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Show cofrncr iter erjujvtrtttn co JU,USTnATJtD BY MAT X2J SYNOPSIS. Threo plrls Elizabeth, dnbrlello nnd KIIbc stnrted for Canndil to npend tlio mnmor there. On board stonmor tlioy ivr-re frlBhtonod by nn nppnrently domont-Kl domont-Kl stranKcr, who, flndlnB u but? bolonBlns to ono of them, took enjoyment In scrutinizing scru-tinizing a plioto of the trio. Tho youtiB women met n Mrs. Graham, anxiously awaltlrur lior husband, who hud a mnnlti for snlllnp. They were Introduced to Lord Wilfrid nnd I.ady Edith. A cottaBo by tlio ocean was rented. Two men rnlled. They proved to ho John C. Mako nnd Gordon Bennett, ono u fr end of Elizabeth's fnthcr. A wlnp of yellow Imlr from Mr. Graham's pocket fell Into tho hands of KIIbc. Mrs. Graham's hair was binds. KcnrlnB for tho snfoty of sonio gems, Indy Edith left them In n snfo nt tho cottage. Mr. Gordon Bennett was properly Introduced, explained his actions on board Bhlp. KHbo, alone, explored ex-plored the collar, ovorhearlnu a conversation conver-sation thero between Mary Anno nnd a man. Ho proved to bo her son. chnrced with murder. At a Riipper, which was held on tho rocks, Bllznboth rather myB-tciloiiBly myB-tciloiiBly Inst her rlnp, enuslnt? u search by tho ontlro pary. Gabriello witnessed n stormv sceno between I.ndy Kdlth nnd Lord Wilfrid, Jealousy uelnff mo causu. Mnry Anno broilBht bncl: Kllzabeth s rlnp. I311se wont salllnR with Gordon Hennett. He tried to pernuado her to rottirn the Jewels left In tho clrl's caro by I.ndy IOdlth. At midnight Kllsn saw two men ono of them Gordon Honnett nttemptlnB to force nn entrance Into their bouthotisc. Sho ndmltted to herBclf that sho hud nenrly loved him nnd believed be-lieved herself used ns n tool. Mrs. Grn-hnm, Grn-hnm, slek, told UIIbo of her husband s lovo for another womnn. Gordon Hennett Hen-nett nnd ninke returned with Mr. Grn-hnni's Grn-hnni's body. IIo had been murdered. Lord Wilfrid row sulky. I.ndy Edith eonllded to Kllso that Hlnko nnd Honnett Hon-nett wero thieves. Iady Edith led her to whero thoy wero trylnK to break In. Tho Blrls were awakened late at nlsht by a nolso In tho cottnKo: They found Blnko and Hennett nwaltltiK I.ady Edith, who, they told tho Blrls, was Nell Slmms, n notorious crook, nnd Lord W llfrld, a smiiRKlcr, wanted for murder. Thoy refused re-fused to believe. Dlako proved to bo a Bovornmont ofllcer. CHAPTER XVI. Continued. At last It camo. A stealthy stop, a Bubdufd rustlo of Bklrts, a whispered word of caution, and wo wero aware that some ono had entered tho dining din-ing room and stood so near tho sheltering shel-tering portlero that It tnovod slightly. We could hear a low voice command some ono to go to tho foot of tho Btalrs and listen for movements nbovo. Then slleiico again, nnd a whlspor from Mary Anno that everything was quiet. A faint light appearod through tho opening of tho portiere, and, parting It still further, wo saw two figures: Ono a man, on his knees nt tho door of tho safe, while tho other, a woman, hold tho lantorn. Tho man sprang to his feet with an oath, but his arms wero seized by two men In uniform, who In terms more forceful than pollto admonished him to keep quiet nnd mako no troublo. And tho woman Lady Edith? Sho 3tood orcct, with hoad flung back and blazing eyes. A scarlet spot flamed In hor cheeks, glowing brilliantly at ilrst, then fading to marblo whiteness as sho looked at tho array against her. For a moment sho said nothing; then, turning to Mr. Blake, sho Bpoko In an oven, mechanical voice. "I congratulate you upon tho success suc-cess of your coup." IIo camo nearer and hold out his hand authoritatively. "I will rcllovo you of that box," ho said. . "I will not glvo It to you." "I should regrot to uso forco with a woman." But wo could bear no more, and with ono accord pushed asido tho cur tain and ontorcd tho room. "It iBn't truo!" cried Elizabeth, rushing rush-ing to hor Bide. "Say It isn't truo, and wo will believe you." "Even now, in tho faco of everything, would you bellovo mo?" "Yes," I Bald; "wo would Indeed. It Is your word against theirs why should wo not bellovo you? Only Bay it is not true. Tho box is yours, but why did you get It tills way? You had only to toll us you wanted it." . "You hear?" sho said, standing tall and erect, her oyos on a lovol with Mr. Blake's ns sho looked at him, ignoring his outstretched hand. "My word against yours, and thoy bellovo mo mo!" "1 should regret to uso forco," ho repeated. re-peated. "Tho box, if you pleaso." "Stop!" said Gabriello quickly. "Lady Edith, may I tako - tho box? Thank you. Suroly it is a simple matter mat-ter for you to satisfy this man. Lot ub open It and provo him wrong onco for all, nnd then neither you nor I need ever boo him again." Sho unwrapped tho first layer of papor, thon paused uncertainly. "Toil' WO llm uu ymtPsA-Rhesaid. ln a queer, choked voice "your mother's moth-er's pearls and I will bellovo you. Only look at mo nnd toll mo so." Tho groat brown oyos looked Into Gabrlello'a clear hazel ones Btcadlly for a mlnuto perhaps, thon faltered; tho long lashes dropped upon hor hoek, and sho turned asldo, speech-iPf,s speech-iPf,s Bolf-confossed a thief. Gabrlollo, with a sigh which was almost al-most a sob, handed tho box to Mr. Blako. Ho bowed gravely, removed tho cover, nnd Mrs. Bundy's famous omoralds glittered In their bed of jeweler's jew-eler's cotton. As long ns f live I shall hato omoraldB, for they can but recall re-call that most painful scene, bringing vividly before mo tho averted faco, and bont golden head, of our onco loved friend. "Surely," said Gordon Bennett, "there is no uso In prolonging this sceno." "None whatever," rfgreed Mr. Blake, making a sign to the officers who hold tho man I oven now think of as Lord Wilfrid. "I arrest you," said tho officer, "for the murder of Harry Giaham." Something flashed In tho light, nnd wo heard a sharp click, accompanied - J3 QOOJ" . "My- Word Against Youra, nnd They Believe Me." by a suppressed scream from Mary Anne. "Not that!" Bho cried. "Oh, good Lord I not that! Don't put tho 'nnd-cuffs 'nnd-cuffs on 'lm." "Bo quiet," her son said. "Don't you sco tho game Is up?" Sho did not heed him, but stood before be-fore tho ofllcors'wlth raised hand and a certain dignity of carriage which commanded attention In spite of hor gingham apron and round red faco. "Aye'," sho said; "tho murder of Mr. Graham. 'E dono It 'o struck tho blow but why? Ask tho woman be-Bldo be-Bldo Mm, 'or with tho soft 'ands and tho yollow 'air. Ask 'or why ho dono It. Ain't sho 'Is wlfo? Ain't 'o lived and breathed and worked fur 'or ovor sonco tho ovil day ho fust seen 'Gr the day 'o como to mo nnd told mo 'o was nKoIng to tako up a trade and llvo honost and rospectnblo? Wot did sho do fur 'lm? Sho smiled on 'im and sho coaxed 'lm, with 'er Bweot voice and protty wnys; sho said sho couldn't live wi'out 'lm, nnd moro, too. And sho told 'lm 'ow rich sho was, -ami 'ow pasv she mado er money tnkln' whatever sho "oTTnuIs-onr and smuggling Jools and Blch acrost the border to 'er friends in tho states. Wot did sho marry 'lm fur? Sho didn't lovo him" Tho 'inan mado ft suddon motion, but tho officer laid a restraining hand upon hlB arm, and Mary Anno continued. con-tinued. Dourlng out tho words In a steady stream which admitted of no Interruption. "Sho wanted somebody to do 'er dirty work, that's why sho married 'lm, and tired enough of 'lm sho got, fur all tho gold key sho gave Mm an' the cuff button which I thought I'd die whorf I seen It In yor 'ands, Miss Ellsc. Was thero a stormy night she didn't send Mm out on tho ocean wl' a boat-load fur tho other side, carln' not a bit whether 'o ovor come back or not? Did sho care fur anything but 'erself? "Don't I know 'ow fur years, over sonco sho fust seen Mm, she's made that poro dead man work fur 'er? An honest man 'o was, too, at fust, with a wlfo and child, but wot did sho care? 'E was crazy about 'or, and onco 1 heard Mm say 'o'd follor 'or to purgatory purga-tory and wuss, and 'e loft Ms wlfo and child whenever sho called Mm, which sho did wl' a lock o' 'air and some fool vorsc. She liked Mm, too liked Ms fine flgger and 'andsomo faco, and when ho como around sho 'ad smiles and to spare, with nothing left fur Willy but black looks and sharp words. Oh, I know!" "Will somo ono stop tho woman?" said Mr. Blako helplessly; but Mary Anno hnd moro to Bay, and went close to hor daughtcr-In-law, addressing her directly. "When you sent fur Mm this summer," sum-mer," sho said, "and 'o como as usual, you didn't like It becauso ho brought Ms wife poro, palo, homely little thing so you was oxtra sweot to Mm nights when you met in tho boat-'ouso, and ho sailed you out on tho sea, you two alono, and my boy hero left behind, be-hind, eatln' Ms 'eart out with lovo and JonlouBy. And you made a plan, you two, so's you could bo together alwlz, fur you thought you couldn't llvo apart, you said. So 'o was to leave Ms wlfo fur good and all and go abroad, and you was to join Mm thoro, fust let-tin' let-tin' tho police In Montreal know how thoy could git Willy git Mm fur some-thin' some-thin' 'o dono becauso you told' Mm to. But you wanted to closo up tho biz-ness biz-ness 'ero fust, you said, and git tho omoralds safely landed, so's you would bo suro af tho monoy thoy'd bring. And Willy wasn't to git a cont, fur you needed It yorsolf, but 'o thought 'o had 'em, fur you give Mm a box jest llko It ono night, and started Mm and Mr. Graham off fur tho other shoro. You never thought, though, when you two was talkln' in tho boat-houso boat-houso Jest beforo thoy Balled, that mo and Willy was in tho passagoway llstenln to you. Wo 'card Jost 'ow Mr. Graham was to land Mm with tho cmpfcy-4eralL-y-ini leavln' Mm caught hard and fast. Woll you knowed 'o would never peach on you." Sho paused and swallowed convulsively. convul-sively. """" "So Willy wont out In the boat alono with Mr. Graham, and with Ms 'cart black wl'-rago and passion. And 'o struck the man mcnnln to stun Mm, per'nps. But 'e killed Mm 'o killed IH lm. And I say now, and God In M 'oavon knows I'm right, that this worn- H an murdered 'Arry Graham, not my boy not my boy." I "Officer," said Mr. Blake's qulel voice, "remove tho prisoners." "Good-by," Edith snld very gently. "You would have bollovcd mo, and 1 lhank you. I I nm glad to have known you. Pleaso forget me, and good-by." H "And this," Blake said to Gabrlolle, "oxplalns our presence In your cellar M to-night. I hopo you aro convinced 1 spoke the truth." "Go away," she said In a smothered voice "go away, and never, nover, lei mo see your faco again." , "What havo wo done?" ho Inquired, r turning to his friend with a puzzled air. Elizabeth now had tho floor, and tho mantle of dignity descended upon her. "I think," sho remarked frigidly, "we need not trouble you to stay any longer. We are qulto accustomed to being alono wo prefer to bo alono." Gordon Bennett turned helplessly to mo, but it wns now my turn to be haughty and unnppeased. Even undei the circumstances, I could not lot the others distance me. "I do not think thero Is anythlna moro to say, Mr. Bennett," I returned loftily. "I quite ngreo with mj friends." . "It seems," ho remarked, turning to Mr. Blake, "as though we might a woll go home." When they reached tho door, however, how-ever, ho returned and stood beforo mo, hat In hand, and n. vory determined aspect about tho chin. "I want to tell you," ho said, "thai I found tho scarf-pin on tho slip. 11 wns a Bleovo button dropped by the man you cnll Lord Wilfrid, and the cluo Mr. Blako was looking for. 1 had promised him not to admit to any ono whero I got It therefore I lied, ns you know. Ho had It sot as a pin, and wished to try the effect on the woman. You know how sho gave her sc-lf away when sho saw It, for you also wero watching hor. The gold H key Is tho badge of this partlculai fj band of smugglers, and thoy all weai It In various ways. Your servant, Mary Anno, was moro sinned agalnsl than sinning, and will bo allowed to ga free. I know you would wish this." Ho paused suggestively. I mado no reply. "I think that Is all," ho concluded, con-cluded, "except to say that If I can at any tlmo bo of service to you, or If, for any reason, you want to see me, I hopo you will let mo know. Until then I shall bo careful not to lntrudo." Tho hall door slnmmed with Bome emphasis, and again wo listened to stops crossing tho veranda. Thon, simultaneously and without restraint, we began to cry, while Mary Anne I In the kltchon sobbed heavily. p This did us all good, and when al last wo opened tho windows and looked out, tho ocean Bparkled and glittered In tho morning sun and the vholo world smiled at ub just as 11 had so often done before. At tho point of tho Island a small, dark object movod Bwlftly along; we recognized tho government boat, and vatched It with swimming oyos and trembling Hps until It mado tho turn and disappeared. Gabriello pointed to tho foam In iti wake with a hand that shook slightly. "Thoro goes Lady Edith," sho said; and wo looked out over tho empty ocean In silence. (TO BE CONTINUED.) |