Show r LADY LARKSPUR By MEREDITH NICHOLSON 4 b b by Costs at e D e son Bon 4 J I d U U U t CHAPTER V V Continued J. J 13 13 I then Jotted down on a n scratch pad this memorandum The young woman representing herself herself her her- self as Mrs Bashford and now established established In my uncles uncle's house Is one or orall orall orall all of the following persons I 1 Uncle Bash's widow 2 An Impostor 3 A spy of some sort pursued by secret agents 4 Violet Dewing an actress 5 The most Interesting and the loveliest and most charming channing girl In Inthe Inthe Inthe the world The following day nothing of Importance importance tance happened though Alice Allee and Mrs Farnsworth again spent the morning In the woodland presumably studying Searles' Searles play My 1 thoughts galloped through my 01 head In a definite formula I If If she Is not my aunt aunt aunt- If she Is I in an Impostor Impostor- If she Is a spy playing a 1 deep game In the seclusion of Barton Barton Bar Bar- ton ton ton- If If she Is the actress Searles Is seeking seeking- At any rate I would respect respect respect re re- re- re her wish to play the game through the dangers of carrying the story-book story Idea to one of half a dozen possible conclusions were not Inconsiderable Inconsiderable inconsiderable Incon Incon- but I was resolved that she should finish the tale In her own fashion If I had expected Searles and his play to be introduced Into the table- table talk I was doomed to disappointment A dozen times I smothered an Impulse to tell Alice and Mrs Farnsworth I Ind had nd watched them In the woodland and of ot Searles' Searles long search for the Ideal of his Lady Larkspur but 1 4 was afraid to risk their displeasure They he enjoyed walking In the wood they said and when I charged them with selfishness in not taking me along Alice Immediately suggested a tramp later In the afternoon Ill send you ou away after niter luncheon I I have loads of letters to write but by four o'clock Ill I'll be keen for the woods again I Letters to all my good fairies she laughed when I 1 went for her and andou you ou mustn't look at the addresses 1 She Same suggested that we walk wall to the village as she sale liked to post her letters herself We went wept through the woods where I had bad seen seyen sen her ber the day before Constance and I 1 were here this morning she Ile said when we reached the big boulder Let me see I 1 think Ill I'll try a little trick to test the hand of fate Give me those letters please If this falls with address up Ill I'll mall mail mallIt It and she chose one and handed me methe methe methe the others If the flap side turns up Ill I'll destroy Ii if It She sent It spinning Into the he air A branch caught and held It an Instant then It fell turning over o and over o and lay straight on edge against a weed No uNo decision I I cried Its an exact exact ex ex- act perpendicular She knelt beside It pondering I think It leans just a trifle to the address address address ad ad- dress side she announced Therefore Therefore Therefore There fore you YO may return It to your pocket and it goes into the post office These Thes letters would probably answer answer answer an an- a lot of ot questions for me if I 1 dared run away with them I sug sug- The thought does you no credit sir You promised not to meddle but Just to let things take their course and andI I must say that you are constantly Improving At times you gr grow w clous yes clous-yes yes you know you do but do-but but take It all in all you do very well At the post office she dropped all the letters but one Into the chute It really did fall a little to the address side she questioned I gave my Judgment that the letter stood straight on edge Inclining neither neith neith- er wa way If It my life hung in the balance I should certainly not act where fate had been so timid Suppose said Alice musingly I were to tell you yon on that It If I mall this letter the effect will be to detain me mein mein in 10 America for some time if It I dont don't send end it I shall have to write another that will mean menn that I shall go very soon If I stay on at Barton Instead of going home to take up my little part again for England In the war It will be an of selfishness selfishness just just some more of ot my foolishness more of the make-believe make life that Constance and I have hn been living here bere I r want you to stay I said earnestly earnest earnest- ly taking the letter Let me be your fate tate In this this this-In In everything that affects your life Ute forever She walked quickly to the door and andI I dropped the letter Into the tile chute and hurried after niter her You didn't turn round I said as we si started down the street For Tor all nil you you know Ive I've got the letter In my my- pocket Oh Im I'm not a bit frightened I It would be Just as Interesting one way as another But I want you to stay forever I declared as we waited on ou the curb for tor a a. truck to pass The Tine remark Is almost Impertinent she answered when Ive I've known you only seven days been wonderful days d ys It really mak makes p no dur difference enc t about letters letters letters let let- or your our duties elsewhere Where you OU co go I J shall certa certainly ly follow that's something I should lIke to havo have understood understood understood un un- here and now Loitering along the tho beach on our way home I was waa guiltily conscious that I was making love rather ardently ardent ardent- ly to a lady who had Introduced herself herself her her- self to mo 03 as my uncles uncle's widow The sensation was on the whole very agreeable Mr Torrence and Mr Raynor Antoine announced as we were leavIng leaving leaving leav leav- ing the dinner Mr Raynor asked Alice Who Vho pray pra Is Mr Raynor Their arrival together chilled me a achill achill achill chill Increased by Torrence's frosty greeting as he gripped m my hand angrily and hissed In my ear car Youve deceived me about this whole business I I suggest that you leave the room I was walking toward the door when Mrs rs Farnsworth protested You are not going Alice there Is no reason why Mr 11 Singleton should lea leave leac c us Of course he Is not going said Alice She was established at ease case In Ina ina In Ina a a. wicker rocker unconcernedly plying i the plume ostrich-plume fan There may be matters began Torrence Oh nothing that Bob cant can't hear I Alice declared Very well muttered Torrence frowning his complete disapproval He fidgeted for a moment and tried to catch Raynor's eye but Raynor's face expressed amusement I found myself liking Raynor very ery much Mr Ir Raynor told me mo that t he be wished to speak to Mrs Irs Bashford privately said Torrence If hes he's satisfied Im I'm sure I have ha no objection to Mr MI Singletons Singleton's Singletons Singleton's Singletons Singleton's Sin Sin- gleton's remaining I regret that my myown myown myown own duty Is a disagreeable one Really 1 I murmured Alice with nicely shaded Impudence I am convinced beyond ar any question ques question ques ques- tion said Torrence sharply that I I I I r r G Gf f b e oIl Really Murmured Ali Alice e. e you are not the widow of ot the late Raymond Ramond B B. B Bashford I That statement said Alice without ceasing the languid flutter of the fan Is correct quite correct quite correct Certainly It Is entirely true affirmed Mrs Farnsworth And your coming here as you dIdIs did didIs didIs Is If It you will pardon my frankness susceptible of ot otery very ery disagreeable con con- It Is my painful duty duty duty- He choked upon his duty until Raynor Raynor Raynor Ray Ray- nor spoke smiling broadly I 1 find my duty really a privilege he said Not only are you not Mrs Bashford he lie went on with the utmost utmost utmost ut ut- ut- ut most good humor but you are a very different person I should e explain that I represent the American state department and that our government has been asked by the British embassy to find you and deliver a certain message to you Oh papa wants me to come home bome I cried Alice Its droll Constance that papa should have thought of making an affair of state of us Dear papa will always Indulge me me Just so far and then he becomes alarmed Hes lIes certainly alarmed now I laughed Raynor But the ambassador ambassador dor dol has warned us to be most tactful and circumspect You may not know that Sir Arnold Seabring Is on his way to this country on ou a confidential mission That of course Is not for tor publication Sir Arnold Seabring gasped Tor Tor- rence The father of the Honorable Miss 1 Seabring replied Raynor with an elucidating nod toward Alice But nut how how how- I began Mrs Bashford the widow dow of your uncle Is the Honorable Miss 1 Seabring's aunt Is that quite correct It Is all true true said Alice I am ama a fraud an nn Impostor You might go goon goon goon on and sa say that Mrs Irs Farnsworth Is the wife df Sir Cecil Arrowsmith Arrow But all nIl the guilt Is mine It was my Idea to come here and play a little because I knew Aunt Alice wouldn't mind She knew knew Just what I meant I to do really she did dirt Mr Torrence lIn In fact I have her written permission to use the tile house which I should have shown you if 11 we had got in a n pinch But It seemed so much more mora fun tun Just to let matters take tako their course Its It's a pet theory of ot mine that life Is a dull affair unless we trust to luck a R little After Atter my brothers brother's dea death th I was very ery unhappy and had gone out East to visit Aunt Alice who Is a great roamer I thought It would be he nice to stop here on the way home Just for a lark without telling papa who was frantically cabling me meto meto meto to hurry back to England This Isn't the first time Ive I've played seek hide-and-seek with my family I was always doing that as a child and If It hadn't been for m my general waywardness I should never have known you Constance Why I J shouldn't have known you gentlemen I It has all been so delightful de de- 1 I This naive confession amused Raynor greatly but Torrence was seeing nothing in It t but a dangerous escapade In the name of the Trust company I must notify you he began that by representing yourself your your- yourself our self as another person entering Into possession of a large property property property- But weve we've been paying all nil our own expenses we haven't taken any money from you pleaded Alice Of course you OU wouldn't do such a n athing athing thing affirmed Raynor My My In Instructions Instructions instructions In- In are to give you any sum of money you ou ask asic In fact the government government government govern govern- ment of the United States Is Instructed to assume full responsibility for you until your father arrives May I go on and clarify matters for these gentlemen for Mr Torrence at nt least Is entitled to a full explanation 2 Constance said Alice turning with a little shrug to her friend we have ha been heen caught I Our story Is being spoiled for us Please go on Mr RI Raynor DOr Just what does the AmerIcan American Amerlean Amer Amer- ican lean state department have to say about us That you rou are endowed with a avery avery avery very unusual personality continued na Raynor nor his e eyes es twinkling You are not at nt all content to remain In that station of life to which you were born you like pla playing at being all sorts of other persons j j Once so your our friend the ambassador confided to me you ou ran away awny and followed a band of gypsies which must have been when you OU were a ver very little girl I was seven said Alice and the gypsies were nice to me And then you showed talent for the stage stage stage- A dreadful revelation re I she else exclaimed ex ex- claimed But you dont don't know that It was really your father who managed to have Mrs 1 Farnsworth one of the most distinguished actresses in England take charge of you No 1 Alice never knew that l I said Mrs Farnsworth laughing I was washer washer washer her chaperon as well as her tress but Alices Alice's father knew that If It Alice found It out It would spoil the adventure for her Alice must do things her own way You Ted are a fraud said Alice but butI I 1 always suspected you a little Speaking of the stage resumed Raynor It Is also a n part of m my Instructions In in- that the Honorable Miss Seabring shall b b. L discouraged from any further adventure ad In that direction direction tion she's far too talented theres there's danger of ot her becoming a great lu lu- In other words she is not to grace the boards again as Violet Dew- Dew Ing lag Alices Alice's brow clouded and she turned to me That was settled when you mailed that letter for me It was to make an appointment with an AmerIcan American American Amer Amer- ican playwright who wants me to appear appear appear ap ap- pear in a most adorable comedy TO BE CONTINUED |