Show SEN I 1 A L STORY THE SMUGGLER by I 1 ELLA MIDDLETON illustrations by ray walters WH lf U co SYNOPSIS thre girls eliiabeth Elli abeth gabrielle and ellae for canada to spend tho the gum mr there on board steamer they wara were frightened by an apparently dement fd stranger who finding a 11 bag belonging to one of them took enjoyment in ecru lin lionizing izing a photo of oc the trio shared her ber stateroom with aars n mrs graham also bound tor for canada the young women on a sightseeing tour met mrs mr graham Gra liam anxiously awaiting her husband who had haa AL a manla tor for the they we were r e introduced d u ced to lord lor d wil wilfrid ani and lad aidy y edith A cottano by the th ocean was waa rented two cortale vien turn cal called ed they proved to be ba john C blake and gordon uennett bennett one a friend 0 of elizabeths father A wisp of yellow heir from mr grahams pocket foil fell into tho the hands of elise mrs grahams hair was black fearing tor for the tha safety of orne gems gemi lady edith left thin them in a ate afe at the cottage mr gordon uennett bennett was properly introduced explained hla his actions on board ship and returned the lost loat tak bag Emp employing loring the collar cellar one of the tha girls found a sphinx cuff buton the exact counterpart of which both 0 gordon 0 adon ban vett inett and lady edith were fou found nd to p poa 03 sees also elise ell alone explored tho the eel elim overhearing overhear lne a conversation conver allon there between mary anne anna and ft a man he HB proved to be tier ier son on charged with murder lady edith adith told a story of a lost loft love in connection with the sphinx key at a iipp pr wh which ach was van held on tho the rocks vi elizabeth cpr 7 ob th rather mysteriously lost losi her ing causing a search by the entire ty party gabrielle a at stormy r cene between lady edith eaith and biord wilfrid f el r red ed roses being the cause cauna of the lat I 1 lera e N anger ancer mar mary anne brought b ack KlIza r bethH ahm ong ellae ilse went sallina with gordon bennett nen nett lie he tried to persuade pers uada her to return the jewels left tn in the girls eare by lady edith ile JI told her he ha found the phlox scarf pin the th counterpart of which lady edith owned the girls gave a supper at nilan I 1 ht elise saw aw two men nien one of them go ben ban attempting to force an entrance into their boathouse she admitted to lo her telf that she bhe hd had nearly loved him and alteverd herself used as a tool by a thief CHAPTER XIV it you please miss could you come to mrs gralian Gr Gra allam liam echla 11 1 forced itself upon me ns as I 1 lay jay luxuriously wading reading upon the tha couch in the living hying room tho the day following our dinner party did she aha send for moa me no MISS mrs grahams servant a halt half grown girt with a face of surprising stupidity idl stood stolidly before me the ends enda of f a small shawl held under her chin and a frightened expression in her bar small eyes then why did you come coma tp to my surprise tho the girl put her taco face in her bands and began to cry with a sulf fling persistency very annoy lug to hear im seared scared 0 of tier her she abe sobbed ashes that queer miss saws went all blue and stiff like and mr graham aln abt t there not nor nobody but me ind seeing as how you come to the house miss alga I 1 thought sis as maybe you might help me fur ar rm im seared to stay alone so I 1 am I 1 roso rose reluctantly for I 1 knew but little of illness and was alto also seared scared 0 ot the prospect but go I 1 must in common decency and alone at that for mary aune anne and TiN izabeth were out and gabrielle Gabr lelle was waa shut up la in her room with a bat bad cold the th result of too much Vand wandering prIng about with thin slippers the tha bight night before 1 A chill east wind was blowing and I 1 shivered as ag we hastened down the path and up the narrow steps mrs grabac graham lay rigid upon tipon the couch tier her eyes shut and her lips blue and pinched I 1 put my hand band over her heart and its faint nutter flutter was a great relief as I 1 had thought her doad dead it la Is only a faint and the bewildered girl to assist mo me lu in ray ay efforts to revive her at last we were rewarded by IL a long drawn sigh and tho the lids slowly lifted from tho be dark eyes eyed tho servant had found brandy nad I 1 held a little to her lips motioning her not to speak hut but she pu hod the ibo glass aside and sat upright ift la Is a bad dream she said only a dreamt say itoney it only a dreamt cire atrill only oaly a dream I 1 repeated sooth ingar 61 a bad dream she swallowed wAllowed 8 a little ot of the tha brandy slad and lay back exhausted on an the its couch while I 1 followed the servant into the tha kitchen where is mr graham I 1 demanded shiri sharply ly 1 I dont know miss I 1 when will he be homo boma 1 I dont know alas 4 atas mrs afro graham been becil ill long 1 I 41 dos t know miss I la theao anything you do knewt know I 1 inquired my patience via worn threadbare NO mo MISS I 1 ant A nt know adith nothing ing TUN was so evidente true that f I 1 left her puking the alra and to my mr patient slie lie with closed close deye eyes 0 0 1 0 1 I MOMY merely drel a chair near the couch and sat eat darwn ilow nto to wait further development I 1 waited si B thoi the till ped V put t an and tho tha je i ibisi 1 1 2 which I 1 usually loved but whose arrival I 1 dreaded today to day at last she ehe stirred moved restlessly ance or twice then raised her head and looked around the room where la Is ha be she said where la Is ho be ile he has not come home yet mrs graham I 1 replied no doubt he be will be hero here soon she sha fell back bach upon her pillows and instinctively I 1 sprang to hel hei side but she waved mo me away and turned her face to tho the wall it was not a dream she moaned it la Is true quite true I 1 heard the little servant close tho the w window and light hr her lamp and envied her the warmth and brightness of her kitchen for tho the room was chilly and fast growing lark dark finally mrs graham raised herself by a preat great effort and beckoned to me on the table in my room she said speaking with difficulty you will find arid somo some medicine drop it in water the bottle tolls tells howand bring it to me but be I 1 ran to the little room above and brought the medicine dropping it with shaking hand and holding it to her lips lips that athe might swallow it in a few minutes tier her grew less labored and she even smiled faintly dont be frightened she whispered 1 I am better now it Is all over I 1 know these attacks little by little her face grew more natural until at last she ceased to breathe breath with the short painful gasp and even sat upright among the pillows but it was evident she was still suffering buffering from some shock or distress ot of mind for she drew draw mo me down beside her fier holding my hand with a viselike vise like grip as though she eho feared I 1 might snatch it away from her bur Is stay tay with me sho she begged dont leave me 1 I 1 I cannot stay alone tonight so I 1 agreed to stay and dispatched the maid to ho he cottage with a note tor for gabrielle Gabr lelle saying simply that mrs graham was alone and not well and wanted me to spend the night with shall I 1 ever forget that night her first spasmodic attempts at ordinary CO conversation her long silences always followed by wan wander derin ln to the window and gazing at over the ocean with the hopeless yet expectant air of one who knows it Is useless to watch yet et nevertheless continues to do no BO and cm 00 I 1 i tho the Nil minute slipped pat past and tho the room grew dim the tha final moment when casting all reserve aside she ahe flung herself upon her bar knee beaire the couch and pr prayed ayed that death might come coma soon and spare her further suffering buffering oh ob harry she mourned how could you and I 1 loved you sol it was infinitely pitiful and after a while when she grew calmer sho she told me her bet story speaking tenderly of the first few aw years of oc her carried life and ot of her hus husbands bando great grat love loa for her and for the child and the happiness he brought her then she bhe continued there came a r change ile ho went away and tor for weeks I 1 did not hear from him I 1 thought he was dead and nearly died also they toll tell me at last he ha came back to mo me so BO loving so patient with my invalid ways and so solf self reproachful at ills his own thoughtlessness ile iia had bad been yachting he said eald an invitation came at tho last moment and the letter he sent telling me of his hii plans roust must havo have miscarried could I 1 ever forgive him well I 1 waz wag only too glad to get him back and I 1 believed him absolutely for a while almost a year we wa were vere very happy again and I 1 was beginning to forget when he disappeared again this time he be stayed only two weeks but when lie he returned he teado made no apologies the water called him honald ha ho said sald and h he must go he never told mo me where he wont went nor what he be did but he gave up abts ether business 11 1 1 yet ot wo we seemed see nied to td have moro more r v iney i ney than ever ile he went away hen and stayed tor for long periods attar after that sud and for months montha I 1 would not know kaow 1 he was whoa when ho be canie came back to we tte ha be was waa always kind always thoughtful for mi my comfort always ready to talk on any subject except the one nearest my heart dut but he stow grew tl ti hate bate the boy llis his own chin 1 I interrupted how unnatural 10 1 0 hh said I 1 loved abe in child butt bauni tima my husband hui band I 1 1 slid she sald but abd knows whether that Is arno or not at la lat st I 1 bealie ill again during ahli absences aarti when he question whether ai atil K live ile ila was dreadful 11 ibra af tk will hla to live for his sake for hla his sake make the words sounded wonderfully sweet sweat to my ears and when he held ray my hand in both hla his own and whispered that he would never leave mo me again I 1 began to feel a desire to got get well hu kept his bis word too but this summer he camo came to me and told me that the sea was calling himi him nud and he must go ile ho suggested that I 1 come with him up here where he could have hla his boat and come home to me at night t but he be would not bring the boy and it broke my heart to leave him now you know why I 1 hate the ocean my enemy 1 I understand I 1 said and I 1 thought I 1 did realize a little how distressing it must bo be to her to be so near it yes she eald eaid 1 I ertme came hero glad ly bec bo cause aluse lie ho asked it although I 1 hate the air and the very sight of the ocean but today I 1 found something else I 1 was vaa mending his coat trying to keep myself occupied and not think too much for he went out day before yeste yesterday aday and I 1 have not seen him since yes I 1 said tor for she paused uncertainly it la Is not the ocean she said brok only enly that was but an excuse it Is a a woman she thrust her hand band into the bosom of her dress and instinctively I 1 knew she would bring forth a small package wrapped in white tissue paper she opened it and I 1 saw the blue ribbon and the little soft curl with a strange sense of familiarity she put her finger under the lock of hair as ellza eliza beth had done and looked at me with speechless misery perhaps I 1 suggested there la Is some mistake it is pretty to la it not sh she a said A little soft ring of yellow baiel yet when I 1 saw it and realized my heart stopped beating and I 1 remember nothing more until I 1 saw y you 0 U she was talking calmly now too calmly almly I 1 thought as aa I 1 looked at her feverishly bright eyes the hand which touched mine was hot and dry and a round red spot in alther cheek glowed and paled intermittently 1 I am glad I 1 know she continued there are some things one cannot forgive and I 1 might have hava 8 spoken bitterly now I 1 can always remember that I 1 never said a harsh word to him even when I 1 was most sorely tried im glad of that very glad she spoke la in the tha tone ot of quiet rem Inis cence in which ono one reviews ones past attitude to the dead after the first poignancy of grief Is over dut but ho be will come back I 1 said think how many times he has left you before ile he will not come back the finality of her yolee voice precluded kreply a reply wll criS suggested that she llo ile down and try to sleep and I 1 would do likewise she agreed docilely enough and I 1 throw myself upon the bed beside horn hor and in a few moments was sound asleep I 1 slept heavily for I 1 was very tired but it seemed scarcely a moment until I 1 heard her call me yes I 1 cried alarmed what Is it mrs graham fully dressed andi and with a lighted candle in her bar hand stood beside the bod bed a shawl around her shoulders and another over her arm 1 I am going out she said come going out I 1 repeated parrot like being still dazed with sleep going down to tho the edge of the wa ter to meet him it la Is calling me at last the ocean calls me and im going will you corne come walt wait until morning wo we can see nothing in the dark it Is dawn she replied raising the shade at last the has gone off at the edge of the horizon was waa a broad streak of pale gray and while the stars still shone shona they were fading last fast TO BE CONTINUED |