Part 14 (2/2)

”Will you go?” he asked, squarely eyeing his brother

Joseph fell a-pondering He knew Gregory to be a ht hiued by Gregory's speculations touching the boy's fate and recri his own selfishness On the other hand, however, the journey daunted him He was not a man to sacrifice his creature comforts, and to be asked to sacrifice theht to his inclination to refuse the undertaking

”Since you have the th, ”does it not occur to you that you could plead with greater fervour, and be the likelier to succeed?”

”You know that Cro ear to you than to me--perchance because you knoell upon occasion hoeave your stock of texts into your discourse,” he added with a sneer ”Will you go, Joseph?”

”Bethink you that we know not where he is I land”

”Will you go?” Gregory repeated

”Oh, a pox on it,” broke out Joseph, rising suddenly ”I'll go since naught else will quiet you I'll start to-rateful yet if you will start to-day”

”No, sink ory ”You ain; the sky, he urged, was heavy with rain

”What signifies a day?” he whined

But Gregory stood his ground until almost out of self-protection the other consented to do his bidding and set out as soon as he coulddeter Master Stewart for the amount of discomfort which he was about to endure on his behoof, he went to prepare for the journey

Gregory lingered still in the cha h of contelass of lass the door opened, and on the threshold stood a very dainty girl, whose age could not be ory looked on the fresh, oval face, with its wealth of brown hair crowning the low, broad forehead, and told hihter he had just cause for pride He looked again, and told hiht; she had not the air of a maid whose lover returns not fro, and the eyes--low-lidded and blue as the heavens--were bright with lu on a journey?”

Gregory was s to the test

”Kenneth,” he replied with significant e her closely

The rave expression that added to their charory had looked for fear, leastways deep concern, and in this he was disappointed

”What of hiht, and that's the rub It is tioes to seek it”

”Think you that ill can have befallen hi his answer Then

”We hope not, sweetheart,” said he ”He may be a prisoner We last had news of him from Worcester, and 'tis a week and ht there Should he be a captive, your uncle has sufficient influence to obtain his enlargehed, and ently ”He may be wounded”