| Show UE SERIAL ily EE SMUGGLER by ELLA MIDDLETON illustrations by ray walters 1 copyright right evoi by Z 5 CHAPTER I 1 it if elizabeth did not indulge in hay bay fever every year ands have to be very car careful 9 about at bratth ing where th there ereis Is vegetation it would noer never have bl or rather we would not have been mixed up with it I 1 dont know after all whether it was not nol Gabr Gabri telles elles gold heads beads that were to 0 o blame just as much as ElIza elizabeth betho I 1 hay bay fever fever for if the string had not broken everything would have hae been till all right gabrielle Gabr lelle and elizabeth are fi lends friends they know each others inmost thoughts and their past lives contain no reservations whatever irem one another which seems a little hard on the men whose pictures they have framed and preserved as relies relics I 1 am their friend also but I 1 still have a few thoughts as well as a modest number of benerva re i equations my name is ellza eliza but I 1 prefer to ap pp apell ell it eltse elise n ind and perhaps I 1 am T little envious of the other two having lost ray my own alter ego by her marriage and never replaced her however that belong to the story which really begins on the steamer haf that carried us to canada elizabeth biad heard board of an island vil lage age up there where hay fever was unknown and milleread ille sh read us so BO many extracts concerning it U from a booklet she kept la her work basket that about the first we cut adrift from our respective families and started off td spend the summer there we could do this with propriety for or we had all passed the pinfeather pin feather teather age although I 1 wish it distinctly understood we were still a long wilty way from being stringy about the throat we were sitting on an the deck of the steamer watching the moonlight on the water and enjoying ourselves very much indeed when a man came around the corner carrier of the cabin and sat at nS beartia ne artia arbs as of course he hadria hadia V pee firt ight to do 1 suddenly lj gabrielle Gabr lella who was next him jumped up and clutched my lily arm come coine away she whispered come away and of course we came forthwith sho she was quite pale and tie trembling nibling when we reached the cabin and for a few minutes was unable to satisfy our curiosity but at last she spoke lie ile threw a wit she said in an awed voice oh sald elizabeth with evidently evident eviden tl disgust vis Is that all I 1 thought it was something interesting it was quite enough insisted gabriella Gabr lella 1 I was afraid he might throw me next you should have seen his face ace and heard him muttering what did he mutter elizabeth liked the whole of a story or none at all It hear nut but I 1 think gabrielle glanced around apprehensively 1 I think hes crazy and I 1 dont like being on a boat with an unguarded in rana fane man you neier know what they tire are going to do besides Des ldes he looked at me ine 1 dl did not blame him there for gabrielle la Is well worth looking at especially when she la Is gazing at the moon with the uplifted expression she reserves for that purpose I 1 sometimes wonder why she ehe think some man on earth worth it but she says saya distance lends enchantment in such matters and I 1 suppose she knows herb her own affairs best perhaps his keeper Is somewhere around speculated elizabeth lets go BO back and see it lie he Is still there so we wa reconnoiterer reconnoitered ed stealthily arid saw baw him sitting quietly smoking and not looking at all dangerous a rather tall spare man in blue serge clothes with a cap pulled down over ills bis eyes and the air cofone or iones who is quite satisfied with hta surroundings it was as a cool night and the deck was almost deserted so he ha had bad our secluded cortier corner ner behind the cabin ill all to himself and wo we could stand just outside the door and examine him at our le loure sure ff he looks looka just juit tike like anybody els said elizabeth plainly disappointed 1 I say lie be bald bad a hump an on his back returned gabrielle Gabr lelle indignantly 1 said he be threw a chair overboard anti and so he be did it in I 1 a new way of at beginning a flirtation I 1 murmured put bui customs differ in various places perhaps you should hould have sent your after it by way of acknowledging the attention ohl for at that moment he leaned forward looked with interest at the tha chair beside him folt felt its back and legs poised it lightly in the air arld arid shot abot it over the railing into the water below where we saw it in the toan foam in our wake nere triumphed gabrielle Gabr lelle 1 how what whai do you W say bayt we said eald nothing tor for lust then he reached 10 for another other chair T fits time however he be was not bent on destruction for ho he merely detached it a dark object hanging on Us its back for the second time gabrielle clutched my unfortunate arm which was quite bruised with her attentions its my bag she exclaimed my new flew shopping bag I 1 left it hanging banging on art my chair and hes opening 11 oh the wretch the wretch proceeded to invests investigate tho the contents of tho the bag and carefully examined each article as he drew it forth first a pair of 0 gloves and then a handkerchief which he held critically to his nose after scrutinizing tin izing the monogram 1 I hope he likes it ejaculated gabrielle in an indignant whisper next a small powder puff and a bit of chamois skin regarded with tolerant amusement a stubby pencil minus a point and much dented from thoughtful biting having been used to calculate our expenses 25 cents three street par far tickets a latch key and a square card at which he looked long and earnestly it Is a good thing you wear your money around your neck remarked elizabeth but pointed an outraged finger at the unconscious blue sergo serge back it Is our PIC picture tUTO she sald said we three together did you ever finding the moonlight not bright enough tor for tits his purpose he be moved n nearer c aber the cabin window happening as he did so to glance behind him springing to his feet lie he lifted ills his cap and advanced towards us bag in fit hand but with ono one accord we turned and fled it was best to take laka no chances reach of his hands we had no desire to follow the chairs over the railing I 1 went with gabrielle Gabr felle and elizabeth to their stateroom where we spent soma time in 14 discussing the strange incident and the tha fact that our picture was still in the supposed lunatics possession at length I 1 bade them goodnight and set out to find my jovn berth its as we had bad not been fortunate enough to get adjoining rooms la in tho the saloon I 1 found the stewardess who ho at once accosted me with an apologetic cough oh it if you please miss she said could I 1 speak to your you the burden of gr her speech was a request that I 1 share my stateroom with I 1 I 1 shot it over the railing into the water a lady who had not been able to secure one and who was much fatigued and I 1 thought miss she concluded that as you have a room to you elf perhaps you would be so kind as to let her havo have the spare berth since it la is the only one on the boat would you mind obliging her I 1 did mind very much and was about to say so in no uncertain language an when the stewardess twitched my skirt warningly her she whispered over there under the light speak low if you please miss and dont go for to refuse the poor dear ft a bed dont now I 1 looked in the direction indicated and felt glad I 1 had not spoken it was a comparatively young face which rested against the back of the chair but so BO pale so worn so unutterable unutterably weary that th atone one wondered instinctively what blow fate had seen fit to deal this woman to so BO rob iter her of bf her girlhood the pitiless glare ot of the he electrio electric light fell directly upon her accentuating the purple shadows shadow s beneath her eyes and the hollows in her cheeks while lier ber listless pose suggested heartsickness as welt well as fatigue one hand lay on the arm ok of her chair and as I 1 advanced toward her I 1 noticed the gleam of her wedding ring the stewardess tells roe me you have no stateroom I 1 said 1 I am alone alon and shall ahall be glad to share mine with you 10 the heavy lids lifted slowly slid and I 1 found myself looking into a pair of ct wistful dark eyes with an unanswered question in aim thank you she said in 4 8 sweet low voice you aro are roost most k kind I 1 d I 1 know it la is not pleasant plena ant to share ones room with a stranger but I 1 will come gladly tor for I 1 am very tired my busi band she paused abruptly and a faint cotor tinged her cheeks il as ia a man roan approached pro ached and bent over her 1 ath ah an unmistakable air of possession its no use juliet he be said 1 I cant get you a stateroom at any price and you are regularly done up ip tool too we must manage with one of at these sofas it is all right dear she sha replied gently tills young lady Is good enough to otter to share her room with w ith with me my husband mr graham Gra haia mias I 1 supplied iha Ahe name and bowed to mcgraham mr graham looking curiously at him as I 1 listened to ills his effusive thanks the man inan evidently possessed the vitality tits his wife alf lacked ills his every movement in indicated that he was tilled filled to the finger tips with vibrant pulsing life and one admired him with the admiration mi ration one involuntarily accords a perfect specimen of 0 the animal kingdon whether nian man or beast berh ps his lips were a trifle too full and red and his teeth rather unpleasantly dazzling when they gleamed under his dark mustache perhaps also there was vas something in his bis large black eyes now and then which might carusd cause a woman to blush and turn aside if he looked too long at her but his manner was very gentle as aa he bent over his wife and he collected her wraps and helped her to rise with genuine solicitude the stewardess was waiting to show mrs graham tho the room aud and I 1 decided to remain in the saloon until she had retired so lie I 1 sat down in a green plush chair and amused myself watching my fellow passengers and speculating a ns 1 I to their destinations I 1 had bad just deter mined that FL a fat at old lady opposite was the mother of a large family and going to visit a married daughter when the cabin door opened and mr graham returned alone ile he raised his hat as aa he passed hesitated a moment then thea seated on the arm of an adjoining chair we really owe you a debt of gratitude he said ot of course I 1 can get along perfectly well anywhere but mrs graham Is not strong she has had bad a tiresome journey and tonight to night seemed to be the last straw I 1 suppose you noticed how awfully done up she was she certainly seemed very tired she will be all right tomorrow to morrow after a nights rest thanks to you we are going to spend the summer in canada I 1 think the climate there will benefit her it la Is so eo invigorating and you are you also bound tor for canada and ate are you I 1 replied curtly that I 1 was with friends for I 1 had no desire to prolong the conversation mr graham however lingered with the manner of one who has something on his bis mind but finds lInds expression difficult at last he be rose and said goodnight good night after offering to look oak out tor for our baggage when he landed in the morning and by the way lie he remarked car lessly dont be alarmed it if my wife should talk a bit in her sleep she does tt it now rind and then especially if she Is overtired over tired she apt to dream I 1 think and sometimes talks a lot of gibberish I 1 trust you rn may ay not be disturbed but I 1 thought I 1 ought to warn you goodnight again and many thanks so mrs graham talked in her sleep I 1 thought rather ruefully ot at my prospects for a peaceful night as I 1 slowly walked the length ot of the cabin fox fen mine was an outside stateroom and it was necessary to go on deck to reach it the moon shone brilliantly a path of sliver silver light falling across the water which rippled and sparkled alluringly I 1 was so fascinated by the beauty ol of the scene that when I 1 reached my door I 1 did not enter at once but leaned over the railing ng watching the white foam that mat marked our course and quite forget forgetful fut of the flight of time after a while two men approached and one of them fitted a key in the door next mine As ho he stooped to examine a the lock the moonlight shone full upon fill hi face and I 1 recognized our friend III n blue serge with the tha strange aversion to chairs I 1 wondered it if the person with him was waa an attendant and hoped ft 3 partition wall was substantial I 1 was also conscious of a strong desire to waken gabrielle and elizabeth and seek seeh shelter with them TO BB CONTINUED |
