Show SERIAL STORY GLER by EM eustratiou tiou by ray walters mt by J 11 lippincott to cu SYNOPSIS three girls elizabeth gabrielle and ellse kit to started for canada to spend the summer there on board steamer thy they were frightened by an apparently demont dement od stranger who finding a bag belonging te belonging longing to one 0 of them took enjoyment in cm a photo 0 of the trio ellse elise shared hr stateroom with a mrs graham also b bound for or canada the young women hornen on a sightseeing tout tour met mrs graham anxiously her husband who had a mania imanta for bailin th they e were re cintr introduced to I 1 lord rd gilad wilfrid and bady eith edith A cottage by the ocean was rented b by the trio for the th s summer aum nur ellzabeth learned that a friend of her fathers was to call two men called one of them being the queer acting stranger tt ronger on tile the steamer teim cr the girls als were not at akhom home but discovered vy by the e cards caras le left ft bat one of the men was elizabeths fathers friend themen the men proved to be j john lin C alake I 1 IJA e and gordon aga adon bennett the h A patty waa v told to id of 0 f the search for smugglers smug in the vicinity of the cottage ellse visited sited eg mrs lit rs graham to find that tier her life was not the happiest she learned that the and lady edith were ae acquainted A wisp of yellow hair from mr grahams pocket t fell int into 0 the hands bands of ellse elise firke mrs ira grahams r ha m a hair was black during a storm the young women heard bear d a crash in the me basement of the cottage and a moment later mary anne their woman servant entered her arm bleeding to assure them there was no danger mary anne descended to the baa bas ement emerl alone and quieted their fears lady edith told tie the gir girls a of a robbery of jewels at the h otel hotel aring tor for the sabeti safety of her own gems 9 e s she a left them in a aa safe at the cottage t a mr r ordon gordon Tt ennett was properly introduced reduced n rod explained his queer actions returned urne the lost loat bag and told of mysterious doings of it a year before connected d with the cottage exploring the cellar one ona of 0 the girls found a sphinx cuff but ton the axa oxa exact t counterpart of which both gordon dennett bennett and lady edith were found to possess also albo ellae alone explored the cellar overhearing a conversation there between mary anne and a man CHAPTER YIH vill continued there was waa silence tor for a minute and then the man spoke again 1 I tell you theres no use talking any more ive begun the thing and im going through with it IL but the danger willy the danger gerl 1 writ im used to danger aye worse luck that you are arel I 1 and me rn 0 alk to breake me eart cart wl wi th inkin of 0 yu you 0 I 1 nights i then dont think ah low ow can I 1 elp it me that carried you in me arms when you was a little barbyl well now will you do what I 1 ask ash or wont you dont ask it ot of me willy dont now 1 I do ask it I 1 forgot all honorable scruples against eavesdropping and listened with all my ears I 1 can only add in self belt defense that I 1 believe any one else in my place would have done the same he muttered something I 1 could not hear however and mary anne gave a stifled sob oh you use to be so BO aroll ard she exclaimed its she as changed you its er fault with er soft ands anda and er ard crool eart cart dont you say anything against nell I 1 wont have it ob its allus allun nell nowadays and what does she care what alipe apkens to you so go long as ashes sate safe eiselt el er self it if only took to the fish ing trade willy and lived respectable ow appy we might ave been and sarah cushley ready to marry you it if said the word sarah cushley inde indeed edl 1 its the books thava what done it banys the time ive been sorry I 1 ever let you go to school banys the time ive wished id listened to yer uncle when 0 a wanted to take you on Is sloop afore the mast fure fur e said good lard ard work with a ropes end now and then would make a man 0 you but a look 0 yer father and you ad Is fine ways he interrupted her with an unpleasant laugh fine ways indeed that Is all he ever gave his bis son dont blame bearn e roe me for anything mother look nearer rome lome im not saying it was waa all your fault you thought you were married grid god knows I 1 did willy you brought me nto into the tha world and found you were deceived de elvod like lauy another fool tt of a girl andi and serves them right ti too for thinking a gentleman louid marry them oh my boyl there was real tragedy in fit the th e ercla nation mation and I 1 found myself wiping away a tear but the mans voice was wits as ag cold as ever I 1 I 1 so I 1 started tt arted life under a handicap a thoroughbred mon mongrel grei made up of the worst of you and the worst wo of him and I 1 turned out a bad lot I 1 but whose fault was it mina will mine yes yours branded from the be v with the bar sinister datter ent from children dont I 1 remember it st at growing up wl his aristocratic tastes and an your environ ment meat born with the instincts of big hi class which make luxuries lux uiles necessities and no money to gratify them and then the cold shoulder everywhere contemptuous pity from hla his class open ridicule from yours 1 I sent you away willy I 1 took the bit of money he be gave me and sent you to the states to school where you could be a gentleman and no questions asked and I 1 loved you darlin darl ln I 1 allus an loved you you gave me what you could I 1 suppose im not blaming you forthal for that but you turned meIo witha little hills learning leaming and no money a dans dangerous rous combination mother so I 1 wee to the bad preferring a short life and a merry one then I 1 met nell and was happy for she loved vie me dont say slie she sho she did I 1 tell you she does and so BO do 1 I ray my boy who could love you like your iU mother other then mother do as I 1 tell you without any more moie fuss come coma away from this place it gets on my nerves and give me something to drink for or I 1 was up all night end bad have more work ahead of me their voices died away and I 1 sat for some time longer meditating upon what I 1 had heard and it if the truth mus t be told afraid to emerge from the cellar while the man was on the premises at last a sound in the kitchen indicated that mary anne had returned alone so I 1 went boldly up the outside steps and around to the kitchen door she sat on a chair near the table her apron thrown over her head the picture of despair and I 1 advanced quietly and laid my hand upon her shoulder for or my heart ached for the poor soul mary anne I 1 said eald very gently 1 I was in the cellar just juet now and heard you talking she stared at t me with w ith widely distended eyes and trembling lips miss elisel she ahe gasped you here 1 I go with tho the others because my head ached you have not been honest with us mary anne we know you had a son she rested her head la in her hands and burst into tears oh miss ellse elise she sobbed dont look at me that way im snappy enough without that yes miss bave I 1 ave Z ji A A I 1 forgot all honorable Hono rabla scruples against eavesdropping a son and if you eard us you know all about it he took to drink miss and was allus in trouble and last year e got to quarreling in montreal it was and e stabbed a man and the man up and died so after im alm fur it and ang im in miss ang my boy it if they ketches im she rocked to and fro a moment in speechless misery and then continued and I 1 give im money misa bliss ellse elise but ut I 1 dont let int come up ere era except today to day 0 o e hollered foll ered me unbeknownst st miss and Pl I 1 let etIm im go in the coal ole god furtive me fur the liberty I 1 took mostly le e cornea comes down the shore in Is boat and I 1 meets im quite private but ive give am im all the money I 1 ad and my brothers give him money too and les es coln back to the old country to live a decent life where were you when I 1 heard you talking in the coal ole at the hack back 0 the cellar and I 1 beg bear your barding fur the liberty I 1 took but dont lay it up agin me miss fur fr what else could a mother do ands and miss elite elise oi arlin keep a quiet tongue in yer ead cad wont you and let alln am git away fur les es shipped as a sailor bailor and sails on sunday mornin 1 I 1 I 1 said I 1 would talk it over with the others but I 1 thought it she promised never to allow him near the house again we wa would say nothing as he be was really going to leave the country and reform she quite cheered up then and insisted on getting me a lunch waiting on nie me with a humility and alacrity v I found most touching this vagrant son explained various little littie mysteries about mary knue anne which had puzzled me a good deal and I 1 felt very sorry tor for tile the poor creature with her secret trouble I 1 had been so BO excised that I 1 quite forgot my own ils and longed lunged for the return of oc the girls that x might talk the matter over with them they could not get ame before six mix however so I 1 went out on the veranda A to wait tor for them and enjoy the salt breeze to my surprise I 1 found lady edith campbell reclining in the hammock reading the morning taper paper sho bho laug ilc J as 1 lu in astonishment and aad came to fo meet me with a kiss of welcome f e 0 04 you yott did not expect rne me she said ald aad and I 1 certainly did not expect to b he e horn hen but I 1 woke with suck such a wretched ed headache this morning I 1 amply could not g gt why wh so did L I 1 1 I know gabrielle told me they wanted to lo put it off ob again but wilfrid had already gone and I 1 knew he h would be dib disappointed appointed so ao I 1 persuaded them to RO go about noon my head got better and my room felt so BO close and stuffy I 1 longed for your coot breeze ind and lovely vloro BO 90 1 mazag managed tv to dross and wAlk up here hare wo ve might compare symptoms I 1 rang but no one came so go I 1 appropriated the hammock as my walk had used me up completely I 1 hope you dont mind very much I 1 hastened to assure her I 1 ws was delighted as aa I 1 had bad had more than enough of my own society so we had a long comfortable afternoon and by and by mary anne brought us tea with an appealing glance at me which I 1 interpreted as a plea for silence flad and I 1 am glad to ta bei able to say I 1 kept her secret inviolate 1 I envy you your complexion I 1 remarked as I 1 admired the seashell tints of my guests face now I 1 am quite pale and heavy eyed but you look as fresh as a dalay daisy yet you have had just as horrid a day as I 1 L it takes u great dea deil to make the campbells lose their colar she replied or rather to mak maha it stay lost i was pale enough this niina but as soon as the pain left mo me the red returned I 1 am shockingly shorlIng ly healthy you know good sturdy old scotch blood but lord wilfrid often looks very pale oh wilfrid la is an aliende alie nwe all tell him so much to his disgust and he to la tar far from well poor follow fellow although I 1 think he is improving have you noticed that he be seems brighter and better of late I 1 made an appropriate reply and the conversation drifted to other tl things I 1 ings As we sat together in the hammock swaying gently to and fro I 1 happened to notice that in the lace at her throat she wore the little gold koy kay which had excited my curiosity once before I 1 spoke of jt it ind and she at once drew it out and banded it tome to me while I 1 told her the story of the cuff button and its unusual design and I 1 concluded your pin surprised me and so did mr bennett but please tell me why you were inter ested in it her sweet face grow grew very grave and she hesitated a moment before replying then took the pin from me and held it in her hand ellse elise she said slowly this little pin was given clyen me by agne I 1 loved very dearly and whom I 1 have lost by death deat fil no not death there are worse things far worse I 1 thought of mary anne and won dered it she would not indorse this sentiment 1 I kept the little gold key she continued touching it 1044 lovingly gl it was the only thing I 1 kept but I 1 could not give it up and he but why should I 1 burden you with my ti trouble buble it Is all past and over and I 1 novel refer to it some day I 1 hazarded you will marry and be e happy 1 I she retained d or rather I 1 make myself believe it it but I 1 shall not marry tor for I 1 have but one heart and this Is its key I 1 should like to see your button some come time when it Is convenient for it was a strange coincidence As for mr air dennett bennett well wel 1 I was not looking at his pin but at hla his face lie ile Is so like so strangely like the other TO BE CONTINUED |