OCR Text |
Show A ".ii!DF.OLED ' BY EARLE ASHLEY VALCQTT j Ccrrr't. 1ZZX IT The EobTss-LIerrill Company. . .. ' ciiattz rv. . (Contlined.) "I crew a little uncomfortable as my sc'.J possession melted away before this s. " iy paze. I had no observation to r- - c, beinij uncertain about the ' .:ufr, so I had tbe prudence to keep " .ell," said Lnella at last. In a eut-tic? eut-tic? voice, "why don't rou talk!" . "It'a your lead," said I, gloomily. "You too"k the last trick." At this reference to our meeting, Luella looked surprised. Then she gave little ripplinff laugh. " Heally," she said, "I-believe I hall begin to like you yet." "That's very kind of you; but turn about is fair play." v "You mustn't do that," said she severely, se-verely, "or I shan't." . . "I meant it," said. I defiantly. "Tehn you ought to know better . than to say it," she retorted. "I'm In need of lessons, I fear.". in doubt, and for a moment she was dumb. .Then she followed this miracle by another, and spoke In a low tone of voice. "It's not for me to say anything against a man In his own house, but I don't like to talk to Doddridge Knarp." "What s the matterT p I asked. "A little lit-tle rough In his speechT Oh. Mrs. Bowser, you should make allowances for a man who hae had to flffht bis way in the rougheaf business lire in the world, and not expect too much of his polish." "Oh, laws, he's polite enough," whispered whis-pered Mrs. Bowser. "It ain't that oh. I don't see how she ever married him." 1 followed the glance that Mrs. Bowser fave on Interrupting; hersen with this eclaration. and saw Mrs. Knapp approaching ap-proaching us. "Oh," she exclaimed cheerily, "is It all settled?' Have you made all the arrangements. arrange-ments. Cousin Julia?" "Well. I declare! I'd forgokten all about telling him," crted Mrs. Bowser in her shrillest tone. "I'd Just taken it for a fact .that he'd know when to come," "That's a little too much to expect, Tm afraid " said Mrs. Knapp. smiling gaily at Mr. Bowser's management. "I see that I shall have to arrange this thing myself. Will Monday night suit you, Henry?" "As well as another." said I politely, concealing my feelings as a victim of feminine diplomacy. "You have told him who are going, haven't you?" said Mrs. Knapp to Mra. Bpwaer. "Laws, no! I never thought but what he knew." . . "Oh!" exclaimed Mrs. Knapp. "What a gift as a mind reader Mr. Wilton ought to have! Well, I suppose I'd better not trust to that. Henry. There's to be Mra. Bowser, of course, and Mr. and Mrs. Carter, Car-ter, and Mr. Horton. and on, yes Lu-ella." Lu-ella." My heart gave a Jump, and the trip to Chinatown suddenly became an object of Interest. "I, mamma?. said an inquiring voice, and Luella herself stood by her mother. "Yea" said Mrs. Knapp. "It's the Chinatown, expedition for Monday night." Luella looked annoyed, and tapped bef foot to the floor impatiently. VWith Mr. Wilton," - there wae the slightest emphasis on the words, "to accompany ac-company the party, I shouldn't think it would be necessary fon roe to go." "It is either you or L said Mrs. Knapp. "You will be needed to protect Mr. Horton," Hor-ton," said I sarcastically. "Oh. what a task!" she said gaily. "X shall be ready. And she turned away before I could put in another word, and I walked down the room with Mrs. Knapp. And so Mr. Kaapp la coming home tomorrow?" to-morrow?" I said. Mrs. Knapp gave me a quick look. "Yes." she said. There was something In her tone that eet me to thinking that there was more than I knew behind Mr. Knapp'a sudden return. "I hope he is not ill," I said politely. Mrs. Knapp appeared to be considering consider-ing some point deeply, and did not answer for a little. Then she shook her head as though the Idea was not to her liking. - "I think you will find him all right when vou see him. But here you must . "How delightful of you to confess itl Then shaft lieU you what to dot" This was very charming. I hastened to say: ' "Do, by all means." . The young woman sank back In r chair, clasped her hands in her Jap her mother had done, and glanced hastily hast-ily about. Then in a low voice she said: . "Be yourself.". It was an eleetno shock she gave me, not more by the words than by tbe I 'struggled for a moment before I regained my mental balance. "Don't you think we could get on afer ground t" I lug68 . "No." said Luelfa. "There isnl any safe ground for us otherwise. The sudden heart-sickness at the reminder re-minder of my mission with which these words overwhelmed me. tied my tongue and mastered my spirits. It -was this trirl's father that I was pursuing. It y ' s to bring him to the halter that 1 i ! tnust ket. up my masquerade. It was n , to bring her sorrow and dis-( dis-( rrace that I was bound r.the dead Sand of my murdered friend. Uh, why ' was thia burden laid upon met why was I torn on the rack between inebna-. inebna-. tion and dutyt , Luella watched my face narrowly ' through the conflict in. my mind, and I felt as though her spirit struggled with mine to win me to the course of open, honest dealing. But it was impossible. She must be the last of all to know. Her eyes sank as though she knew which had wQjLthe victory, and a proud, tcornfuno-took the place of meet Mr. ana Mra carter. They are Just f rem the East, and very charming people peo-ple and as you are to do them the honors on Monday evening-, you should know them." Mr. and Mrs. Carter had pleasant faces and few ideas, and as the conversational fire soon burned low I sought Mrs. Knapp and took my leave. Luella was nowhere to he seen. "You .nust be sure that you are well guarded," said Mrs. Knapn. "It quite gives me the terrors to think of those murderous fellows. And since you told me of that last plot to call you down to Bor-ton's Bor-ton's I have a presentiment that soma special danger is ahead of you. Be cau-ioua cau-ioua as well as brave." She had followed me into the hall, and spoke her warning freely. There was a sadness in' her eyes that seemed aa though she would dissuade me from my task, i I thanked her as she pressed my hand, and with no Luella awaiting me by the stair, I took my way down the stone steps, between the bronze lions, and Joined Porter and Barkhouse on the sidewalk. (To Be Continued.) the srave good humor that had been ' .ere87, moment before. Then, on a sudden, she began to Pek.0,.th2 theater, rides, "drive, and what-not of the pleasure, of the day. To an observer ob-server it would have seemed that we were deep in friendly, discourse; bttt I who felt her tone and manner, new that she was mile, away from -me and talking but for the appearance of courtesy. cour-tesy. Suddenly .be .topped with a - W"Therft Aunt Julia waiting 6V you," she .aid with a gleam of ma-- ma-- ficiou. pleasure. .''Come along. fI de-liver de-liver vou over a prisoner or war. 'Wait a minute." I pleaded. ' "No," she Mid, , toP'"""'! tioning me. "Come !'' a sih I was given, a helpless but si-. si-. fentfy protesting ea'pUve, to the mer- ties of Mrs. Bowser. . That eloquent lady received me with a nutter of feathers, if I mar borrow ?he expreaaion, to Indicate her plea- ""Oh. Mr. Wilton, you'll pardon my boldness, I'm sure' she iS-id witb i an ' amiableflirt of the. head, a. I Mated myselfeside her and watched Luella melt awar into the next room; "but I wa. afraid you had forgotten all about u. poor women, and it, a dreadful 'thing to be in thi. great house when there isn't a man about, though of 1 1 course there are the servants, but you can 't eount thera aa men, beside, .ome of them being Chinamen. And we I --that i, I really did want to see you, and we ought to have so much to talk over, for I've heard that your mother', first cousin wa. a Bowser, and I do .0 want to see that dear, delightful China town that I've heard eo much about-though about-though 'they do .ay it '.horrid and dirty, but you'll let u. ee that for ourselves, our-selves, won't you, and diAy. K throuffh Chinatown. Mr. Wilton 1" Mr.. Bowser pulled up her verbal coach-and-.ix to .uddenlythat I felt a. though .he must have beea pitched off the Cox. - , .., "Oh," said I earrtessly, "I've seen the rlace often enough. ,r ' "How nicel" Then .uddenly looking look-ing grv' Mr- Bowwr .poke from behind be-hind her fan. "But I hope, Mr. Wil-ton, Wil-ton, there', nothing there that a lady ehoulda't eee." I hastened to assure her that it wa. possible to avoid everything that would bring a blush to the cheek of a matron MBowser at thi. rattled on without with-out eoming to any point, and after waiting to learn when .he expected to elaim my .ervicea, and .eeing bo pros-oect pros-oect of getting much information without with-out a 'direct question, I allowed my ve. and attention to wander about the ' room, feeding the flow of .peeeh when It wa. checked, with a word or two of reply I eonld see nothing of Luella, and Mrs. Knapp. appeared to be too , much taken up with other guwt. to notice no-tice roe. I was listening to the flow of Mrs. Bowser', high-pitched voice without with-out netting any idea from it, when my wandering attention was suddenly recalled re-called by the words. "Mr. Knapp." What was that!" I asked in aome confusion. "I'didn't catch your mean-i mean-i i i was' saying I thought it strange Mr Knapp wouldn't go with us, and be " ' Sot awf ully cross when I pressed him. nd e1d-oh. Mr. Wilton, he said such a Cresdful word that he'd be everlastingly nethlnged if he would ever go into such lot of dens of oh, I can t repeat his r adful language but wasn't it strange, Very1"11! said diplomatically: "but it - t worth while to wait for him. then." I Oh laws no"! he'll come home tomor-but tomor-but h wont go. "Ilome tomorrow!" I exclaimed. 'T 'thought he wasn't to come till Wednes- ,dMrs. Bowser looked a little uncomfort- b.'-T uess he's old enough to come and ro w hen he' likes." -he said But her Jow of words seemed to desert her. "Very true,"TI admitted. '1 wonder whnt s bringing him back In such a h'i7i'. Bowser, beady eyes turned on me 7 |