The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-10-25
CHAPTER XII.
KAVANAGH.

A hushed laugh from the room I had
quilted reached my car and caused me to
stop at the foot OF the stairs. The suspicion
that was the object Of merriment stung
my newly awakened pride Jealous already
Of kavanagh's influence and attributing to
him the same feeling of animosity that
ranked In my heart, I conceived that he
would take advantage of my absence to
make Taras hate me. A growing desire to
hear what he would say against me, to
know whether Taras would stand by me OF
yield to his friend, impelled me to steal back
to the door, where put my ear to the key
hole
Kavanagh was speaking in low, music.
ally running tone.
That's the worst of equality when it's
practiced by a thorough going man like
| you. One never knows what to expect and
may get douche like this at any moment.
| One day you introduce me to man with
an insignificant name and the look of a
broken down tradesman, and l find later
on that he's royal duke, and now-thanks,
I'll help myself II ] may"
"And now what q you take this friend to
bey" Taras asked in a tone of amusement.
Il took her to be an illustrious refugee at
the least. princess, possibly, by her
| dress, distingue style and II distinctly aris-
tocratic cut of features-probably an ex-
ceptionally learned princess. There was
the eccentiicity Of genius in her silence tho
sans gene with which she reclined against
the wall and stared at me-to say nothing
OF a decidedly unamiable expression in
those fne eyes of hers. Yes, would have
laid ten to one in anything that she was an
illustrious refugee-before she opened her
lips"
''Then you altered your opinion?n
"Weil, yes"
There was pause. And here I may OBJ
serve that in giving this dialogue and 9TH
ers | write many words which were not
then In my vocabulary, and it must be I'M
derstood that give but very free trans
lation of certain well remembered impress
sians.
by the way" added Knvanagh, 81 hope
was not indiscrcet in accepting your in
| yitati0n.p
Il should not have asked you to come In
II had not wanted to have chat with
you; something more than chat-a serious
talk. l should have hunted you up to-
morrow for this very purpose"
You have the pleasantest way Of max
ing a man feel welcome. What is the sub
jectgp
1.-The girl who has Just left the room. In
the first place, Barry Kavanagh, there must
be no misconception with regard to her po-
sition here"
MY dear fellow, no one whose opinion is
worth consideration would ever dream of
doubling your honor or the honesty of your
relations with this young woman
THAT idea never entered my imagination.
1t is quite another kind of misconception
that / wish to avoid Come, you are one
whose opinion is worth consideration. Tell
me candidly what conclusion you hNre
formed with regard to her in place OF the
illustrious refugee theory"
Il should say that she is some unhappy
wait whom you have rescued from the
slough Of despair and the slums of White
chapel, with an object as wildly impracti-
cable as it is profoundly charitable
THAT is the misconception that feared"
said Tars~in low, earnest voice, contrast
ing strongly with the light tone of his
friend II want you to understand that
the girl owes nothing to any sentiment Of
charity on my part in order that no chance
word or accidental look may convey such
suspicion to her mind. If l gave her all
that possess in the world, down to the last
farthing, it would not repay what l owe
her. But for the daring, the bravery and
the endurance of that slight, frail looking
girl might now be on the road to Siberia.
Good heavensl Ihave not heard word
of this"
ut has all happened since saw you last.
told you the police would not let me
alone, and they have not They laid a trap
for me, and l walked into it with tho SIM
plicity of woman, mainly, / think, be-
cause the agent employed to take me rep
resented himself to he an ex-convict and
looked the character SO perfectly that I
never suspected him of being something
worse. Usually, you know, the police
agent looks impeccable, They got me down
in cellar, bound hand and foot and gagged.
Icould not get my hands free, but worked
the cord off my feet and ate through my
gag, There was pipe in the cellar, and
through that communicated with the girl
whose voice heard overhead. At the risk
of her life she contrived to get herself into
the cellar and me out Of it. A vessel-from
which l had been led to believe that three
refugees were to be rescued-lay in the pool
waiting for me, and most likely was to
have been carried aboard and shipped Off to
St. Petersburg the very night that this
brave girl saved me-"
| tTO BE CONTINUED