Show I THE WOMAN HATER I q He pulled himself together with an effort He lIe leaned over and diffidently touched Mrs Irs hand Philip is not going to marry her he said confidently Trust me me I promise you that he snail mail not marry her even if I have to marry her myself myself myself my my- self to prevent It it lie He laughed grimly at his own words and Mrs smiled a II little e. e too That would be too great a a. sacrifice fice she said playfully and then once more reverting to gravity Miles you are not deceiving me me You really reany think that he can be saved Oh I would give anything I possess If I could on only be sure that he will win not marry nero ner I had such wonderful plans for him such great hopes for the future and now She broke off oft her voice trembling Miles did not speak for a moment then he asked abruptly You have never seen Mrs Dundas have you iou I do not wish to see see- her Philip has begged me to ask her here As Asif Asif Asit if it I would have the creature in my house A widow and a a. scheming widow widow widow wi wi- wi- wi dow o of whom I I have haye heard the most appalling t tales tales' s' s I can cant can't Ft t say that at I have heard heare anything anything anything any any- thing very definite Miles answered dryly There are rumors and ru rumors rumors ru- ru mors more but so far I have not been able to hear of anything with actual proof Mrs drew her shoulders to together together together to- to gether distastefully I SI wish I could forget that thai I have ever heard her name she said vehemently Miles where did Philip meet her I haven't the least idea He never speaks about her to me if he can avoid it She seems to have Just appeared in London She met the and they Introduced her in New York York York- and now apparently she goes everywhere every every- where I I hear that t she has no money at t all an and r that r she r is terribly tS In debt and that Ralph Masterman left his wife for her sake Very likely he agreed Her anxious ious bus face flushed You are so casual Miles Nothing ever seems to affect you I wish I were like that I wish I co could ute tear out my heart and my nerves and put a astone astone astone stone In their place He shook his head You will not get your friends to agree to that and you dont don't really mean it either Now Kow come cheer up and I give you my word that things will be all right It comforts me to hear you say so I neVer knew any anyone one who gave me such confidence as yos ao co Miles smiled ruefully and for the first time a 3 little doubt crept Into his heart Supposing he failed Lallie had turned his his' will into clay In the days that were gone She had twisted him round rounel her little finger and made him hima a thing so abject in his devotion that he could only look back upon it all now no in disgust But t ten years was s ten years and I re reds ds y m much c water had gone t through the mill since then He lie was a man now now now-an an I embittered man who cared for nothing and nobody unless one counted his I friendship for Philip and his affection I Ifor for Philips Philip's mother life looked at her with remorseful i e eyes es He would hate to disappoint her I Im m more t than anything i In the world I She ee raised scrY her ga anxious I wb blue eyes eye suddenly to his face I Miles it Is my one dread that all aIl i the time they may have been married secretly that he is keeping it from fromme I m me Miles l s answered energetically from I am s sure re that is not so so Philip Is Isa Isa isa a rotten hand at keeping a se secret secret- et- et from me at all events I should have heard of it it even if It nobody else diNo did di I No I am 5 sure that they are not mared marf mar mar- dJa max max-I f Hid Hid- w. r-r r But th the possibility haunted him as ashe ashe I h he was waa w walking home hom Mrs might be right after all A womans woman's instinct was a wonderful thing and thing and yet deep down in his heart he did not think that the marriage had already taken place As he had said Philip was a bad hand at ke keeping a secret His Ills was the kind o of nature that must share with some one even as a boy he had bad never been able to keep a confidence In spite of ot the dissimilarity In their dispositions theirs had been a very real friendship and Miles felt unutterably sore Bore at the constraint that had been growing between them ever since Mrs Dundas had appeared on the scene Of course any marriage would in inevitably inevitably in in- make a difference be he knew but this marriage And some appropriate lines came Into his mind a as he fitted the key into thedoor the door of ot his flat 4 My friend was already too good to I lose And seemed in the way of ot improvement y yet J When she crossed his path with her hunting noose And over him drew her net J Where re did they h come he hewon wondered won wone wondered e fh de dered Some poem e he had read e lO he supposed Odd how strangely applicable applicable cable they were to his and case Faversham's man hearing his masters master's masters master's muter's mas mu- ter's step came into the halL balL He looked faintly surprised to see him back ck so soon Any Anyone one been Miles asked easu casu ally 4 No sir but there was a telephone call not call I not five e en minutes n I just hunt hua J cOe s sg ago g ouI eu sa f fOh the receiver u up sir a as you came In Oh Who was it if ifA Mt A lady sir lr She g gave ve her name nam u as Mrs Dundas Dunas Mrs Irs Miles lIlles echoed the name blankly A A. little dull color rose In his face A Are re you sure he asked Yes sir quite sure She spoke very clearly and gave me her address She said d she was staying In an apartment apart apart- he dG ment in G Gramercy r Park and would yim yut please call round if It you came In beLore before be be- fore Lore twelve To be continued tom tomorrow |