Perhaps she might even have fancied that I wasn't enjoying myself." There was something pleas- ant and kindly in Mr. Monitor's quiet simplicity. " And are you going to tell me you did enjoy your- self?" asked Elsie coquettishly. " Oh, yes, nothing could have been more delightful. 1 like traveling, but if I had n't liked it, Anna's pleasure was enough to make any reasonable man happy. Poor girl ! she has had such a trying time, but she is just as sweet-temi)ered as she was at twenty. Nothing could ever spoil her. I shall bring her to see you very soon. I told her last night and she is so pleased to hear of our engagement." " Is she your youngest sister?" " Yes, and she gave up everything to take care of mother. She might have had a home of her own, but poor mother was ill so long, and no one but Anna could please her, and so it all had to be given up. I am sure you will like her." 230 THE EAIN PROOF INVENTION. li I am sure I shall too, Ileury. She must be so very unselfish." "She wauts me to beg a photograph for her; can you spare one, my dear?" "Of course I can, Henry, for your sister," said Elsie, beginning to wish he would talk of something else. " Where did you go after you left us? " " I went to meet Anna in Paris first, and then we went baek to Italy and spent all the cool weather there, wandering about from one lovely place to another, just as our fancy moved us. But look, 1 have brought you something I thought that you would like from Venice ; " and he took a small leather case from his pocket. Elsie opened it eagerly. Inside, nestling on a cushion of purple velvet, lay a handsome gold bracelet set with diamonds. Miss Norbury's eyes sparkled nearly as brightly as the gems. " O Henry ! " she exclaimed, " how can I ever thank you? " " By letting me see you wear it ! " he replied quietly. " I am glad you like it." " It is perfectly lovely — and so handsome ! I never saw such a splendid bracelet before ; " and Elsie clasped it on her wrist and held it out at arm's length to see how ti.e light flashed on the jewels, while her gray-haired lover looked at her with quiet admiration. His acquaintance with her had begun on their can said yoii ■ r. • '» THE HAPPIEST MAN IN THE WORLD. 23 1 travels, and bad ripened so fast that when the Nor- burys had to come home in haste, Mr. Monitor had ven- tured to ask Elsie to be his wife, although two months before he had not even been aware of her existence. She was a little startled at the suddenness of his proposal, but overcome by h's earnestness, or anxious perhaps to keep him still in the train of her admirers, she had said "Yes," though she was uncertain whether she would ever keep her erigagement. Since she bade him good by in Rome, Mr. Monitor had caused her a good deal of anxious retlection. On the one hand, among her man\ suitors he was un- (juestionably the wealthiest ; and P^lsie set so high a value on the things that monev can buv that even if he had been destitute of all good or lovable qualities, she would at least have considered his offer. But even Mr. Monitor's enemies, if he had any, would not have denied li'm some claims to affection and respect. Klsie had seen enough of him to discover that he was what people call "good-hearted" and generous, and that he was most devoted to herself. On the other hand, "he was so old and so plain," especially when contrasted with Arthur or Warringtion, and worse than all, '' he was also stout, short, and bald." Besides, he was a little slow and grave and matter-of-fact. Elsie had balanced his good qualities against his bad ones many a time, and had found a difficulty in coming to 232 rjIK llAlNPltOOF rXVENTIOX. n'' Ml 'i i ! a decision, ho she had written hiin the sweetest of letters und had awaited the turn of events. Stranj^e to say, she never felt so dissatisfied with her ,/Jcnirv' as when she eonti'asted hiui witli Stanton, who yet was not nearly as ^ood jookinji; or tis devoted as Wurrinj^'ton. It nnuU; lusr quite hot to think what fun the vonnyr man would make of her elderlv lover, and at such times she told herself it would be ridicu- lous to think of keeping her promise. But her father luul solemnly approved of her en<^agement, anil she knew that any attemi)t to break it off would caustj a most unpleasant contest with him. She was earnestly debating tlie ([uestion once more, when Mr. Monitor, who hail been watching her grave face with anuised interest, exclaimed, "■ A penny for your thonglits, Elsie ! " " They are worth more tlitm a i)enny," she said lightly. " I 'm not going to tell you, Henry. It was — about you." "Then I won't ask you a second time. I am satisfied." " I wonder if you would be, if you knew what I had really been thinking," said Elsie daringly, for Mr. Monitor's question amused her. " I hope so," Mr. Monitor replied with a contented air. " It is a glorious day, Elsie ; how would you like to go for a drive ? " t of THE uArriEsr man in the would. 233 " It would be lovely. I am il}'iug to get out into the country." Mr. Monitor hud inherited u considerable fortune from his father, who hud been u successful mun of business. His own tastes did not lie in thut direction, however, und though at the time of bis futher's death lie bud been supposed to l)e prepuring hinisolf for the same kind of life, he hud immediutely sold out his interest in tiie concern und hud invested his property to much advantage. Bring thus in possession of an income that was large for his way of life, he had spent his time chietly in traveling ; but getting tired of wandering at last, he had bought u pretty eottuge in the loveliest purt of Devonshire, und hud tried to " settle dowuo" In the furniture und urrange- ments he had consulted his own tastes and fancies without let or hindrance and the house was filled with a strange colltiction of beautiful works of art, quaint relics of untiquity, and odd souvenirs of his journeys. His neighbors had nicknamed the establishment the " Museum," and it was quite as well worth seeing as many of the smaller public collections of miscellaneous ctuiosities. Some people irreverently suggested that .le usefulness of the place would be vastly increased if the articles were numbered and cutulogued, but when the genial master was at home, he was always ready to act as showman of his treasures, and would 234 THE liALSPliOOF IWHNTIOS. suiHwcr llie qucHtioiiH of tlii' most iiivotuniU! Hooker jiftor knowledge for hours togetlier. The oddest ptirt of it wjis tliiit he could hardly bo siiid to have any particular hobby, for at diffeiont tiuies he had col- lected with equal zest coins, niinorals, old china, butterflies, ami rare books, lie had, however, one reigning favorite at a time, and just now ho was collecting and drying all specimens of the British ilora he could lay his hands on. Even in the pleasurt! of Elsie's society he did not forgot his wish to add to his collection, and carried about with him what looked much liivo a schoolgirl's music case, but proved to be a huge pad of blotting paper. As they drove along, his eyes were keenly scninning the ditches by the wayside and the shady nooks Jindor the hedges, and more than once he stop[)ed the car- riage to secure some tiny " weed," as Elsie called it. Nevertheless she admired it to his heart's content when he pointed out its beauties, and showed a marvel- ous facility for getting it into a graceful and natural position to be pressed. Elsie was suri)riso(l to (Ind how much pleasure he derived from his odd i)ursiiits, and how ready he was to admire even the scenery that she always spoke of with contempt. In her eyes it was nothing but so many tlat fields, a few green hedges, a dusty road, and a narrow brook ; but Mr. Monitor spoke of the changing lights and shadows, 77/ A' llAl'l'IEST MAN IN THE WORLD. 235 'okor piirt unv col- li na. and saw lirauty in llio varied luios of the {^rowiiij; grain and in ti»e ricli color of the herds of red cattle peacefully ^ni/Jn^ in the green pasture, or standing knee-dee[) in the cool, well-shaded brook. As they turned back towards home, he even pointed out the line effect of the smoke from the town glorified by the fast sinking sun into the softest mystery of dis- tance, through which even the tall factory chimneys scarcely showed their hard and matter-of-fact char- acter, while the church spires suggested thoughts of some fairy city of the East. " I never thought it pretty b(!fore," said Elsie. " I am afraid you will think me very deficient in the sense of the beautiful. Vol' must teach me how to see things." Mr. Monitor laughed. " No, Elsie, I don't want you to see things just as I do. Even if it were possi- ble, it would not be. half as interesting." " Now," said Elsie, with a spice of mischief in her tone, as they drove through the narrow, unfinished- looking streets on the outskirts of the town, " I begin to see a really wonderful richness of color in that old red chimney. ^^ contrasts beautifully with the black roof of the building to the right, does n't it, Henry?" Mr. Monitor laughed again. "1 am sorry to say, Elsie, that if you ask me to see beauty in a near view of a great factory like that, with its rows of staring m ;'"M i 236 THE EAINriiOOF INVENTION. windows, I can't do it. Old associution forbids it, for I suffered a good deal at my father's factory in my youth. After all, I dure say association has much to do with the way we look at things." " Perhaps it has, but if so, I ought to admire Whar- ton from all points of view, for I suppose, as lives go, that mine has been happy here." Elsie spoke a little doubtfully, and INIr. Monitor replied: "I hope, my dear, il will be st'll happier with me. It shall be if I can make it so. I am going to ask of you a great favor, P^lsie." "•What is it! I hope it is somotiiing really great. I should so like to be able to do soinethinir for vou." " Well, you can. AVill you try to persuade your mother to bring you to pay me a visit down in Devon- shire before the fine weather is over? Anna is most anxious to have you, and J am sure you will like tiie place. There is no difference of opinion upon its beauty. If vour father will come, too, it will be so much the better." " 1 am afraid father could n't leave Wiiarton so soon again, but I am sure the change will lo mother good. I have been trying to get her away all summer." Mrs. Norb'iry was dismayed at the thought of taking a long journey and staying for days among strangers ; but Klsie convinced her that it was only right and THE HAPriES r MAN 1 .7 THE WORLD. 237 proper to go, so she submitted with exemplary meek- ness. But her troubles were not over. From the time this visit was decided on, Elsie distracted her by delivering her u\) into the hands of dressmakers and iiiilliners, for the young lady was by no means satisfied with tiie state of her mother's wardrobe. For two or three weeks the knitting was entirely neglected, for Mrs. Norbury was in such constant demand to be measured or " fitted " that she had neither time nor strength to follow her ordinary unintermitting puifcuit, and went about complaining to all her acquaintances of hei over- worked condition ti:! suspicion was aroused, and against Elsie's will the secret of her engagement leaked out. As she had expected, INFr. Nor])ury refused to leave his business so soon again, though he approved of his wife's and daughter's going. IMatters in the factory were in a somewhat critical condition, for though the work people had accepted the reduction of wages with- out striking, they were deeply dissatisfied, and the least friction would probably lead to a revolt. Be- sides, Mr. IMilwood sympathized too openly Avith tiiem to be safely left in charge. Mr. Norbury's new invention, moreover, was caus- ing him considerable turmoil of spirit. Having, as he imagined, been cheated of the fruits of his labors before in spite of the patent, he had been afraid to risk his improvements in the same fashion, and bad at 238 THE It AIN PROOF INVENTION. last concluded to k •tant part of the •I : last conciiKied to Keep the more important part oi process secret, though this would bring upon his own shoulders a great increase of labor. The clerks rather approved of his new occupation, as he now spent even more time than before upstairs on the third storv in the odd little closet already described. They had a pleasant sense of freedom when they knew that he was not even within hearing of them, except when he was called down to see some caller or customer. He began to look very worn and tired after he had spent several successive days working early and late in his laboratory, and Elsie remonsti-atcd earnestly with him on the foolishness of giving up all that made life worth living for the sake of a little more certain gain, even admitting that it was more certain. But though he complained loudly of the hardships of his lot, he would not be convinced, for his secret had become his idol, and he valued it not only for the wealth it would bring him l)ut for its own sake. He guarded it as jealously as a miser guards his gold, and if any one wislied to annoy him it was only necessary to ask some trivial question about the " new prepara- tion." In one of tlie rooms behind the ollice he once caught Bob Littleton in the act of smelling at a jarful that had been sent down for use, and loctured him severely on the iniquity of trying to penetrate into other people's secrets. Bob was almost too much dis- THE HA PPTEST MAX LY THE WOULD. 239 iiiayed to defend himself, but recovered sufficiently l)ofore Mr. Norbury had gone upstairs again to show the contempt in which he held his insinuations, by dipping his finger in the stuff when his back was turned and tasting it. He never did it again, how- over, for the taste was indescribablv nastv, and it made him feel so sick that he began to fancy that he had perhaps poisoned himself in his desire to show a proper spirit under rebuke. He was all tue more apprehensive because only the evening before a drug- gist's assistant had been enlightening the members of the I. I. A. on poisons and their antidotes, and liob had been astonished to learn how small a quantity of some substances is sullicient " to do for a fellow." Bob was a very zealous attendant at all lectures in connection with his pet association, but the last series, intended to instruct people how to act in sudden emergencies, had been almost too much for him. As long as his remembrance of the lecture was at all fresh, he was continually watching for some oppor- tunity to put the newly acquired knowledge into prac- tice, and at this period of his career he appeared to be continually anticipating some dreadful disaster. It was only natural, therefore, that he should feel some mental discomfort after his rash investigations of Mr. Norbury's secret until he was reassured by the absence of any physical effects of it whatever. CHAPTER XX. ,n. DECEIVED AND DECEIVING. THpj uews of P^lsie's ongtigement was a terrible blow to Ralph, for iu his degradation the thought of her sympathy and perhaps her love for him had been his one hope for the future. Stanton had told him how anxious she was that he should be saved from the dreadful habit that was overcoming him, and the knowledge that it grieved her had more to do with his temporary reformation than he himself guessed. For it was temporary. On the night he heard the news he had a more terrible outbreak than ever before, and his mother's hopes were shattered to the ground. She had expected so much from his weeks of patient work that in her disappointment she was almost heartbroken. And this time there was a sad air of deliberation about his fall that added to the pain of it. He could not plead that his friends had led him into folly, for he was alone, and yet came home mad and rajjinii; with drink — so mad that even his mother dared not face him, but was forced to hide with Maud in her locked bedroom. They never learned the story of 240 this miserable DECEIVED AXD DECEIVING. 241 night, but when they heard that Miss Norbiiry was to be married, tliey guessed the cause of Ralph's wild plunge into his old sin. He had gone up to Mr. Nor- bnry's house and Elsie had met him, gracious and smiling as usual, and had led him on once more to tell her of his hopes concerning herself, when Mr. Moni- tor came in, and he learned by some slight accident what he was to Elsie. At first he could not believe it, but Elsie with the eyes of her future husliand upon her was bound to confirm the news, and AN'^arrington had rushed out of the house like a madman, burning with rage and pain. He had wandered about the streets for hours, wearying but not mastering himself. At last, fevered with thirst and tortured with his own thoughts, he had stopped to seek forgetfulness of everything in what had been the cause of his heaviest troubles. In her careless vanity Elsie thought complacently of her lover's despairing face, but Mr. Monitor, from the height of his own great happiness, deeply pitied the poor fellow who had missed it. He had a wondering gratitude to Elsie too, that she could have refused for him (plain, stout, and mUdle-aged) a suitor so hand- some and so nuich in earnest. " Elsie, dear," he said gently, " you shall never regret your choice if I caji help it. I wish with all my heart that I had been younger and handsomer for your sake, little woman." 242 THE RAINPROOF INVENTION. I ■i '■ . " What ! you surely never fancied that I could have preferred Ralph Warrington to you?" she said, laugh- ing as if the idea amused her. And it did, for if she ever broke her promise it would not be for Ralph's sake. To do her justice she had not the least con- ception of the misery she was causing him. If she could have seen him at that moment, she would hardly have laughed. In spite of her light words, Mr. Monitor thought that she was grieved to have wounded the young man, and he liked her the better for it, for as she played or talked to him, a passing shadow seemed at times to fall upon her face. He longed to soothe and comfort her, but did not like to inquire into a secret which she did not share with him unasked. WheL" she was at last alone in her own chamber a verv unmistakable shadow fell on her, and she sat musing in a lov/ armchair instead of going to bed. As she thought, she turned the diamond bracelet round and round on her arm, watching the flashing of the gems with a face which expressed miserable irresolu- tion. If Mr. Monitor could have read her thoughts he would never have dreametl of making her his wife, for she had lied to him, and he loved the truth above all things ; but not being blessed or afflicted with exceptional shrewdness, he put implicit faith in every one of Elsie's pretty little professions of affection. DECEIVED AND DECEIVING. 243 Mark Stanton, who was still a frequent visitor at Mr. Norbury's house, watched P^lsie's acting with much auuiseiuont, for he read her very easily. He did a little acting on his own account, moreover, and at this time it was his rdle to appear dejected and mis- erable, and sometimes even to affect the tragic He knew that his chance of winning the heiress of Whar- ton was not quite as hopeless as some people might imagine, and he was beginning to set about the matter seriously. He felt some little compunction about Mr. Monitor, "the poor old fellow was so innocently happy," but he soothed his conscience by the thought that Elsie could not continue to deceive him for very long, and that the awakening would be at least as painful if it came after his marriage as before. A matter that gave him considerably greater disquiet was the dilliculty of making up his mind as to whether the enjoyment to be obtained from the possession of Miss Norbury's money would be sutHcient compensation for being burdened with Elsie herself. On the whole, however, he was inclined to take the risk ; the rather because both Mr. Monitor and Mr. Norbury were pressing Elsie to be married almost at once and, though she was clever in getting her own way, it was obvious that she would not hold out much longer against their united forces if she had no support. It happened, fortunately for his plans, that Mr. 244 THE RAINPROOF INVENTION. Norbnry had carried off his future son-in-law to a public dinner of the local notabilities one evening' when Stanton called, so that enterprising young man bad a fair field for his operations. lie began the attach vvith vigor, sympathizing with Klsie on being fo''ced into a marriage with a man so much oldei' than herself merely for the sake of his wealth. This was plain speaking, but in lier surprise Elsie did not attempt to pretend that her proposed marriage was one of affection, and when Stanton proceeded to indulge in a general (piizzing of her elderly lover's manners, appearance, and simplicity, she jr, and that she loved him." Elsie looked a little frightened, but did not deny DECEIVED AXD DECEIVING. 246 to a I heing than Elsie it, and Slaiiton pathetically adjured her " not to wrcH'k all tlicir lives for money " ! In tiie end she j^ave hiin a promise also, on condi- tion that he would keep it secret and help her to escapi; from tlie entanglement in which she wu.* in- volved. She declared that she dared not tell them then and there of her change of mind. She must go to Devonshire as she had promised. Stanton made no objection to tiiis, ])ut urged her to write to him often, and made wild protestations of devotion, to whieli Klsie listened eagerly. Romeo was nothing to him ! and Elsie was completely de- ccivetl. Stanton went away in higli spirits, and meditated all the way home on the life of ease before him. [le had not much coini)nnction for the part he was playing. At tlie worst VA^xa was not more deceived than deceiving ; ])ut, cynical as lie was, he preferred to retlect on the end he had in view rather thtin on the means by which he hoped to gain it. In the mean time Elsie was looking at her own image in the glass, and was wondering, with an altogether new humility, that Stanton could have thought her beautiful. Ihit it gave her great gladness too, and even the thonght of I\[r. Monitor brought no over- inasteiing sense of her wrongdoing. She compared herself to one of those ill-used heroines of the days when woman's rights had never been dreamt of, and ■Mil !«' J 246 THE RAINPROOF INVENTIOX. a daughter's baud could be disposed of at her fathei's will and without regard to her wishes. From this point of view Mr. Norbur^' rapidly assumed the pro- portions of a ferocious tyrant, while the unfortunate Mr. Monitor became a kind of ogre; sind Klsie hero- ically prepared to resist the sacrifice to the last. This resolve, however, did not intei'fere with h(>r endeavors to enjoy her visit to the ogre's castle, or to be kind and amiable to the monster himself. She was more bewitching than ever, especially when she received one of Stanton's glowing letters, or when Mr. Monitor made some great /f^fe in her honor. Slic loved notoriety, and she enjoyed being introdtict'd :is the bride-elect. She even enjoyed (strangely enough) the anticipation of the gossip which would be caused by the runaway marriage she had l)egun to regard as probable, but her pleasure was not without alloy. There were times when it gave iier bitter pangs to think of resigning the delights of reigning as mistress of Mr. Monitor's house, even for Stanton's sake, and there were other times when she could not keep up the ogre fiction, ])ut was agonized with shame and sorrow for her treachery to the man who trusted her so com- pletely. Yet neither shame nor sorrow could be called repentance, for she walked on steadily in the path she had chosen, and more than once assured Mark in her letters that she had " met her fate " at last. CHAPTER XXI. LINKLLY. ONE wet morning, a fortnight after Elsie and hor mother arrived at Linelly, they were all amus- ing themselves as best they could in the library. It was Mr. Monitor's favorite room, overlooking a deep rocky valley, at the bottom of which a shallow brook foamed its way to the sea ; but to-day the prospect was blurred by sheets of heavy rain, and Elsie, after standing for a long time at the window, turned away . impatiently, saying : — " 1 don't think there is any chance of its clearing up now. We shall have to give up our drive for to-day." Mrs. Norbury looked up placidly and said, '' AVell, Elsie, it is pleasant enough indoors." Miss Anna Monitor was teaching her a new stitch, and she was very happy in her own easy-going fashion, but her daughter felt restless shut up " with three old people," as she said to herself, and she longed for some more exciting diversion than another review of the curios- ities, to which she was every moment expecting Mr. Monitor would invite her. The room was a quaint, old-fashioned one, con- ■247 * 248 THE JiAISriiOOh INVENTION. I J lii :'l! i :1 I M tiiiniiijjj inuny odd cornurn lined with bookciiKCH, iind furnished with little tables and " Sleepv-hollow " chairs, but in lOlsie'a eyes its greatest gloi'ics were a large stained-glass window and the dark nianteli)iece of richly carved oak. The I)ooks were a very second- ary consideration with her, though they looked well in their handsome bindings, and she liked occasionally to read a good story or book of travels. Just now she was not in the humor for reading; she wandered aimlessly about, taking down first one volume and then another. At last she settled down in a par- ticularly comfortal)le chair in what Mr. Monitor called the Political Economy corner. " What a learned man you nuist be, Henry ! " she murmured, after a lengthy examination of the titles of the volumes near her. ''Have you really had the patience to read all { ese dry things?" Mr. Monitor laughed. '' 1 have uever had time to read them all," he answered. " Why did you buy them then? " " 1 hardly know. I like t > have them, and perhaps I may read them some day. I often wish, though, 1 could make more use of them. It seems a pity that they should uever be opened, when I have no doubt many a man would be glad of the chance to read them. You must try to think of some way in which we can turn them to account." L/.VICLLV. 249 *• Yon had hotter write a book yourself," said Klsie, Hiiiiliiij,^. '• My cousin Arthur was always hunting up something in the Wharton library. I aiusure he would liave been glad of sneh a place as this. Mother heard from him just before wo left home, and he said that he was almost living just then in the library of the IJritish INIuseum." ''What is he doing, Klsie?" "Oh, ho writes articles now for The Onlooker and for some little newspaper — 1'he Commercial Sun. lie used to be in the olllce at the mill, but father and he had a difference of opinion about one of those very papers. [le is a nice fellow, but very full of all sorts of wild socialistic ideas, and he had written somethinnely ; and so she gave the invitation very cordially. Arthur hesitated, but accepted it, for he was tired out with his work and was glad of the opportunity to see his aunt and cousin again without the risk of meeting his uncle ; and in less than a week after that wet morning he arrived at Linelly. He was not the only visitor, however, for some distant cousins of Mr. Monitor had suddenly sent word they were coming to spend a few days at his house. It proved that Elsie had already some slight acquaintance with them, and their father belonged to the very firm of Martin, Monitor & Thersey, with whom Mr. Norbury had learned his business. Miss Anna had a great affection for these young people, for they had been motherless almost since they were babies, and had frequently spent their holidays under her care, but her brother had evidently no love for their father. He had never said such a thing in so many words, yet Elsie jumped to the conclusion that he had been concerned in some discreditable business transaction, and that Mr. Monitor disliked and dis- trusted him in consequence ; but it was a matter on which he was not disposed to be communicative, and she let the subject drop. LINELLY. 251 The elder of his two children was a young man, seemingly a year or two younger than Lester, and the otlier was a quiet, grave-looking, rather matter-of-fact girl of eighteen or nineteen, who watched Elsie's pro- ceedings -.i'Ai alternate dismay and admiration. Her brother John had been one of Miss Norbury's most faithful slaves in his boyish fashion from the moment he was introduced to her, and the young lady encour- aged his attentions, for she had grown very tired of interminable conversations with \\gv Jianc('^ and the lad both amused her and saved her from l)eing " bored." Mr. Monitor had an excellent tennis ground, and the four young people devoted themselves to that active game with a vigor that seemed to give their host as much satisfaction as themselves. Elsie played well, with grace as well as energy, but she was a little capricious. Once or twice she stopped the game at its most exciting moment, to the great indignation of Arthur's usual partner. Miss Monitor, who played with a stern determination to win, and had an abhorrence for trifling. Tlie second time Miss Norbury got tired of the contest, Ida Monitor declared that if she retired auain before the game was fairlv lost or won, she would never play with her any more. Ilr. Monitor was annoyed with tlie girl for her earnestness over a game, but Elsie had only laughed good-iuimoredly and promised reformation. The promise was soon for- 252 THE liAIY PROOF INVENTION. I M I-. I , ii li gotten, however. The ven' next afternoon, when she saw tlie postman approaching the honse, she flnng her racquet away and went to meet him. Arthur lingered a moment to try to pacify Ida, but finding the attempt useless, he followed his cousin, for he was every day expecting his recall to town. Elsie had possession of tlje letters, and in trying to find one for him she dropped a little package of her own. Lester picked it up, and, as he did so, recognized the handwriting in which it was addressed. P^lsie looked vexed, and tried to slip it out of sight, but Arthur said quietly, " Is n't it almost time to give up that sort of thing, P^lsie?" " There is no harm in it, Arthur," she said, trying to speak playfully. " You are so very prim and proper ; you don't understand a bit of fun. Mr. Monitor would n't have said anvthing if he had seen that." Arthur, being young, naturally resented the epi- thets " prim and proper," but he did not choose to betrav the fact. " I dare sav he would n't, P^lsie ; but he doci;' ! 't know you as well as I do. Besides, is it fair to Stanton ? " "Now, Arthur, don't lecture! I do so hate it! Did you get the letter you expected?" " Yes, and I got one that I did n't expect. Mason has accepted a story of mine for the European Maga- l> LINELL Y. 253 zine, and here is the first fruits of it." Arthur ex- citedly waved a check before his cousin's astouished eyes. "Let me see, you mad boy!" exchiimed Elsie. "What is it? When did you write it?" " In the evenings, and wheuever I got The Sun done with early in the week. It is not only the money I am glad of, it 's the " — "Glory?" put in Elsie. " No, I did n't expect glory, for this, at any rate; but it 's rather encouraging." " Rather encouraging — I should think it is ! Is it printed yet?" " Only the first part. I will send it if you care to see it." " Of course I do. How long shall you be able to stay here? " " Only till Monday." " I 'm sorry. This place will feel dull without you, though we are always quarreling." " When are you going home, Elsie? " "In about a fortnight, I expect. JMr. Monitor wants us to stay longer, but I really am an x ions to go home." "John Monitor has given me a most pressing invi- tation to pay him a visit at Inglefield in a few weeks, and if I can manage to run up there I will call and |i . h 'If 254 t/jje; raintroof ixvention. see you. I don't suppose Uncle Jtimes would object, do you?" "No; he is too busy to think of anything but the mills. I don't know what will happen if — when I am married. Mother does n't seem to notice much whether he works early or late. I wish he wouhl patent the new invention and not try to do so much himself." " Who helps him with it? does any one? " *' Not much, I think. He is afraid to trust any one. I wish sometimes he had never discovered it. I am sure it will do him more harm than good." "If it does well for a year or two perhaps he will be willing to sell the mills and retire." P21sie shook her head. "I don't suppose he ever will. He has worked so hard all his life that he has lost both the power and the wish to rest. Mr. Monitor seems so curiously diflferent. He has so many inter- ests in life that I don't suppose any one disappoint- ment or trouble could do him much harm." Slie looked unusually grave. " What do you wish for most in life, Arthur?" " 1 don't know whether I can answer you honestly, Elsie. Sometime 1 hope (and think) that I would rather live to serve my day and generation faitlifully than to do anything else ; but I am an ambitious fel- low, and at other times I feel as if I could make LINELLY. 255 ect, Faust's bargain for the sake of gaining a place in the temple of fame, more 's the shame for my father's sou." "Do yoi mean it really, Arthur? I thought you found it easy to be good." Elsie's tone was half mocking, or Arthur fancied so, but he answered nevertheless : — *' Then I can tell yoi; plainly, Elsie, that I don't find it easy to ])e even what I call good, and per- haps if I could see what the word really means, I sliould feel tempted to say it was impossible." He hesitated and stumbled as people often do in speaking of such matters, as he went on. " If my father had not been what he was, I fancy I might have lost all belief in God or goodness ; but as it is, if I am not true to my Captain, he will be a witness against me in the day of judgment." There was no mistake about the mockery in Jilsie's tone now. " You are a regular local preacher, Arthur. 1 wasn't prepared for such a sermon," she said; but though she laughed, her cousin had stirred up thoughts that she would willingly have forgotten, and she was glad when John cludlengod her to another game of tenuis. Arthur had blushed hotly at those few poor words of ridicule, and now he was ready to blush xor shame at his own cowardice. CHAPTER XXII. IN TIIK (iKAY DAWN ri^HE dreary autumn evening was closing in, but the -L children in the narrow street were still at their play, and noisy screams and whoops sounded even through the closed windows of the little room where Maud sat beside her mother. She wa*^ busy painting Christmas cards in sepia for the miserable sum of five shillings a dozen. They were cpiaint little studies of dogs and cats and chickeus in all kinds of attitudes and with varying expressions ; but Maud worked rapidly, grimly, and mechanically, for the time seemed to have come when the sacrifice demanded of her was her life itself. It was three weeks now since her mother had left her bed, and though the doctor iiad assured her that the case was not hopeless, she was certainly very ill. Ralph's fits of dissipation had alternated with fits of penitence, but he was steadily traveling down the hill in spite of his mother's agonized prayers, and every day Maud expected that he would be dismissed from his situation. Half the furniture in the house had been sold to satisfy their chimorous creditors and to 25ti IN THE GRAY DAWN. 257 supply Ralph with the means of averting disgrace, but all seemed in vain. Every step onward led into thicker darkness, and Maud was beginning to fear lest her inva- lid mother should be even short of food and medicine. So she worked desperately at her comical cats and dogs, end each had a funnier face than the last, though she could scarcely see what she was doing for tears. Her niother moaned uneasily, but she still slept, and even a sudden rap at the street door did not waken her. Maud fancied it must be Bob, who often found his way there in the evenings with some little delicacy for Mrs. Warrington, which the girl had not the heart to refuse, either for the sake of her mother or the giver, but this time it was not Bob. In the dusk Maud did not recognize the tall figure on the doorstep, but she did recognize the voice, though the words "Miss Warrington" sounded odd and strange. In her overwhelming trouble she forgot all that had gone before, and holding out both hands she literally drew Lester into the house, exclaiming, "I thought you would come at last ! " and then she quite broke down and sobb^il almost hysterically. Arthur was surprised and grieved at her manner, though he was glad to receive so warm a welcome, lie ventured presently to put his arms round her, but Maud suddenly remembered that she had told him that he could never be anything to her again. Then she Ho 258 THE EAIN PROOF IX VENT TON. I' I ii iLr aght of Elsie mkI her engagement, and said hnm- i 'y, "Can you ever forgive me, Arthur? I have thot!.;rht often since that I ought to have asked you phiinly about it. And I had no ri<5ht to say such cruel things about that paper." "You are talking in riddles, Maud. What could I have explained to you ? " " About your cousin, Miss Norbury. I thoug^^t you cared for her, Arthur." " Was that the reason you sent back my ring? " "Yes; but, Arthur" — " Wait one minute, Maud. Tell me, on your honor, that you bnd no other reason ! " " No, I had not. I am very isorry, but every one said you were engaged to her, and you seemed so fond of her that I thought it was all a mistake between us, and that you would be glad to be free." "And I thought that you were tired of me," said Arthur, "and people told me that Mr. Milwood" — " Surely, Arthur, they never said that ! " "Yes, they did, Maud, and of course I was stupid enough to think it was true. I suppose we ought to have had more faith in each other, and less in what ' they say.' We have let our gossiping friends make a pretty muddle for us ; but I am resolved that 1 '11 never listen to them again, Maud, and I hope you won't either." '.:)gif'}\'- IN THE a HAY DAWN. 259 " It i8 only two or three weeks since I heard of Miss Norbury's cngtigeinent, and of course 1 pitied yon a good deal," said Maud with t<. gleam of mischief in her tired face. "• 1 don't believe it, Maud (or , i were never fond of Elsie," said Arthur, la .*.u^ - "No, I wasn't and I .un noL," said Maud with some energy; " but, Artr . L ought not to stay talk- ing here so long. Mother may be needing me." " Is she very ill, Maud?" " Yes, very, though the doctor does not quite give up hope," she answered. Artiun- had heard some- thing from Bob Littleton of the way in which Ralph was going on, but he had not spoken of Mrs. War- rington's illness rs dangerous. "My poor girl, I had no idea you were in such trouble." "That is not all," sighed Maud. " Ralph is going on worse every day. How it w'll end I cannot guess. Arthur, I ought to have left things as they were. I was tired and raiseral)le and startled when you came in and I forgot everything, but I have promised mother over and ov.r again that I will never give Ralph tip, come what may ! " " Maud, dear, I will try to help you save him. I will never ask you to give him up." " You don't know what you are promising, Arthur. '! ; 1. ■ i i 260 THE HAINntOOF INVEXTIOY. lie will disgrace us all by doing soinotliing dreadful, I am afraid. It is not right that you should be uiixcd up with it." " It is right, Maud. Nothing shall part us again ; " and taking her liand he gently slipped the old ring on her finger once more. INIaud turned it round and round but she did not taivo it olT, tiiough she felt as if she ought to give it hack. Slie contented lierself with one more protest, but Arthur would not listen, and at that instant she heard her mother's feeble voice call- ing her name. She ran upstaiis at once, reproach- ing herself for neglecting her, but Mrs. Wtirrington seemed to have cried out in her sleej), for she was «till Iviu"' as she had left her. Arthur was waiting to bid her good by when she came down agtun, but lie lingered for a fi'w minutes longer, telling her '■♦■ his life in Loudon and of his suc- cesses and hoj)es. He had made his call on the Xor- burvs and was o})liare from her housework and the necessary attend- ance on her mother, till Kali)h came home late in the night. That day was but a sample of many that fol- lowed, in which the only bright spots were the thoughts suggested l)y the magic ring upon her finger, but at length there came a change. Even Maud's inexpe- rienced e^'es could see something unusual in the face of the invalid, and when the doctor called he confirnjed her fears. As Ralph was leaving the house she ran I-,; 1 I ! 1^ I « I i ' i ] 262 THE JlAlNVltOOF INVENTION. after him to beg him to come home early tiiat night. *' I ttin certain," she adtled, '' that mother has only a very short time to live, but I dare not wake her to bid you good by now. O Kalph, don't \vX her go without seeing you again ! She breaks my heart with asking for you whenever she is conscious." "Indeed, Maud, I will be home early," said Ralph. " lie sure to send for me if there is any change." Towards noon Mrs. Warrington came to herself and spoke to Maud more naturally than she had done for days; but the doctor said she was sinking fast and could not live through the night. She asked Maud what he had said, and made iier promise once more to do her utmost to save Ralph. Towards six o'clock her restlessuesL increased, and shi; began to beg her daughter piteously to let her say good by to Ralph. Maud tried to soothe her, telling iier that he was sure to come in a few minutes ; but the minutes passed, he did not come, and Maud knew that he had once more broken his word. Never in all her life did she forget the hours that followed. Ralpli did not couj", and his dying mother never ceased her dreary despairing wail of "Ralph! Ralph ! " mixed with frightened sobs and exclama- tions. She was delirious, and was haunted with the thought of her son, her first-born and her best beloved, as he was then, perhaps, at some fearful i L\ TUb: (I HAY I)A\V!i. 203 (Iriiiikcn revel, fast cU'.stioyiiii; in liiinself tbo last vestiges of decency aiul {^ooilueas. Maud dared uot leave her, even for a moment, to get the aid she so sorely needed, and through three long hours she watched alone beside thaf lying bed. At last, as the clocks in the town struck nine, she heard a knock at the door, and opening the window she saw Bob Littleton looking up at.her. Mrs. Warrington was iu a kind of stupor at the moment ; but Maud went down in fear and trembling, lest her excitement should come on again before she could return. " O Mr. Littleton ! " she cried, not waiting to hear his errand, " will you ask Katie Milwood to come to me? My mother is dying and I am quite alone!" '' Where 's Ralph ? " he asked. " I don't know. He promised to come home early, and mother has been asking for him all the e'/emag. I don't know what 1 shall do if she wakes again and he is n't here." "I'll find him, if he is anywhere m Wharton," said Bob grimly. "Listen, she is beginning again. I must go; I can't thank you for your kindnj^iis, but" — "Never mind. That's all right. I'll ht'/ Miss Katie here In a few minutes, ana Ral{)!i too ; nee if I don't," said Bob, dashing out of the house at head- long speed. U if 264 THE RAINPIiOOF INVENTION . ^11 But Maud and her friend watched and waited through all that dreadful night, and he did not come. His mother's weary wailing filled their hearts with anguish. Maud -jould not bear to tell her that Ra![)h was still out, and by and by gave up answering her questions, for she listened for nothing but her son's step. In this dread hour Maud was forgotten altogether, and even in tlu! girl's misery it was an additional pain. Presently INIrs. Warrington's piteous cries to Ralph changed to prayers for him. She begged the Almighty and All-merciful to spare her wretched ])oy ; and as she prayed her restless lossing ceased, and the peace of God came slowly into her worn face. The last word on her lips was " Ralph," as at length she fell asleep like a tired child. Maud thanked God, as she kissed her, that the long struggle was over ; then sank on her knees in dumb, hushed sorrow for he»' dead. How long she knelt there she did not know, but slowly she became conscious of sounds below, and she knew that Ralph Isad come home too late. A gray light streamed through the uncurtained windows upon a group in the parlor. Bol) was there, rubbing away at his eyes with his hu..«ikerchief, but Ralph was talk- ing noisily and foolishly, in spite of Miss IMilwood's efforts to make him comprehend what had happened. Bob started up to meet Maud, as if to spare her the /xV THE QUAY DAWI^. 266 sight of her degriicled l)rother, but slio only said, "Mr. Littleton, will you be so very kind tis to try to get him quietly to his room ? I cau't tell him yet ; he does not understand." Maud did not try to sleep herself, and in the morning site went to Ralph's room, looking white and wan in the dim light, to tell liiui the terrible truth. The sight of his speechless misery touched her deeply, but she thought it kindest and wisest not to spare him, and in low tones she related the whole sad story of the day before. Ralph hid his face from the light of heaven and sobbed like a child. Maud wept with him, but made no attemi)t to comfort him. The l)est hope for him now was to realize what he had done. An hour or two later he stole like a guilty creature into his mother's room, and with a trembling hand lifted the sheet that covered her face. For a moment he stood looking down with eyes that could not see for tears; then, with a great and bitter cry, he Hung himself down beside her. She was lost to him forever, and the wrong he had done her could never be wiped away. He saw no hope for time or for eternity. Frightful memories of his sins surged over him, till he could neither think nor pr.iy. The tor- tures of one hopelessly lost and d(!spaiiing were his, for he knew that the ragini; beast within him was but chained, not slain, and that as surely as he entered 266 THE RAINPROOF INVENTION. 1 1 i i: \ 1 • \ 1 ■ } |i;;' \\ \ |:j \\ again into temptation it would master and govern him as before. His terrible consciousness of help- lessness was unbearable, and in his agony he accused his Maker of leaving him no escape from evil, forget- ting that no man is beyond the reach of God's good mercy, but any one may have, if he choose, lue aid of Infinite strength on which to rest his weakness. He would not speak to those who came to comfort him, but met their sympathy with surly silence, and closed his ears to their messages of love from God himself. As the days went by his keen anguish grew duller, and he took up the burden of living again in the spirit of one resolved neither to seek nor to expect satisfaction, but to endure stoicallv what must oe- Maud hoped much from his strange quietude and thoughtfulness, and strove with all her might to help him in his painful struggle. Slowly the autumn passed into winter, tlie brother and sister lived on in unbroken seclusion, and people began to say that Ralph Warrington was a changed man since his mother's death. CHAPTER XXIII. " A LOT OF LHTLE ACCIDENTS.' LITTLETON, come here ; I waut you ! " called out Mr. Norbury in the severe tone he kept especially for the clerks and work people. Bob started and murmured in Charley's ear as he passed him, " I wonder what I have been doing now ! " " Whatever it is, you 're in for it ! " replied Charley. Mr. Norbury is ready to bite off his own head this (( morning. But Bob came out of the inner room with a face of deep importance and bustled about, delivering mes- sages to everybody before he sat down to take copies of a heap of letters which Mr. Norbury had given him. "What is the row?" asked Charley; but before Bob could answer, Mr. Norbury came out of his room again anJ made a little speech, as he had done on the day of Warrington's disgrace. " Gentlemen, I have just discovered tiiat some one has stolen my secret, and I intend to offer a reward of £300 for informa- tion that will lead to the conviction of the otfender. 267 i' h '■'^i ■* % 268 THE liAmPROOF INVENTION: If any of you can give me any information whatever about the matter, you shall be liberally rewarded." The clerks looked at one another in dismay, and Charley said, "Do you suppose he thinks it's one of us?" " No," said Bob, "he thinks it 's Lester. Is n't it a shame? For the matter of that, he might just as well say it was me, for I helped to break into his precious cell upstairs there ; but he does n't, he is convinced that Lester has done it." "How could he have done it?" asked Maurice. "What do you mean, Bob?" "Well, don't you remember the day old Norbury locked himself into the ' prison,' and then smothered himself or fainted or something ? " " Yes ; well, what of that? " " Lester, or we at least, got a carpenter to break open the door, and then I went for the doctor and Arthur stayed with him. He says now that Artinii' took away some of his recipes, or whatever you call them, for the new preparation, and stained some other papers with acids und put them into a drawer with a lot of chemicals, so that they came out all brown and black and blue, and couldn't be read. Such stuff! as if Arthur would take all that trouble to cheat him." "But, Bob, it does sound a little bad for Lester; don't you think so? " said Maurice. "^ LOT OF LITTLE ACCIDENTS:' 269 i '•No, J don't, Maurice; you don't need to try to trap me into sayinj^ Arthur liiis done it, for I know he hasn't! That old fool in there" (and Bob no". clod indignantly towards the; private room) " tf 'ks as if Arthur was desperately to blame for opening the door at all, but if he had n't lie 'd have been as dead as a door nail in no time, and so I told him ! He wanted to make me sav I'd seen Arthur meddling with his chemicals." '' I wonder if the secret reallv is worth as much as he says ! " exclaimed Charley. "Father talks about thousands of pounds, but 1 should n't think any one would pay much for it till they saw how it worked." "Why couldn't Ikj get a [atent and be content! It 's all his money-grubbing tiiat has got him into this mess," said Bob ; " that is, if lie new patent ' Alba- tross ' cloth has any connec' i at all with our old 'Rainproof.' After all it's ore than likely that it has n't." " Well, you know, Stanton always said that those other people imitated our .ii<-nt and took all the good of it, without Mr. Morbui .'s being able to catch them by law," said Maurice. "Lester said that was just a fancy of Mr. Nor- bury's, and I expect this 's another. To my thinking t!ie 'Albatross' doesn't t' ^ h ours; there's a dif- ferent feeling about it, though it looks much the same." 1 ' 270 THE RAINPIWOF INVENTION. (4 (( Where did you sec it? " Oh, Mr. Norbury has got some samples. I don't beUevc it will wear, and if I had my way Mr. Nor- })iiry would just make no fuss and bother, but go on his ordinary way. Why, we have more orders in now than wc can execute." "That's all very well," replied Maurice, " but for my part I don't wonder Mr. Norbury does n't like to be cheated out of an idea he has worked over so long. It 's not fair, and he would do well to look after Mr. Lester about it, I think. He can't be very honorable or he would n't have stirred up such a row about the work people." " It wanted stirring up, and I wish he would do it again." " Perhaps he hitends to. I met him in AVharton five or six weeks ago," said Maurice. " By the way, Bob, did n't you say it was the Inglefield people who have begun to make this ' Albatross ' stuff? " " Yes," returned Bob, " and 1 suppose now you '11 say that because Lester stayed with the Monitors a day or two his guilt is proved? Oh, you're as bud at jumping to conclusions, Maurice, as any woman I ever saw." " ' A man convinced against his will is of (he same opinion still,'" replied Maurice laughing. "I liked Lester well enough, but a fellow who will play one ^ ip ^^ ''A LOT OF LITTLE ACCIDENTS, 271 i don't r. Nor- t ^^o on in now l)ut for like to «o lonir. ter Mr. •norublu »out the (I do it ^'"barton 10 way, '!e who yon '11 itors a IS bud inau I same liked }' one shabby trick will often play another. If I were you, 1 'd have no more to do with liini." (( I am i)roud of being his friend," cried Bob indig- nantly, " and I never will believe that he has done such a thing ! You may say what you like, but 1 'm not going to talk any longer about the matter. It is n't fair play to condemn a man for a lot of little accidents that might happen to anybody." Maurice laughed aij"!'!. " Do you call his airs about the work people at- *b.'cident? No doubt he was hard put to it for an excuse to get away from here with his precious secret ; but I always thought there must be something behind that." *' Did you, indeed? " said Bol> with something very like a sneer, for he was losing his temper for once. ''It's easy to be wise now, isn't it?" Maurice made no reply and returned to his desk, but the clerks took sides for and against Arthur, and Bob broke his resolution not to talk about him twenty times a day. He was his only unwavering friend, thougn Charley sometime* " struck on the weaker side," except Mr. Milwood, who emphatically disap- proved on bioad general principles of condemning him unheard. One of the letters Bob had to copy was a most insulting one to Arthur himself, but the clerk had indemnified himself for the violence this duty had '■[I ' k 1 1 272 THE liAINPJiOOF INVEMTION. (lone to luH foeliii> y /^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) in U; |2£ |2.5 I.I 1.25 m ■^ 1^ 12.2 ^ 1^ lilO !.4 11.6 Photographic Sciences Corporation / o {./ V' fe Ml U. 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 ," "W 6^ ii 276 THE liAINPIiOOF INVENTION. lip in valor and determination what be lacked in Btreii2;th. Happily at that instant a diversion was created by the conduct of the crowd outside. They evidently were making up their minds to do something. Mr. Norbury too was watching them with breath- less suspense, but he was almost disappointed when the demonstration ended with three loud cheers for '' Arthur Lester, the friend of the workingmcn ! " and a tremendous shout of "Down with Jim Norbury!" After thus relieving its feelings the crowd seemed to melt away, and in no long time the street was as quiet as usual ; but Lester felt that Wharton had grown too hot to hold him, and took the first train to London, much disgusted that circumstances had forced him to cast in his lot even for an hour with tiiat riotous mob. It had been composed, as he knew very well, not of the workingmcn, but of the lowest substratum of society — the drunkards and thieves and ne'er-do-wells, of which Wharton had its full share. All the way up to London he debated the question with painful anxiety as to whether his interference had been necessary or not. He was forced to conclude at last that it had not, for after all the disturbance had never reached any very alarming proportions, and the account given him had been grossly exaggerated. He felt that he had put himself into a very foolish position, and would certainly get the credit of enter- "^ LOT OF LITTLE ACCIDENTS.'' 277 ' taining the vulgar and despicable ambition of ruling and swaying the mob. That the part he had taken would be used to influence opinions against him he had no doubt whatever, and he returned to his lodgings and to his work in a very dejected frame of mind, being more annoyed with himself for his lack of judg- ment than he had been for many positive sins. Before his journey to Wharton he had been meditat- ing a great work on the social problems of the age, but in his depression he doubted his powers of grap- pling with the subject, at least till he had gained larger experience of men and life. Accordingly he laid aside the notes he had made and devoted himself for the time being to a little iiistory of the " Dyeing Trade," which he had then in hand, taking much com- fort from the fact that it was a safe subject, even if it did not afford much scope for literary brilliance. i ; f\ chaitp:r XXIV. DELUSIONS. STANTON had been with Elsie for some time, and after he had left her she sat puzzling over an indefinable change that had taken place in his manner towards her. His letters were as full of glowing prot- estations of attachment as ever, but his visits had lately been shorter and less frequent, and she won- dered with a strange pain whether he really loved her as he said. A few weeks before, on her first return from Devonshire, he had urged her to take the irrevo- cable step and become his wife at once. She had begged then for a short delay till her father had had time to regain his health and spirits after the shock of discovering that his secret had been stolen from him, and Slanton had consented most unwillingly ; but now it was he who suggested delay. Elsie was becoming every day more hopelessly in his power, and seeing this he tried her patience to the utmost, not deliber- ately perhaps, so much as because he no longer feared to lose her. Sometimes he came to Wharton and never tried to see her, pretending that her father was beginning to suspect hlni, and that he dared not risk it. On tuose evenings Elsie tasted some portion of 278 »W»i»i!jf I J.!!1. ! I I I ya" DELUSIONS. 279 the suffering she had caused Ralph so long. But on Stanton's next visit she was too happy even to reproach him, and accepted his light excuses as if she were thorouglilv satisfied. Elsie had been scarcely more than a child when she first began the dangerous game of playing at love, but not till now had she learned what love is. She would gladly have hidden from Stanton the strength of her love for him, but in spite of her efforts to keep her accustomed place as queeu he recognized his power, and seemed to take a cruel pleasure in exacting homage from her. At times she sighed over his bitter mockery and evident selfishness, contrasting it with Mr. Monitor's good humor and devotion, but she rather admired her- self for her own self-sacrificing spirit, and this helped to support her in the trials of her stormy passion. Mr. Monitor had lately begun to press her very eariiestly to consent to a speedy marriage, but on one excuse and another she contrived to put it off till her fatiior told her curtly that he was " tirrjd of her shilly- slially work," and that he himself had written to ]\Ir. INIonitor, telling him that the wedding day should be in the first week of December. Elsie sulked and pouted, but lier father paid no attention to her, and Mr. Moni- tor wrote to her in the highest spirits. She did not yet give up hope of a reprieve, however, declaring i' i if V !■' ^i U 1 nil \'n I fi Hi J 280 rilE liALYPltOOF INVENTION. that she could not possibly make her preparations in so short a time. In the mean time she wrote to Stan- ton asking him to come to Wharton to consult with her at once. He made souk; excuse, but advised lier to make all possible delay, and to be ready for llignt with him if necessary. All this time Mr. Norbury was so much occupied with his efforts to discover something that would make his nephew's conviction as the robber of his secret certain, that even his interest in his daughter's ap- proaching marriage did not divert his mind for a moment from the subject he had most at heart. The Inglefield firm had bought their patent from a 3'oung man named Warren, living at Sht^llieid, who claimed to have invented it before ever hearing of Mr. Norbury's patent or secret. IMr. Thersey, who had arranged the matter, emphatically declared that the Wharton manufacturer was sayiug what he knew to be untrue when he accused their house of double dealing with regard to tiie patent. Mr. Norbury insisted that the young man from Siieflleld was a myth, and held positively to his old opinion that JNIr. Thersey had really dealt only with Arthur Lester. Even when Mr. Thersey made a journey to Wharton, bringing with him the identical young man whose very existence had been so hotly disputed, Mr. Norbury refused to be convinced, allirming that "he might be 'iikMK DELUSIONS. 281 anybody or uobody." Whereupon the inventor, if inventor he were, liecanie warm, and tallied loud and big of his patent shoe polishes, and waterproof dressings for leather, and copying inks, for it appeared that he liad shown a knack in compounding the above useful liquids before he won fame and at least a cer- tain amount of fortune by his wonderful discovery of the '' Albatross" preparation. He was almost as abusive as the master of Norbury Mills himself in his efforts to convince that gentleman, not only of his own independent discovery, but also of the infinite superiority of the " Albatross " to the "Rainproof." The storm in the private office raged loud and high, while in the outer one the clerks listened eagerly for some crumbs of information. Presently there was a lull, then the door was burst open and Mr. Thersey and his inventor shot through the long room, scattering glances of withering disdain, as they passed, on the unoffending and astonished clerks. Mr. Norbury pur- sued them, calling after them, in a voice choked with passion, something that sounded uncommonly like " Liars and thieves ! " but thought better of it before he reached the door and went off at a tangent up the stairs, where he sought to regain his ruffled com- posure by a lengthened sojourn in the " prison." This episode created a diversion in Lester's favor, and several of those who had been most positive of i! ! 282 THE liAlNrnOOF IWKNTION. his guilt began to feel some compunction for their strictures, admitting tliat there was a possibility after all that he had had nothing to do with the thing. Bob triumphed, sang paeans of victory, and wrote coiigrat- ulations to Arthur upon the satisfactory clearing up of tlie whole affair. He was a little too quick, how- ever. Elsie Norbury, struggling against her fate, caught at a straw to save herself from her obnoxious marriage or at least to gain time, and suddenly accused Mr. Monitor of collusion with Lester to rob her father of his secret, artfully suggesting to Mr. Norbury that he had arranged the meeting between her cousin and his cousins belonging to the Inglefield firm. By this time the master of the mills had so bewildered himself with increasing cogitations on the one subject that he was in no condition to judge of the probability or improb- ability of anything. He promptly fell in with Elsie's suggestion and revoked his consent to her marriage until Mr. Monitor could clear himself. That gentleman, who had been happily employed since his fiancee s visit in making such alterations in the house and grounds as she had suggested, thought it best to make his answer to her extraordinary letter in person. Accordingly the day after he received it, he set out for Wharton. Miss Norbury tried to excuse herself from the dis- I 'i DELUSIONS. 283 tlicir after Bob agrcr!.al)lo duty of seeing hltn, but he would take no excuse, for lie had not the slightest intention of giving her uj) without a struggle. She did not even offer him her hand, but he kissed her as usual and sat down beside her on the sofa, prepared to argue the case point by point. Elsie was alarmed at his quiet air of determination, for she had thought that he would have ])een so much annoyed by her letter that he would give her up at once. "What is all this nonsense, my dear?" he began, placidly spreading out her letter. " I can't under- stand what vou mean." " I mean," said Elsie, " that I can't and won't marry a man for vvliom I have lost my respect." " My dear girl, what have you got into your head? " he asked quietly. *' What do you fancy I have said or done ? " "I have already explained, Mr. Monitor, and I particularly begged you to accept my decision as final. It will be best for both of us if you will not insist on explanations that must be as painful to you to hear as for me to make." Mr. Monitor had an air of patience at this moment that would have sat well on the patriarch Job. " I am very sorry, Elsie, to grieve you, but I am so con- vinced that a little reasonable explanation will set all right between us that I must beg you to tell me what '■f 11 ■ I 284 THE liALVI'noOF INVENTION. I I '? I ! you mean. Come, my deiir, in the lirst place wliat Is this troublesome secret that seems to have worried you 8o much?" Elsie briefly explaini'd that her father had just ms- covered that her (!ou.siii, Arthur Lester, had sold the business secret to the; IMonitors of luj^lclicld. Mr. Monitor looked ^ravc but said: ''I am very sorry, Elsie ; I should not have thought your cousiu would have done such a thing ; but as for my having anything Ifo do with it, the idem is out of the (juestion. I have not met Mr. Monitor of Iiiglclield for ten years, and I have not the least interest in his business in any way, excei)t that he has borrowed a small sum of money from me. How could such a fancy enter your brain, my darling?" and Mr. Monitor seemed to think the matter effectually settled. But Elsie drew herself up and again nsserted that " she would never nuirry a mai; whom she could not respect ;" and when Mr. Monitor attempted to set forth in detail the absurdity of her charge, she began to weep and sob hysterically, mingling with her tears bitter lamentations on her terrible disappointment. " I had thought you the best of men, Henry," she murmured, " and it is too hard lo find that you are no better than the rest." " Elsie," he said at last, " if you go on in this way, I shall begin to think that you have been trifling with DELUSIONS, 285 me nil tbcso mouths. To tiie best of ray belief I iim now just what I was vvhen you promised to be my wife, and you have not the slij^htest excuse for wish- iui; to break off om* engagemeut. As I uuderstaiul the matter an engagement can only be V''oken by tlie consent of both pju'ties, and I give you fair warning I siiall not lightly give up my rights." The young lady opened her eyes. " Do you mean," she said at last, " that I must marry you against my will?" "I mean that unless you can show reasonable grounds for your change of mind, I shall expect you to keep your wc .1. What should you have thought if I had sent you a letter saying I fancied you had begun to pick people's pockets, and that therefore I preferred to break off the engagement. It sounds a little fool- ish, does n't it, Elsie? but indeed your letter has rather the same appearance." Elsie smiled at the suggestion but answered coolly, " I should certainly not have tried to prevent your breaiiing it off in the case you suppose." " No, I dare say not; you are such an impulsive little woman, you would never have spoken to me again ; but I will not thr w away my happiness Cor a trifle, and I shall expect you to keep your word, for I know that long before Tuesday fortnight" (the wedding had been postponed to the week before K 286 THE RAINPllOOF INVENTION. CliriHtmns) " you will have quitv. forgotten tluH ubsurd liltU' faiicv. Let ua think no more about it. Look, I liuve brought you something thiit I tliink will look well with your white dress. Do you cure for pearls, Elsie, or would you rather have something brighter?" But Elsie pushed the jewel case away, and swept from the room like a wronged and indignant queen, turning to say as she reached the door, "Mr. Moni- tor, do you think you can bribe me to be your wife? " Mr. Monitor made no answer, but lay back among the sofa pillows with an anxious expression on his usually tranquil face. He settled it at last that Elsie was surely bent on trying her power over hira for mere mischief, and being weary with his long journey he fell peacefully asleep. He was presently awakened by Mr. Norbury's heavy tread, and he started up in bewilderment. The master of the mills was evidently in a bad humor, and to his visitor's indescribable astonishment he reiterated his daughter's groundless charge. Mr. Monitor was so much surprised that a successful man of business should fall a victim to so singular a delu- sion that he made very little effort to convince him of his error. He was a man of some imagination, and he very soon tvolved a simple theory to account for the extraordinary behavior of the Norburys. He concluded that the manufacturer must be on the verge DEL USIOSS. 287 of nnothcr BurioiiH illiicsH, and that an halluciiiatiuii aj^ainat himself had taki'ii so strong possession of him that he had talked to Elsie as if his dishonesty were absolutely proved. Under these circunistan(^es ho judged it well to take leave of him and his dnugliLer at once, contenting himself with one more confident avowal that his innocence would soon be as clear as daylight to them, and that in si)ite of all he shouUi claim Elsie's hand on the appointed day. He left the jewels with Mrs. Norbury, requesting her to present them to her daughter in his name. P^lsie was puzzled with the curious turn of events, and began to wish she hud taken the more certain, honorable, and straightforward course of acknowledg- ing her preference for Stanton, especially as her duplic- ity must soon be discovered now in any case. She shrank extremely, however, from the thought of telling Mr. Monitor to his face that she had so long deceived him, and her poor contrivance to escape from the en- tanglement in which she was involved had only added to the confusion. She was beginning to find as surely as Ralph, that "the way of transgressors is hard." She wrote an account of the whole affair to Stanton in great perplexity and distress, and by return of post received a reply from him, promising to be with her on the Saturday or Sunday before the day appointed for her wedding, and to have ready some plan of i: i n II 1 Mil; 288 THE BAINPEOOF INVENTION. escape for her. She wondered that he did not make an effort to see her sooner, but she tried to believe thiit it must be impossible, for again and again he had assured her of his love. She was surprised and vexed to receive a kind letter from Mr. Monitor by the same post, exactly in his usual style. Evidently he did not intend to set her free, and when she wrote to Mark again she begged him to arrange matters in some way so that she could avoid another scene with Mr. Monitor, for she shrank more and more from telling hira the truth. Mr. Norbury was now as vehement and noisy in his anger against his prospective son-in-law as against his nephew, and it was not surprising that a distorted ver- sion of the tale spread through the town completely discrediting the pretensions of the young man from Sheffield, and making Arthur's character seem blacker than ever before. As some compensation for this general condemna- tion on the small stage of Wharton, Lester was winning considerable applause on a larger one, for his story was a great success, and he was beginning to liope that at no distant date he might claim the fulfillment of Maud's promise. Ralph had been behaving well since his mother's death and had solemnly given his consent to his sister's engagement, so that all obstacles to their marriage seemed likely to be speedily removed. ■ %> I. ; m CHAFrp:R XXV. 4;:m TRYING TO BE TIIIKD. FOR several weeks after his mother's death Ralph Warrington persistently refused Elsie's invita- tions ; but at lust the temptation proved too strong, and the poor moth went to singe his wings once more. To do Miss Norbnry justice, at this time she had noth- ing but the kindest intenti(^ns towards Ralph. She pitied him greatly in his deep sorrow, the more because people whispered that his mother's death lay at his door, and the young man's face had a strange, wild expression at times, as if his remorse was greater than he could bear. Elsie tried to induce Maud to come with her brother, but that young lady resolutely declined to respond to her advances, for she regarded Miss Norbury as a kind of evil genius, and directly or indirectly traced all her troubles to her. Ralph was more forgiving for the past and more grateful for the present. In Miss Nor- bury's society the load of his care and sin seemed to float away, and his life was once more lighted with a gleam of hope. Elsie's kindness now was prompted by nothing but pity, and a vague desire to make repa- 289 1^: i mi u 290 THE BAINPBOOF INVENTION. I *:il ration for the wrong which she had lately begun to see that she had done, but it was unsafe and unwise. Neither of them was strong enough to resist tempta- tion, and before they knew it Ralph was making and Elsie was listening to the old foolish speeches. She tried to put an end to the scene when she found where he was wandering, but the mischief was done. He begged her almost with tears to have pity on him, and in her desire to soothe him at any cost, Elsie admitted that she was not going to marry Mr. Monitor after all. She did not tell him about Stanton, but allowed him to fancy, if he chose, that his own hopes were not so wild and out of the question as he had thought. He left her at last with a sudden and almost rough embrace. He had never so far presumed before. Elsie was both frightened and angry, and resolved that, come what might, it should be the last time she would try to be kind to Ralph Warrington. But she soon forgot him in dismal thoughts of her own affairs. Since his visit Mr. Monitor had succeeded in con- vincing her father that he had had nothing to do with the loss of his secret, whatever might be the truth with regard to Lester and the Inglefield Monitors. Mr. Norbury was now ashamed of his suspicions and had told her that very morning that he wished her to write and tell Mr. Monitor she was sorry for having doubted him. Elsie had said nothing, but had written ;' TBYINQ TO BE THIBD. 291 to Stanton instead, entreating him to save her and begging him to make some excuse for coming to Wharton. She watched for the postman all the next day with devouring anxiety, but, though Mr. Monitor wrote, Stanton did not, and miserable doubts of him assailed her. To reassure herself she got out all the letters she had treasured up so carefully, and read and reread his ardent vows and eager hopes for the future. Lan- guage seemed to fail him in his attempts to express his feelings, especially in the earlier letters, and Elsie tried to persuade herself that the later ones were only less fervent because the first relief of knowing that she was his had passed. But she sighed as she locked them again in her desk, and then wondered at her own vague dissatisfaction — what more could she desire? She started nervously as some one knocked at the door. It was only the servant saying that " Master wanted to speak to her in the study." She had been afraid that it might be Mr. Monitor again, for she expected him to reappear at any time. Mr. Norbury was pacing up and down amongst his shelves of little-used books, but as soon as his daugh- ter entered he seated himself in an armchair. "Have you written to Mr. Monitor, Elsie?" he demanded. " No, father." i J M m i I ■ ti I I ■ :' 292 THE BAINPBOOF INVENTION "Well," he said, "you ought to have done it. You and I, Elsie, acted very much lii tec ted ie with some e and rauge rage. from ming 'liere IS if for ; Qely iv^Iio xith on the eternal promise of Him " witli whom is no varitibleness, neither shadow of turning." Even in the bhickest darkness, she strove to remember tliat the ahnighty power of God is pledged to answer prayer, and that the infinite love of the Father longs for the return of the most wretched of his children. She thought often in these days of the beautiful story of the prodigal son, and she besought God to have mercy not only on her own poor wanderer, but on the many others who were trying to satisfy themselves on the swine's husks. She did not know it, but her prayers brought back a blessing on herself, for though she hated Ralph's sin wi^ii all her soul, she had never loved him in the days of his strength and pride as she did now that she had to think for him, and care for him, and wrestle night and day for his salvation. She was learning a new patience under her heavy burden, and she who not so long ago had loudly asserted her rights, and demanded to be treated with consideration, was willing at last to set herself aside. She bore with Ralph's irritability, forgave his rudeness, and was uncomplaining in his perversity, but still tlie reward for which she labored seemed ever further in the distance. Ralph still rushed headlong to destruction ; and Maud thanked God that his mother was at rest. Even Arthur's letters at this time were not cheering. n I! < n :1 ii 800 77/ A' liAINVItOOF INVENTION. for, though ho was winning n nuinc and a placo among writcra, hin uncle's uccMisations had cast a shadow over him, and peoi)le wlio liked his books spoke slightingly of himself, not troubling to know the truth, but care- lessly passing on the slander, regardless of the damage they were doing. Of course, as slander will, it grew amazingly as it traveled from mouth to mouth, and Arthur soon found that good and careful people looked askance upon him, and tried to keep their sons and daughters at safe distance from his influence. Tliere were circles even in what is commonly called "good" society that admitted him readily enough, and ap- parently thought no worse of him for bis vaguely smirched reputation, but he did not like the thought of bringing Maud to choose her friends from among such associates as these, and he preferred rather to live much alone than to cast in his lot with those whose every view of life was different from his own. Yet the experience he gain-l at this time was destined to stand him in good stead, and to make him, to the end of his days, a more oaincst as well as a more broadly charitable man. In increasing his sympathy with his fellow mortals, no one can say how much it increased his usefulness. In a very deep and far-reaching sense there is truth in the old song, " 'T is love, 'tis love, 'tis love that makes the world go round." Maud and he were learning the same lesson in different ways. TEA AND TALK. 301 ong >ver 'ffiy Mttiid robcUcd at it for Arthur, though nhv hu1»- inittod for horHelf. Sho felt it hard to foigive the cruel wrong which he was HufTeriug, and longed to be able to help and comfort him. Yet it was in)i)o88il)lo to leave Ralph, and equally impossible at present to arrange any plan by which sh^ could do p.s Arthur desired. In his hours of sober reason, Ralph declared himself bound to Wharton for the time at least, and no argument would induce him to allow Lester to try to And a situation for him in London, where they could all be together. If Maud said much, her brother in- variably declared that he was ready to consent to her leaving him, and that he would take lodgings some- where for himself. This always silenced her, for she knew her intluence had still some weight with liim, though she thought with pain that it might have been infinitely greater, if she had been less selfish and will- ful years ago. Nothing should induce her to break her promise to her mother, even if the keeping of it sacrificed all her earthly happiness, but she still hoped against hope, and deferred telling Arthur that she must give up everything for Ralph. Fortunately even in the saddest lives come little gleams of sunshine, tha! serve at least to prove that darkness does not pervade the whole universe, and that above the clouds the heavens are light and glori- ous still. It was only a trifle, nothing more than a Hi ll I' I pi ' lil I' i ii! : le i3:i 302 THE BAINPBOOF INVENIION, few words of kindly appreciation of her work from a stranger, and the request for a little sketch to give as a present to a child ; but Maud read and reread the letter, and began that instant to build wondrous air castles on those words of praise, and on the increased price offered for the picture. She still did a little work for Mr. Norbury, but the cards paid her better now, for her quaint dogs and kittens were making friends, and the "Wharton sta- tioner, for whom she had worked at first, had kindly sent some specimens of her art to a London firm, thus procuring her an order which it would take several months to execute. If it had not been for this, the little household would have sometimes lacked both bread and shelter, for Ralph's earnings were all absorbed by some mysterious debt of which Maud could only guess the nature. Tie was ashamed to live thus on his sister's toil, and often made magnificent promises for the future, but she scarcely expected anything of him now, and was not surprised when no practical result followed his grand talk. Sometimes for want of a better confidant Maud told her pleasures or her woes to the playful kitten, which sat so often for its portrait, but on this occasion she felt so great '^ longing for human sympathy that she despatched a note to Katie Mil wood, requesting her company at tea. Ralph hud told her he should be late TEA AND TALK. 303 |i'k from a ^o give as reread the idrous air increased 5 but the t^ogs and J'tou sta- ad kindly fi''m, thus ■ several this, the ked both were all !h Maud d to live gnificent 'xpected s'hen no ucl told > which on she lat she ig hei- >e late that night, and she well knew what it meant, but she hummed softly to herseli as she prepared for her guest and thought over a subject for her picture. The little parlor looked verj cheerful that evening in spite of its shabby carpet and scanty turniture, for the changing firelight glorified all defects, as merry laughter sometimes beautifies a plain face ; and Katie had no intention of exaggerating when she exclaimed gayly, "What a lovely little room this is, Maud! It just suits you." " Does it?" said Maud, looking with at least equal admiration at her bonny dark-eyed visitor, sparkling with life and good spirits. " Run upstairs, dear, and take off your ulster while I finish setting the table." Katie was not long upstairs, and while Maud com- pleted her preparations for the feast she sat in a rocking-chair by the fire, stroking the frolicsome kitten and chattering with all her miglit. Maud's quiet face brightened as she listened to her lively nonsense, but Katie was using her eyes as well as her tongue, and stoi)ped suddenly in the midst of an anecdote about one of Charley's pranks to say, " Is anything fresh the matter, Maud ? Do tell me to be quiet, if I worry you." " No, the only thing that has happened lately is something pleasant ; " and Maud told her about the order she had received, and discussed various ideas [.i\,. I' I'- if- i 1 1 % w ■; ■ '1 m m m I 304 THE BAIN PROOF INVENTION. she had for the picture. They were dow sitting oppo- site each other at the little roiiud table, and the soft light from a lamp haug'ng overhead brought out the contrast between theni in a highly picturesque fashion. Katie's dusky hair and mobile face made Maud look paler, fairer, and more self-contained than usual, but not less beautiful. Her friend always declared that " it put her quite out of conceit with her own mouth and nose and complexion to look at Maud," but she did not need to distress herself, for hers was one of those faces that, defying half the rules of beauty, was distinctly pretty still. Maud never talked to Katie about Ralph, though she had been a witness of his terrible degradation on the night Mrs. Warrington died, but she had spoken of her trouble about Arthur, and Katie now asked suddenlv : ''Did vou hear, Maud, that Mr. Norburv is going to prosecute Mr. Lester? It is an awful shame, I think ! " " No, I had not heard. Arthur told me once that he thought if the thing came to a trial it might be really better for him." " Does he think so? I am so glad. Mr. Littleton is in a terrible way about it. Charley says that he means to give up his situation if Mr. Norbury really has Mr. Lester taken up." Maud looked dismayed at the word. "I wish you TEA AND TALK. 305 would ask your father, Katie, what they would do if Mr. Norbury made them believe him guilty." "If I were you, Maud, I should beg him to go somewhere out of the way. It would be dreadful if he had to go to prison. That is why I told you. I should think he would go if you asked him." Maud shook her head. "I am sure he would not run away for auN'thing. Every one would believe it thtn. But, oh, I do hope he will not have to be tried ' He has had trouble enough already that he does not deserve. I wonder Mr. Norbury can be so wicked. He would have died that day if they had left him locked up, as he seems to think they ought to have done." " Mr. Littleton says it makes him almost wish they had. I think Mr. Norbury must be one of the mean- est men that ever lived. Do you know that Miss Nor))ury is going to be married in ChrivStmas week? We have all got invitations to the ' At Home' in the evening. Shall you go? Oh, I forgot ! of course you won't," said Katie with a quick glance at Maud's black dress. " I shall really be glad when she is ' married and done for,' as the saying is. I am tired of hearing people wonder whether she will marry this man or the other." "So am I," agreed Maud. " I wonder whether she will go to live in Devonshire?" "I think so. Charley either is or pretends to be 306 THE BAINPBOOF INVENTION. m I broken-hearted. He is a most absurd boy ; it was such nonsense ever to fancy he cared for her ! Mr. Littleton " — " O Katie, you don't mean to tell me that he cares anything about the wedding ! " said Maud, laughing. Katie gave her a funny look. " I don't know, Maud, perhaps he does. You know he pretty often comes in — to see Charley, and then he sings generally something funny. Last time, however, he brought a most doleful song about a poor broken-hearted lover, and as he did n't know it very well he nearly killed us all with laughing. It 's very high in parts and he can- not get the high notes in his natural voice, so he kept dropping into a kind of falsetto." " Does he sing so very badly ? " asked Maud absently, still thinking of Arthur and the trouble impending over him. " Surely, Maud, you must have heard him. He thinks so much more of the words than the tune that he spoils everything with putting such an immense amount of expression into it. But you ought to be a friend of his, for he admires you and Mr. Lester more than any one else he knows ; at least that 's what he told me on Mondav." " Nonsense, Katie, I know better." "Is n't it a pity he is so very odd looking?" con- tinued Katie. " He really is good and kind." ^^.-mmm ! it was ler ! Ui\ he cares ighing. t know, tty often generally '•ougbt a ifl lover, filled us lie can- he kept bsentl Lv, pending n. He ae that unense 3 be a I' more hat he con- TEA AND TALK. 307 " Yes, very," said Maud, thinking gratefully of his many attempts to aid poor Ralph. " lie cannot help his appearance, and after all he is n't so very plain." " Well, he has no need to make himself look queerer than he is," said Katie severely. " His neckties really fidget me, and tiiose insane white waistcoats too ! They are all very well for summer, but at this time of year they look really silly." "I never noticed his ties; what is the matter with them ? " " Everything ! the size and the shape and the color, and the way they arc put on. He looks all necktie sometimes ! I declare I '11 make Charley tell him what I think of them." "• I would n't, Katie, if I were you," advised Maud seriously. " Well, he has no right to sit for hours every week in our parlor dressed up in things like that. People should consider other people's feelings ; and if they must be remarkable they might stay at home." " Poor Mr. Littleton ! Do you consider his feelings, Katie ? If you '11 forgive me for saying so, I hope you won't take lessons from Miss Norbury." " What do you mean? It isn't my fault. I wish he had n't any feelings to consider. It is so inconven- ient when people will come where they are not wanted ; you can't tell them to go away, for fear of being uncivil. ,if<- I I! m in. ti I{ ^'' ■' m !'! "ill t liii ■;! 1! I'ii m w 308 THE liAlNPliOOF INVENTION. but I do wi8h it was proper to speiik the plain truth sometimes. Now Mr. Littleton really is becoming a regular plague to me. You may laugh if you like, Maud, but it 's the fact ; 1 am weary of the sight of him." " I always liked him, though I admit he has some peculiarities ! " "I should think he has! It's all very well your liking him; so did I until he began to — like me. At least 1 suppose he likes me, though he is always talk- ing about Miss Norbury. 1 declare I don't know what he means ; it 's perfectly ridiculous ! If I was sure, I could simb him, but it would be too absurd to take any notice if he only intends to be polite." "Poor Katie! I pity you;" but Maud smiled in spite of herself. " It really is n't fair. Charley is always teasing me about him, and he really is so ridiculous, Maud, you don't know ! Then Ruth lectures me for encouraging him, as if I wanted to encourage him, indeed ! And yet I can't treat the man as if he had done anything. I wish he would go to Egypt, or the North Pole, or somewhere. I am tired of him ! " and Katie looked really injured. " I dare say he does n't intend to tease you ; you should take his attentions as a compliment." "But, Maud, you wouldn't like it yourself; you know you would n't." IL ! ffi .i a i M8acBg-' 'LiiiH' vvv ta mBk TEA AND TALK. 809 ("» tnjtli ^iJ like, |8 soiue lU Maud did not express an opinion on this delicate matter, but, inviting Katie to talve her favorite rock- ing-chair again, })egan to remove the things from the tal)le. Katie, however, declined to play visitor any longer, and helped her to wash the cupi and saucers before they settled down for a good long chat by the fire. The conversation, for some unaccountable rea- son, soon traveled back again to the peculiarities of Mr. liittleton, and they were discussing his remarkable /,ea! in I. I. A. affairs, when a loud knock sounded through the house. Katie started, fancying that it was Ralph, for she could not overcome a decided nervousness with regard to him since she had seen him so beside hin'self ; but Maud carried a lamp into the little hall and quietly opened the door. A young man much muffled up stood on the step ; he asked for Mr. Warrington, and on hearing he was out, inquired anxiously where he was likely to be found. Maud could answer truly that she did not know, but she could guess, and she had no mind to send a stranger to seek him in anv of his accustomed haunts. "Could you call early to-morrow morning?" she asked. " He is almost sure to be in then." The man looked doubtful and said : "I am afraid I shall have to leave WhartC/u to-night. I am sorrv he is out ; he promised to meet me at the station. I wanted to see him on very important business." 310 THE BAINPltOOF INVENTION. "Can I give him a message for you?" asked Maud. " No, thank you — at least — I hardly know what to do. Perhaps I had better take my chance of seeing him in the morning. Indeed, I must see him," said the stranger, apparently in a most painful state of irresolution. At last, after meditating on the steps for two full minutes, he said, "Good night!" But Maud had hardly closed the door before he was back again tu ask whether Mr. Warrington had ever said where Mr. Stanton stayed when he was in town. Maud did not know, but Katie came out of the parlor to inform him that Mr. Stanton would be likely to be heard of at a certain house in Milsom Street, nearly at the other end of the town. The man uttered an exclamation of impatience, and then begged to be directed to the street in ques- tion, as he was a stranger in Wharton. At last he hurried off, ard the girls returned to the fireside to discuss his many oddities of manner and appearance. Charley called for his sister about nine o'clock, and they had not been gone many minutes when Ralph returned, much soberer than he usually was after he had been out all the evening. Maud was uneasy about her strange visitor, fearing lest he should lead Ralph into further trouble, and was much inclined to say nothing about him. But perhaps Utj wd rej di TEA AND TALK. 311 asked what seeiiiff Ralph owed him money, or was in his power in some way, so she told him the whole story, and Ralph, remarking, " I thought I might find him here," imme- diately took up his hat again and left the house. Maud sat up even later than usual, but he did not return till early morning. He was up and ready for breakfast in good time, but he looked miserable and haggard, though he did not seem to have been drink- ing. Strange to say, it almost worried her more on that account, for she could not understand what had made him so late, if he had not been with his friends as usual ; but Ralph deigned no explanation, and long experience had taught her that it was useless to ask for any. All day a wretched foreboding of coming evil haunted her, but she tried to think that it was groundless, for Ralph not only spent the evening at home, but was unusually kind and affectionate. '• :i i I i! I !i CHAPTER XXVII. T R () D 1) K N UNI) E II FOOT. rr^HE Warringtous were tit breakfast the next -^ iiioruing when another man called to see Ralph. He was a dark, ill-favored fellow, rather showily dressed, and INIaud had a strong feeling of repulsion towards him from the moment she saw him. She was not impressed any more favorably by his familiarity of manner, thouv:-:^^"'''t^-'— - TllODDEN UNDEU FOOT. 316 " What is the matter then?" "The matter? Every thinj;; I am tired of it all, Maud. I would give anytliing if I could start my life fresh again, but — there 's no use in wishing — I must go on to tlie end as 1 have begun, 1 suppose." Maud threw her arms round his neek, and clinging to him said earnestly, " Don't say that, llalph ! You could turn back now and start fresh again, if you would." " You don't know anything about it, Maud," said Kalph, looking into her fair, pure face with eyes that were sunken and bloodshot. " I do, Ralph; I have tried it. I know one can't undo the past, but God helped and strengthened me as soon as ever I really asked him, and he will help you too. I know he will, and mother knew it. She never gave up hope." " I am sold to the devil, body and soul, Maud. I tell you, you don't know what you are talking about. I cannot help myself now. If temptation comes in my way, I have no choice but to make a beast of my- self. If I promised you to-day to give it up, it would be of no use, for I should break my word before night." Maud no longer looked him in the face, but she still clung to him lovingly. " Ralph," she said, " I have heard that there are places where people like you can Ji"- 316 THE RAINPROOF INVENTION. 1:i ili be cured. I would work night and day to keep you there if only you would go." Alas ! even yet, though he complained so bitterly of the chains that bound him, Ralph Warrington did not really recognize his own helplessness. He shook him- self free from his sister's embrace, saying shortly, " Nonsense, Maud, what are you thinking of? I'm not quite a lunatic yet, though I look like one to be staying talking here when I ought to have been at the office hours ago." So saying he hurried ofif, but before he settled down to his work he had to undergo anoth )r interview with his employer. He could give no satisfactory account of himself, and as this was the second time within the week that he had been excessively late Mr. Norbury declared that his patience was exhausted, and that he would not require his services after the end of the month. It was a blow to the young man, but he did not feel it nearly so much as he had felt his degrada- tion from his former position. He uttered neither protest nor entreaty, but held up his head and looked down upon his master with quiet disdain. No sooner was he at his desk, however, than a fit of passionate anger swept over him. He could scarcely remain silent under his keen sense of Mr. Norbury's injustice, but he did it, comforting himself with the hope of vengeance. ! TRODDEN UNDER FOOT. 317 ceep you tterly of did not •ok him- hortly, n I'm le to be a at the d down ew with account tliin the Aorbury that he of the he did 3grafl;i- noither looked sooner iiouate •emain Jstice, pe of He had no appetite at noon and stayed at his desk to make up for his lost time, but Bob and Charley Milwood had both brought lunch with them, and they kept up such an incessant conversation that Ralph found it diflicult to attend to his work, especially when they began to talk about the great event of the follow- ing week — Miss Norburv's wedding. " They say Mr. Monitor is awfully rich," said Charley. '^ I dare say he may be. Pernaps that is why Mr. Norbury is so anxious that she should marry him," remarked Bob. " It 's a shame ! He is old enough to be her father, and so stout and ugly." " I don't call him ugly," said Bob combatively, " and I don't suppose he is more than forty-five." " He must be fifty or fifty-five at least." " Well, it 's an unprofitable subject for speculation," returned Bob. " Do you know I heard a queer story the other day ? But I did n't believe it." "What was it?" " I heard, but, as I said before, I did n't believe it ; and. in fact, I don't now, even if she is going to marry Mr. Monitor " — '' I wish you would go on." "Control your impatience, my dear boy. You should never try to hun*y any one who is going to tell utt»aM«z^awen:v^XE:-^s.^;3^3RS«sa£a*«i83tsuaB i' it I'l^ i ill* w 318 THE RAINPROOF INVENTION. you anything. It loses time in the end, because no one likes to be interrupted, and it takes one's thoughts from the subject in hand. For instance, just now I was on the point of telling you what I" — "Goon, do! and I'll never interrupt 3'ou again," promised Charley. "I'm sure I should have said nothing now, if I had known what a sermon you 'd give me." " I 'm glad to hear it. You will learn after a while to puy proper respect to your elders." " Go on. Bob, will you?" repeated Charley. "All in good time. As I was saying — I don't believe it a bit — but I heard that Mr. Norbury threat- ened to turn Miss Elsie out of the house if she would n't take Mr. Monitor." " What a brute ! " exclaimed Charley indignantly. " I wonder that he can treat her badly ; and Mr. Monitor must be just as bad." " Remember, I ion't believe a tvord of it," said Bob. " More fool me, for repeating such stuff. Mr. Moni- tor iri n't that sort of man, I am sure." " I can't see why she siiould wish to marry him ! " " Why should n't she? ihat 's what I 'd like to know. Tastes differ, and tliough you may think that if you were a girl you would n't marry him, there are hun- dreds of girls that would n't object, so why should Miss Norbury ? " TRODDEN UNDER FOOT. 319 laiise no I'lougJits It now I [again," '■e said you 'd ^ while don't threat- ->uld n't lantlj. i Mr. I Rob. Moni- i!" :now. ' you hun- ould " He is n't good enough for her." " I don't know that. I think he is, and too good ! She ought to have a husband who would n't be easily shocked. She seems so like an angel till one gets to know her, that a man who was n't used to the ways of this wicked world would probably die of disappoint- ment ! " " What do you mean ? " cried Charley, aghast at this daring heresy. " She is n't so bad as that, Bob." " She is n't anv too good. I don't believe she cares for any one but herself, neither Mr. Monitor, nor Dr. Thay,nor" — Ralph could endure no more. Rising suddenly from his scat, he took Bob by the shoulders and gave him a good shake, saying, " If you dare to say another word, I '11 thrash you for it. Bob ! " but not waiting to see whether his threat had taken eflfect, he pushed Littleton «,way and hurried out of the oflice. Bob looked vexed, but it was with himself more than with Warrington. " I suppose that we have no business to talk about her, Charley," he said, " and I 'm sorry I did ; but if ever any man was ruined by a woman, that man is Ralph Warrington. She likes to drive fellows half mad, and she has succeeded with him to her heart's content, I should think." "1 don't think it's fair to blame her for War- rington's taking to drink." Jii II > 320 THE RAINPROOF INVENTION. ii I I ^ V M", 81 iMil ■■:iS''i ■ v. ■*:■ '* She has given hira a pretty good lielpiiig hand on the road to ruin ; but she does n't care what happens as long as folk make a fuss over her. For my part, I don't envy Mr, Monitor now, though I was once as great a fool about her as — you are, Charley." With this parting thrust, Bob buried himself in a news- paper and refused to be drawn into further conversa- tion, for he had a strong impression that he had already said more than was right or wise or kind. In the mean time Ralph had gone to soothe his ruflled feelings in the open air. As it happened, he had not walked far before he met Miss Norbury her- self hurrying out of the church which she had been helping to decorate. Dr. Thay was a few yards behind, evidently determined to overtake her, but when Warrington met her she was alone. She flushed hotly at the thought of their last meeting, but looked him full in the face and passetl him without the least sign of recognition. Ralph was so much astonished that he stood staring after her, utterly forgetful of where he was, till the little doctor jostled against him in his haste. As Ralph looked down he was maddened to see a smile upon his face, and angrily concluding that it was "at his expense, he demanded fiercely, ' ' What are you laughing at, sir ? How dare you be so impertinent ? " " I was not laughing." The doctor pressed on, and TRODDEN UNDER FOOT. 321 [land on iiappens part, I once as With news- >nversa- lie had kind, the his ued, he 117 her- 1 been yards !!•, but flushed looked i least nished ^il of t hini lened udinfif •cely, u be while Warrington still stood watching them, Elsie turned and waited for him ; then they both laughed. Feeling himself publicly mocked and insulted, Ralph threw all prudential considerations to the winds, and, leaving his work at the oilice to take care of itself, he strode off through the muddy streets as if for a wager. But though he went far into the country, he could not escape from the rage and jealousy and hatred that burned within him. Elsie, as well as her father, had slighted and trodden him under foot; what more bitter draught had the world to ofifer him ? Where he was going, what he was doing, he did not know ; he only ti'amped blindly on, in the vain effort to subdue the mad passions that had taken possession of him. Exhausted at last, he stopped at a wayside public house, and fed the flames that were devouring him with two or three glasses yf spirits. w m. 1 4 1'* Mi m k> and |i it' , CHAPTER XXVIII. RED BERRIES. iV' ' DR. THAY went in to lunch with Elsie, and attended her back to the church, where her taste and judgment gained her much commendation. St. Lulie's Church was a quaint, old-fashioned build- ing with high-backed pews and a wide straight gallery across the back, which offered a grand field for the display of texts in white cotton-wool mounted on scarlet cloth. The pulpit was a curious old "three- decker " structure in black oak, of which the clerk occupied the lowest division, while the clergyman read prayers in the second and ascended to the top story for the sermon. This pulpit stood facing the congre- gation to the left of a narrow, shallow chancel, and was balanced on the opposite side by an organ very little larger. For years Elsie had taken the chief part in adorning the front of the church, but on this occasion there was a woful dearth of red berries, and she declined to supply the necessary warmth of color by the same liberal use of scarlet flannel which glori- fied the gallery. At first she asserted that she would *' make the holly do," with a little variegated laurel 322 FT BED BEEEIES. 323 lie, and ere Iier Klation. d build- allery for the ted on ' three- ' clerk in read * story ongre- h and I very ^ part ! this ) and color jlori- ould lurel as a relief; but, as she loudly complained, " it looked so cold and poor against the dark oak that she must get berries from somewhere." Perhaps a letter from Mark Stanton that she had received two or three days before had something to do with her heroic resolution ; but, however that might be, she armed hersell with a basket of formidable proportions and avowed her intention of going to a friend's house on the outskirts of the town in search of some. Several small boys were pressing in their offers of assistance, but such an extraordinary quan- tity of holly festoons needed making, that Elsie "really preferred to carry the basket herself rather than take away any of the workers." Dr. Thay was equally anxious to be allowed the honor of driving her to lier friend's house, but just as she was taking her seat in his gig a messenger came to require his attend- ance with all speed, and Elsie could n't and would n't allovv him to drive her more than about halfway. Even this was a help, however, and she thanked him graciously as he set her down at a place where two roads met. She drew out her watch as she bade him good by and looked a little anxiously at it. It was four o'clock and was almost dark. Neverthe- less she seemed in no great haste, for she watched the doctor out of sight before she moved, then she took the basket and coolly tossed it over the hedge into a ;? : 11 !■;, i'l i:' i Si- 824 THE RAINPROOF INVENTION. field by the road. Having thus disencumbered herself of the burden which had procured her so much com- miseration from her friends, she walked briskly on down a miry country lane till she came out at last on a broader and better paved road. It was a damp, raw evening, and P21sie turned up the collar of her fur cape, and tucked her hands deep into her muff, shivering a little, even though she was walking fast. To the l;ftof the road the fields had given place to a large cemetery, and here and there the white headstones glimmered vaguely through the dusk in a sulllcicntly eerie fashion. Elsie was not generally superstitious, but her uncom- fortable creepy sensations increased. At last she reached her journey's end, and passing through a rusty iron gate walked slowly and fearfully up a narrow graveled path between overgrown shrubs and evergreens to a house standing some few yards from the road. It was a large, rambling place, with a many gabled roof and a wide portico ; but everything was damp, moldering, and out of repair, for the house was empty, and had been empty for years. Nevertheless Elsie tried the door, and though she was half surprised to find that it would open, she went a few steps forward into the darkness, calling in a voice that sounded odd and shaky, " Mark ! Mark ! " There was no anf^.vcr except a faint echo from the enipty rooms. The wind whistled through the broken BED BEUBIES. 325 ^ herself 'ch com- iskly on last on njp, raw I'i" cape, vQv'mg a le L;ft of inetery, inmercd 'ash ion. uucom- passing Jarful ly shrubs J'ards with a ything •r the years. e was ent a voice 1 the oken windowpanes and shook and rattled at the fastenings like some ghostly burglar, ])ut no human voice greeted her anxious ears. She trembled with cold and fear, and tried once more to see the time. But it was too dark to read her little gold-faced watch even at the gate, and with one scared glance over her shoulder towards the cemeterv opposite she made her way again into the portico and cowered down against the door, trying to reassure herself, for Mark had said " five o'clock," and certainly it could not be an hour yet since she had bidden Dr. Thay good by. She blamed that olllcious little gentleman for having driven her so fast, for it would be terribly trying to the nerves to have to linger anv length of time in the black shadows and rustling noises of the weird old house ; but she blamed Stanton even more for having named such a horrid trysting place at such an hour. This abode of death and desolation seemed even to Elsie, unimaginative as she was, to cast an ill-omened shadow over her love, and for one monjent she felt inclined even now to go back to Mr. JMonitor. But it was only for a moment. She took Mark's letter out of her pocket, for though it was too dark to see the writing, it seemed to bring him nearer to her, and over and over again she repeated to herself his words of love. They might have been a charm to shield her from harm and danger, and at least they served to keep her cour- I 326 THE JiAINPliOOF INVENTION. age up. She sat there on the doorstep, looking through the fitfully changitig sluulows into the misty graveyartl and listening to the rustling and creaking that never ceased in the house behind. Her very blood turne iior Jast I>er Jiand r'-i'oineni- with the ill around »e au idle lover of '"Dings of he empty Py. Oh, • near at ''s auger t. Her 3 fright- nd; I)i,t f Mark, deceit, lad not ilf that ?ht she if only >nii)a(t with herself a fearful sense of the nearneas of the Kvil Presence came over her with such sliarpnesb and suddenness, that if some frightful form had become visible to her bodily eyes she could hardly have been more convinced of its reality. She bowed her head upon her knees, and vowed, whether to God or to the devil she did not stop to think, that if the fruits of her sin were made sure to her, she would never again lie or deceive ; but would be a good wife and true to Stanton all her days. Her limbs were numb with cold, her senses were weary with long listening and watching ; her heart was sick with suspense ; while at home, Mr. Norbury was fuming and fretting at her delay. Mr. Monitor, just arrived, could eat nothing for his anxiety, and her mother was already in tears at her absence. Meanwhile wliat was Stanton doing? Elsie asked herself that ques :ion over and over again, but she would not desert her post. When he did come he should find her ready to go with him, to the ends of the earth, if he willed it so. She pressed his letter to her lips, and then rose to her feet in eager haste. A hurried footfall sounded in the distance, plainly dis- tiiic' fiom the rustling wind and creaking branches — ho nad come at last ! One moment P^lsie waited on the doorstep. How quickly he was coming ! A little low cry of relief m V.i f ! } |i: I 1 9<' J 111 328 YV/A; liAIM'ltOOF lyVKNTION. broke from licr lips, imd hIu' ran down the p;ravol walk to meet him. The iron ^ate chmj^cil behind her, and she hehl out both hands to the (bisky li,i;'ure advan(Mn^ so rapidly. Then she shrunk away with a wild ritigin*; cry of fear. It was not Mark, but Italpli, and he held her fast. A faint lijiht fell upon his face from the yonnlitene.d. " Von have hurt me many a time, Klsie," \w said ; and Klsie's terror increased, for she was sure now that he had been drinkini^. Oh, why did not Stanton come ! " I am cold and tired," she nuirmured. " I lost my way, and it is very late. Won't you let me go home, Ralph? Mother will be anxious." " No, I have something to say to you, Elsie." " Come home with me, and then we can talk as we are walking on." "I sball never go home with you again, P'lsie — neither shall any one else." Elsie could almost hear her own heart beating, but she laughed a hollow little laugh, as if she thcught he vcl wjilk '«'!•, iUld r.iMciiiu ri Merino. lie IiL'ld voiiiij; looked to /Voo !r. yVt "Mr. Hpouk, " Voii lOlsio's lie had [ 3st my home, as we sie — ^ but ht he RED liKllItlKS. 329 woro jokiiijjj. Oh, how h\w. wislu'd hIic hiid not Hiightcd liiin that day ! Hut if hIic could only huiiior him a little while, Stanton would be here, and Hhe would be naved. It niuHt bo after five now. '' Arc! you really going to be mairi(!d next 'i'uijsday, I'^lsie?" demanded lialph in a tone of fearful mockery. '' I — I think not, R:ilph. Not if 1 can help it." "Yon promised to ])e my wife long ago, but I would not marry vou now if vou went down on vour knees to me. You liecrto me, l^lnie, tind I was fool enough to trust you ; but my time has come at last. You shall never marry any one ; do you hear? " "Oh, Ralph, dear Ralph, forgive rae ! 1 am very sorry if I wronged you." "You are not. You are trying to wrong me now with your ' dear Ralph.' Oh, you are just as fond of me now as j'ou used to be ! If I had been rich, you would have married me then ; but I was poor and you played with me and mocked me." Elsie was almost beside li' -self. " Indeed, it was not my fault. Dear, dear Ralph, let me go." " It sounds like old times, Elsie. Tell me how you love me, as you used to do, and then ask me to let you go. Dear, dear Elsie ! " " How dare you be so cruel, Ralph ! Y'ou are hurt- ing me. " Y'"ou have been cruel to me for many a long year. It is my turn now." ^ i Mi 'I- « 330 THE BAINFROOF INVENTION. " I never (lid you any harm.'' " You have ruined me, body and soul. You laughed at me, made a fool of me, drove me mad : is that no harm? Sometimes you loved me, sometimes you hated me ; month after month you kept me dangling after you. You gave me no answei, though you knew you were half killing tne : is that nothing? You have made me what I am to-night — and you shall suffer for it. You did do me harm ! " **You should blame yourself for those things, not me." " No, I blame you. If you had treated me honestly, I should have been a different man to-night. Oh, Elsie, why didn't you tell me the truth? You might have saved me, if you would. It was cruel, it was wicked of you ! " he cried passionately ; but through all his changing moods he held her fast, and was deaf to her entreaties, scornful of her misery, pleased at her pain. She made one last effort to induce him to relent. " Ralph," she said, "if you will spare me, I will give up Mr. Monitor for your sake." Warrington laughed his noisy, miser i Me laugh again. " What? Will you promise to be my wife? " " Yes, I will promise, Ralph. Now, let me go." "Ah, I know what your promises are. You would have the door shut in my face to-morrow, were you once safe at home. I will not trust you, Elsie." ^W-- m^i BED BERRIES. 331 ou laughed is that no yon hated J'Dfe- after Knew you i'ou have lall suffer "Dgs, not honestly, 3h, Elsie, iglit have 18 wicked h all his af to her ler pain. > relent, vill give ? laugh wife ? " go." Tvould 5i'e you (( u What can I Hay to make you believe me ? " Nothing in the world ; I know you too well." And then Ralph lifted one hand and pointed to the ^v;•ite stones glimmering faintly in the dusk. Surely he was mad, as well as drunk, but Elsie took advantage of his movement and struggled desperately for liberty. Alas, even one hand was more than a match for her ! " I said I would prevent your marriage, and I will. You may promise ; I will perform," he continued, still staring into the misty graveyard. "Do you like to think of lying there, Elsie? There is a grave dug, all ready. I saw it as I passed." Elsie shivered, the v^ ud was cold — but it was not because of that ! " Are you ready to die, Elsie?" The grim question brought forcibly home to her the horror of her position. Stanton could not be coming, and she was not ready to die. She was growing weak and faint and was fast losing her self-control. She could not, in this dread hour of danger, frame one prayer for help here or forgiveness hereafter. She only knew that she was not ready to die in any sense, but strange to say, the thought of Stanton's condemn- ing letters, one in her pocket, and many in her desk at home, troubled her more than all her unrepented sins. Mr. Monitor and her father would both know what a deceiver she was, and it would have been all in vain. ! i III ■MH^ 332 THK BAINPIiOOF INVENTION. 4( fcl:'!l ■! : (1 O Ralph," she wailed, " forgive me, oh, forgive me! I am Dot ready." All this while they had been standing in the road, but now Warrington made a sudden movement and began to half drag and half carry her towards the house, but Elsie's reeling senses regained their power. She clung convulsively to the gate, and uttered shriek after shriek for help. Rtil[)li made no attempt to silence her, but seemed to enjoy her terror. Suddenly a new liope occurred to Elsie. She remembered that she had with her a considerable sum of money, and all her most valuable jewelry, including Mr. Monitor's gifts, for she had fancied that Stanton might not be too well provided. " Ralph, " she cried, " I have money with me and jewels. You shall have them all, and more if you will let me go." "I will not, for any money you could give me. You deserve to die, and I will not spare you." Still she clung to the gate, piteously ])egging for mercy, and crying aloud for help from God or man. At last her persecutor, with one rough exertion of his strength, dragged her from her hold and carried her towards the house. Elsie gave herself up for lost, ceased to struggle, and wondered vaguely how the end would come. Suddenly, as he reached the steps, Ralph loosed his hold, and she fell against cue of the pillars of the porch. BED BERRIES. 333 , forgive lie road, nent uud iii'cls the power, ■d shriek iein])t to Huldenly '•ed that »ey, and lonitor's ; not be ' I have hem all, ive me. ing for )r man. of liis ied her )r lost, :he end steps, of the An instant later another face bent over her, and some one lifted her gently from the ground. Elsie's eyes opened, and a voice said anxiously, "Are you hurt?" Hut it was not Mark Stanton, as she had fancied, and Elsie made no answer. The question was repeated, and she said faintly, "Who is it?" •' i — Hugh Milwood. I hope you are not hurt." "I don't know," she said. "No, I think not;" and she made an effort to sit up. " What can I do? " said the clergyman. " I think there is a cottage near by where you could wait while I jj;et a carriage." '' No! no!" said Elsie, "I am sure I can walk. Oil, don't leave me ! He may be somewhere here yet." " Miss Norhury, you have no need to be afraid ; I will take care of you." Elsie looked fearfully into the shadows and said, " I am sure I can walk. Let us go home. It must be so late. Mother will be worried about me 1 " "It is nearly six, I think. Do you feel able to come yet?" Elsie still felt faint and trembled so that she could scarcely stand, but she made an heroic effort to pro- ceed, for she dared not stay alone within sight of the old iiouse, and there was no other within a quarter of a mile. Their progress was painfully slow, and it is doubtful whether they would have reached the town I M 1 1 i w\ Ma I n f-i 334 THE RAIN PROOF INVENTION: thiit night if a cab had not chanced to pass them. As they ncared the town Elsie made some little attempt to arrange her disordered dress, but it was so torn and her face was so white and wild, that Mr. Milwood as well as herself was thankful that she was protected from the curious glances of the passers-by by the shelter of the cab. "You must wonder what frightened me?" she said at last. " I am sorry I was not there earlier. I am afraid you must have had a very disagreeable adventure." "It was more than disagreeable," replied Elsie. " I was afraid. He threatened to murder me, but no harm was done really, and I shall be much obliged if you will say nothing about it to any one." " Miss Norbury, do you know who the man was?" asked Mr. Milwood very gravely, for he was amazed and horrified at what she had said. Elsie felt much tempted to say " No," but she con- quered the impulse and told the truth. " Yes, I do know, but I don't want to get him into trouble. He had been drinking. If you don't mind, I would rather not mention his name ; that is, unless you particularly wish it." " No ; tell me as little as you like." But he guessed who her assailant had been, though he had not clearly seen the man in the dusky garden. V BED BERRIES. 335 ^s them. iitteiupt torn aud wood as I'otected by tlie she said " I believe," said Elsie, " that if it had n't boen for you I should not be living now. 1 shall remember your kindness as long as I live. Will you come in? " " No, thank you, I cannot stay," replied Hugh, only waiting long enough to see her safely into the care of her friends, and to explain brietly what had been the matter. I i 1 afraid ire." Elsie. but no liged if . "Mi was ? " unazed »e con- 1, I do . He rather ularly essed learly I I i^tli m m s t^ CHAPTER XXIX. 5 ■ 1 THE WAY OK TUANSGUKSSORS. WHAT have you been doing, Elsie?" demanded her father as she sank down on a seat in the parlor. But INfr. Monitor said gently, " Let her alone ; she will tell us to-morrow. Mr. Milwood said she had had a fright." "Yes," replied Elsie. "Please don't ask any questions to-jiight. I '11 tell you all about my adven- tures to-morrow. 1 will go to bed at once, I think." Her mother came and helped her to undress, as she used to do when she was a little child, and Elsie alarmed her greatly by putting her head down ou her shoulder and sobbing as if her heart would break. Oh, if she had only been one who could have helped her in her struggles, how much better it would have been ! Elsie fancied that she might not then have made such terrible mistakes, for she was still ready to lay her faults and failures on any one rather than herself. When Mrs. Norbury was going downstairs Elsie begged her to send up the housemaid with some fresh water, but the water was only an excuse. She even 33C THE WAY OF ritANSilRESSORS. 337 manded t ill the [" alone ; 3lie had sk any adven- thiuk." as she Elsie on her break, helped 1 have have idy to than Elsie fresh even forgot to taste it. "Jane," she said anxiously, " arc there any letters for me?" " Yes, three or four I think, Miss Norbury. One came almost as soon as you hud <^one. It was one of them you don't like master to see," said the girl. Elsie had bribed her to give her Stanton's letters secretly, for she was afraid that her futher niiirht recognize the handwriting. "Will you please to fetch them for me, Jane; I cannot sleep till I have seen them." " But you do look ba*ii«SBl«Wfl»rtt-! 840 THE RAINPIIOOF INVENTION, him suggest what ho liked and account for cverythinjj, as best he could. He talkod learnedly of shocks to the nervous system and threatenings of brahi fevei', while Mrs. Norhury deseribed at great length and with minute care the condition in which her daughter had returned home. Elsie knew tiiat the story would be all over the town by morning, but she cared for noth- ing but to be left alone. Mrs. Norbury suggested sitting up with her, but Elsie found voice to protest against iier doing any such thing, and meeicly took a soothing draught which Dr. Thay haii he did not know whether or not her blood was on his head. Sometimes he thonght sh(! lived, sometimes that she was dead, and when lie could run no more he lay down breathless on the straw in a lonely shed in the fields, to dream fearful and sinful dreams stained through and through with blood ! But the cold air played on his Unshed face, and at length brought him back to consciousness, though his senses were still clouded with intoxication. He was numb and stiff with walking and running for hours, and for a time he lay looking up at the twinkling stars and wondering how he came to be sleeping out there in the fields. Soon a dim memory of what had happened came back to hi.ii, and with it a great fear that he had slain the girl he had loved so long. The remembrance of her wild terror overpowered every other, and he trembled as he lay there. What had he done ! what had he done ! r'erhaps even now the avengers of blood were upon his track, ready to drag him to prison and to death. Him, Ralph Warrington ! oh, how he had disgraced his ancient name ! No other of his family had fallen to such a depth, no other had done a deed so cowardly or died a death so full of shame as that which awaited him. Hot tears gathered in his eyes and rolled slowly down his cheeks. He ■•^inilinrr <»ii his K'tilDCS 10(1 ill ht wish to be revenged for the torture to which he had put her ; but madmen, and Ralph was all but mad, often forget the rational fears that agitate the sane. All the evening he sat with his head bowed on his hands; while Maud lay down on the sofa in the i 1 ii i! -J.i- .Jii w wgeggMBWBWBBMBBBBB m ' r?'5i ji 'lH 340 THE BAINPEOOF INVENTION. shadow, no longer even trying to rouse him. At last, with sudden, startling distinctness the sound of the knocker clanged again through the silent house, rous- ing Ralph from his abstraction. Before Maud could rise to open the door, he had gone himself to do it, and she heard him speaking to some one in a low voice. The next minute he hastily reentered the room and kissed her without a word ; but before she had time to ask him any questions, the door was shut sharply and she heard him and his companion going quickly down the street. last, the ous- ould it, low the she shut oing CHAPTER XXX. " BUT ONCE A YEAR." CHRISTMAS Djiy had dawned dark and cold; all day a leaden-colored sky had hung low over the brown, iron-bound earth. No snow had fallen, though it had been threatening for hours. Tlie sun never shone from dawn to dark, and the wind was of biting keenness, but to all, save to those in whose own hearts reigned the same gloomy weather, it was " Merry Christmas" still. Why should cold winds and dark skies chill the lov- ing meetings of long-parted friends? or silence the laughter of the youngsters who have looked forward to Christmas Day so long ? Nay, let it come ever so sadly as to its outward garb, to the children, and to the fresher-hearted among their elders, -it is the best and brightest day in all the year. Dark clouds can- not touch Christmas ; the turkey tastes the same, mince pies and snapdragon are just as sweet, the dances and the games are every bit as gay, the carols of the singers are as clear, the Christmas message of good will and peace is as true, as when the white snow sparkles in the sunshine, and old mother earth also keeps holiday. 847 i ( f i 348 THE BAIXPBOOF INVENTION. i\ If Christmas comes in "good old-fashioned style" with fresh snow, keen air, and bright sunshine, we may be thankful that Nature, like man, has donned her festive robes. But should it come in driving sleet or pouring rain, turn from your window to the glow- ing fire ; listen no more to the howling tempest, but be thankful for the glad voices of the little ones gathered about your hearth ; waste not another glance on the blackness of the leafless trees, the heavy gloom of the flying clouds, but turn to the warmth, the cheeri- ness, the brightness of your home, for after all the S[»irit of the dear old Christmas festival speaks rather to the heart than to tiie senses, and no outward things can spoil its music if the inner life is in harmony with it. Be thankful then that the wild wailing, the dreary moaning of the night has no echo in your home. Be thankful that you can keep Christmas merrily, and pity those — comfort them, if you can — who feel no contrast between the grim blackness of the outer world and tiieir own small world within ! Bv INIaud that Christmas Dav was lonjj; remembered as the darkest she had ever spent, but there was mean- ing for her still in i' o great world's joy. Dimly and tearfullv she even shared it, for with all her heart and soul she thanked (lod for the birth of his "• Holy Child .Jesus," feeling that the life which he had glorified could never be wholly dark in the blackest trials. i ffi ''BUT ONCE A year:' 349 tyle " , we lined sleet •"low- lit be lered 1 the m of leeri- the ither But Elsie's tears fell like rain and she refused to be comforted. Mr. Norbury wts angry, for he thought that she wns Avillfully avoiding INIr. Monitor, and that her illness was an excuse ; but her future husband was more lenient. lie saw that she was really weak and ner- vous, and though he was disappointed that the beau- tiful presents he had brought her awoke no more enthusiasm, under the circumstances he readily forgave her for her want of interest. Hugh Milwood called after church to inquire after her, but, mindful of Elsie's desire, he avoided entering into any explanations of the adventure, and as the young lady herself would say no more than that she had been frightened by a drunken man, the affair remained a mystery even to her nearest friends. Mr. Monitor was too h:4)py to worry himself over trifles, but Mr. Norbury was not so easily satisfied. He watched his daughter with suspicion, for he was by no means certain that she was not trying even now to escape from her engagement. He did her an injustice, however ; Elsie was sulkily resigned at last. She was even glad to think how soon she would be able to turn her back on Wharton and its gossii)ing pe()[)le, so she said no word of again postponing her wedding, and when she left her room for a short tune toward evening she made some little attempt to be gracious to i! *-i I \lh 350 THE BAIN PROOF INVENTION. >: V her lover, though comiug down to dinner at all was much against her will. Happily Mr. Monitor was their only guest, and he was considerate enough to content himself chiefly with looking at her, and to make few demands on her atten- tion. But in spite of his gentle kindness she felt like some wild animal forced from its hiding-place in the darkness and silence to be made a show of in a glar- ing menagerie. With the consciousness upon her of Stanton's slight, and of the way in which she had incurred it, she felt so humble in her own eyes that it was positive pain to her to meet those of other people. Another matter that gave her great disquiet was Mark's possession of the foolish letters she had written. AVhat if he sent them to her father, or to Mr. Monitor? for in her first bitter disappointment she was ready to suspect him of any treachery. It was a very quiet meal, but Mr. IMonitor would have enjoyed it greatly if he had not been so much distressed by his bride-elect's pale face. Everything was as it should be — the turkey, [)lum i)udding, and mince pies were all good of their kind, and were served up with the solemnity duo to the occasion. As- cetics may grumble or scofl:', as they choose, but while man is an animal as well as a spiritual being it is likely that the Christmas dinner will continue to be one of the great events of that festive season. Some in' "Bl/T ONCE A YE am: S61 ill was glav- •I I people's enjoyment is extracted doubtless from the pleasure of being traditionally correct, but the major- ity perhaps regard it rather from a personal than an historic or antiquarian standpoint, and enjoy their Christmas cheer because it is an excellent thing in its way. Without apology, therefore, I will boldly state that Mr. Monitor belonged to this class and enjoyed his dinner, not only because it revived pleasant mem- ories of his youth, nor because he ate it in company with Elsie Norbury, but because it was a good dinner. The evening that followed was also quiet. Mrs. Norbury knitted, Elsie lay on the sofa gazing sadly and silently into the fire, a'ld the two gentlemen played chess. Neitiier of thcpi was a scientific player, but Mr. Monitor had had more experience than his antag- onist, who objected to being beaten in a game almost as much as if it were a matter of deep importance. He played grimly and almost savagely, while Mr. Monitor drove him into corners, took his queen, and checkmated him with a cheerful good humor that pro- voked him to the verge of incivility, and then laugli- ingiy offered him " his revenge." Elsie did not stay to see the second game played out, but went to bed just about the time when the merry party at Mr. INIilwood's house were settling down in good earnest to their evening's amusement. The only guest was Bob Littleton, and he had been there i I' i'li 1 m:>2 TIE BA^NPliOOF INVENTIOX. r' «' 'A' (Jay, arriving just in linu! to go to cluinh with theiii 'Tayod witli huoIi care th:it Katie had been con- vinced that his splendor attracted ail eyes. But she had forgotten it a little when she listened once more to the grand old message that the angels brought to earth when Christ was born, from the lips of the ])rother whose daily life was even a better sermon than the one he preached that morning. They walked home ((uietly, thinking perhai)s of the deeper side of Christmas Day, but when dinner was over thev all went too-ether for a merrv ramble into the country. No one enjoyed himself more than INIr. Milwood, unless it was Bob, who successfully main- tained his position at Katie's side from the time they left the house to the time when they returned to it, thouuh she would not liniicsr behind the rest and give him the opportunity for the trfc-a-trlc that he desired. " Well," said Charley with a long-drawn sigh, " I suppose this is our last Christmas all together." " What do you mean?" demanded Bob, "Haven't you heard? Hugh is going out to India as a missionary very soon." " How will they do without him at the Mission Hall?" Charley shook his head. " I don't know ; he thinks he ought to go, and, what's more, he wants Katie to go with him." i n 1 ^ Irlri ' B I i > | i , ii»^j» ff .i!iii V i I n aM)»~#T ''BUT ()NC/w« i I 364 THE RAINPIiOOF INVENTION. JHil 5 ■* streamed a bright gleam of light. Ciirefully mid slowly they made tlieir way towards it. Now they could he.'vr words as well as voices. "Aren't you ready yet?" some one asked im- patiently. "I'm sure that light of yours will be shining down into the street." "No; I 'm not ready. Have putionee ; it's of no use half doing the thing. We have made mess enough already with that. I wish there was a key to tliat wretched little cabinet. I expect the papers we want are in there; there's nothing here that's of any use. I hate to break it ; so far no one will be the wiser for our night's work, but that would sjjow at once." " What does it matter ! We dare n't stay in Whar- ton, at any rate, and they '11 be sure to guess." " I shall stay for a while, if 1 can manage to open this decently. I have got half a bushel of small keys here. Ah ! I do believe I 'vc got one to fit at last." All this while Bob was making extraoi'dinary signs to his < o'npauion, which Hugh was quite unable to interpret. Under cover of the sounds from within, liob changed his position and was trying to whisper some- thing into Hugh's ear, when the pair within llie "prison" began to talk again, ainidst nnich clashing of bottles and rattling of keys. " Have you got the uaujes of all those drugs marked down ? " i 5.1 mid they im- I bo ^ MIDNIUHT IN THE MILL. 365 " Yes ! yes ! Is not that drawer open yet? " " It sticks a little, but that is all, 1 think. It 's your own fault that we have been so long. You promised to get impressions of all these keys for me." "Well, 1 couldn't. Mr. Norbury never lets any one touch these kevs, vou know verv well." " Oh, I know. If it had nt been for Miss Norbury, I should never have got the one belonging to this closet." " What ! Is she in this business? " "No, no, of course not. But she lent it to mo once to show her a kind of conjuring trick, — it 's a good one, too, — and while she was out of the room getting sonudhing elst; for Uie, I did luy busniess. By g(jod luck, Mr. Norbury had left his keys down- stairs that night Warren says Thersey is awfully angry, and if we can't make it right, the game is lost." " I know ; he told me all about it the night before last. Tha was why I sent him to you." " Did you send him? I didn't know he had been here first. I want money dreadfully now, and I know you do — but courage! here are the papers. No, after all, there is nothing but drugs." " Come away. It's of I'O use ; Mr. Norbury knows better than to keep his papers here." " The papers are here somewhere, I tell you. We I Hi \\\ n 3t)6 THE BAIN P HOOF INVENTION. iiiust get them. You Ml be niiued, at any rate, if we ilou't. I did my best for voii witli Lewsou, but lie says he will not wait any longer." '' Your best ! You set the fellow on rae, I believe, so that I should be bound to help in this rascally business. I wish with all my heart I had never touched the stuff." " Well, you are a poor-spirited fellow. I thought you wanted to have your revenge, and there is no surer way than this, let alone that it will clear things up for you. If Mr. Norbury had treated me as he has treated vou, I should not be in anv great haste to forgive him." " I shall never forgive him, as you know," returned the other; "but, all the same, this is no work for a gentleman." '* You should have thought of that sooner," was the taunting reply. "It is no worse to take a look at these papers than it was to borrow samples of Mr. Norbury's mixtures, and look at the bills for the chemicals and piece out the secret for ourselves. If we had n't made that precious mistake, you would have pocketed your share of the profits readily enough, I know. Saintly airs hardly become yon at this stage of the proceedings." " If you don't hold your tongue, I '11 give you up to Mr. Norbury, I swear I will ! " MWyiaUT IN THE MILL. 367 |i if we I'lit lie Mieve, kseally never " Nonsense, you know you won't. You have no more fancy than I for" — At this instant tiie speaker wafi interrupted by a most extraordinary sound at the door — sonietiiin<: between a sneeze and the last gasp of a person in the agonies of choking. Tlie listeners had been considerably startled at the conversation they had overheard. Bol) had immedi- ately recognized both voices ; Hugh was sure of one, and the discovery had added to the dilficulties of their position. BoIj had no wish to capture both, if he could help it, and though several times he had made motions as if he meant to try to draw the closet door to and lock it upon the criminali, he had always given up the idea before attempting to put it into practice. Unless, however, the pair could thus be taken by guile, it seemed unlikely that they could be captured without assistance, for both were stronger men than Bob, whether they would have proved to be more than a match for Hugh Milwood or not. In their uncer- tainty they were allowing the robbers to proceed with their work unmolested, but unless they did something they might as well have shut their eyes to the mysteri- ous light in the factory, and hiwe gone (piicliy home to their beds. Bob's sneeze ended their dilemma, and startled those within the room. immmmm 368 THE RAINPROOF INVENTION. ;V ■' ; 'i I 1:;^ •i!. Ralph (for it wuh Tlal[)li) iijJHet Ji bottle in IiIh aliirin witii SI loiul crash ; the other hastily extinguished tiie candle and rushed to the door. As it happened Hob also sprang towards the door, but it was too late. If he had attempted to close it when the idea first occurred to him, the culprits might have been caught without a struggle, for they were thoroughly off their guard and had no suspicion that they were watched. But the heavy door opened in- wards, and Hob could not reach it. Instead of clos- ing it he ran full against the retreating foe, and in the violence of the shock was Hung to the ground. War- rington, fleeing too hastily to stop biujself, tripped over Littleton's prostrate form and fell heavily upon him. In his pain and astonishment Hob uttered a cry com- pounded of a howl and a shriek that echoed dismally through the building. In the mean time Hugh Milwood was engaged in the unclerical pastime of '•' follow my leader," in the midst of the machinery after Mark Stanton, who had been disagreeably surprised to find that Hob was not alone. He naturally wished to reach the door. Hugh was determined that lie should not. They were well matched ; both were light and active ; neither had the advantage of being familiar with the arrangement of the machines. The chase continued till they had lost all idea of where the door ought to be. Once Hugh SxM jf' ^*^ . I MWMliUT IN THE MILL. 869 ■ c!iiili, I 've cau^^ht him 1 " " It is I, Hoi), let nie go I " exclaimed the captive, struggling to esca[)e from I'ob's fi'antic embrace- Littleton's only reply was to cling faster and shout louder than before. "Do listen ! you have caught me ! " " Caught who? " ciied Hob, who appeared to have lost his wits in the emergency. ^^]Me_IIugh Milwood!" "Oh," he exclaimed with something like a groan, "I thought it was that villain Stanton!" The door was opened and shut twice. I I IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) /. O Y ^ .^>^. IL U.. 1.0 I.I ■^ |2B 12.5 ■ 50 ~^" t U£ III 2.0 1^ 1^ 1.8 1-25 1 1.4 1.6 -^ 6" ► V] ^^ "3 /. '^ •> '/ /A Hiotographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET VIEBSTER.N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 370 THE RAINPROOF INVENTION. I t ■1 I 1" " They have gone,' said Hugh, " but be quick, we may catch them yet ! " They reached the door and opened it in time to hear the other closed with a bang. A key turned in the lock, the handle was rattled from the outside, and they heard Stanton say coolly, ''They are fast till morning, Ralph." Bob tried the door, shook it, kicked it, and vented his feelings in a shout of defiance to Stanton which was unheard, or at least unanswered. Listening attentively they heard another door bang in the distance, and then they heard no more. Abso- lute silence reigned, for Mr. Norbury's mill stood in the very heart of the manufacturing district of Whar- ton, and on every side they were surrounded by tall warehouses or factories. " I wonder whether the key of that other door won't fit this lock ! " said Hugh. " It is in it, I think." "No, it won't. Mr. Norburyhad them made differ- ent on purpose." " Wouldn't it be worth trying?" " Not a bit. Still, if you like, I '11 show you ; " and Bob went to look for it. He was right. The locks were on different prin- ciples and the key was too large to be forced into the lock. " It 's a nuisance," said Bob, " it 's a horridly cold place to spend the night in. It makes one feel illi MIDNIGHT IN THE MILL. 371 3k, we truing, such a fool too — to come in here to cutcb thieves aud get locked iu ourselves. It's too absurd ! You know we really ought to have given the alarm instead of undertaking the job ourselves. There ought to be a watchman somewhere near, I 'm sure ; but I expect they are all keeping Christmas like the rest of the world." " I'm not sorry we came, nevertheless." *' Aren't you? I don't think we have done Mr. Norbury much good with all our trouble." '^No, but at any rate it is clear now that Arthur Lester is not to blame." "I suppose it is. I never thought of that; 1 am glad that we came after all. Mr. Norbury will be ready to stand on his head for joy, for of course his secret is safe enough after all the fuss. I do wish we could get out if it's only to tell the good news." " I wish we could. Those fellows will certainly escape if we have to stay here long." " I should n't much care if they did. I should be awfully sorry to have anything to do with getting that poor wretch Warrington into more trouble. It would serve Stanton right though, if it was only for the way he has led him into mischief. I have no doubt it's all his doing. He must be an awfullv clever fellow." Hugh made no answer ; he sympathized more than he cared to confess with his friend's desire to spare U i 372 THE UAIXPROOF INVENTION. m Ralph, and following his oxaiiiplc he endeavored to make himself comfortable against the machinery, bnt he did not succeed in going to sleep, though Bob, who was tired out with tlie exertions of the day, dozed a little. 1: 1 \% I ll to )llt JO a I I I CHAPTER XXXII. FACE TO FACE WITH DEATH. "T rUGH was still vainly trying to compose himself J — L to sleep when Bob, rolling about restlessly, brought his head rather sharply in contact with the iron framework against which he was resting, and awoke to the consciousness that he was not in his own bed at homo. " Have you been to sleep, Hugh? " he suddenly exclaimed. " No, not yet. I 'm not sleepy." "Neither am I. The bed is too hard, that's the fact. I have never slept a wink, though I am dead tired. Hullo, I don't know what we have been think- ing of ! These bales of the ' Rainproof ' might be a little softer than this at any rate. Let us go into the other room. I wish we had a light ! " *'They had a candle. Have you any mutches?" ** No, I don't believe I have. I don't smoke." *' Neither do I. I suppose we can feel the bales you talk of easily enough." " I wish we had our boots," said Bob as they crossed the room. " These floors are dreadfully cold. My feet are freezing." 373 __J=t"^ ? I It 374 THE liAINPIiOOF INVENTION. " We had better have another vace to warm our- selves up," said Hugh with a laugh. " I wonder if any of the keys they had would unlock that door." " No, we shall have to stay here till the fellow comes in ihe morning to open the mill. Hullo, what's that? Don't vou smell smoke?" Hugh opened the door at that instant and they both littered an exclamation of dismay. No wonder that Bob noticed a smell of fire ; the only wonder was that they had not perceived it sooner. Througli the open closet door swept stifling clouds of smoke that filled the inner room and half choked and blinded tliem. The woodwork of the "prison" was beginning to blaze, and in a few minutes more the whole place would be on fire. " How can it have happened? " gasped Bob. Hugh shut the door to keep out the suffocating fumes of the burning cliemicals in the closet, and asked, "Is there anywhere here that we can get water ? " " No, there is a tap on the landing, but we can't get at it." " They had some tools," said Hugh after a pause, in which they had stood listening to the crackling of the flames. "I will get them, if I can." So saying he opened the door again and made a dash across the room, but alas I the tools, if there were [ f FACE TO FACE WITH DEATH. 375 our- ller if tellow fluit 's and get any, were beyond liia reach in the very center of the flames. " What shall we do ?" cried Bob. " It 's not a bit of use trying to put it out with no water." " I wish we had come in here sooner. We might have smothered it at first, but now our only chance is to break in that door." " We can't do it," replied Rob positively, but with something like a quaver in his voice. " It is as strong as a jail, and we have no tools. Let us open the window and make all the noise we can. Sound travels well on a night like this, and tiiere is no time to lose." Acting on this suggestion, they shouted again and again, nniking a ncjisc " that ought to have wakened the whole town," as Bob said, but no one seemed to hear it. Certainly no one came near them. " 1 wish we could shout into the street," Bob continued. " This wretched little lane does n't give a fellow a chance. All the row I can make only goes into the next factorv." " I don't know that it would be nnich better if these windows did look into the street. No one is likely to pass at this time of night," replied Hugh. " A\^hat time is it?" " About one." They could see each other's faces now in the glare of the flames, reflected from the whitened wall oppo- * I f ( 376 THE BAINPROOF INVENTION. site ; and though they tried to keep up their spirits, both looked ghastly and stninge. " And I dare say no one will pass till five or half past. Why, the whole place will be in cinders before then ! It must be burning fast. And if we can't get out" — Bob did not finish his sentence. His fears were too horrible and unnerving to put into words. "We had better trv to break that door. Surely there must be something we could use to batter it with." " Let us have one more try with our voices first, and if that fails, I 'ni ready for a turn at the door." In his excitement Bob out.lid himself, and Hugh seconded him with all the powers of his lungs, but still no one heard. At last they ttu'ued away from the window, and after a lengthy struggle, managed to detach from the machinery two heav'y bars of iron. Before setting seriously to work, Bob went to have another glance at the fire, but came back almost stifled to report that it was burning terribly fast. Hugh said nothing, but began to hammer at the door with all his njight. Bob followed suit nobly, but when they stopped, after some minutes' continuous exertion, they were disai)pointe(l to see how little im- pression they had made. The prison was as fast as ever. FACE TO FACE WITH DEATH. S17 ilf re ot f " I wish," excraimcd Bol) in a tone of vexation, "that Mr. Norbury had not put such absurdly heavy doors here. I don't see the sense of it." " I conclude that it was to keep out such people as our friends of to-night." " I wish they were i'\ here instead of us ; at least — well, I don't know. Do you suppose they meant to burn the place?" " No, I should think not. It must have been an accident." " I can't understand how the fire can have started." "My impression is that the candle must have been not quite out, and periiaps it fell amonjjj papers and smouldered for a while. I dare say the bottle that was broken mav have contained soniethinur inflam- mable. Are you rested yet? Shall we try the door again ? " Bob nodded, and they struck it again and again without effect, till at last he dropped his iron bar ex- claiming, " We can't do it, Hugh." Hugh continued to batter it resolutely with blows that sounded through the empty rooms tremendously, and Bob once more took up his position at the window and raised his voice in a high falsetto key that ought to have been efficacious, for his screaming accompani- ment to Hugh's thundering battery coml)ined to make the most extraordinary sound that ever issued from 378 THE BAIN PROOF INVENTION. any })uikling at dead of niglit. At last Bol) drew in bis head, after a final whoop that would hi e done credit to the most murderous "redskins" that ever scalped a white man, and observed in utter disgust, *' I do believe every one is deaf to-night ! " Hugh made no answer, for the sound of his own blows prevented his hearing his friend's remark. Stimulated by his perseverance Rob again began to work at the door, but not for many seconds, for he had lost heart. "Hugh," he said, "this place is suffocating ; come to the window and get a breath of air." Hugh followed him. The heat was fearful, and he had satisfied himself at last that it was useless to waste his strength any longer on the door. " Bob," he said, "do you know of any rope or, indeed, anything of the kind ? " Littleton shook his bead with an air of bewilder- ment and said ruefully, "Do you think that there is any hope for us ? " Up to this moment he had reso- lutely tried to shut his eyes to their danger. "There is some," said Hugh quietly. "We must not despair yet. Bob." " I suppose it is too far to jump," said Bob, looking down to the rough pavement so far below. "Yes; it would be almost certain death. I would not try that unless death inside here were quite certain." FACJi: TO FACE WITH VEATU. 879 Bob sliudderod aud said wildly, " Let ub try that door again." " It is of no use," said Hugh, not moving. "What ! shall you stand still hero to wait for death ? " " No ; I am trying to think of some plan, that is all." There was a moment's silence. They stood quietly by the window, tiiinking such thoughts as men will think who stand face to face with death. The un- known future, whether met with joy or fear, is awful still. To wait for death in health and strength at one short moment's notice may well fill the bravest man with solemn dread. They were silent as they stood together watching the nickering ^ight upon the opposite wall, and listen- ing to the rush and roar of the flames so fearfully close at baud. There were loud crashes now and then as some heavy beam fell in ; aud always there was the rush aud the roar ! The smoke grew thicker, the air hotter, and even though they leaned far through the window, the hot breath of the flames almost scorched their faces, for the wind was driving the smoke and fire towards them. Bob sank on his knees and prayed half audibly to Him who never turns a deaf ear to prayer. Hugh stood by wi i a grave, set face, a little paler than usual, but still quiet and calm. "Are vou not afraid?" asked Bob. "It is such a l\ iflfl ^i l!::'' ii^'' Ji t)f. 11 :i % 380 yvi/i' liAisriiooF jxvL\>Tioy. drcttdful cloiitb to die. Ciiuuot you pray? (iod might hear you." *' He liears you, Hob. II*; may Havo us yet." "O Hugh, what cau we do? I did not thiiiiv I should have been afraid to die, l)ut — now it is so near, I am." Leaning on the window-sill, his dark, earnest face lit by the red glow of the rising and falling fire, Hugh preached another sermon, explainiiig in grave, calm tones the truth that strengtiu'iicd him to meet death bravely. There in the glare of the llameK he delivered his Master's message so broad and free, that none at any hour may say he is excluded from its comfort. There, even in the path of swift Hearing death, he repeated that grand promise, '• He that belie veth on me shall never die." The preacher stood in the same grim peril as his hearer, and the words he spoke that night were never forgotten. He had declared that (Iod would support them to the end, and though the dark hour of painful dissolution seemed close at hand he showed no terror. But even as he spoke a new hope of life dawned on him. The flames were bursting through the inner door, lighting the room with a linid glare, and in one corLji- they showed a heavy bale of goods, packed ready for shipment. " Bob," he said, "• how could we have forgotten those bales? There is a way to safety." i i iw /■; 'in r. {('/■: wriii ih.atii. 381 '' IIoW ? " ^Mhpi'd I?(>1>. " Help nil' lo (li'iii^ tliiit clotli out of the way of the firi'. Now," ho !i(l(lc(l, \\\w\\ they htul once more ri'uchcd the window ftu'thest from the hurnin;^ room, " h't ns iiiitie these knolM, and thciu we shall be :il)l(! to jrct down withont jninping." " How? this rope won't hohl." "• No, but the cU)th will, I hope. We 11 try It, at any rate." liob's enerujy retnrned with the renewal of hope, and he worked at the knots with might and main. It took bnt a few seconds, with the help of their pocket knives, to open the l»ale, bnt it was a more dillienlt matter to secure the cinnl)rons cloth llrmly to the nearest machine. Happily tlu're was plenty of it; indeed the lialf of it more than reached the gronnd, bnt though they twisted it as well as they could it was a poor and dnmsv contrivance. ITugh tested the security of its fasttMiings with sundry jerks and pulls, then said : " Now, Hob, there is not a moment to si)are. You are the lightest, and you had better go first. If you fasten this other piece of cloth around your waist 1 can help vou down." Bob looked at the dangling " Rainproof " and turned sick, but Huijh took the matter into his own hands, and had the second piece tied firmly around him l)efore he could protest. " Now," lie rei)eated, " are you 382 THE HAIN PROOF INVENTION. MP :l ready ? Kneel on the ledge and hold on as well aa you can ; I '11 not let you go too fast." "Bnt," cried Bob, struggling with the folds of cloth about his waist, "you can't get down without help. You go first. Indeed, your life is worth more than mine." "You could not hold me, Rob. I'm too heavy, and I was a famous climber as a bov. Make haste, or our rope will catch, and then we shall both be lost." Thus adjured Bob took as firm a grasp of the cloth as he could, and crawling over the window ledge started on his perilous descent. It was well that Hugh had hold of the other piece of cloth, for directly Bob felt himself dangling in the air he shut his eyes and gave himself up for lost, till he felt his feet touch the ground. " Move out of the way. Bob ! " called Hugh from above, " I mav come too fast." Bob tried to shut his eves now, but could not. He stared with breathless suspense at the dark figure dangling against the background of glowing brick. It seemed to him that hours passed before Hugh stood beside him on the ground, but in reality the descent had been unpleasantly rapid, and Hugh's hands were sore and blistered with the friction of their improvised rope. He recovered himself first, however. " Bob," he said, " we have to tell Mr. Norbury yet." cloth help, thau "BOB FELT HIMSELF DANGLING IN THE AIR." i li FACE TO FACE WITH DEATH. 383 It was true, and the mill was burning more furiously than ever. If help did not soon arrive, nothing could be saved. For a moment Littleton stood gazing at the havoc that the flames had wrought, then made a frantic effort to disencumber himself of the long sash of the Norbury cloth that still encircled his waist, but it was not till Hugh came to his assistance that he succeeded in escaping from it. " I '11 tell Mr. Norbury ! " he exclaimed ; and suiting the action to the word, he set off at a run, regardless of his shoeless feet. Over stone pavements or frozen earth he still ran on, never slackening his pace for an instant. Once or twice he passed a policeman, and shouted "Fire!" as he ran, but he was gone before the man could make up his mind what to think of him. When he reached Mr. Norbury's house he rang the bell and hammered on the door and shouted louder than before. His cries mingled with Elsie's uneasy dreams, but she awoke to find them real. She sprang out of bed and threw open the window in time to hear her father ask, " Who is there ? What is the matter? " " The factory is on fire ! " " What ! the ' Rainproof ' factory ? " " Yes, it 's burning fast. Make haste or it will be too late to save anything ! " Mr. Norbury did make haste, and there was need for haste. The sky was red with the glow from the 884 THE RAINPROOF INVENTION. burning building, the flames were bursting from its upper windows, but the lower stories seemed still un- touched, except at the back under the secret room, where the fire had started. The fire engine had not yet arrived, though the nar- row street was crowded. The people were standing idle, watching the flames, and Mr. Norbury stood idle too, paralyzed with the greatness of the catastrophe. A moment passed, and his place was taken. Another voice gave the directions he was too stunned to think of giving. Mr. Monitor did well that night ; he seemed to be everywhere, to think of everything, while Mr. Norbury stood by and watched his factoi:y burn. Bob had fallen behind the procession which had started from Mr. Norbury's house to the scene of the disaster, for now that his message was given, he had discovered that he was almost too lame and footsore to walk at all. He hobbled on, however, and reached the mill again just as the fire engine dashed up. Flame, smoke, and hissing clouds of steam rose together from the doomed building as the water played upon it. The fire crackled and roared. Beams crashed down and swept the loosened brickwork from its place. The red light glowed on the faces of the crowd, excited, calm, or frightened as the case might be — on Mr. Norbury, apathetic and despairing, on Hugh 'll m FACE TO FACE WITH DEATH. 385 and Mr. Monitor, energetic and earnest, and on Bol) Littleton, shouting, gersticiilating and limping, always busy and generally in the way. kind-hearted and officious as ever. He had found his shoes at last, but not before his feet had been badly cut by stones and burnt by hot ashes. In spite of his sufferings he still hobbled manfully about, risking his life every moment by going too close to the flames or getting under the tottering walls. Evidently he had a conviction that without his help the fire would not be put out, and nothing would induce him to leave his post till the factory had sunk to heaj)S of blazing rubbish. The firemen had worked nobly to save the place, though they had seen from tlie first that it was almost impossible. It was even a matter of difficulty to prevent the conflagration from spreading to the buildings near by, but when the dark winter morning dawned this danger was over. The ruins of the mill still smoked and smouldered, but Mr. Norbury's neighbors were congratulating themselves on their narrow escape from sharing his misfortune. The matter might have been worse. The loss was almost covered by the insurance, but the owner of the factory declared that he was ruined, and appeared to be inclined to accept the faet with stolid resignation. He shut himself up in his own room, nnd resented all intrusion, until P^lsie found means of rousing him. CHAPTER XXXIII. OUT OF REACH. THE preparations for Elsie's wedding went on in spite of everything, though she herself was almost too much occupied with other matters to pay attention to the details of her attire and of the great feast which was to follow the marriage ceremony. Under other circumstances, she would have found some compensation in these things for the age and stoutness of her bridegroom, but now her whole mind was bent on one object and that was neither more nor less than tlie punishment of the traitor Stanton. She was not generally vindictive. She would have forgiven him readily for the pecuniary losses he had brought upon them, but she could not forgive his long pretense of love and his final casting her off. Even now she would have spared Warrington if she could, though he had almost murdered her ; but to punish Mark she was willing to risk anything, even the disclosures he might choose to make to her dis- credit. At least she thought so, now that he was out of reach, and she urged her father to make every effort for the apprehension of the criminals. 386 OUT OF REACH. 387 Rewards were offered, so large that to a poor man they would be a fortune. Detectives were set upon the track. Photographs and descriptions of the pair were scattered broadcast through the land, and Elsie watched every post, expecting hourly to hear of their capture. Mr. Norbury was as eager for their punishment as his daughter, when once he was roused sufficiently from his apathy to take measures for this end. He savagely regretted the days when they would have been hanged for their crime, and in the first flush of his wrath narrowly escaped an action for libel. He made a journey to Inglefield for the purpose of taunting Mr. Thersey with the hopeless failure of his widely advertised new material, but not adhering to his original intention of being courteous and polite through all, he found himself roundly accusing the maker of the "Albatross" of robbery and lying. Mr. Thersoy had already had to endure much from his own partners, for ho .had involved the firm in heavy loss, and he was in no mood to bear patiently with Mr. Norbury's sneers and insults. Fortunately he contented liimsclf with threats, and Mr. Norbury at last departed, still loudly vaunting the superiority of the improved " Rainproof " over every other protection against the weather known to man. But though he showed no generosity to a fallen foe, and could choose 388 THE liAINPliOOF INVENTION. the time when a man was " down" to tulniinistor hid hardest blows, he had some sense of justice, and iiis next proceeding was to write a short hut full apology to his nephew for his unwarranted suspicions, and to beg him to be present at the wedding. Maud was tortured through these dreary days with agonies of suspense and shame, and at last she saw ti report in The Adviser that the criminals were tniven. It was the evcMiing before Elsie's wedding day, but she could think of no better wav to leaiii the truth than to go to Mr. Norburv's house. Mr. Norbury vvas out, but Elsie was tit home. Maud hardly waited till the servant had closed the door, but began, '' Oh, Mi.s Norbury, can you tell me if it is true that Rulph has been ttdven ? " " I have not heard it. What made you think so?" said P^lsie. " There is a report in The Adviser that he is." "Only he?" "No; both." " I don't think it's true," said Elsie with perceptible disappointment. "They would have telegraphed to my father, if it had been." Maud had meant to utter no reproaches, but Elsie's unsympathetic tone made her forget all her good reso- lutions. " Miss Norbury," she exclaimed impulsi .oly, " Ralph never would have sunk so low if you had not OUT OF BEACH. 389 to"*iired him so. You ought to kuow, you must know, thsit some of the bhime of his crime lies at your door. If real justice were done, you would be punished as well as he." Elsie shru<>;e." "• But, Arthur, the disgrace" — "I shall begin to think, Maud, if you talk about the disgrace like that, that we have got into one of those uncomfortable stories where the heroine — I think it generally is the heroine — sacritlces her lover's happiness to that fetish of disgracing him. I have no patience with it in books even, and if you talk in that way, I shall have less still. Why, Maud, I have always thought that one of your strong points was common sense ! It sounds more like my cousiu Elsie to talk in that romantic fashion ! " " Another thin^j is, how can I keep my promise to OUT OF liluACil. 393 my motlicr if I don't try to liiid |u)or Halpli? If ho i'sciipcs, lu' will lu'cd MU! more tluiii (ivcr." '• If li«' I'scMpi'M, it will not Ik; ousy to fliul liim, MiiiHJ ; :ui(l if he does not, yon conld not holi) him in siny cjiHc, ill li!ii.st Un- Hovcnd yciirs. Hnt, iiH I tohl yon lon^ '^\l^^^ I v/iil do my nlmost to lu'l|) yon to hhvo him. I liMvc ninth! np my mind, Rlaiid, not to ^o h'M'k to liondon withoni yon." *' Hnt, y\rthnr, I coiild n't h'nvi! Wluirton yet." " I will give yon till the day after to-morrow," Haid Arthnr, calmly pro('ee(|inoor fel- low frantie, and then wouhl n"l have aiiythim; to say to him." Charley lauob? 'I'alking of IMrs. Monitor's oM admirers, what has become of Dr. 'I'hay this Christmas? 1 didn't see him at chureh this mornin'4." "' Did n't you? he was there," said Katie, '' and his wife, too; liut iie\er miml them. I wanted to ask Artiiui', while I lia\e a uooil ehanei', wliether it is ti'ue that he has written anolliei' new Itook?" Arthur smiled. '' Yt's, I will semi it to yon as soon 4IS it is jirinted. Did you know that Maud illus- trated it fur me?" 412 THE liAINPIiOOF INVENTION. M Arthur had been steadily gaining ground as a novel- ist, and his last book had been a success from every point of view, but he was still working earnestly at the social problems that interested him so much. Even as it was, his stories had thrown light into many dark places, and had been the means of drawing atten- tion to abuses of long standing, but he hoped soon to do more direct work with his pen for the good of tlie toiling classes. One curious result had followed his success ; his father's family had suddenly recognized him, and now that he was well able to face the world unaided they were prodigal of offers of assistance. Arthur courteously refused them all, and Maud reso- lutely held aloof, and refused even to visit with the family at Dene Manor with a touch of the old self- assertion that had been so sorely repented of. But it sometimes cropped uj) still, more often now on her husband's account thr.n on her own. She and Arthur lingered behind the others as they walked slowl}' to Bob Littleton's house. It was late, and the quiet streets were as silent as they had been when the u)ill was burnt. On the ste[)S in front of the factory lay a dark figure, moaning and muttering. They passed it with a pitying glance ; the next moment Maud turned back with a wildly beating heart, for there was a sudden shriek of her own name. AFTER SEVEN' YEARS. 413 4 next In another second she was beside her wretched brother, kneeling on the stones. He did not know her, either then or for many days afterwards. In the ravings of his fever they learned something of the wicked, miserable life he had lived since he left AVharton ; not all, but too much. And in her bitter shame for him Maud tried to keep every one but Arth';r ':»ut of his room. It was days before the fever left liim, and then it was too late. Intemperance, privation, and remorse had done their work, and he was sinking fast. But he had come to his right mind, his mother's prayers were answered, even in his last hours. He was ready at last to say, " Father, I have sinned, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. Make me as one of thine hired servants." He no longer blamed either Elsie or Stanton as he blamed himself. Maud thanked God that his eyes were opened at last, and asked forgiveness for her own want of faith and patience, that though she had prayed, she had scarcely looked for tiie answer, for a dreadful unspoken fear had gradually grown up in her mind during these years of waiting that Ral[)h was l)e.yond God's promises and out of the reach of his mercy. Now she was ashamed to have so wronged him, and in her share of the trials that come to every one she took courage from the darkness of the past. 414 THE liAlNriiOOF INVEXTION. Little now roimiiiis to In; said, Klsiu, in spite of ii slowly growiiJji; esteem for her luishund, In'eanie more diibconteiitecl uiid not less fond of luliiiirutioii us she grew older, so that it ixMiuired all I\[r. Monitor's philosophy and serenity to prevent their lives j)eing alto