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Show V f kX 1BTTHATC otcw or mKOMafT 1 LBTTKM ritOMlULII tRKtCOTT TO LKSUI PRISCOTTg CARS THK SCCRCT DRAwVIH, CONTINUKO. I want to aak you, gay Uttla mar-qulae. mar-qulae. if ever la youtf brlUlaat and ln-tereatlag ln-tereatlag life' you had anything that aeemed quite aa much like one of thoee coincldeocee with which fate overpowere one aa did that unexpected unex-pected vtelt of Karl Whltney'a? Although neither John'a mother nor Prlecllla Bradford had aald anything directly. I felt aa though In aoma way ; they connected that atrtng of pearl beade with Karl Whitney. Perhapa, It wee becauae I could not got It out ! of my head either that he waa la aome way connected with them, that 1 grew faint and 1 knew I waa very pale when hia name waa announced. "How etrange," aaid Mra. Preeoott, 'that a man ahould call upon you at thla lata hour!" "It lan't a man, 1 broke In Ira- rtuouely; "It'a Karl Whltneyl" And irent to the door to meet him. Becauae they had been ao Inetnoat-tng Inetnoat-tng and auaplcloua. I know that I freeted Karl much mora warmly than would have dona otherwtee, and be-aldaa be-aldaa I, too, waa rather cur.oue about hia coming. -What ia the matter-' I aaked. la everyone wellT' "I think ao,' anawerad Karl, "but I had bualneaa tn the city which la iuat beyond thla little town and aa 1 had received a wlreleee from Alice today to-day I thought X would atop and tell you about H." "Come In, I want to Introduce you to John'a mother." Hart followed ma Into the room and you can Imagine my eurprleo and anger, gay IHtla marqulaa. when we went from the hall to the fitting room, to find that neither Mra. i'rta-oott i'rta-oott nor Prlecllla were' there. It waa the moot deliberate Inauit I have ever encountered In my Ufa. Mra. Preecott'e bedroom la directly off the hvlng room and I went to the door, which I noticed had been left ajar. I rapped with auch violence that It opened fully aad dlacloeed the two women atandiag In tha middle of the room, "Come and fflHt try childhood friend. Karl Whitney. KarL I want you to know Mra. Preacott." "Are you euro, Mra. Preeoott, that you are able to meet vJaltora," gpoke up Prlecllla Bradford. At that I aaw rd. "Pleaee allow Mra Preacott to bo her own Judge. Miaa Bradford, aa to whether aha will deliberately Inauit her aon'a wife or follow the naaty backbiting, auaplcloua Erogram that you have hi id out for er ever alnce my marriage.' - "Leelle, Ieelie. what do you mean?" aid Mm. Preacott, her eyea flaahlng. "I mean exactly what I eay. That I woman haa alwaya wanted to marry your eon and ahe haa apiad upon me ever atnee I waa married. Hoe haa turned my moat Innocent acta Into aomethlng aln later tn your mind." "Did John ahow you my laat let ! terr "No, he did not. hut I know her 1 well enough to know exactly what ahe waa doing. Either ehe leavea thla houee tonight or I leave It. - -Kart, la your car at the door?" Poor Karil It took all my anger away to ae hia face. I knew that he waa wlahlng with all hia heart that he had never coma to aee me. (Continued tomorrow.) |