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"Yours, ELEANOR LORTON"

Men take the blows of Fate in various fashions Drake's as to take

his punishment with as little fuss as possible His face went very

white, and his nostrils contracted, just as they would have done if he

had coly cropper over a piece of tied and strained a voice

that Dick started, and gaped at hihast

"She's----Didn't I tell you? Didn't she tell you? She's gone----"

"Gone!" repeated Drake dully

"Yes; she's gone to London, to some relations of ours--that is, one, but he thought he understood why

she had gone She meant to abide by her resolution to break with hied to distrust, perhaps--God knew!--to actual dislike

He turned to the horse and ed the bridle

"It--it doesn't matter," he said "I'll take the horse down Oh, by the

way, Dick, I ht"

"What, you, too!" said Dick "I say, there's nothing serious the matter,

is there? It's only a lovers' tiff, isn't it?"

"I'm afraid not," said Drake, as calmly as he could "See here, Dick, on't talk about it; I can't Your--your sister has broken our

engageht

Do you hear? She's quite right," he repeated, with a sudden fierceness

"Everything she says is right I--I admit it I am to blame"