| Show anuj senuah ai tUt cc jj facy e f h I 1 i HON an i i ima 4 H b by av fenc france es shalle 1 f 1 CHAPT ERYin continued 1 16 0 k fc t 1 I wouldn woul like her 1 deborah old and put berchin her chin up 1 simon raised on hisa and nd called I 1 downto them through tai the twill twilight ht hf lie onto abil we the t i att lt madeline explained in his x pocket hes coming across thelridge the bridge i now r I 1 can hear J tubby came around the end ii of the housa house face was y v very i ery red he was not ahe he r was almost frowning cowning 1 madelin e gladi ced significantly at sally who compressed her lips and stared at hr her brother tubby stopped beside debbah the only a few feet in front 0 of f I 1 deborah so that as he took the lett letters e rs fron from his inner coat pocket she could easily insely see them idly as he called out a name she glanced at each envelope simon he announced nothing for you bryn sally two for you nothing at all foi you deborah and madeline had hers in town another for ayou ayou simon and here he said gallantly Is a letter for you mrs airs larned lamed it looks very inter sting written in a hold bold dashing masculine hand with a very thick enclosure it carries with it a hint of mystery fie he had been wiling holding out simons last letter waiting tor for him to take it as he spoke so that deborah had had a moment to take in the meaning of the handwriting on grandmothers envelope i it was familiar it was ya 3 1 dreadfully familiar A cold ley icy hand clutched at her heart and she feli felt her jelf elf tu turning faint again as she had on that dreadful afternoon on the wharf she put out her hand band involuntarily unta rily for the letter and made a queer little strangled sound grandmother was smiling at nonsense onn ilise waiting for her letter she did not notice deborahh Debo Deboi alis face but bryn did he stood up sharply ile he saw deb brahs whiteness he put out his hand and took the letter from he glan glanced ced at it he looked over oer at grandmother he could be arrested for this he be told grandmother gran deother interfering g wm government malls bribery and corruption the crooked game of politics tubby stared at him his mouth open shut up bryn told him alt although hoogh he bg had not spoken not a word out 0 of f you you iniquitous scoundrel trying to defraud roe me of my any rightful property indeed this Is my letter ive been looking tor for it tor for weeks I 1 longing ging for it not being able to sleep nights its iti a detailed and careful account of the construction of flie lie arch of the bridge over the ovo over the volga river in russia new departure Jn engineering ne gi ering im sure grandmother would enjoy reading it she I 1 su sup P pose this Is your idea of a joke grand mother I 1 apologize apologise apol ogise I 1 apolo glye for having such a stupid and crass insect for a friend 1 I was iwas I 1 was just kidding him Giand grandmother mother tubby muttered it your you letter after all its his fils oh dear grandmother murmured mui aured laughing you two keep we me in a perfect state of bewilderment I 1 dont suppose I 1 shall ever bechle be ahle to tell whether you are arc talking sanse m r nonsense Tub bys fault bryn answered thrusting the letter into his pocket Tub bys an fn n awful ass grandmother you have no WWI idea f desall He sall a right kight simon 0 11 exl explained I 1 ne ile he smells the dinner were going duck rind and nater crebs tl deborah stood tensely densely before th we e window hands locked together wait ft alt ing for bryn io to come downstairs after taking grandmother Giand mother up to bed to night of all Granai grandmother nother had stayed up half no an hour later and all the time stuart grahams letter oiled filled with all unimaginable bill ties lily lay unopened in bryns pocket bryn brn came caine in quickly and shut the tb e floor door behind him deborah broke awny aft nv from arm she took look a step toward him she put her hand out mutely ills his eyes yere were upon her face lie ho compressed his lips ills ennd went to arinner an inner pocket and then lie he slid sald quietly just a minute deborah arp are you perfecta sure that youre not mistaken oh yes yes I 1 she A died cried and th the air in the room was suddenly electric as I 1 it t someone had turned a switch bryn drew the letter out he looked at ai it 1 I dont like opening other peo pies letters he said slowly it might be only an extraordinary resemblance semblance le deborah youve had it on your our mind you know she took it from his hand and looked at it the th very touch of the envelope made her shiver im sure she said bryn ripped the end off the envelope and drew out the folded pages ile he glanced at deborahh Debo face shall I 1 read it deborah she sha nodded mutely bryn straightened the pages and began my dear mrs mra burned barned naturally I 1 cannot imagine lust just what deborah has ha told you regarding the failure allure of our plans in san ban franca but I 1 am afraid the she may not have s chown on me Is in a kindly light for the past month I 1 have been most anxious to write and explain the situation ayou but circumstances thy b beyond and my control have hav mader mada tor for me to 1 d do eo I 1 suppose it Is useless for or me to expect that after hearing Debo deborah s story atory whatever it was and after this long silence on my part you van ran have an any Y i pathy apathy tor for roe me and the fositt position 0 a 1 la a t I 1 w which h I 1 now tin find d myself but I 1 must most a ask 4 ie lyou you to accept ahe ha explanation which 1 chave hav made amy silence allenc the ciket that I 1 am an en gilted lilted man in the navy completely un berthe arbitrary control of 0 any whim of my superior P and subject to the of 0 anyone on board a of touch and such auch conveniences as aa malls band now tor for deborahh Debo story what ahe hai q told you I 1 do not know a as s I 1 mentioned before but looking at t the matter maiter from her point of view and trying to be just and generous I 1 am forced to the conclusion that whatever she told you i must have been both exaggerated and biased I 1 was wag very much disturbed over the whole business and spent pene all my mashore shore leave phen in san francisco trying to find her and explain but ol of course it was an impose impossibility to do doo so lVa tint know whether it has occurred to you mrs larned to think how completely ignorant of the world and its ways deborah Is I 1 was prepared of course for or a certain amount of bunso knowing to some extent how she had been brought up but I 1 did not realize that hat any girl could po pos s aebly bly in this day and age have r remained ma n ed so BO entirely unaware or of a trends of modern times I 1 have of course every respect for or the manners and customs of the time of my parents and grandparents as I 1 am sure boti you will know but having lived a normal life I 1 have naturally progressed with others other I 1 of my generation to an acceptance ot of the manners and customs of the present day deborah his has not this was obvious to via me on our first meeting from her appear appearance a and from rom he her absolute inability to meet an ordinary situation w with ith ca calmness 1 aness I 1 grant you that it must have be been en difficult for her to come down alone to meet rot me and perhaps it I 1 had bad kno known w n just how difficult it if I 1 had realized deborahh Deborn Debo hs state slate of 0 mind and lack of 0 understanding of modern lire life as it Is 18 lived I 1 shou should I 1 d h have IL vo been able to overcome her obie objections c hong and explain away her 0 As it was I 1 could do nothing deborah was in a state of 0 frantic terror before I 1 had a chance to see gioi her at all and by the time I 1 reached her she was wag beyond ordinary reasoning I 1 am utterly bitterly sorry for it all and reproach myself that I 1 guess what to expect and so prepare the tit bation accordingly it seems to me that I 1 might have been warned mrs airs lamed of what h a t I 1 should have been expected to encounter liven kven as it was I 1 might have been able to overcome Debo deboraha childish terrors had bad it not been for the absolutely unwarranted interference of some unknown person in the lawyers office deborah will probably have mentioned him to you and made some satisfactory a explanation as to her conduct I 1 was certainly pained and astonished to discover that she had bad so little good taste gs as to be willing to take up at once with a stranger the fact of mr hol hoi worthya wor thys presence was all that reconciled me to leaving her angry its as I 1 w was as 1 I may add that the time all v come when I 1 will make it my business busine to discover this strangers identity and settle with him tor for the insult he offered f ere d me however th this is Is all beside the point the re really a 1 I 1 7 ser serious 0 s question between us Is that of your husbands will and deb brahs estate with my copy ot of the will I 1 have bonsu consulted ltd a lawyer and it Is his opinion that t under certain circumstances stances we might make a fight tor for the estate that aou would d ultimately prove ciuc successful cess ful the circumstances are of course a marriage between deborah Debo rali and myself which would take place with your approval approve 1 this unless there are aspects of the case with which I 1 am not familiar seems to me to be from your point of view an absolute necessity I 1 have examined the list of 0 securities named in the will as the source of your present income and as you doubtless know only too well most of the them 1 ri are completely worthless how dow you h have ave managed tor for the past few years Is a mystery and may josol explain deborahh Debo appearance and obvious lack of advantages in any cass case no mitigation of your circumstances may arrive except through me and although tho gh I 1 was deeply hurt 1 I think I 1 broke hla his jaw aryn sold said happily deeply hurt and mortified not to mention my disappointment and the general disruption of my plans pinn 1 am ain will willing ing for or the p sake ke of the friendship which has exist existed 0 d between our families for so BO long I 1 am in willing to tn do what I 1 can to make tal things ings easler easier tor for you I 1 have obtained from my commander an extended leaVe of absence and I 1 arp am leaving san dleon tomorrow morning to lo drive up the coast to your home you may expect me at the latest by wednesday noon anle unless I 1 meet with unexpected difficulties along the road yours sincerely v STUART OGDEN GRAHAM bryn folded the letter tubby thrust his hands handa into his pockets and began to saunter up and down lie abe room whistling beneath his breath simon put his hands behind lils head and stared s at the ceiling cel ling silly sally was trew tiem bling with excitement and clutching simons knee and madeline walked slowly s 1 aly across aud and dropped down beside deborah well tubby said buttoning his coat and squaring ng lils ills shoulders shou lueis it if lies got to be kept inday hes got to be kept away and all there Is to it after nil ail there e are four men inen of us here lere and burch five fire against one that ought to bekasy be easy you talk as if we were going to fight about it sally said tearfully with gani guns it half as blunder ing or easy as that not half madeline lne echoed this Is going to be strategy and strategy tubby oever never was wal your strong point it you will ivill remember she smiled bp at hirn him a warm tinder tender smile that made him blink a and fi I 1 look 4 ol 01 BS as if he saw her for the first time but youre a darling tubby and youre loyal and 8 trong strong and worth a lot more than one of those slip slippery peri strategists well gee tubby abby said bewildered down we might ha hai the road tubby toby said hopefully put a gate across it you know somebody weald id have to guardia gu ardIt of course br bryn n sald said thoughtfully though trully and hed war wank to know why he ha pass I 1 f I 1 stayed there cherem myself Y and had hada a t ik with him ean ing ahe situation it might helt help but I 1 trust brust ti it ni not to pretend to g go away and th the i to sneak linck back when we ieng just to see what harm he could ft 0 TO RE |
