Show F SERIAL STORY 1 = t THE i a UGGlER I By I f ELLA MIDDLETON I TYBOUT i I I d i i I Illustrations by Ray Walters U1 t I = N > I I LU1J rlvlll 1MI 1 > J J II IIUUIUCUU I UJ l SYNOPSIS I Three trlrls iil iljth Qnbrlrlle nnd Ellge KUrteil 1 for Ciinmln to Hpoml 1 the summer their On boiril steuricr they I were frltflitunrd by an app Inmly demented dement-ed stranger who finding a bag belonging to one of thoin took unjoyment In scrutinizing I scru-tinizing n photo of tho trio Ellse shared L her Htntiniom with a Mrs Graham also bound Tor Canada The young women on a sightseeing tour met Mrs Oralimn anxloual awaiting her husband who had I a mania for fiilllni They were Introduced Intro-duced to Uuil llfrlil 1 and Lady Eilllh A cottage by the ocean was rented by the trio for the summer Kllzabeth learned that a friend of her fathers was to call Two men called one of them being the queeracting stranger on the steamer The girls were not at home hut discovered by the rards left that one of the mn was KUzxbcths fathers friend The men proved to bo John C HIu 1 < o and Gordon Honnctt A tsp of yellow hair from llr Orahams pocket fell Into the hands of Kllsf Sirs Grahams Gra-hams hair was black Lilly IJdlth told the girls of a robbery of Jewels at tho I hotel Pealing for the safety of her own Kerns sho left them In a sup at the cottage I cot-tage Mr Cordon Dennett was properly Introduced explained his queer actions returned liwt hag and told of mysterious mysteri-ous doings of n year before connected with the cottage Exploring the cellar ono of the grln found a tip Inx cultbut ton the exact counterpart of whrh both Gordon Bennett and Lady Edith were found to pi > sebs also Kline alone explored ex-plored tho cellar overhearing a conversation conver-sation there bete Mary Anno nnd a man lie proved to bo her son charged I with minder The young women agreed to keep the secret Lady Edith told a story of a lost love In connection with the MHMIK Kev Illse and Gordon Hen nett discovered Lady Edith and Mr Graham Gra-ham the litter displaying a marvelous baritone voice At A supper which was held on the melts Elizabeth rather mysteriously mys-teriously lot her ring causing a search bv the entire nnrtv CHAPTER XI Continued It was a very beautiful world too ns tho sun sank slowly out of sight leaving the heavens tinted with scarlet scar-let and gold fading here and there to amber and palest pink and we Instinctively In-stinctively grew silent while watching watch-ing it Finally Mr Bennett touched me on tho shoulder Look ho said I turned In the direction he Indicated Indi-cated and saw a little sklft under full sail heading for tho open sea The f white canvas gleamed rosily pink in the sunset glow and we could see the figure of a man silhouetted against thc sky A fresh breeze had sprung L up and the boat cat through the waves now careening to one side until un-til tho sails Fcemed to dip in the water wa-ter now righting Itself and darting forward as though exulting in its dangerous dan-gerous freedom Steadily onward it went and as I watched it Mr Grahams Gra-hams song returned to me Almost unconsciously I repeated a few lines p Where the faraway dim horizon Touches tho mist hound sea There Iletli an Unknown Kingdom With Its gates ajar for me Yes said Gordon Bennett adding after a moment it is Graham you know I contradicted him at once secure in ray ruporlor knowledge 0 no Mr Graham Is at home I saw him this afternoon and ho said Mrs Graham was far from well He Is with her of course I rose as I spoke for It was time togo to-go home and Mr Bennett rose also Ho looked at mo in a puzzled incredulous incred-ulous sortof way and once or twice seemed about to speak but thought better of It As wo walked toward Mr IMako I remembered tho shadows antI my fright of tho provlous night I began to toll him about It but agleam a-gleam of gold caught my eye and I saw ho was wearing the scarfpin with tho Sphinxs herd For some reason the sight of this pin checked the words on my lips and a feeling of distrust arose In my heart totally unjustifiable Mr Hhiko Joined us and wo walked slowly homo In silonco interrupted only by occasional petfunctory remarks re-marks I was conscious of a return r of my former depression also of an Inclination to be very disagreeable Indeed should any one give me the slightest provocation Ieihapi my companions realize this for at tho turn of the path they saul < l goolby and went on to tho vII huge Iti > Ing mo to return to the cottage cot-tage aloao Far in the distance I saw lb I a womans flguro I thought might bo 0 Gabriello coining homo along the shore and I decided to wait for her So I wont around ta our little slip Intending to sit upon tho ledge until o tJs she arrived Much to my surprise I found it already occupied for Mrs Graham sat or rather crouched upon tho ledgo mtifllod In a thick shawl Her thin hands were clasped so tightly tight-ly together that tho veins stood tit like cords and the knuckles woro bluo and promlnont Although It was ovl dont from her absorption that sho hall I not heard mo approach she displayed no surprise when I sat down beside her and when I spoke sho answered as though I had been there all the time I Tho sun had qulto sot now and tho 4 d 0 sky was gray and leaden The wind blew sharply front tho east bringing with It a penetrating chili which made mo shiver In spite of myself Had you not better go homo 1 suggested Surely It Is not wise for you to sit hereIn here-In reply she raised her hand and pointed toward the ocean I lIe Is out there I Mr Graham 1 Yes I Gordon Bennett had been right and this was the way Mr Graham looked after his Invalid wife I tried not to show tho Indignation I felt as I thanked her for the roses und again suggested sho would bo butter at home Renos she repeated Oh yes It was Harrys Idea he Is always so thoughtful I hopo you liked them I do not consider It very thoughtful to leave you like this The words sprang to my lips and I regretted them as soon ns they were uttered I told him to go She was at onco on the defensive Ho would rjavo stayed with me If I had asked him I wanted him to go But oh She collapsed again and shivered convulsively The skiff Is so little and the ocean Is so big He goes so often 1 should think you would be accustomed to It I fenr my olco was not very sympathetic sym-pathetic but as Gabrlolle said there wore times when Mrs Graham Jarred mea nervous system Sho was lookIng look-Ing straight at mo now with an expression ex-pression of terror In her largo dark eyesOften Often she whispered often 7 Ah you dont know Day or night when ho fancy takes possession of him ho has to go ho says he cannot help It Last night and tonight Last night I ejaculated You dont mean to say ho loft you last night 1 Sho immediately stiffened resenting the implied criticism There was no reason ho should not I was nil right as soon as I got to bed Ho was restless and wakeful and I did not need attention It was best he should GO 1 was quite com ortablo at home Quito comfortable I could imagine ho thin white face upon tho pillow with frightened eyes staring Into the larkneas hour after hour throughout I J j gSssfiS gs 7 tIt t Vrr Ground It Under His Heel the long night and it was not my idea of comfort I uttered an Impulsive ejaculation of sympathy hut she checked me with some dignity and remarked re-marked that she thought she wottlt take my advice and go home I shall be all the hotter for a cup of tea she said Isnt it curious how depressed one gets when one Is cold and tired I watched her frail figure walk Ian guldly In the direction of her house and knew that the tea even If she drank it would bring her no comfort Several times she stopped and looked behind her and looked out over the expanse of water toward the far hon zon I knew she was looking for the little skiff I had seen bounding so joyously joy-ously over tho waves and when she resumed her walk her thin shoulder drooping and her head bent upon her breast I felt the contempt for Harry Graham which something In his personality per-sonality prevented me from feeling when ho was actually present I was very glad when Gahrlell joined me and my thoughts could ho diverted Into another channel I saw at once that her afternoon had not been a success and she was anxious to tell mo about It Well sho began slipping her hand through my arm 1vo had the funniest experience Im glad my brother Is not recovering from an III ness that left him with a crook In his temper It seemed she had gone to Lad Ediths sitting room at the hotel for tho Campbells had taken a suite and finding hor alone had presented the rpsos1 and had u cozy little chat ns well as a cup of tea which she found very cheering And then continued Gabrlollo Just as I was about to come home I heard some ono go Into Lady Ediths bedroom and slam the door She got lip Quickly and then sat down again and 1 saw she looked worried Then I heard u smash of china and somebody some-body swore yes and swore hard too I didnt know whether to get up or sit still and of course I did tho wrong thing I sat still and I ought to have gono out I know that later Well what happened In a minute tho door between the rooms was Hung open and Lord Wil frid marched In so angry ho never p saw nu And oh Elise his arms were full of roses Uofes Yew red roses Dozens of them They were more than he could carry and fell on the floor all round him I1IHI whenever he saw ono on the carpet car-pet he stepped on It What 1 Yes ho did and ground under his I heel lie began to say something too In a blustering sort of way when Iud Edith Interrupted him She stood In front of him very tall and straight and looked directly at him She said Wilfrid we are not alone Her head was very high In the air and I never aw her look so lovely I felt awfully sorry for her tpo for I think her pride must have suffered What happened then 7 Well then he saw mennd I con alnly wished I was not there to bo seen and muttered something And then he dumped those glorious roses in the floor and rang the bell I tried to talk pleasantly while we were wait ng for the hoy to come but honestly the whole room seemed full of red roses I never saw such flowers in my life and I couldnt think of n thing to say When tho boy came Lord Wll frld said Take that trash and throw It out and ho gathered them up and went off Lord Wilfrid went off too lie said something civil to mo about having sailed about In the sun until ho had a horrid headache and tho scent of the roses was Intolerable Hut you know he didnt have to smell them for ho could have stayed In his own room lie scowled at his sister as he left tho room and I think sho is dreadfully dread-fully worried about him Sho Is going to get a doctor from tho city for she doesnt think this all agrees with himI I wonder what can bo tho matter with him I speculated Perhaps he is threatened with brain trouble She seems to bo so careful of him and the least things excite him I couldnt help wondering where so many exquisite roses ciiino from said Gabriello for flowers are ban to get here you know Lady Edith said her brother had never been able to endure tho odor of roses but I 1 noticed that tho white ones wo sent did not seem to excite him at all In fact I dont think he saw them What sort of a time did you have I told her about my afternoon as we mounted tho steps leading to the cottage and we agreed that we were very glad our own families were merely mere-ly commonplace and possessed no highly wrought Invalids to be watched and guarded The cottage was brightly lighted and Elizabeth stood In tho door to welcome us A metamorphosed Elizabeth Eliza-beth absolutely radiating happiness nnd arrayed In her red dress which she only wears when she fools espe daily cheerful Where have you been she exclaimed ex-claimed I thought you would never come home She seized our hands and dragged us Into the living room Look sho cried her third finger extended And there was the marquise ring Its seven rubles shining In the bright light and Its diamonds twinkling ecstatically ec-statically TO BB CONTINUED |