Show ME VAN ALIBI the snow had been falling for several minutes in little eddying gusts and already an appreciable number of flakes were collecting on the cape of miss dorothy storm coat as she turned into fifty fourth street at a swinging pace on her head framed by a soft halo of brown hair in which the drops of moisture glistened here and there a dark english walking hat had slipped coquettishly to one side her cheeks brilliant from the cutting wind and her eyes shone with exhilaration as eho battled against the storm to insignificant bertie carey advancing from the opposite direction she appeared like a delightful vision a delight considerably influenced of course by the fact that she belonged to the right set of visions or bertie being so little a man would not have looked a second time indeed it is doubtful whether anything short of miss dorothys genealogy on the maternal side would have induced him to give up bis daily game of dominges dominoes dom inoes at the olna and wheel about to join her promenade with such urbane oblivion to the coolness of his reception and it is not likely that at any other time miss dempsey would have resented bis intrusion quite co hotly but unfortunately tuna tely for him her memory still retained with vigor a graphic description detailed only the previous evening by her cousin jack during which excited to unusual emphasis by carels careys last faux pas he had gone so far as to declare him a consummate ass not fit for decent society dorothy having agreed with him in spirit if not to the letter felt that she was justified in taking strong measures on this occasion to walk down the avenue in his company at an hour when all her dear four hundred friends would t abroad and glancing curiously aroi their brougham windows or over the shoulders was a reflection upon h taste and discrimination which she was not ready to endure accordingly before the preliminary greetings were fairly over she was racking her brain for some way of dismissing him in vain she meditated a dozen clever feminine maneuvers that under any other circumstances cum stances or in any other locality would have been practicable it was carey himself who finally provided her with the means of escape awfully jolly this unexpected pleasure of a stroll with you he murmured ignoring the gait that was rapidly reducing him to breathlessness yes indeed returned dorothy with false serenity only it cant be a very long one as 1 intend making a call in this block this with unblushing effrontery fron tery although well aware that she could walk on to tho north river without finding a name on her list A mutual friend inquired carey 1 I think not this must be the house then since it is the last one misa dempsey gave a hasty surreptitious glance atthe window curtains and evidently found some reassurance in their design thanks yes I 1 suppose you will be at the greys good afternoon oh the greisl cried carey fired to fresh recollections you heard then if I 1 may 1 will wait and see if your friend is in if not we can con dinue conr chat now miss dorothy being an independent and somewhat peremptory young lady and having gone to all the trouble and risk of this subterfuge was anything but pleased at a turn which left her unwittingly outwitted but having gene so far it was necessary to play the farce out and ascending the steps with a good deal of suppressed indignation she pressed the bell the door was promptly opened by a neat capped maid Is dr robinson in she inquired glibly improvising the first name that came to her 1 believe so maam will you walk in for an instant dorothy wavered in total dismay this was a contingency for which she found herself completely unprepared then as her glance roved from the waiting carey below to the girl who had stepped hospitably back her resolution was taken to go in and explain on meeting the doctor that he was the wrong man seemed tha simplest and most natural way out of the difficulty and it would rid her of carey which was the main thing the room into which she was ushered gave her as a first impression a sensation of cheer and comfort and good taste it was fitted up as half office half library and a fire on the hearth i hed its unstable light on two largo chairs drawn up in a suggestively confidential manner within the seductive radiance dorothy had made a mental comment of all this before becoming amsire that one of these inviting chairs had an occupant who had slowly risen and was now facing her with an open curiosity which he did not take the trouble to conceal he was a tall broad shouldered athletic young man with a fine blond head and did not in the least resemble the family physician of dorothys infantile ailments 1 have bean expecting you he remarked calmly wont yon he seated but 1 called to see dr robinson explained dorothy fully expecting him to claim the distinction 1 I am very sorry replied the young roan imperturbably 1 I am dr bobin bons eons nephew neil sawtelle he was very uncertain about your keeping this appointment in fact he went out hoping to meet you elsewhere but left me to receive you if you came and gave bie entire authority to act in hia stead in the course of her life it is probable that miss dorothy had never experienced such a variety of emotions that it was a case of mistaken identity appeared plain but how to account for her presence here without betraying her name and her reason for ringing the bell appeared a problem difficult of solution 1 I am sure there is some mistake sho stammered at length 1 am not the person dr robinson expects 1 simply wanted to consult him about a slight cold aud will call again As my uncle is no longer a practicing physician J am sure that cannot have been your object he drew himself ap to nis full height which dorothy found rather overwhelming and adopted a sterner tone do be seated he repeated this ia a very serious matter and must be treated perilously sly your acquaintance with my unfortunate cousin is as well known to me in is details as to my uncle why try to deceive me as dorothy made an attempt for a hearing bat I 1 am not the person yon imek A am she declared with spirit 1 am miss dempsey indeed and to what reason does my ancle au old bachelor owe the pleasure of this visit today you must excuse my ignoring the cold he made a quick convincing gesture as she started hesitated and was lost you see it is useless he went on 1 I must insist on your remaining until you have answered a few questions but I 1 beg that you wont force TOO to be you can help when will dr robinson return in an hour or two at the most if yon prefer waiting for him that will be even better and he drew forward one of the easiest chairs but 1 cant stay here two hours cried dorothy now thoroughly alarmed and continuing to stand uncompromisingly nor is there the slightest necessity for it perhaps if I 1 state the case it will enable yon to see that you can use the same freedom with me as with the doctor and also how little we require of you provided you are honest and how unpleasant the consequences may be if you evade there have been great complications in two of the banks with which my cousin is connected and actual theft has been committed it has been proved past doubt at what hour the latter occurred and suspicion has fallen in the highest places my cousin will be implicated in the arrests unless it can be proved to the satisfaction of those interested that he was elsewhere at the time by tomorrow or at the farthest the next day all new york may know of it for some strange reason he refuses to account for himself now all we require is that you shall state auder path when and where yon have seen him since monday last 1 dont know what you are talking about and 1 dont wish to remain here any longer protested dorothy vehemently nonsense replied sawtelle almost roughly interposing himself between her aud the door my uncle gave me a description of you before he leffa the idea of you denying that you know albert van twiller is absurd at the mention of the name dorothy gave a little gasp of horror and amazement why of course I 1 know him she said unguardedly and then seeing too late that she was only strengthening his mistake ebe sank into the nearest chair with a pitiful wail of distress which did bot help matters oh this is perfectly dreadful she sobbed forgetting her dignity and moping her eyes with furtive dabs As for the blond giant on the rug he looked scarcely less uncomfortable comfortable nn and ill at ease 1 I dont see but that you wilf have to wait till the doctor comes if I 1 should let you go it would only mean publicity and an appearance at court and all sorts of complications which you ought tobe as anxious to avoid as we are miss mckinney 1 am not miss mckinney well my uncle will know who yon are anyway no he wont thought misa demp aey and relapsed into a damp and protracted silence 1 wonder if you would believe me ehe said at last impulsively turning on him a pair of moist indignant eyes if I 1 told yon exactly how I 1 did happen to come here 1 am dreadfully sorry 1 presume 1 have made a mess of it he replied irrelevantly perhaps we had better not try any more explanations till the doctor comes you see if I 1 had known that you were in the least reddening per the least like what you are I 1 never should have attempted a conversation As Dorot liy found nothing to reply to this another half hour passed reducing her to a state of nervousness that went far toward confirming sawtelle in his suspicions at last to the infinite relief of both a key sounded in the latch and bowing politely at her averted head sawtelle hastened into the halt already the doctor a hale hearty man of fifty was divesting himself of his overcoat and on catching sight of hia nephew he began to speak in a cheery excited voice such a day my boyl the jade escaped me in spite of everything and baided bailed on a this noon but that the worst of it no wonder albert refused to say anything about ker he knew the whole thing would come out and her testimony be worth shucks for you see ha has married her married her my dear boy do you understand As sawtelle made no response he glanced up hastily anything wrong oh nothing replied sawtelle in a dramatic whisper of despair except that I 1 have kept the prettiest girl I 1 ever saw in a state of torture for two she explain who she wg at first and seemed so agitated that I 1 never had a doubt about its being the ney woman you said she was dark black staring eyes and big as an amazon you say that this one is small and thoroughbred to the finger tips well well we must see about it and accompanied by his anxious nephew the doctor bustled into the room with an apologetic good will that somewhat disarmed the hauteur dorothy was trying to assume there has been a great mistake my dear young lady and one about which my nephew is deeply annoyed but you blame him because he was only following out my instructions although mistaken in the person and now if you will tell me to what I 1 owe the honor of this visit I 1 shall be very glad if 1 can retrieve in any way tho discomfort you have undergone thus brought to bay nothing was left for dorothy but to make full confession 1 I am miss dempsey of fifth avenue she began but was unceremoniously interrupted by the doctor not julien Demp daughter I 1 knew he left a widow and child bless me what a coincidence 1 we were chums old churns at yale years ago but go on my child and then followed the whole ridiculous mortifying tale to the doctor listened with open interest 1 I am glad you happened to come here he eaid not quite approvingly when she had finished and I 1 hope you are going ate me partially entreated sawtelle who had been preparing his tine of defense during the recital you cant fancy how humiliated 1 am or how tempted 1 was to believe you if you acknowledged your acquaintance with poor van twiller 1 should have weakened at the end 1 do know mr van twiller but the acquaintance is only a superficial one 1 saw him last at mrs ulyles ball wednesday evening and sat with him como time in the conservatory I 1 was upset because what you told me seemed so terrible but mrs lyle herself mentioned to me that he was not in the bouse ten minutes interposed the doctor 1 think she was miffed she fancied him for one of her girls and nota he has thrown himself away poor oh I 1 know how that happened he told me all about it he was going home with a mr green and after he had made his adicus adieus mr green decided to remain BO he sat out a dance with me and finally went off without waiting for him and do you know what time that was inquired the doctor eagerly about a quarter or half after 1 when my partner for the cotillon came up we began to dance it about that time could you swear to it on paper why yes certainly then shouted the doctor he is vindicated whether he explains or not this will satisfy chedi rectors so they will drop proceedings where he is concerned they know already that he is not guilty it is as plain as daylight to me now he re member the exact time he left the lylea and thinking he was with this woman he has married want to attract our attention to her and now if you please I 1 should like to go home remarked miss dempkey in a pathetic tone of course my poor child immediately neil call a carriage I 1 will go with you myself and see your mother also get your signature if you will be BO kind it will straighten the affair out wonderfully verily truth ia stranger than fiction As dorothy swept from the room sawtelle made a brave if ineffectual attempt to attract her attention but as she steadily refused to 1 8 aware of his presence his conscience permitted him to retain a email soaked wad which was easily concealed in the palm of bis hand subsequent events have led us to believe so tender were his ministrations and pressures between the volumes of a new set of anskin that in course of time it became less like a rag and more like a respectable handkerchief it is now over a year since these events occurred and we hear that the article in question together with a number of other worldly goods ia to be delivered to its rightful owner how it all came about those who have not begun their love affairs with a little animosity will never be able to conjecture but we have it direct from the lips of the round and ever rubicund carey himself the latest engagement my deah fellah is miss Demp to a person named sawtelle why they eay he has sever been to a patriarchs in hia eifel mary golding lanman in epoch |