| Show ad AT D BY C N PAY 00 ca SYNOPSIS was miss patritia patric la holbrook end helen holbrook her niece were entrusted to MIL hie fare ears ot of laurance donovan novan a writer summering fring vear near port annandale miss alias patricia PatrI cla confided to 0 o donovan Il that she alia feared her h e r brother henry who ruined by a bank fallum fal lute e had constantly threatened tier her for fm money from rom hla hir lathers fathers will of 0 which miss patricia was guardian they came cam to port ion annandale An to escape henry do donovan novan sympathized with the two women nn ile he learned ot of lliam helens If elens an auktor clonan discovered and captured an intruder who proved to le be sul suitor or for the hand of i miss helen holbrook gillespie disappeared the following morning A rough sailor bailor appeared and was ordered away a I 1 donovan saw 3 ailsa it sa holbrook liol brook and he her r father meet on friendly terras terms donovan fought an italian ass aissin ile he met the man lie ha supposed was waa holbrook but who said bald lie he was waa 11 artridge a canoe maker after a short discussion Il left gillespie was discovered by DOTI don anvan presenting present ln a country church with SLOW 1000 gillespie admitted lie ho know knew of holbrooks brool cs presence ence miss pat acknowledged acknowledge to donovan that at miss la s helen had been hf en missing for ft a few h hours 0 urs while riding in a launch the italian sailor bailor attempt attempted el to molest the trio but failed miss g ant t her intention of fighting holbrook find and not another hiding place donovan met helen in aden rarden at night dul duplicity lacity of helen was waa confessed 3 44 by the young lady she admitted conniel conniving ax with her father her aunts precautions in a night meeting with donovan CHAPTER tx IX continued do you mean to tell me that you have not talked with your father that you have not seen him here I 1 besought yes I 1 have seen bim hi monce once and etwas it waa by accident it was quite by accident yes I 1 know of that then you have been spying upon me mr donovan why did you tell me that outrageously foolish tale about your chess game when I 1 knew exactly where you were at the very hour you would have had me think you were dutifully engaged with your aunt it seems to me my dear miss holbrook that that Is not so BO easy of explanation even to my poor wits that was without purpose really it was I 1 was restless and weary from so much confinement you cant know how dreary these late years have been tor for us for me and I 1 wished jus once to be free I 1 went for a long walk into the country and if you saw me it you watched me at ak her blankly the thing hive have k been better done on the biake sin ge but miss Ils sPat pat was walking toward us 5 anil and I 1 put an end to the talk 1 I rani came a upon him by accident 1 I had no idea ho he was waa here she per stated you are not growing tired of us began miss pat with her braw brave beautiful smile you are not to be rid of us 1 I certainly am not I 1 replied 1 I cant tell you now bow glad I 1 am that you have decided to remain here I 1 am quite sure that with a little patience we shall wear ivear out the besiegers our position here has you may say the strength of its weakness s I 1 think the policy of the enemy Is to harass you by iu guerrilla arilla methods to annoy you and frighten you into submission yes I 1 believe you are right she said slowly helen had walked on and I 1 loitered beside miss pat 1 I hope you ou have had bad no misgivings miss pat since rw talk yesterday none whatever she replied quickly 11 1 I am quite bulte persuaded in my own mind that I 1 should have been better oft off if I 1 had made mada a stand long ago I 1 dont believe bel iea cowardice ever pays do you sho she smiled up at me tn in her quick bright way and I 1 was more than ever her slave miss holbrook you are the bravest woman in the world I 1 believe you are tight I 1 think I 1 should be equal to dpn benj thousand men with your spirit to put nut heart into me dont be foolish she said laughing but to show you that I 1 am not really afraid suppose you after to take us for a drive this evening I 1 think it aou would id be well vell for me to appear today to day just to show the enemy that we are not driven to co cover verby by our little adventure in the launch yesterday certainly shall we carry out riders and a rear guard not a bit ot of it I 1 think we may be able to shame roy my brot brother lier out oi or lits his evil intentions by pur defenselessness wo we waited for lelen to rejoin us find and the tha drive was wag planned for five promptly on the hour after a day of activity on xay w part in cruising the lake looking for signs 01 ol the enemy WO wa get bet forth in an 43 open trap and plunged into country roads that traversed territory ilI new td all or of us acar I 1 car tied ajima along and when niter after a few miles helen al asked ked to take the relas reins I 1 changed seats with her end and gave myself up to atalic with miss pat the girls mood ni abid wag grave and anc she wished to drle drive I 1 fancied fan cled as an e ex cu sefor for silence the land rolled gradually away into the south and west and wo we halted in ILL an hour or so far from the lake on oil a wooded e that commanded a long ions sweep in every and drew into the enia opened a gate that admitted aa us to a superb raplp grove and la n a few minutes we were having tea liim the hamper in the cheeriest chee riest mood jn n thi th world the win was contriving new martels lif in the west and the wood hat tipped beneath us gave in illusion of 0 thlik tap tapestry esry to the ye log I 1 he stepped close to me threateningly we could almost walk to the lake over r the trees said miss pat its a charming picture then as we all turned 0 yo o the lake seeing it star afar across tho the treetops tree tops through the fragrant twilight I 1 saw the stiletto standing out boldly upon the waters of annandale Annai Annan idal daie alth a lan guld impudence that I 1 began to associate with its slim outlines and a snowy canvas other craft were abroad and miss pat I 1 judged spoke only of the p rett iness of 0 the general landscape and there was to bo be sure no reason why the sails of the stiletto should have had any particular significance cance for her helen was still looking down upon the lalie lake when miss alss pat suggested that we should go home and even after her aunt called to her the girl still stood one hand resting upon the trunk of a gibat beech her gaze bent wistfully mournfully toward the take hut but on the homeward drive she had asked for lie he reins again her mood changed abruptly and she talked cheerily often turning her head bead A scarlet banded sailor bailor hat was I 1 thought remarkably becoming 0 to o chuff chaff about her skill shill with the reins 1 I a care or trouble in the world declared miss bat at when I 1 left them at st agathas 1 I am sure that we have known tie worst that can happen to us ua in annandale Annan dolc I 1 refuse to he be a bit frightened after that ureva tt it was charming said helen this la Is better than the english lake country because it so smoothed out 1 I will grant you all of that I 1 said 1 I will go further and admit what Is much fur for me ine that it Is almost equal to killarney there seemed to be sincerity in their heir good spirits and I 1 was waa myself refreshed and relieved aa 03 I 1 drove into Gle GI narin but I 1 arrau arranged ged for toe the same guard as on the night before helen holbrooks double dealing created a condition 0 of f affairs that demanded cautious handling and I 1 had bad no intention or of being caught napping from the window of my room I 1 saw the japanese boy patrolling the walks of st agathas Aya thaB A buckboard of youngsters from port fort annandale passed lu in the tha road leaving a trail of song behind bliem then the frog choruses from the little brok that lay hidden bidden in the glenara glenarm vp wood jod sounded bounded in ny my ears with maddening iteration and I 1 sought the open the pi previous evious night I 1 had bad me raef helen halbrook Holbro olk by the tha stone seat on the ridge and I 1 cannot deny that it was with the hoam or ol seeing tier her again that I 1 set forth she was beautiful with a rare loveliness loVell ness at all times yet I 1 found myself wondering whether on the strange frontiers of love it wis tier her daring duplicity that appealed to lo me I 1 set myself into a pillory reared of my awn chani nt at the bt and went out and climbed upon the clenard wall and aad stared at the dark ark bulk of st agathas as aa I 1 punished myself for having entertained any other thought of holen heln holbrook Hol brouk chari ot of a weak vain ungrateful gi all 1 of making ld 4 mischief tot her benefactor I 1 unia based and reposed repa ased in th III pared walk that curved among amon th be school buildings baJil buird ings nga I 1 heard his step at af 1 roared hla his hausea a he int jacl t th givener at ane front ar door by an ment that I 1 As ai I 1 c soldered the matter I 1 concluded that helen hollbrook could readily slip out at the back of the house when the guards thus thua met and that ahn she aho had bad thus found egress on the night before at this moment the two guards guarda anet at the arbu doar surprise 3 e absler marfaret Mah faret fk jaah in the brown garb 0 of 1 her sisterhood stepped out nodded to the watchmen la in the light of the overhanging lamp and walked slowly round the buildings and toward the lake the men promptly resumed their patrol the sister slipped away like a shadow through the garden and I 1 dropped down from the wall inside the school park and stole after her the guards were guilty of no impropriety in passing her there was to be sure no reason why sister mar alar garet should not do prec precisely iseli as she liked at st agathas however my was piqued and I 1 crept quietly along through the young maples that fringed the ho wall she followed tol loved a path that led down to the pier and I 1 hung back to watch still believing that stator Al margaret argaret laiad had gone forth merely to enjoy tho tha peace and beauty of the night I 1 paused la in a little thicket and heard tier her light step on the pier flooring and I 1 drew as near as I 1 dared in the shadow of the boathouse she stood beside bealda the upright staff from which the pier lights swung the white lantern between the two red ones onca looking out across tho the lake the lights outlined her tall figure distinctly she peered about anxiously several times and I 1 heard the impatient tap of 0 her foot on the planks in the lake sounded the faint gurgle of water round a paddle and in a moment a canoe glided to the pier and a 4 man 11 stepped out lie ile bent down to seize the painter and I 1 halt half turned away ashamed of the sheer curiosity that had bad drawn draw n me after the sister nuns who chafe at their prison bars are not new either to romance or history and this surely was no affair of mine then the man stood up and I 1 saw that it waa gillespie lie was hatless and his bis anna were bared banzil lie began to speak peak but sho she quieted him with a word and as with a gesture sho flung bung back her brown hood I 1 saw that it was helen holbrook 1161 brook 1 I 1 had given you up sho she said ile he took both her hands and held them th M bending toward her eagerly slip she seemed tiller taller than he be in tho the lantern light 1 I 1 shourd should have come across the world be said you must believe that I 1 should should not have ashod this of you it if I 1 had ita n at believed I 1 you jou could do it without injury to yourself your pelf gelf that it 11 would impose no great burden on you and that you would not think too fit 11 of roe f 1 I love you I 1 urn am here because I 1 love youl he raid and I 1 thought better of him than I 1 had if he 0 was a tool fool and weak but lie he was 1 I believed bellev pd an honest fool and my heart grew hot with jealous rage as aa I 1 saw them there together it there lit fj more I 1 ixon ran do no and I 1 not ask ab you it if there were I 1 have bate gone too far as lb ib li la she sighed you roust must take n no risks you must take care that silsa miss pat pal knows noth fag ig no I 1 lawt vee see fatt fatticci ici ile he biot ro away n vay I 1 b kev he had ni lil tenses froni from brooding on an his bit troubles ca rut but how did he ever get here thore there 1 tit very strung about bout it y oil 01 1 I know he would follow list hut but 1 I did not tell him I 1 was coming coining here berei 1 hocq y you ou did not believe that ot 0 mo inc I 1 did not tell him any more mora than I 1 told you ile ho laughed luu glied softly you did not need to tell me I 1 could have found you anywhere in the tha world helen that man inan donovan Is watching you like ilka a hawk but lie hes ia a pretty good follow fellow with a Milo start joy in 11 Q a row low he hea going to protect miss pat and you it hd ules flies at tho the business slie she shrugged her shoulders and I 1 saw her disdain of roe me in her face A pretty conspiracy this was and I 1 seemed to bo be only tho the crumpled wrapping of it a pack ot or carls cards car ls with no par part in the game gillespie drew an envelope from lite pocket held it to the white lantern for an aa instant then gave eave it to her 1 I telegraphed to chicago for it draft HO he will have to leavo leave hero here to got get it the batik bank at annandale Annan dalo carries iso such suni and it will bo be a menus means of getting rid or him oh I 1 only hope ho be will leave ho he must he she cried you must go tacit bach 11 lie he said these matters will all come right in the end helen ho he added kindly there la Is one thing I 1 do not the thing that troubles me la Is that your father was here before you no that possible I 1 cant be itelo it he hall had Olig engaged agod the stiletto before toll come boino to annandale Annand alc and while I 1 was tracing you across tho the country he ans already herd somewhere ile he annisea himself with the yacht yes I 1 know knori ho la Is more of a men ace that wity way always in our sight bight always where I 1 roust must see bee I 1 her face ace clearly terns was touched with anxiety and sorrow and I 1 saw her with that prettiest gesture ot of comans womans thousand graces tho the nimble touch that makes sure bure no errant bit ot of hair has gone wandering lift her hand band to her head for a moment the emerzia i hrit pushed ached in the khe radall g a that occurred to me ma there that tho the widows peak so sharply marked iu in her forehead was waa like the fang er prints of some playful god she turned to go but ho he caught her hands HeI ho cred coed softly no please dont I 1 she threw the nuns nulls hood byer over her head and walked rap rapidly tIly up tho the pier and stole away gla the garden toward st agathas gillespie listened for her step to die away then ho he bighea heavily and bent down to draw up hla his canoe when I 1 touched him on the shoulder ho he rose and lifted the paddle menacingly all ali so its our young and gifted irish frion fr landt dt he bo said grinning no more sprinting stunts for met ido I 1 decline to run tho the thought of asparagus and powdered glass saddens mo me look at these hands handa these thesa little hands still wrapped in mystical white rags I 1 have hava bled at every pore to give you entertainment and now its ita got to bo be 20 paces with bird guns what mischief are you in now I 1 dementia demanded ang angrily tily 1 I thought I 1 warned you gillespie I 1 thought I 1 even appealed to your chivalry my aly dear fellow everything has changed tf it a nun nua la in distress appeals to me tor for help I 1 am johnny on the spot tor for mother church that was waa not the stater sister it was miss holbrook I 1 saw her distinctly I 1 ily love jove |
