Show ND AT D r r r 77 or r or or r Z or r IL L ald MA 5 Y PAY ca 0 patricia Irol brook ani and alias helen tier her niece were entrusted ent to lie he vars of laureiro Laur enre enro donovan a wrt writer t er summering near port annandale Annan dalo MIM founded confided to donovan that she he reared eared her brother henry who oy by il hank bank failure had constantly threatened threat eneil tier for or money from hla his fathers will ot of which abins aass patricia was wa guardian alwy aliey amo aarne to fatt annandale to esnare henry odonovan sympathized with the two A women omen ile la learned ot of alias II If elent elens annoying miltor donovan donoian discovered and rapture il an intruder who proved to OB be hap xinnie suitor for the hand band of 0 allaan Is helen borni 1 ll 11 sall deap disappeared the following follow in 1 n C A rough tailor sailor appeared and was waa ordered away saw nw ais ellna holbrook and tier her father mett on n frIen friendie div terms donovan fought an italian sin lie mot met the man ho he wim holbrook b but maker t who said aid lio lie va vas a canoe maker after a short donovan lett left was discovered by donvan presenting country church with un lespie admitted lie knew of 0 liol brooks nep ence mix int acknowledged to presence van in hint miss helen had been mb miss A tik for a few hours CHAPTER vil VII continued I 1 dept up tip a rapid ire fire of talk but listened only to the engines regular beat the launch was now clone cloe to the he italians boat and having nearly tid the semicircle I 1 was obliged to lo town a little to watch him suddenly lie ho sat up tip straight and lay to with the ho oars pulling hard toward a koliu boint we e must pass la in order to clear the strait and reach the upper tipper lake again nguan the rho fellows hostile intentions were clear to all of us now and we nil all silently awaited the outcome ills HI skiff rose lose high in air under the im of his strong arms and it he struck baruck our lighter craft amidships as deemed Ino inevitable lie ho would undoubtedly swamp us ijima half rose glanced toward the he yacht which was heading for the strait and then at nie me but I 1 shook shoo 1 my head bead the ho engine ijima I 1 said with us as much lunch coolness as I 1 could mus ter I 1 the margin between us and the skiff rap rapidly lilly diminished and tho the ital inn ian turned to take his bis bearings with every mt lift ot of his oars ile ho had thrown oft off his big cap and as he looked over his silio shoulder tilder I 1 saw his evil face sharply outlined I 1 counted slowly to myself the iho number of strokes that would be necessary to bring him in collision if charging bihla tj r V g 64 s 0 our i i r own swiff arrow etke flight over the water the shore was close and I 1 had counted on a full depth of 0 water but jima now called out cut warningly in hla his shrill pipe and our bottom scraped as I 1 veered off on this maneuver cost me the equivalent of ct ton ot DE tho the italians allana It deep ut strokes roes and tho the shallow water added a now element ot of danger stand by the oar ijima I 1 called in a low tone and I 1 saw in a flash miss pats i face quite calm but with her lips set tight lent ton ten yards lards reita regained ined I 1 judged budged I 1 between the abiff and the strait and there was ag nothing for us ua now but to let speed and work out their problem hjlma stood up and seized the oar I 1 throw threw tho the wheel hard aport in a last hope of dodging dodel ng and the launch listed hated badly as it swung round then the bow of the skiff skid rose high and helen shrank away witti with a n little cry there was a scratching and grinding for at an as aa bending forward dug the oar into the ho skiffs bow and checked it 1 with the full weight of lilt ills lody body As aa we ended bended oft off tho the oar snapped and splintered and ho he tumbled into the water with a great splash while we swerved and rocked fofa for dofa a moment and then sped on it through we the little strait looking lack back I 1 saw hjlma swimming for the shore ile he rose in the water and called all right 1 and I 1 know he would take excellent caro care of himself the italian had bad shipped his oars and lay where we had bait lett left him and I 1 heard him above the beat of our neine engine laugh derisively as aa wo we glided gilded out bout of night flight alias holbrook will you steer for me met abid and in effecting the necessary changes of dt that I 1 might got get to tho the engine we were all aw able to or regain our composure I 1 saw miss rat pai touch her forehead with her but she said nothing even ebin after st agathas pier hove in n al tight silence allence held us its all the wind continuing to freshen was whipping the take lake with a sharp lash and I 1 adde much of my trilling bual nysa the lie engine arid of the feces necessity alty aw cl directions f to the girt girl at the wheel M my y contrition at the danger to 0 o which I 1 bad stupidly brought them was strong in me but there were other things to think of 0 miss rat ial could net bo ba deceived a to the lie andalus ut of mir our ouica encounter for the conduct coald hardly be accounted for on oa the store sora of stupidity and lilt toil awl quiet of this hla region ho file gravity of tier lier her ter plight my bly lart thought wat wai that 1 I tt at onre once arrange for ber to re bovid to some other with holbrook noll riol within a ow of ft agulhas Agul has the deol wi was no loi leasor ger a ten tenable alite tear har ta aft I 1 the en engine adre i a even ecea wha alin I 1 tilleo tri to eavold avoid her tho fioura 0 of q ii I i ilie he stern bullo tn ta jan crais and calling ti now w f adja md ja w ia atie coure when la J t N N F to Q 0 a ijima bove under his arm a repeating rifle my preoccupation I 1 forgot to give it the storm was driving a dark hood bood across the lake and the thunder boomed more loudly storms in this neighborhood break quickly and I 1 ran full speed for st agathas to avoid tho the rain that aliat already blurred tho the west we landed with some difficulty owing to the roughened water and the hard drive of tho the wind but in a few sister apithi open Bpi the thi door just as tho the storm let et go with a roar when wo we reached the sitting room we talked with unmistakable restraint of the storm and of our race with it across the lake while sister margaret stood by murmuring her interest and sympathy she withdrew immediately and we throe three sat in silence no one wishing to speak the first word I 1 saw with deep pity that miss pats eyes were bright with tears and my heart burned hot with self accusatIon slater sister margarets quick step died away in th and still we waited while the rain drove against the house in sheets and the branches of a tossing maple scratched spitefully on one of the panes we ve have been found out my broth er where Iti here said miss pat 1 I am afraid that to la true I 1 replied dut but you iou roust not yourself youra elt this Is not sicily where murder Is a polite diversion the italian wished merely to frighten ill iva it a ft a ease of 0 sheerest she erest blackmail I 1 am ashamed to have given him the opportunity it was my faultry fault my grievous fault and I 1 am heartily sorry for my stupidity do not accuse fl it was inevitable from the beginning that henry should feral us but this place seemed remote enough I 1 had really begun to feel quite secure but bowl out but now repeated helen with a little sigh I 1 marveled at the girls composure at af her quiet acceptance of 0 tha the situation when I 1 know knew well enough her shameful duplicity then by one of those intuitions ot of grace that were so charming in her sho she bent forward and took all miss pats hand the emerald rings flashed ori on both as though in assertion of kinship dear aunt rat you roust must not take that boat affair too seriously it may riot not have been father who did that site she faltered drop dropping plug her voice as sho she mentioned her father I 1 was aware that alesi pat put away her nieces hand with a sudden gesture I 1 did not know whether of impatience or whether some now new resolution had taken arken hold of her ter sho she rose roa and moved nearer to roa what have you to propose mr air Dono donovont donovan novan vent she asked and something in her tont in tho light of her deaz dear eyes told mo me that she to fight that she knew more than she wished to say aay and that she relied on my bu support and 1 I zing this my iny heart wen went out to her anew 1 I think we ought to go alayat once the girl broke out suddenly the th place was III chosen father rd should have known heller better than ban to send ua its here 1 FAI faglier lier stoddard did tho the bent beat he could tor ifor us ua helen it la it to blame blancq hint him sali MI nills bail arat jat baly aly antl and mr mor donoyan Po lumb beel pen a mush mu h more than kind to care for us at all 1 I 1 have blundered badly enough 1 I 1 conta pl penitently I 1 I 1 it lUo lit bobo be baitey itter aunt pat be T ia e pan gan helen slowly to yield what can it matter A quarrel over money it Is sordid miss rat pat stood up tip abruptly and said quietly without lifting her voice and turning from rom one to the other of us we have prided ourselves for years we american holbrooks that we had good blood in in us and character and decency and morality and no m en I 1 0 t in yh ou thrown away their birthright and made luada our name a plaything I 1 am going to seo see whether the tha general decadence has bas struck me too and with roy my brother arthur a fugitive because of hla his crimes and my brother henry ready to murder me in his big greed it Is time for meto we to test whatever blood Is left in my own poor old body and I 1 am going to lo begin bowl now I 1 will not run away anway another steps step I 1 son am not go ing ang to he be blackguarded black guarded and hounded about this treo free country or driven across the sea and I 1 will not give henry holbrook more money to use in disgracing our name I 1 have got to dle die I 1 have got to die before beford he gets ivand IV lt and she smiled at me so ao bravely that something clutched my throat suddenly and I 1 have every intention sir mr donovan of living a very long time helen had risen handshe and she stood staring at her aunt in rank frank astonishment not often probably never before in her life had anger held the soul of this woman and there was something splendid in its manifestation sho she had spoken in almost her usual tone OM though with a passionate tremor toward the close but her very restraint was in itself ominous it shall bo be as you say any miss pat I 1 said as soon boon as I 1 had got my breath certainly aunt pat murmured helen tamely we cant be driven round the world we may as well stay where we are the sto storm rm was abati abating ug and I 1 throw threw open the windows to lot let in the air it if you wholly lost faith in me ino miss bliss holbrook 1 I have every faith in you mr donovan t smiled miss pat 1 I shall hope to tako take better care of you in the future 1 I mn am not afraid I 1 think that at t henry finds out that ho he cannot frighten mo me it will have a calming effect upon him yes I 1 suppose you are right aunt pat said helen passively ident I 1 went homo home feeling that my despon load had been greatly increased by miss pats manifesto on the whole I 1 was relieved that she had not ordered a re retreat areat tor for it would have distressed nie me surely sorely to 0 o abandon the game at this juncture ture to spek seek a now new hiding biding place for my iny charges long jong afterward miss rats pats declaration dfwar of war rang in my ears NY my heart leaps now as I 1 remember it it and abid I 1 should like to be a poet pod long enough to write A dilall ll allada atole ot of all old ladles ladies or ta a lyric in thel their lr honor with the tha grace of col lovelace and blithe with the spirit of friar arrick Hr rick I 1 should like to inform it with their beautiful tender sympathy that la a quack alth w it b tears teara but with strength to help and to save and it should reflect too the tha noble patience undismayed by time and distance that uia makes a vi u of 0 waiting g walting waiting in the lone with folded hands tor for tho ships that nover never comel come men old and battle scarred are an celebrated in song and aad story but are they to be preferred over serena shier hoort lot let tiia tha worn mn monthra thra nt ahe he world bo be thrones by the fireside or placed at comfortable ease in the shadow of hollyhock and old fashioned roses in familiar gardens it matters little for they are supreme in any company whoever would be grac gracious lons must anis serve them whoever would be wise must sit alt at their feet and take counsel nor believe too readily that the increasing tide ilde of years has haa quenched the fire in their souls rather it burns on with the steady name flame ot of sanctuary lights lighte lucky were he who could imprison in song those qualities that crown a womans comans years voicing what Is in the hearts of all of at us as we watch those gracious angels going their quiet ways tending their secret altars altara of 0 memory with flowers and blessing them with tears CHAPTER VIII A lady lad of shadows and starlight it was nine before ijima came in dripping from hla his tumble in the lako lake and his walk home through the rain the italian had bad made no effort to molest him he reported but he had watched the man row out to the stiletto and climb aboard ijima hits has an unbroken record of never having asked me a question inspired by curiosity ile he may inquire which shoes I 1 want for a particular morning but why where and when are unknown in his vocabulary lie ile was I 1 know knew fairly entitled to an explanation of tho the incident of the afternoon though lie he would ask none and when he had changed his clothes and reported to me in the library I 1 told him in a word that there might be further trouble and that I 1 should expect him to stand night watch at st agathas for a while dividing a patrol of the grounds with the gardener his yes yea sir was as calm as though I 1 had told him to lay out my dress clothes and I 1 went with him to look up the gar gardener denel I 1 that hat the division of patrol duty might be thoroughly understood 1 I gave the Scot scotchman ebman a revolver and ijima hjlma bore bora under his arm a repeating rifle with which lie he and I 1 had diverted ourselves at times in the pleas ioa practice breaking glass balls balla I 1 Asli assigned fidd ME him tha the waterfront water front and told tho the gardener to look out tor for intruders from the road these precautions taken I 1 rang the bell at st agathas Aeatha 3 a and nd asked for or the ladles ladies but was relieved to learn that they had retired for the situation would not be helped by debate and it if they were to remain at st agathas it was my affair to plan the necessary nic necessary essary defensive strategy without troubling them and I 1 must admit here that at all times from tho the moment I 1 first saw helen holbrook with her father at red gate I 1 had bad every intention of shielding her to th tha utmost the thought of trapping her of ett catching ching her lagrante Ha fla grante dolic dolicio to was revolting I 1 had bad perhaps it a notion that in some borne way I 1 should beable be able to thwart her without showing my own ou hand but this as will appear was wai not to be so easily accomplished I 1 went home and read for an hour then got into heavy shoes and set forth to reconnoiter recon the chief avenue of danger lay I 1 imagined across across the tha lake and I 1 passed through st agathas to see that my guards were about their business then continued along a wooded bluff that rose to a considerable height above the lake there was a winding path which the tha pilgrimages |