Part 20 (1/2)

Never saw him before in my life What number did you want, sir?”

”This,” said Chester, sternly, as he looked the young h will speak Believe reat interest in your brother's case Can I see hiain?”

The lady he addressed turned to one of her companions and whispered a feords, whereupon Mrs Jaentleman to find the box he is in search of, Dennis? The place is so dark now the curtain is down, and he does not see theman ”Ah, here you are, then, at last,”

he cried, as the entrance was darkened by another figure ”Coentleman wants to find some friends of his, and he has come to this box by mistake”

”Indeed!” and Chester at that one word felt the blood surge up to his tean to le

”Well,” continued the speaker, ”it's very easy, dear boy Places are so confoundedly dark Couldn't get here sooner, girls;pardon, sir; the box-keeper could no doubt help you”

The cool, contemptuous manner of the man took away Chester's breath, and he felt hiive place

”Thanks, htly aside for Chester to back out ”Don't apologise They ought to light up the house more when the curtain is down”

The next moment the door was thrust to, the catch snapped, and as Chester stood there, undecided what to do, he could hear the voices within carrying on a conversation which sounded so calm and matter-of-fact that in his excited state the listener asked hiht senses, and at last hurried away, to pause in the refreshlass of brandy to steady his nerves

He did not return to his seat in the stalls, but stopped in the entry, where, invisible in the gloo his glass upon the occupants of the box he had so lately quitted

As he stood there, feeling half stunned, he went over the words that had passed and the action of the in that all was quite consistent with the conduct he ht have expected froe

At last he saw a , and, desperate ale and despair, he hurried round to station himself in the lobby, where he felt certain that the partythat he was about to seek another doorway

Then he saw that he was right, for the big, bluff-looking brother and cousin ca him, spoke to the footman Chester had seen at the house, and then returned, as if to join their party

A few st the crowd, the tide turning them quite to the outside, so that they were close to him atched the whether he could have made any mistake

”No,” he whispered to himself, as he fixed his eyes on the beautiful woman, upon whose arm he could have laid his hand, so close was she to hiaze influenced her, for when she was just abreast she turned her head quickly, and her eyesfellow's arm

Chester's look seee in those brief ht before her There was no start, no sign of the slightest e look of one who seee who had made his appearance in their box, otherwise one who upon Chester to follow, but for quite aas if he had been stunned

Then, with a strange, harsh utterance, he forced hih the well-dressed crowd in his endeavours to follow the party, but weeks of anxiety and abnoriddiness attacked hiroan he reeled and fell in the

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

AUNT GRACE'S CURE

Chester was borne into the box-office, and a medical man sent for, under whose ministrations he recovered consciousness, and soon after was able to declare who he was and his ability to return home unaided

In the short conversation, the doctor, upon learning that his patient was a fellow-practitioner, took upon hi

”Mustn't trifle with this sort of thing, my friend,” he said ”You know that as well as I can tell you, eh?”