Show A WONDERFUL WOMAN BY MAY AGNES FLEMING CHAPTER IL XIV Under tho the in I Kings King's s 's Oak She did ld not scream she did lid not even eyen start tart There must have been brave blood lood In the governess' governess veins She Sue stood lood there thero stock still and faced raced him im but in hi the moonlight that gray gsa pallor allor came over the resolute face race and nd the great gray gla eyes dilated with wilh something the look of a hunted stag So o for an instant they stood silent race face ace to face he with the brilliant slanting lanting moonbeams full on his dark ark handsome and so me uncovered head and his blue eyes pitilessly fixed on her stony face Then the Iho spell broke she sho ho drew one long lont breath the light came back to her eyes eye the natural hue ue to her face an and she nerved herself herself her- her self elf to lo meet an and dare the worst She was vas one of or those exceptional women who ho possess courage that rises to batlo hattie hat hat- tie lo back In Iii the hour of oC danger dangel She opened the thc gate and spoke e Captain Redmond ODonnell O'Donnell n. n she said slow slowly I It la is you OU I breathe again For or one moment I took tool you for or a My Iy nerves are arc good but you gave e a them a shock Yes Captain ODonnell O'Donnell dr dryly I an- an I think your yom nerves are aregood aregood good Miss e. e There are not many young ladies not ladles not man many strong strong- minded governesses even who even who would fancy ancy the long lonely walk between I and this place between the I Igho gho ghostly lIy hours of twelve and two You are arc going back As I sai said before with your permission I will wilt accompany pany pan you ou Under existing circumstances circumstances circum circum- stances It becomes m my duty to lo see you OU safely home She smiled came out ed the gate gale put the key in her hot pocket drew rew he the black mantle she wore closely closel about her and walked on Your duty duly she repented repeated still with wilh that smile Duty Duly is a word with wilh a wide significance to lo some somo peo peo- pie For Instance no doubt you con it your our duty to follow tollow me here tonight to tonight to log dog my steps like the tho hireling a assassin of or an Italian lIan novel to lovel to It is not a pleasant word woid but the word I want play pia the spy He lie was walking b by her side He was lowering tho the pasture bars o of a afield afield field as she spoke to let her through Spy he said Well Vell yes es I confess confess contess con con- fess tess It looks like it Still In Justice to myself and my motives let me Ba say something more mOle than simple curiosity has been at nt work tonight In the usual course of events though it might surprise me mc to see Iad Lady Dan- Dan governess SO taking a mo m- m light ramble after midnight it certainly certainly certainly would not induce me to follow her and pIa play the spy as you ou term it upon her actions action But another motive than prompted me rue tonight tonight- to dog your our footsteps to lo wait walt for tor your reappearance and to accompany you OU home Ah Alt something more May orO I ask asIc what It It- ItIs is that thai Induces Captain ODonnel ODonnell O'Donnell ODonnell O'Donnell ODon nell nel to lo take tako so profound an Interest in one so far tar beneath him as Lad Lady Dan governess The grave defiance of her tone tono and manner the daring mockery of oC her glance told him she was prepared to toden den deny everything to to light fight every inch of tho the ground Well Veil Miss oll he said ald m my first Impression when I I recognized recognized you you for for your carriage your our walk walle your YOUl bearing aro are not to be mistaken mistaken mistaken mis mis- taken anywhere anywhere- Miss bowed sarcastically lIy as to a compliment I My r first Impression I say was wa that thal I you ou were welO walking In your our sleep I r 1 Ir iI i I I r l v y ct JI tl i 1 Jo M- M I knew a somnambulist In Algeria A who iho would walk alk miles over every night if not ilot locked ed up But a little thought and a afew afew few minutes minutes' cautious pursuit convince convinced convinced con con- vinced vince me that you ivere not sleepwalking sleep sleep- walking but exceedingly wide awake indeed A Again aln Miss 1158 bowed again with that derisive defiant smile on her face Her Hot whole look manner man nina neI ner and tone were entirely unlike Miss who seemed more lII like e an animated statue than a living woman in my ladys lady's spacious rooms Tooms And being convinced of that thai Caplain Captain Cap- Cap tam lain tain O'Donnell's first Impulse the Impulse the impulse of oC all brave men and gallant gentlemen was was Miss Miss I is out for tOle a walk wall by herself hersel either cither on private business or because of ot the beauty of the night or 01 because she cannot sleep She Site certainly doesn't want me and is quIto quite capable of ot takIng taking taking tak tak- ing care of herself hersel I will turn back at once and think no more about it it That was I know the first filst thought of or Captain ODonnell O'Donnell the bravest chasseur chas chas- soul seUl In iii all the arm army of Africa May i MayI I ask wh why ho lie did not act upon it Simply for this reason that reason Captain Captain Cap Cap- tam tain ODonnell O'Donnell recognized Miss 1 Hern- Hern castle at six o'clock last evening as ashe she he stood upon the lawn reading the Battle Bailie of Fontenoy Indeed Miss lIss responded respond respond- cd ed with supreme Indifference recognized recognized me did you jou ou I am rather surprised surprised surprised sur sur- at that You encountered me meIn meIn In iii the streets of or London probably before I came hero here No madame I encountered you in inthe tho the streets of a aeI eI very different city I have ha an excellent memory for faces Caces and though I 1 may be puzzled to place them for fOl a little I generally come out outrIght outright outright right in the end I congratulate Captain Caplain ODonnell O'Donnell on his excellent memory nemon And m my face taco puzzled you ou at first finst dl did it and you OU have havo come out all right in the end Carry Carr your OUI memory back to the night of or tho the theatricals at tho the night of my first appearance there I saw sai w you ou plu play Chari Charlotte otto Corday and andIn andIn In iii common with all present your manner manner man man- ner ncr of or enacting It II electrIfied me mc More 1 i I r know immediately that 1 I ha had seen you ou before and In somewhat similar circumstances I asked who you ou were we're were and was told lold Lady nursery nurs nurs- Cr ery governess That nonplussed mo mom momy mo- mo m lii my recollections of of you were altogether alto alto- gother gothel with the character character char char- acter of child childrens children's rens ren's Then came last evening and arid your very er fine flue rendering of or the tho Irish poem An And again I was puzzled Your faco was perfectly familiar your familiar your attitude altitude your our voice your but action but where had hud I seen you Do you remember Lady Cecils Cecil's exclamation Miss Miss Horncastle Hern Horn castle you ou are aro a born actress Like mist before the sun bun the hazo haze of oC m my mind was swept awa away and I knew you T r repeat it Miss lf I 1 know you You knew me Miss repeated repealed but her eyes were gleaming strangely now well ivell sir you know nothing to lo m my discredit I hope Nothing to to your discredit if it you OU have told Lady Dangerfield the truth But baronets' baronets wives rarely look for tor their childrens children's Instructresses in the person of ot a New York actress Captain Miss And then there was a pau pause e and arid for fOI oi an Instantly how horribly thick and fast Miss l heart boat beat only Miss Mis ever knew kne I r dont don't understand you OU she said but bul in spite of ot all her great self- self t. t 1 t ilL tb t b j f 0 t j. j I her volca oleo gouzd husk husky A NOW New York actress L I. never ne was in N v w York in my life Ute I am urn an au English En lIsh woman born and bred If Ie ho wo would ld only take tale his e eyes es ore oft oret her face she thought her lies defiant spirit t would rise iise again But those powerful powerful power power- ful tul blue eyes I keen een as a knife bright as steel seemed to pierce her very cry soul soui and arid read all Its falsehood there I 1 regret Miss liss tal takes lakes cs the trouble to make mako unnecessary statements state state- ments he said coldly An Eng Ens- born bom and bred I believe that But Bui as sure surely I as we both bolh stand here her I saw sais' you ou six months ago on a aNew aNew New York stage one stage ono of the thc mos most popular actresses es of that city She was silent her her lips set hard hard hard- that hunted look in iii her lar largo large o eyes The Thc play was Hamlet pursued pursued th thi th pitiless voice of the chasseur and am the great trans-Atlantic trans actor Edwin Booth played the doleful Prince of or Denmark I luaU hall never seen Hamlet Ham let let and I went the first night of or my arrival In New York The Ophelia of the thc play was a tall black majestic woman who acted superbly and who looked as If she could take care o of herself but then lien all American American Ameri Amen can women have that look At least she was very ery far from ones one's idea of ot I poor sick love son song singing weak weak- minded Ophelia and I r really think she took the character better than an any actress I ever er aw saw but then m my experience has been limited MIss MIsa Horncastle I dont don't remember the name of that actress on the bills but butI I certainly have the honor of walking by her side tonight No he he lifted his hand han host hastily II I beg bes you will not trouble yourself to den deny this What good will it do do You cant can't convince me though thought you denied It until day day- light I know r I speak the truth She Bho turned to him with sudden impulse im Im- im- im pulse pulse su sudden pulse sudden passion In her face dee Ah Alt that Is where women fail where fall where men have the advantage ad of us The strongest-minded strongest of us will let ourselves ourselves ourselves our our- selves bo be swayed by b impulse and all the vows and resolves of our OUI life Jf are arc swept away awny In Iii the thc passion of ot a moment mo mo- mo- mo ment She turned to him with a swift swirl Impassioned gesture of or both hands theatrical perhaps but real Why Vh should I 1 lie to you rou You are arc a man of oC honor a soldier and a gentleman you gentleman man o you will not betra betray me rae I 1 will ivill toll tell the truth Captain ODonnell O'Donnell I I am the New Neis' ew York actress actress I I am th thin tho Ophelia you beheld six Ix months n ago o I 1 knew it it he answered with wilh com corn nl nights in I saw you ou man many succession It was as impossible for mo inc moto moto to be mistaken cn And AntI as clever er and popular actresses do not as a rule quit the stage and anti the lie brilliant well paid well dressed highly strung existence of a a. popular leading lad lady and merge their bright individuality into that of or ofa ofa a Cl poorly paid o drudge of a u. nursery n governess go you will l pardon aron me I think for nil allowing oWing my suspicious suspicions to torise torise rise for following your our footsteps to to- to nl night ht I sal said to myself this actress whom a crowded Broadway ho house se ap applauded applauded up- up to lo the echo nl night ht after afler night has hns some sonic moll e motive motive-a a sinister one once in all likelihood likelihood likelihood-la In quitting her hel profession profession sion and amid coming to lo this house in the Iho therole role 1010 of or governess For of ot course a a. governess go she will not nol long remain Lady Dan Dangerfield is in utter uller ignorance ignorance ance of her antecedents believes whatever cr stor story Miss s chooses choos choos- es to lo tell loll her her takes takes cs her recommendations forged beyond doubt for ton authentic au au- au- au documents and Is IR being duped every evely day la in I speak plainly you s see e. e Miss MIM You do Indeed Miss fI s answered bitterly You state y yOur ybur ur case with all nil the Grimness and amI truth of tho the stern old judge on the bench hench summing up the facts fads that areto are aro to lo condemn for life the thc miserable culprit culprit cul cut In the dock And after afler all she nun hung up hot her head hea her eyes lashing flashing what business is It of yours Aro Are you my ladys lady's l keeper Has lias your our own fate falc been ordered so smoothly that thal you ou should hunt down to ruin a poor pOOl wretch with wilh whom life has gone hard 1 Something In her lien tono tone moved him him him- something in th that t passionate savage hunted look of lieu her eyes touched him he hardly knew why No Xo God knows he hc said sad sadly m my own lIfo life has been no pathway o of ot ro roses rosei e I am the lie last man on earth to lo set sot up in in Judgment Un upon Il my 4 Cj 7 1 gUn gling fellow mortal an and accuse him I have havo no novI vI K to hunt you ou you can call H work ork y- y f Jill nights night's discovery and your our avowal I Ishall shall be as though they had nc never ncr r been Whether hether I 1 do right or wrong In concealing the truth is much too subtle a a. question for tor me me-I me I only know lUtow I 1 will conceal It it- It She held out her hand suddenly with a second swift Impulse For that much at least I thank you ou Why I have left the thc stage wh ili why I havo have you have answered to your our own satisfaction Some sinister motIe motive motive mo mo- tive tI must be bc at the bottom of course And Anti yet et Captain ODonnell O'Donnell ODonnell O'Donnell and yet can can you OU imagine no better betler no higher high high- I 4 er cr no more moro worthy worth motive The one ono may be brilliant the thc other dull hull ono well paid well dressed well ischl applauded applaud ed cd cd the other a pittance quaker pittance garb fand j f jand and the obedience o of a servant but yet vet the dull life Is ig the safe one one thu other ther full of untold dangers and temp- temp Captain ODonnell O'Donnell smiled I r grant It Full of oC untold dangers and aid temptations to foolish girls and frivolous olous matrons not matrons not to such wom- wom cn en as you In an any situation In life lite you are quite capable of tal taking ln excellent excel Ilent lent care of or yourself Miss That plea plen has not even the thc a aunt advant advantage age ase of or being commonly What your OUI motive ma may be I dont don't know know know-It it Is your own business and In no way concerns me Unless ho lie paused paused- unless Miss oli s Of he hc said salti slowly Yes Captain ODonnell O'Donnell unless Unless I fIn find lind trouble of oC any kind coming of It You are arc doln doing mischief already do already do you OU know It YOU havo frightened two or oi three people into the belief beller that you are an a ghost Miss lau laughed not laughed nol hod-nol not ae a a. e very t natural sounding laugh Poor little Sir Peter Peler Is it It m my n-my fault faull Captain ODonnell O'Donnell that I re 10 0 some sonio woman he lie has I known dead and In Iii her grave Perhaps not I have havo not quite mado made up m my mind how that is hi yet Second clause clause he he gave her lien a lug ing look arc are you OU aware ale that Sir Arthur Tregenna Is has engaged bc cil cT n Clive f for r y to years La Lady Cecil Ce- Ce Continued Tomorrow Morning |