"not A Word, Mind, To Dinah Ann."

"Not a word, uiind, to Dinah Ann ! " Dinah Ann herself", the spruker's wifi1 having strolled down the gardon in the sweet stillness of the sumuier night, heard those saggestive words as the giií pulled up at the gate, and her husband descended frotu it. She wan a pleawng little woiuan, of seven or eight and thirly, wil h dark brown eyes, a fresh faoe and a uatuml propensity to take her ownway, in the house and out of' it. Urawing baek froiu the gate behind the well-kept hawthorn hedge, she waited Tor what was to come next. ¦' Not a word, on your life mind, to Dinah Ann." " No fear ! " replied a voice, which she recoenized as that of her brother, Harry " I know what wonieD are. She'd be f'or - for revolutionizing the house, and licrsclf too, once let her get an inkliog of thif. No fear, James 1 Take care, on your aide, tliat you don t lose thal - or let Dinah Ann find out." " I'll lake care. When are you coming to smoke a qu i et pipe with we? l hall want your advice as to - " "One of these evenings," interrupted the lawyer, as he drove up the lane. "Good night." James Harbury, uhstantial farmer and agriculturist, canie through the gate and tuniL'd to fasten it. Had he turncd the other way, to the left instead of to the right he would have seen his wife standing against the hedge as close as she could fctnnd, alniost into it. He did not see her, and went straight up the path to the house. When his footsteps bad died away, Mrs. Harbury wound lier light sutnuier gown over her black silk apron, caught hold of' her lilac cap strings, lest the cap should fly off, and ran swiftly up the narrow sidewalk got round to the back, went through the house, let drop her gown aud entered the sitting-room, all calinly, assoon as her huabaad. "Got back?" she exclaimed, with quite a look of surprise. " Just come," replied the farmer, "Harry drove me in his gig." " What brings Harry up here in his gig at this time? and why did you not come back with Hall?" inquired Mrs. Harbury, who liked to be at the beginning and end of everything. " Harry had to come," said the farmer, who seemed to be walking about rather rest lessly- and who never thought of sach a thins as rpfusinp to satisfv his wifo's ÍuestioDS. " He got a message f rom the owd farm to go there without loss of titne. I thought I might as well come with him, Dinah Ann. As to Hall, I left liim stuek in the tap-room of the 'Tawny Lion;' he didn't order his gig to be ready before ten o'clock." "Just like Peter Hall! You'd have taken the reins yourself, James, I reckon, had you come back with him." "Oh, he'll not get as bad as all that! But I say, Dinah , it's a sad thing about l'atridge at the Dowd farm. A day ortwo ago he went out with his haymakers - and you know what a man he ia to work when he gets set aboat it - got into a heat and drank a lot of cold eider. It struek to him fordeath, so they say, and Harry has gone to niake his will. " " What a dreadful thing!" exclaimed Dinah Ann, wbo had a feeling heart, with all her curiosity. " Ay, 'tis. I think I'd like a smaok of cold beef, Dinah Ann though it is late. I got talking to your brotherin his office and missed my tea; so l've had nothing since one o'clock dinner. Whilo Phoebe puts it on, I'll just go and take a look at White Bess. ' ' "White Bess is all right," said Mrs. Harbury. '' So much better that Evan's thinks, you might havo ridden her in today. No need to go and see her now." "Better, is she? I ehouldliketo giveher a look." lle took up bis bat, which still lay on the table, and went out. Mrs. Harbury's eyes followed him, they were full of speculation, and her mind also. " I don' t believe he is gone to look at the mare," noliloquized she. "He'll not disturb her, now he knows she's all right. And how absent and fidgety ho seeined I Thcre is souie mystery agato and I should like to know what it is. I wonder whether - I hhould nut thiuk- no, I should not think he eau have stolen out to meet somfibody," she concluded, her tone dubious in spiu: of the stress laid on the " not." Stopping lightly into the kitchen and giving hur orders to l'huebe about the supper tray, she catight up an old waterproof cloak tliat huug iu the back passage, threw it on to hide her light dress and crept out uiïrr her huband. It was a very light and beautiful night- in fact, it oould not be said to be yet as dark as it would he, and that is never dark in the fipe nights of sunimer. "For him to lose his tea," ran her thoughts, "oi' all thingg ! It must be snuie uncommonly urgent business to nduoe James to forego a meal of any kind. I do wonder what secret they may have got between them. 'Nota word, for your Ulo, mind, to Dinah Ann,' cries he. 'No fiar,' an-wtis H;irry ; ' I know what warnt-n are ; and she'd be revolutionizing the house, ind hersolf too.' Yes, that I t-hou!d ; but it's them I'd revolutionize, not inyselí', " sho said. "Ituiay be that old love affair cropped up again ! that woman whothrcuteued to bringan action for breach of üromÍM when MOM married me. Perhaps nho has been writing letters to hiin? ' Mind you don't let Dinah find it,' says Ilarry, DOl :i maniéd man liimself, and a lawyer would lend himself to any eartlily thing without soruple. All lawycrs do." Tliis rural district, remóte froin tlic haunts of wily men of' tlie world, wbs given over entirely to farmers and farmiog interests, simple mindad aod simple mannered pedple, wli,, lived out thcir unevcntful lives in the routine of' daily dutii's. The small market town of Northam, four miles dia tant, was ileepyand primitive, never awakening froui its slunibers .-ave on the weekly market day. Ii !,ad its parsou, its doctor and its lawyer- flarry Leete- all thrce of them hoing m -;nly as simple as the farmers. Not simple in poinf of intellect, it must be underatood ; bat as to 1 i fe and mannen. ThU (Thoraday ) was mai ket day. James Harbury had som to it in the gig of a brother, Peter Hall, his own mare, which he either rode or drove generally, being siek. He was a tal], sleniier man of nioe and thirty yeara, very f;iir. with exceedingly handsoni!' 1' atures and milil blue eyes; looking as unlike the popular notion of a farmer asa mancould look, and presenting a marked oontrast to his agricultura) neighbon. Sa (ar a appearanoe went, none of thetu, rich or poor, Dooid vie with James Harbury, and his toeiper and his hearing wi re alike gentle. He had one fault- though all pciple would not cali it a fault- love of mouev. Tli.it he was one oí the "warmet" f'inuersin the district, was univer:-alry believe 1, and the most saving of men. Too Bftving, his wife would teil him ;and where was the use of it, she would aak, considering she had Deither obiok nor child?- and vi'iy now and Uien and she would make the 111 n" fiy, lor -lie was a dear lover of pmart attire and of having pretty things about her. .James would wince and bid her to bc careful, hut he oever went the length o(' telling her she spent too much. He was fond of her and she of hiaj. " Neither obiok nor child." In that fact hatl laid a sharp sting. They had been married eight years now aml the sting was wearing itself away. Tiuio softens all things. He had never given her cause lor an unhappy thought- until tonight. He had never had ai;y strrets from her exeept that 4ie never could be brought lo teil her what the exact sutu was that he was eiabled to put by at the end of eaeh year. Dioab Ann Harhury did not care for that ; she knew that, howevir mueh it might be it wus lor her. But she did care forthis, this iny.sterious ecret which had come to her hearing tonight. She know howgood looking James was, how universally he was liked by man and woiuan, and what a kind heart he had - she put it "silt"- and something like jeal.iusy began to torment he.r spirit. When Jan.es carne in again the supper tray was at one end of the table and Dinah Aun, n unusual Ugbt in her eyes, mt at the otherond, uear the lamp, having taken up her tnitting. The farmer' s general marnier was easy and placid, though he had certainly seemed rsiless alter leaving the gig ; but now be was calm again. "Well," she said, as he cut himselfa slice of the cold boiled eef, "and how did you find White Bess?" ''üh! she seeius comfortable," he replied, looking around for the mustard pot. " You deccitful villian ! You know you did not go near the stable," thought his wife. " You are sure you think so? " she added aloud. "Ay ! White Bess willbeall herself again to-niorrow, Dinah Ann." "It'stuore than I shall be," thought Dinah Ann, "unless I can come to the bottom of this. " lie ate his supper nearly in silence, like a man who is menially preoccupied. And he enjoyed it, too, for he was very hungry. "James, do you ever hear anything now of that Euiiua Land." James Harbury laid down his knife and fork in surprise at the question aud looked across at his wife whose face was bent over her knitting. "Do 1 ever hear anything of Euiiua Land!" he repeated. "Whatcan make you ask that, Diuah AnD ? ' ' "What can make me askit? I don't know. The query happened to comí into my miinl. Why should I not ask it?" "There is no sense in it - that I see?" "But do you?" "Dol what?" "Ever hear of her?" " Why, you know she went out to - where was it? - the West Indios, I think - to her friends there - ever so long ago. Nigb upon eight years it must be. You know she did, Dinah Ann.'' "But she ruay write from the West In dies. Perhaps she does. Does she write toyou?" He shook his head to imply a negativo, and occupied himsolf with his supper again. Emma Land had once upon a time been a somewhat sore subject between them, for Dinah Ann was jealous in tho old days. " Do you ever see her, James?" "See who?" "You know. EmmaLand." "I can't think what has put all this toto your head to-night, Dinah Anti. How ia it? " "But do you?" "Dol what?" "See her." " Why, how could I see her? " returned he, in a sort of hopeless tone, that his wife fully thought was put on. ''She ia in the West Indie3 and I am here." "Ask no questions and you'll hear no stories.' " thought his wifo, quoting tbe line familiar to her in her school-girl dayn. "I should not at all wonder, Jame?, but Stoma Land has come back again." "May be. Two or threc year.s ago we heard she had married out there " " Who heard it? Who said it ? " "I knowl heard it; I rememberit quite well ; but as to who said it, I forgot that- your brother, 1 think. That she had marïied a cousin." " Oh ! Not that that's unlikely, for she was ready to inarry anybody. She'd have married you, you know. She laid trapa for you." " That's about true, I believe ; but I did not fall into them, Dinah Aun." And laughing good naturcdly, James Harbury tumed from the supper tray to reach his pipo. Dinah Aun rang the bell, resumed her koitüng, and feil into an unpleasant rêverie. A few dayi pas'sed away, thinga going 011 MÉOOtbly at the farm. Dinah Ann had recovered lier temper- at least she displayel ,10 signs ot its being ruffled. Janus Harbury was as usual, save at times he was a little absent and thoughtful. One afternoon he went upstairs to changc his ¦ lay ooat for a botter Ofli. "Where are you going?" cried Mrs. Harbury, qniokly, as he came down again. "Ouly into Nurtham. I siiall ba home early." "Into Northam! U's not market day. "No; but I'vegot aliitle business there -about those sheep, you know, Jinah Anu. L shall get, them at niy own piioe, ftern." „ , ,, 1, ¦' Of oourse you will. 1 tuld you so all along. But [ do wonder you eoald not iDtil to niorrow. " "üh, market day's always a busthng day ; one forgets balf one's business or ban uut time to do it. Anyway I thought I'd go in this afternoon. " I should like to go with you Jiunes." Mr. Harbury reoeived the impulsive wili with a blank look and bad 110 ready answer at hand. "I want lo buy a ncw silk gown and to order a best cap and ever 80 many other things. Yes; I will go with you, Jamos. I won't be five minutes getting ready." "But - Dinah Ann - nottoday. Ican't takc you tbis aflernoon. You sball go touinrrow, iustcad." ' '¦ Why can't you take ne ?" "Bunnen," he shortly replied. Aud, bis gig being just then brought round, White Hess in the shafts, he got into it without more ado, and drove away, calling out íood-by to his wife. " 111 be even with you, Mr. James," nodded she. The sun was setting when he drove in agUDwd round tú the atable yard. Jjeaving his horse and gig with Evan, he was eroesiiiij to the house, when his attention was caught by a huge volume of black smoke, puffing out of thechininey of a narrow building that was fonnerly made to serve as a brew and wash-house until the lan;pr one was built. Aa it was of no use now, was not in fact used for auy pui pose whütevpr, or entered by anybody from month's end to month'a end, Mr. Harbury naturally thought of fire. He rushod to it like a inadinan. In the tireplace under the furnace a firc blazed away, upon which uiore coal had recently been thrown. Whiter than death, James Harbury made one frantic move toward it, while a yell of whut really seemed like terror broko from him. Another yell succeeded, and still another ; then he collapsed utterly and feil upon a low wooden stool in wild despair. " Good heavensl"exclaimed Dinah Ar.n, who had been stooping over soruo blankets in the far orner. " What in the world is the matter? Is it spasm9, James? Let me run for the camphor. " " (Jamphor, indeed !" exclaimed the unhappy man. " Bring poison, rather - poi8on ! You've ruined me ! " " He's off his head! " was the pitiable suggestion. " Let me rub you, James. Where is the pain? In the chest? " He flung his arms aroun J in all directions, so that she could not get at his chest nor to any part of him. " Who lighted this fire' " he gasped. " Phccbe lighted it. I ordered her. The flue in the proper wash house bas taken to smoking trightfully. The blankets are to be washed to morrow, and will be put in soak to-night. But what is the fire to you, James, that you should be put out about it?" " It's everything to me," he answered faintly. "Five hundred pounds have been burned up in it." Kising from the stool- and Dinah Ann wondered the creaky old thing had not como down with hia weight - he hastened indoors, Bat down by the table and buried bis head upon it. Shefound him with his face hidden in bis hands. " Now, James, you just teil me what all this means - if you are not quite out of your senses. Come I intend to lcnow." " Yes, you may know it now," he said, lifting his face in its despair. "I had placed in the fireplace of that old furnace, in my old green pocketbook L500 in bank notes. And - and they are burnt ! They are burnt, Dinah Ann ! " Dinah Ann paused. " Where did the notes come from? " " From your brother - to me. A long while ago, years before I knew you, [ lent a friend over L400. He ran away with it tq Australia, and I lost my moncy and set him down as a rogue. But he was not so dishonest as I thought him ; he has made his fortune out there and is back again in London now, and last week transmitted the debt and interest to your brother for me, k I took the notes home the nigbt Harry drove me here." "And now just teil me, James, how you could think of putting bank notes intosuch a place as a furnace fire hole? " " I did it for safety. Nobody ever went in thero, and the furnace was never used." "Safety! Was there not your bureau in your bedroom?" " That's never locked." " Why, it's always locked." " Anvway the key was not to be taken out of it." " Ah, I see what it is - you were afraid I should see the uioney and want to spend it." "And so you would. Dinah Ann - a sum iike that comiog unexpectedly." he meekly rejoined. " Bonnets and frills and freli chairsand tables - youwouldn't have known when to stop." " Well, I must eay, James you have been rightly served for your want of confidence. No husband ever has a ooncealment from his wife, if she is a good wife, but he is sure to be paid for it. It is a loss, though, L500." lic groaned. " My business in Northam this afternoon was to consult with your brother about a good investment forit. " " What's this?" asked she placing before him the identical green case- with the bank notes inside it. James gasped. " Dinah Ann. Mydear Diñan Aun!" " Ah, its my dear Dinan Ann now - and whero would you be without me? I have given you a good fright, however. Don't you conceal a thing from me again, James." "1 don't think I wil)," he said. "How has it all come about? " " Why, I have just been playing a little as well as you. I was at the gate last Thursday night and heard what you said to Harry as you got out of the gig. It excited my suspicions and my curiosity." " But what did I say?" asked the farmer, really not remembering, between the excitement of the past misery and the present happiness. " Not a word, mind, to Dinah Ann. Not a word, for your life, mind, to Dinah Ann."