Show S FOUL PLA PLAY Y YBy By Charles Read Reade and Dion Continued from Yesterday Morning lifted up her head and became conscious of a formidable old woman who wa was 5 standing behind the counter at a side door door eyeing her with the severest scrutiny This old woman wa was tall and thin and had a lIne fine face the lower part of which was feminine enough eno h but the forehead and brows brow were alarming Though her hair wa was silvery the brows were black and shaggy and the forehead was divided by a vertical furrow into two temples tempie Under those these shaggy eyebrows shone dark gray eyes that passed for black black- with most people and those eyes oyes were are fixed on Helen reading her Helens Helen's light hazel eyes returned gaze She blushed and still looking said Pray madam can I see Sir Mr Under Under- My sort son is out for time the day miss said the old lady civilly Oh dear how unfortunate I ami arn ald Helen with n a lie comes hack back tonight You can pee ee him tomorrow at 10 o'clock A question of handwriting Not exactly said Helen but he was witness in favor of a a. person I know was as Innocent But ho he was found guilty said the theother theother other with cool keenness Yes madam and he has no friend to clear hint him but mo mc a poor weak girl and defeated whichever er way I turn She began to cry S The old woman looked at her cryIng cry cry- lag Ing with that steady which marks her sex on the these occasions and when she was better said quietly Iou are not eo so weak as you She added after awhile If you wish to retain my son you hail had better leave leavea a fee pleasure What Is the fee S Ono One guinea Of course there is a separate charge for any work he lie may maydo maydo do for you That Is but reasonable madam Anti And with this lila sho paid the fee and andro ro e to go Shall 1 send anyone home with you Xo n thank you said Helen Why hy S Because you are followed and be because because be- be cause you are not used to being fol fol- fol 1 lowed 0 Well Why how did you find flad that out By your face when a man passed t the lie window window window-a a shabby genteel fellow ho hr was nas employed by some gentleman no doubt Such faces as yours will willbe willbe be followed in London If you feel uneasy miss I will vill put on my bonnet anti and see sec you home Helen was surprised at this act of substantial civility from the Gorgon O thank you Mrs Undercliff said he Xo No I am not the least leaM afraid Let them follow me I am am doing nothing noth ing that I am ashamed of Indeed I Iani Im ani m glad I am nun thought worth the trouble of following It shows me inc I Iam xin am not so thoroughly contemptible and ninny many thanks Ten o'clock t em orrow And she walked home without lookup tool look lag up once behind her till the hotel was wasn n then ho hn popped ji at-ji f hop 11 C pe lint he the shabby genteel man was nowhere In n sight S m t When Joseph Wylie disappeared from the scene Nancy Rouse House made a discovery which very often follows the dismissal of a suitor that suitor that she was considerably more attached to him than she had thought became became be be- came dull lUli the subordinate washerwomen men languid their taciturnity Irritated and depressed Nancy ancy by turns In n the midst of this Michael Pen Pen- fold discovered that Helen had conic come comeback back safe He lie came caine Into her parlor beaming with satisfaction and told her of the good news evs It gave hem immen im- im men e delight at first But when she had got used to tier her joy on that score she he began to think she had used Toe Joe Wyllo Wylie very ery ill Now that lIchen Helen was saved she could no longer realize that Wylie was so very ory much to blame She even persuaded herself that his disappearance was the act of a Justly offended man nian and as he belonged to toa a It class of whoso whose good sense she had a poor peer opinion she was tormented with fears ears that he would do some desperate act thrown act drown himself or go to sea or worst of all marry some trollop She became very anxious and unhappy Before Before Be Be- fore this misfortune she used to o go about singing the first verse of a song and whisking the next like any ploWboy ploW ploW- boy an eccentric performance but It mide the house gay Now both song none and whistle were suspended and in instead instead in- in stead it was all hard work and hard crying turn about She attached herself to Michael Pen Pen- fold because he had known trouble and was sympathetic and these two opened their hearts to one another and formed a friendship that was very ery honest and touching The scene of their conversation and mutual consolation was Nancys Nancy's parlor par par- lot lor lota a little mite of a room she sho had hd partitioned off from rota her business For said site she a lady Ill I'll be after be-after after my work is done done If If It Is only in a cupboard The room had a remarkably remarkably remark remark- ably large fireplace which had originally origin origin- ally warmed the whole floor hut but now was used as a ventilator only The gas would have been stifling without it As for lighting a fire In It that was out of the question On a certain evening soon s-oon after Mr return from Scotland pair yat at over their tea and the conversation fell on the missing sweet sweet- heart Michael had been thinking It over ovel and was vas till full of encouragement He said ald Miss Route something tells me that If it poor POOl Mr Mi could only know your heart he ho would turn up again directly What we ought to todo todo do I is to send ond somebody lo to look for him In all the sailors sallon haunts some harp i-harp fellow fellow- Dear me what a knocking they keep up next door O that Is always the when one wants a quiet chat Diat the wo woman woman wo- wo man Ill I'll have h her r Indicted No you wont won't Miss she sho Is A poor soul and has got no business busi husi- ness except letting lodgings she shea a is not like you Rut But I do hope she will willbe willbo bo be so kind as not to come quite through the wall Dear Deal heart KB said Id Nancy go e on and mind her noise which it Is worse orse than a horgan Well then if you cant can't timid him that way I aay say Advertise Me ie cried Nancy turning very red Do I look like a a. woman as would advertise for a man Xo No maam ma'am quite the reverse But what I mean Is you might put In something not too plain For Fr instance If J. J W W. will return to X N. R. R all will ivill willbe be forgotten and forgiven Hed have the upper hand of mo me for life said Nancy No no I wont won't- wont advertise advertise for the fool What right had ho lo to run off err at the first word H ought to know my bark barkis is norse than my bite t this You can though Me Me bite maam ma'am said id the old gen gen- ti ema n. n Bite Xo No advertise since you youre you're re so fond so-fond fond nf of it C Come mo you sit ait down and write one anti and Ill I'll pay for It It for that matter sat down nail and drew up the following If It Mr Joseph Wylie will call on Michael at No O. O 3 II La C. C ii he will hear of something to his advantage To his advantage Said Nancy doubtfully Why not tell teil him the truth Why that Is the truth maam Isn't it to ii hi hl advantage to be reconciled recon recon- oiled to nn an honest virtuous painstaking pains pains- taking lady that lint honors him with her affection anti affection and me with her friendship Besides It is the common form and there Is nothing like sticking to form Mr said Nancy anyone Olin can see you was born a gentleman anti and I am a deal prouder to have you and your washing than I should him himas himas as pus pays you your wages palo pale eyes eyes eyes- pale hair pale hair pale eyebrows I I wouldn't trust him to a duster S O OS Miss Rouse Pray don't dont disparage die dis good to my lily master inc me I cant can't help it it sir thought is free especially in this here compartment Bettor Better speak ones one's mind than die o othe otho the tho sulks So shut your car when my music Jars But one every other da dais day dayis is enough if he wont won't came caine back bach for that why ho lie must go and I must look lookout out omit for another theres there's as fish In the tho sea as ever came out of it Still Ill I'll not deny I have a great re respect re- re sheet for poor Joe O 0 Mr what shall I do Oh oh oh There there said Michael Ill put this into the Times every day You are are a good soul Mr O oh 0 oh oh cli When he lie had finished the advertisement advertise advertise- ment In a t clerkly hand and she sho had finished tier her cry she felt folt comparatively comfortable and favored Mr with some reflections Dear heart Mr Mi how you and I do take to one another to be sure But so we ought for we are honest folk the pair and has had a ahard ahard hard time Dont Don't It never strike you rather curious that two thousand pounds was at the bottom of both our troubles trouble yourn and mine maine I might have married Joe Te anti and been a happy woman with him him but the devil puts in my head head head- There you go again hammering J Life aint worth having ing next door to that lodging house Drat the woman if silt she must peck leck why don't dont she go In tile the churchyard and peck her hor own grave which we shall never bo be quiet till she Is there and these here gimcrack houses they wont won't stand no more pecking at cit titan than a soap soap- stud sud Ay Hints Hint's what hunts me inc Mr the lie Lord hart had given him and auth me health mid strength and honesty our betters had wed for tor love anti and wrought for as the saying is hut but I musj musi go again Nature that cried Come couple and must bargain for two thousand pounds io o now how Ive I've lost the tho man and not g t the money roi never shall shah and if I 1 had Id I'd burn burn- All alt nii nh all ah ah a 5 cl creams of a human hand ham hi iii a place ind anI in a manner well adapted to shake hake he the stoutest nerves This hand came caine through the brick brick- York of the chimney place and there remained a moment or two then slowly slow slow- ly y retired and amid as It retired something ivas heard to fall fall- upon shavings and ind tinsel of the Nancy by a feminine impulse imn put her hands before her face to hide this supernatural hand and when she sho found courage to withdraw them and glare at the place there was waft no ure tuie whatever in tho brickwork brick and amid the hand appeared to have tave traversed the solid material both coming and going O 0 Air Mi cried Nancy Im Imi Ima a i sinful woman This comes of talking of f the the devil artem sunset sunset and she sho sat trembling so that the tho very floor shank hook S Si Mr nerves neuves were verc not strong lie anti and Nancy both huddled together for mutual protection an and l their faces had not a vestige of color left In them S However after a It period of general paralysis whispered S SI I heard It drop something on tho thu shavings Then we shall ball be all allEn in a blaze o 0 brimstone shrieked Nancy wringing her hands S Jf And they waited to see S Thou Then as no conflagration took place Mr got up and said ho must go and see what It was the hand hind had dropped Nancy in whom curiosity was be beginning beginning be- be ginning to battle with terror let him go to the fireplace without a word of objection anti and then cried out Dont go it sir it will do you a t mischief dont don't touch it what what- ever fake TakA the tongs He lie took the tongs and presently flung into the middle of the room a small oilskin pocket packet This as It lajon lay laj layon on the ground they both eyed like two deer glowering at nt a piece of re red cloth and ready to leap back over the moon if It it should show signs of bit bit- ing But oilskin Is not preternatural not nor luau has tradition connected it however however how how- ever remotely with the enemy of man Consequently a great revulsion too took place in Nancy anti and site he passed from fear to Indignation at having been frightened so She ran to the tho fireplace arid and putting hot her head up the chimney screamed Heave your dirt whore you heave your love y ye brazen Whilo v was objurgating her neighbor whom with feminine justice she held responsible for every act done in her house mouse Pinfold undid tho tito packet and Nancy returned to It lid her seat with her mind morn macro at ease to to examine the contents S Banknotes cried A Ay said Nancy incredulously they do look like banknotes banknote and feel like cm eni but they aint wrote like them Banknotes aint wrote black like that In the lefthand corner explained Ten pound notes note nr aLenot not nor five but large notes fare These are al ahi fifties S 5 Fifty Fifty pounds pounds' What each of them bits S of of paper worth fifty pounds Yes Ye Let Jet us count them them them-I 1 2 24 2 3 4 t 5 56 6 6 7 8 S. 9 10 TO 13 n ii 10 15 16 17 18 O. lS-O. O. O Lord Lord 0 Why it Is two thousand pounds pounds just Just two thousand pounds Jt it 1 in the tho very sum suni that lint ruined me It did not belong to mv and Its It's being In the house ruined my poor Robert And this does not belong to you Lock Leek all the doors bar all the window and burn them before the police come Walt Vait a bit wild said Nanc wait a lt They s Mt it on each eldo ido of the notes notes- agitated and terrified Nancy confounded and perplexed Continued Tomorrow Morning |