Show 1 THE RETURN of ANT 2 TRENT ENT f By WYNDHAM AMAy M MARTYN ARTYN by be- Pare Bare B r A 1 CHAPTER XIV Continued XI XIV Continued 28 28 It Ite worth a half million dollars today Trent went Bent on There are ninny mony bigger er stones worth half that but Done cone has hos the blue blue- white blue hill nome name of this It Is too famous o a diamond to try to sell pell You Toil know that as os well ell os as Ills CIs voice olce sank enk There There L a 8 BD on oh old diamond cutter who has hos done work for me at fit er Street In Amsterdam lIe He would cut It II In half for a price and forget all about It It If Itie he ie did that thol no DO expert dare swear that be knew the stone slone e l e ought to real realize ze ze at ot leo least t n hundred thousand apiece for tor each ench bait bolt Think what tho that I would mean menn to us as 1 I could loaf about the world comfortably and you could go somewhere and ond find lind peace pence and free free- freedom freedom dom from the strain you are endur log now DOW What about It She rose to her feet her face color colorless colorless le less You Yoo You have hoe been so 80 good to me said eald quietly that that I ho have e come to think of ot you as 08 the best man mon 1 I have eve en known the most gentle and 1 because I so much wished to believe It I thought you bad bod In reality put your old life behind you as os sincerely a I have e done And too I thought you believed In Inroe me 1 do he be said She shook her ber head bend No o If It you had hod you yon could never neer have hOfe offered me that She pointed to the temptation You hate shown me 1 I did not know you yot and that you yoo thought me a hypocrite She realized that this was the tha most bitter moment of ot her ber life lite Not ot until now had hod the consciousness of ot her lo lose e etor for tor Anthony Trent forced Itself so strongly Ulon ui on her ber She had bad admired him at first for tor his bis skill and audacIty audacIty lIy Ity for tor the Insolent coolness with which he had bad worked alone and laughed at authority Then she had hod come to see the finer filer side of ot his corn com r flex lex character the generosity which distinguished him and the absence of I Pettiness The Those These e characteristics she saw OW now she slie bad Idealized until she had reared upon their structure on an Anthony Trent who did not exist The had not changed Its spots You You mean you won on wont t use any ony pt pf the money I can realize for tor you on this stone Think well ell before you on an ons ane ans s e er My lly mind was made up long ObO abo no I need no time for consideration c che ell he be said after a pause 11 w what will you do That I cannot connot say Fay yet definitely sirs Irs Kinney thinks she slie can enn get me work I 1 have som some sonid skill In La tine sew sev sewIng log Ing and ind the mending of ut old lace loce It was as me at ot my convent ton vent How Ilow will wUl your eyes stand that strain be lIe demanded The Idea Ideo Is ludicrous lou propose to pass poss the rest of your life lite as n a working woman because of this silly prejudice I can get you something better than thon sew sewIng sewIng tog Ing Already 1 I am too much In your yourd d debt bt to accept more Gone Cone was as the pleasant Intimacy of ofa ofa ofa a few minutes earlier Uc ale could see almost a horror In her ber face tace She Slie re- re regarded re- re regarded re regarded him as one who had hod seer the light for tor a little w while bile and then at atad ad s first Ort breath gone goue back to the old and eo easier ler ways Don t t look at me like lIbe thatto that to he said try to forget torget what 1 I said sold She shoe shock k her ber head That would be Impossible She could coull not understand how bow In Ina Ina Ina a mOlT ent such as os t t-Is t Is he lie could re- re re- re regard re regard gard Eard her ber with a whimsical smile tie he no Intuition to warn him that hi defection til-defection detection defection had bod wounded tier her big Tl TI at lie he should think her re reI I only a matter of words ord showed her ber how III she bhe s he had bad Judged him It If you have hate made mode up your mind he sold said I suppose there Is no more to be said Nothing she slie answered I lan cannot an annot not Dot repay iou sou ou for fur all yuu ou La bas n done for tor me I 1 am om of afraid raid I shall ne never ewer er he be beable heable beable able to 6 dJ d J that I 1 am um leaving leasing Ing here to tody today dy day Good by Ly Mr Jr Trent Not tonight tie se ie said earnestly Please lease do me one ur fc I 1 am lea fog Ing town mid and span shan t be back bueb till Friday till tl tI en enI enI enI I prefer to go tons tonight lit hl If It If iou ou won wont t do du It as os a favor or I must put pul It In another way woy I m afraid It will sound rather brutal Dupin you iou ou are ure und under r certain obligate ns ne to me Apparent Apparently ly Iy they weigh rot rather her hia heavily lIy lly on your mind lou can enn repay me by remain remaining remainIng Ing here lIere until I return At t the out outside outside outside side It ft will be forty forty eight bours hours It Itt It t not net much to ask acle Is It lt t I Vory Vary Vory well she answered reluctantly I I will Walt wait olt forty eight hours She did not un 1 I t tow ow be could still smile nt nl her MM 1 lit e a nature of contradictions was his I IOne IOne One quest n before I go You nun nase told me me- several times that the f federal deral authorities were still seeking you rou R Mi h should they want you t lie Ile held Id uP u the diamond of this lea 1 e eh h ii i-ii lii answered I e or of 1101 II ali nl al t r in III hI he 01 al n 1 edi ed cd I III y r ur o nt was gir ItI itly t nur ri Isle isse I liy hy Its lis loss lObS Yo re do not know that belt befi re the United States Stales went Into the war a II certain tl royal per u nuge who Is oddly madea enough very pry pI r here mode made madea a secret t In a t In order to hasten this his country a 8 entrance into Inlo the war oar tie lie was here as a secret guest of the go government Ab Absolute secrecy was os preserved Only once did h ha lea leave e his fast cruiser and come by night to meet lashington let that night tI tie e a s diamond which he carried as hi his bringer of fortune his his god g nd od luck luckstone lockstone stone was stolen Ills 0 own n go ern ment thought It unwise to allow ollow It to he be tobe known he was I ere and your own dare net nc t advertise the loss toss Now to-ow do you 1 what a 8 It would he to the omon who took It the memory of the affair was unpleasant You will alit III excuse me she slie suld said and Ignored his outstretched hand tIer lIer refusal to take It was Of Di n t crudely done that he divined her purpose ho he might have hOfe seen In fn the incident merely an oversight Why don t you YO gh give e a me your hand he asked It If any two people In this troubled world orld ought to be befriends befriends befriends friends they are ore you t and ind nd I In In the life I have hue cho chosen en there will not be room for friendships like that I shall work to forget torget And And I m to be Clr ore C of ot the forgot e s a I 1 Shall w cA c to Forget ten Somehow you yoa give gl me the Im that 1 lie Ise e disappointed youn you n Disappointed 1 l she cried her ber berlands herLands herlands lands pressed against t her ber heart It if that were only the word Quickly she went from the room Trent looked after r her ber and be he way wa still still 1111 smiling She She t shake hands he murmured as os be he walked down the stairway Mrs Money came come to the side of the woman lose wl ose sobbing distressed ber She Slie had grown to ex sincere affection for this mys mys- mys and ond lovely visitor hot liat Is It It my poor dear deor she whispered I 1 did not know one ones s heart could break brenk tw t twice lee iCe Mademoiselle Dupin cried wildly lor tor 0 or a long while the shrewd t louse louse- ous keeper kel per had watched ter I cr er visitors s In Increasing Increasing creasing Interest In Ani Anthony hony Trent or OP her ell en s attitude altitude sirs Mrs l neY was OS In no doubt whatever She suppo supposed ed there hud had been some dread dreadful tub ful quarrel which teemed coined tragic but which would pass oser o 01 er as os other storms en 1 1 I It will L Ie le e all right she said sold con com her Never efer never nefer In lite I sobbed elle DUlin Dui DU In 1 reut rents s was liS and his ils ml ul slon to 10 tee fee u cabinet yv y eer ter of wide influence who had Co for merly marl been amt ami to tt tl tie e a Lour Court ot of St James Anthony Trent had met him In I London under circumstances S so far for out of the ordinary tint tl II nt he did not thin he tie would lime hale ha e In recalling himself elf t I Mr Ur Cabinet are ore not easy of ac ac- ac- ac access access ces cess t 0 iron rom his room at nt the New v II 1111 lord lard Trent sought sou to speak peak to him user u er the ue ne Thie Thle proved pru to tobe tobe tobe be Impossible The cabinet colter was protected from telephonic 8 assaults aults by byo bya bya o a private ale secretary whose manners were too brusque bru que ue to suit sull Anthony Trent The secretary after atter learning that Trent would not tell him why lie he de de- desired de- de desired desired sired to see Elee Mr Ur VIII said sold It was as Idle to continue the con conversation Half an on hour bour later Trent came face to face toce with the secretary E lie Ile found him a big overbearing 0 youth who was holding his position during the Ibe recovery recovery ery from an on automobile accident ot of real Incumbent of the situation I I can cant task t ask Mr Hill Hili to see you un unless unless le less s I know what It Its s abort he said bluntly It la le I business Trent re- re returned re re- returned returned turned I 1 cannot discuss It with you Then you won wont t discuss s It with the chief said the other I came come from New ew York to see Mr hill and Im I ro m going to see EIe him AlJ ALn o oI I am not going to satisfy your curl lie s a dated doted ahead for tor three days Trent looked about him Ue lie was In inan Inan an ante onte room with a big davenport do I and ond some comfortable chairs chair I shall pass the time agreeably enough he be said sold 1 I have slept on the hard bard ground and that davenport do I Is luxury You You can coro t sleep bere here the secre secre- secretory secretary tary tory cried I shan shant t allow It IL I m afraid you take toe yourself too seriously said sold Trent lighting a orette arette The secretary secretory knew that In n less than on an hour bour Mr HIli would pats pa s through the room anteroom In that case the vic via victory victory tory tort would go to Trent 1 c e II 11 see you tomorrow afternoon be he be said At At four foure e 1 e Trent retorted I m afraid t I must deny myself tile the pleasure of your presence at the Interview lew III remain here bere until tour four tomorrow lie Ie had bad a shrewd Idea Ideo that Mr lIr must pass along sooner or later loter Gh Give e a me we your card said sold the secre secretory secretory tory scowling II ng In two minutes he returned Three thirty tomorrow he sold said crossly The chief will give you Just two minutes Try again said sold Trent pleasantly hat hot do you mean meon the other asked I vaulted over oyer this two foot toot bar barrier and looked through the crack crock of the door I saw you sit down light a 0 cigarette read a 0 letter through twice and then Iben ben come corne hack back You dun t even go Into Mr HIli Hills s a room Listen I 1 m here to see Mr Ir DIll now Go Co back bac there at 01 once I I will not not raid fOld the other flushing He lie sow saw the danger signal In the tn Intruder s a ees eyes The secretary ry was over o overbearing bearing but he was not For a moment he thought Trent Treat was about to 10 leap the barrier III gl give e you twenty t seconds saId Trent After that I shall e eyou you There s a 0 man outside raid paid th the secretory secretary speaking to the cabinet fifteen Otteen seconds later loter who says you s vc e l Jot ot of to see sec him I don t t I like the looks of him at all If It I 1 were ere you sir P I Id d ba have lIa e him JIm thrown out Only tl ti e c I resident can Inn say I ye ve got to sec ee him said sold HIli frownIng Ito much too busy today anyway anyway l ay I at n was as tin the name I 1 didn t get It the Hid Cant t you read snapped Mr hill HIli lie took louk the lie card tord from the others other oilier b diners Anthony TI ent I Is be he waitIng wall wait Ing 1 les es he bl wouldn t take a hint The secretary was os sullen TO Bt BC CONTINUED |