, 1897-12-16
GREATEST OF THREE.

He was first Of all her husbands
friend and then her OWL, and this l.
the story of how she saved him in 4
time Of great danger and stood herself
on the brink of another and greater
peril.
Evey Lancaster was one of those wo-
men who marry men they avcragelv
love and are faithful wives and devoted
mothers so long us passion, going down
the country lane of their peaceful lives,
passes them by on the other side. She,
perhaps, loved her husband more thar
these women usually do. but then she
was made of steruer stuff. and where
there is more to conquer there is more
to suffer Small blame to her. since
heaven had made her charming. Small
blame to Edward Vereker, her hus-
bands friend. since he found her SO, and
he himself rs goodly a man as You
would meet III any summers day. Her
husband, David Lancaster, was a good
ly man. too, and worthy of her and Of
Edward Nereker, his friend.
But there We're three of them, and
three is an evil number concerning men
and women.
1t was during the summer of 1898
that Edward Vereker and Eyey, his
friends wife, began to be more than
friends. He was staying with the Lam
casters down i'll Surrey in their pretty
little red house on the edge of the pref
ty little blue river, and David was 60
ing up and down to London every day.
because it was yet early. and the vari-
Gus vacations and holidays had not be-
gun. So he and she We're left u good
deal Oh one anothCr's hands. Satan
found mischief, not for those idle
hands, but idle eyes, for that ummer
ones hands remained i'll ones lap and
it was too hot even to talk, but it is as
easy to look ut ones neiShbor US to stare
blankly into space. and eyes cali do a
great deal by themselves. take it alto
gether.
So these two sat in the shady garden
under the big ccdars and looked ut one
another for want of something better to
do and found the occupation suffice for
all their needs.
Evey Lancaster was u good woman
by nature, not By art. ! mean she was
naturally good and had not become so
by trying very hard. She had been we'll
brought up; she read decent books aud.
therefore. only Il few, and she meant
every word Of her share i'll the mar
rage service.
But, alas and alas, she wa a woman,
and u pretty nne. and Edward Nereker
was good looking and IL man. though
somewhat unusually moral and possess
ed Of a sense of honor. Moreover. they
both loved David. But David was away
all day, and-I mistrust June and the
devil in u green garden!
l don't know that anything would
have come Of il if tragedy bad not step
ped in; Adelphi tragedy, battle. murder
and sudden death i'll Ii of its most :D-
palling forms in the shape of hydropho-
bia.
Evey and Edward had leen rnneccs-
sarily energetic that dag. Perhaps they
both uncomfortably realized hat sit
ting under the trees saying nothing was
becoming . little exciting. AT any
rate Evey went to the gunroom and
brought out IL Smith a. Wesson Of her
husbands, and they set up II mark in
the meadow outside the garden. and.
having %prudently removed the cows,
practiced shooting i'll the cool OF the
day. They shot very badly, but they
had to look at the target, and that was
comparative safety. They got tired of it
at last, and she sat down under II OF
the great oak trees ~flanking the garden
with the revolver in her lap, while he
sauntered across the grass to rcarrange
the somewhat shaky target.
She was zeal the gate leading to the
road, and it was open. for the COWS had
gone that way to the f%armyard. and in
June, 1903. gates that it was not an
imperative necessity to shut remained
open for coolness' sake.
And here the Adelphi melodrama
came in, and through the open gate,
too, heralded by Shouts outside'-a
strange heart sickening clamor coming
mp from the hush of evening distance
hoarse, scared yells. and the tramp of
running feet and confused directions ap-
~parcntly issued in many voices. And
through the open gate "A horror rushed,
u creature with dripping jaws and star
ing eyes, y big. black retriever, bearing
in its strange, altered state but little
resemblance t. the friendly, kindly dog
Of "a few days back. and at its heels .
of men armed with sticks and
farm implements and any weapon that
could be hastily snatched up, bnt none.
alas. with y gun.
Evey Lancaster, revolver in hand.
with shells still remaining in Il couple
of chambers, saw the mad dog enter the
meadow and make straight across it out
over the sunburned grass to where Ed
ward Vereker was walking toward the
target. She wal under the shadows OF
the nedge, %broadside on, as it were, and
the dog never noticed her.
Edward Vereker turned On his heel at
the sound of the noise at the gate, and,
like Evey, took i'll the situation at d
glance. But he WIS absolutely unarm-
od-he had not even u stick. and he
was alone n :he midst Of = wide field
with death /. it's foulest form not 30
yards from him.
Then Evey Lancaster, from whefs she
kpelt on the grass under the hedee.
took aim and fired. She wa his friend
ana knew that his life was ct stake,
end that quickened the presence OF
mind and the courage within her. She
va made Of British stun, and that
seeadied the shaking hand and kept the
revolver straight, aud though tho first
III sln .SS,nl CARRIED