Show THE BLUE CIRCLE V by y elizabeth jordan Q by th the century co wnm service CHAPTER IX continued 16 renshaw walked slowly lowly back to the house bouse and liel leaving living his coat and hat it in the lint hall closet entered the study and shut and locked the door lie he wanted to be alone and to think un he sat down in i chair before the fire anil and mentally held stanleys Stan leys story etory up for inspection he believed the old mart man had bad told him all he knew ile ie believed that what lie he had told him was true he also balso knew with absolute certainty that the little episode of madame memoirs vital as it was to her hec and the ann cnn abells had nothing whatever to do with the lie phenomena he himself had find observed at taano ker unless indeed the freakish exchange of the leather cases haij had some borne connection with them madame memoirs did not account for prowling climbing things for blue circles and tor for all the personal attention he himself had received abad in the still hours of the night he was in no way connected with the memoirs neither did the fact that the household staff was on guard ile ac cout cobit tor for these things but by the way if the servants were on guard why the deuce they heard some of tho the sounds that hul had disturbed win him possibly they had confined their pussyfooting pussy footing to the other wing of the house the one that held the memoirs and their owner that eliat would be natural enough also there would be only one of them on it alic job each night they would take turns lurns of course tile the contrast between the interesting but simple explanation stanley had given him and the things lie he himself knew als was nothing short of startling ing Ren shaws mind dun cluna to that but lie he went to ills desk seated himself and stretched a resolute blind toward lie he morning mall mail to attend to that was his obvious duty now ills his other duties were not obvious at all he was in charge I 1 whatever tt lat at meant personally lie he wits was to watch the memory of the command and the manner in which it waa vas delivered made him nod slowly to himself out of all the tangle around him ono fact at least loomed clear campbell did know perhaps lied had just learned that something other than the file foreign menio memoirs irs needed watching tit at thano T nano ker something had find happened to 0 o campbell last night something hat had opened his eyes something wat had then possibly caused ills collapse to find out the exact nature of that hat something was real job it a large lame order but lie would do ills his best tile the prospect greatly stimulated him film to write a dozen letters B s day and hang disconsolately around aroun d tile the house the rest of the line would woul d have har depressed him very much T the e a alternative ter native to keep his eyes open to watch to got 0 to o the bottom of it business nes that flint first annoyed nn noyed then puzzled and finally fascinated him would be worth while ile he ought to ile he able to make some progress pro gres tonight lip HP felt an inner certainty lint flint ut lit least he be would he given tile the chance the longest thickest anvel enve pe in the heap of mall was nd addressed dressed to himself ile he tore it open with n quickening bulck en of his hearl beat beati anti a number of In closures fell out lie he alck picked d those there vp and e them nt at first alint fever IsMy then ihen carefully care careri filly iny arid with great deliberation dellbe ration As he lid did so RO it became clear that hat they hey were not only interesting hut but highly satisfactory at last lie he bild lild the lie In closures don find and leaned buck in his chair for a moment of self miss aliss campbel if she hid had been present would have heen been interested in the change of tits his expression she had seen something like it once before b a sudden illumination of ills features like the a light through darkness hut but tills this change did not pass almost at once as the other had done it lingered a long time while the new secretary lips pursed in a contented whistle opened and read the remaining retna ining mall mail chapter X tho the closed door at luncheon that flint day renshaw regarded madame with the added interest due to tits his knowledge of her story she had of course lost the gayety gaiety of the night before and wore the subdued air be befitting a guest in a stricken household but under it wits was an effort of mental ease and relief subtle but unmistakable his appreciation of this increased na as the meal went on and the four at the table exchanged comments com menta on the reassuring news new from the sick room morris giving this in person and himself to in in obvious state of physical and mental well being as new na as it was grateful made his reports with unction mr campbell to Is doing self 11 lie volunteered over bis his grapefruit better even een than we dured dared to hope he fie has bus a constitution that la is aluz ing in a 11 man illan of ills ago age or of course the life lie he has bug led Is liel helping ping him a lut lot A man ought to llev a thousand years in an atmosphere like this ile he glanced around the room and observing that for a moment the ulily altous julnes was not present pe ent was arns moved to a heartfelt heart felt fell encomium and that lint man jenks jenka Is a wonder tie fie fervently went on ive never neier approved upp of mul much waiting on uny myself self I 1 thought we ve were all better off without it besides Hes ldes I 1 knew I 1 have it anyway in my bachelor establishment lish ment so I 1 might as weft wela learn to baft alt on myself hut but since ive been here jenks has taught m me e what it Is to a tired man to have nil all ills bis personal wants anticipated from tile the moment he crosses the threshold I 1 ni going to spend the rest of my life looking for a man like jenks he solemnly ended lahat thai la Is it if I 1 can ever eer earn enough to keep him bilm after I 1 find him madame caught the flying bull ball of tribute and neatly ping longed it toward verity all your servants are quite wonderful my dear she contributed 1 11 I did not expect that for I 1 had heard the lie stories of americas servant problems it Is I 1 nm am sure to you that we owe tills this perfection she turned to morris miss campbell attends to all she explained yet no one ever ee sees how do you put it the wheels go coundi each morning site she lins hns everything arranged for the day before we lazy ones are out of our beds penshaw glanced at verity this was news to him filin even after ills his talk with jenks lie he had assumed that miss Climp campbell bells s part in the household routine wits confined to making out the menus ile he wished that she would look after tile the linen supply a little better ile he liked a lot of towels and since the day of his arrival 11 his Is towels had dad not been replaced of course c birse lie he had been told that lie he could find fresh linen in that liall hall closet near his room but at file he recurrent moments ilien lie missed it he usually was vas v as in an ex state of undress and had soap in ills eyes ees it was not convenient in these conditions to plunge into tile lie outer regions of the hall for fresh linen verity was slinking shaking tier her head bend I 1 dont do much she corrected jenks Is really quite unusual ns as doctor morris says ile he th thinks inks of grything v ry thing I 1 often wonder how we got or on before lie he came caine morris returned to tho hie topic that flint next to his excellent luncheon held field ills interest Int prest vrest la 11 living ing in a bed of roses I 1 call it lie ile observed A and n of I 1 its ts abil s going to save our patient ali ab peine peace rest relaxation no wor ry i no strain not one man in a million can have nil that flint your grandfather hiis has it ills last to ve verity r ity and youre quite sure ile he will get acl IV el T the girls low voice olce was suddenly unsteady looking tit nt tier her more CIO clodi sely saw that she bhe was showing tile the effects of tier her nights vigil tier her clear pallor was intensified ond and there were shadows under tier lier eves eve 9 1 I a doubt or of it morris poke heartily hut but with tin nn utterance sollie what snuffled by broiled sweet breads in fuel fact I 1 feel so comfort nebout him that im going fining off for it a few hours tills this afternoon Alis tnt t neglect my other oilier patients you know chit to tie be absolutely ill telephone several times in caise you ou want to reach me its largely a question of nursing now and entire quiet were keeping all you good people out of the sick room you saw my aunt mrs airs pardee tills this morning t you doctor verity verily asked yes I 1 looked in on my mv way down to lunch grips nil right only a slight cold no temperature no suggestion of influenza ive told her to stay in bed today fortunately ashes not anxious about air campbell she has accepted our prediction that lie he will soon be around again through the he nand mind of each of tits hla three listeners flowed tile the tame same thought airs pardee the he one member who had been utterly unconscious of them he undercurrents under currents tat it taano ker was also the one consistent pessimist in n that menage she had find never had bad cause to worry and title she had never clea ceased sei to do so now that genuine reason for worry offered itself she I 1 cast it off as unconsciously as a bird sheds a wing B ing feather after luncheon adorris followed greishaw into the study to smoke a companionable cigar he had found an opportunity to carry out his bis resolution to sound stanley about this odd young chop chap who looked like a pessimistic greek athlete in modern clothes the abe little he be had bad learned had bad added to his bis Inte interest reSL apparent ly the secretary secre tarr had passed through an experience that would have knocked out most men lor for all time there teemed seemed little left of its effects effect except the young mans detached alir air morris had also been told something about madame and had grasped the interesting fact net that a minute representative of european royalty was in the main hal at n the moment of stanleys Stan leys recital earnestly engaged in kicking her burso in the stomach as that stolid person bore her off for tier her morning nap morris had never before moved in such cir circiello ciell as these chese lie he had a conviction cint ho he never would again ills orni firm intention was to make the best of ills his opportunities first by doing his utmost for ills tor for lie ile was waa a conscientious ninn man aind next fly by seeing as much of these interesting persons ns as tits his duties allowed found himself unexpectedly liking the country doctor who was so simple so direct and so humah and whose enjoyment of the unusual creature comforts that surrounded him wits ns as frank na as a school schoolboys boya might have been ile he was almost tempted to speak to morris about the thing and about tie fie blue circle almost but not quite ile he hod bad not failed to take in the full significance of tile the physicians words during luncheon needed above everything else perfect pence peace and quiet to suggest flint after all tills this admirably run establishment did riot not offer these things would seriously upset the physicians serene frame cl mind even if ile he accepted the statements at their face value which probably ho he would not do the two men clint chatted led of the patient tin and of the lie reports in the he morning newspapers and parted in fifteen euln utes morris to make an afternoon round of ills other r patients and renshaw henshaw to mount to ills his room ile he had some vague notion of asking jenks to escort hirn through lie he house he fie would most awfully like to know the entire plan As lie he reached the upper tipper hall he met inet verity at tile ho hend head of the staircase her presence there surprised lafin the inmates of tile ho left felt wing genor generally tilly used a side stairway that flint led to 0 o the rear of the binnin hall probably miss aliss campbell lind and been on it housewifely tour four of tion site she ans evidently about to ID descend but she stopped now low racing facing him jis its if she find something to say we ve have been so confused sance kance anine mr air kenlow she iho li lagan that I 1 lin vinvent vent tind find a chance to ask you lou if you tire ore comfortable con fort ablo in your lour toom loom I 1 hope you are standing on tile lie slop below tier lier lie bo was on a ine with tier eyes acs lie had never before faced tier her so dire elly or looked so steadily into those bose brown depths the experience gave lihn all odd d sensation as it if lie were a ihre going down down in some clear hot romless less sea ken under the lie influence of f t ills as e notion emotion lie self ly stammered hla his reply why y K 4 thanks im nil all right she move moved as it if to pasq falln lie ile did not want tier lier either to moe inove or to pass ile he wanted to keep her eliere lie he had a conviction that lint now for the list first time lie ivas meeting and talk anik ing to the normal verity last night site she tin had been human enough but panic stricken today she wits was simple natural and it if not arl friendly endly tit it least cordial slip she looked at him as ag if she klie saw flint she definitely accepted him as a Ill member elliber of tale lie household under the birco of ills his wish to prolong the grac gracious moment lie caught at the be trailing railing nd n of ills bla half formed resolution 1 I mia its thinking of asking jenks show me ine over the lie bouha lie fie benl enl on almost you will 1111 do it if you have time slie site looked surprised then lien seemed secir eil to understand of course I 1 will if you lelce illco slie she told old him nut but she he theres heres no need of it if you lire bre thin thinking lIng of madame rs nf fairs now that nil all her papers tire lire in a safe fate place din can we assume that her enemies knort they ire are in a safe place arent you taking it for granted flint aliey know it because we know it 1 and if they dont yet know it won wont t they still be prowling around ile he was leaning his elbow on file be upper rail of the staircase speaking with a light lightness lightners ners that did not go lah iltz bis words nij dij looking at berwith her with tile the suggestion of a smile in its his eyes she appeared rather taken aback why I 1 suppose so she slowly conceded all we had taken in was waa the relief of knowing that now t they 11 ey con can prowl around if they like 1110 without doing any harm barm have they been prowling his eyes with their half smile were still on hers here leoni thinks so BO madame lef I 1 mean she corrected herself she thinks she has seen figures lurking in the grounds but I 1 fancy she imagined them she Is very nervous and high strung and she has had bad some horrible experiences on the other side ton yourself have never seen been or heard anything she shook head bead TO BE BB |