The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1897-11-06
CHAPTER XVIII.

note Of that amount, and, having no wish
to play longer, put the cards aside. just
then waiter entered, and Gresham sent
him to see if there were any letters for
him.
There was one addressed. I noticed, in
a woman's handwriting. This was moth
ing unusual, rs many such notes came 10
this Don Juan. He opened his letter,
read it, and muttered one or two of his
pleasantest curses.
Bad news?' l asked.
"No; only an application for money.
That's the worst of any folly, it always
costs money. Long after you've forgot
ten it, it jumps up and duns you
So Gresham limped off. l stood at the
door of the club, thinking where | should
go to look for Valentine Whether to his
mothers or to my rooms and wait there,
on the chance of his calling. | decided on
the latter course, and was just stepping
into the street when q waiter accosted me.
He had crumpled piece of paper In his
hand.
Did you drop this, SIR" he asked.
| took the letter, and, as every one else
would, glanced at its contents to ascer'
tain. l laid claim to it. 1t bore no adj
dress-no signature 1t was in a woman
writing, and comprised but two lines. Sc
short. indeed, that had l wished to avoid
perusing it, l could not have done so, as
took it all in at one glance.
Send the money or L. +. shall know
all. l swear he SHALL
l knew it was the letter that Gresham
had torn, and my heart eaped as it told
me for whose name those initials stood
l felt that Gresham was delivered into
my hands. The very way by which
| should hunt him down stood clear before
| me.
For a second | thought of keeping the
letter, but decided against so doing. Ches-
ham would miss it, and would doubtless
return to find it. His suspicious would be
aroused if he learned that it had reached
! my hands. Besides, did not want it, or
not enough to run any risk by retaining
| it. Every word it contained was burned
| into my brain, and as the writer's name
! and address were wanting, it was Of no
! further Use; so l returned it to the waiter.
1T belongs to Captain Gresham. Put
| it in an envelope and give it to him when
next he is here
l walked at The top of my speed to Al
! belnarle street. threw myself into Il chair
! ard began to think how to turn the cir.
! cumstance to account. | breathed the
| frecr as | thought that my distusteful
| task of Stimulating friendship for a man
| | scorncd wds coming to an end. | was
! in a state Of delighted excitement when
Valentine was announced. In my mo-
ment Of triumph | ran forward to greet
him. Seeing him stand with his right
hand fixed immovably in the breast of his
| coat was like a shock of cold water to me.
! low | said.
Il will not. | did not intend to come
here, until | thought it was mean to snea k
away without telling you what | intend
doing"
well, sit down; don't stand up in that
tragical way"
Cant you see | am not joking, Philip
Norris: | believe you are bewitched'
Il was never in fuller possession of my
Senses
ct you ask me to take your hand
You who 50 far forget what is due to your
friend and your friends mother-even tc
the girl you love"
i forget nothing, Valentine"
You do, | say. No one. not even YOU
who calls Gresham his friend shall be a
friend of mine. Philip, l could not be.
ears. when people told me-
His voice ut the commencement Ind
been almost fierce, but as he spoke the
last words it sank to regret and tender
ness, while his eyes glistened.
valentine" | said, you will not throw
old friendship aside for thist"
Il must and will do so. If you can OK
plain. do So | will cntreat your pardon .
IF | cannot EXPLAIN"
Then good-by. | lose my best friend
But you forget your mother and Claud
inc
My mother, much rs it will cost her
Will follow hay example. Claudine | bay,
no right to speak about"
| paused. Should | tell him with vhat
object | had sought Chesham? How full
of promise that intimacy had proved
Cnrlously enough, Lord Rothwelrs super
stltion that | was destined to carry thi,
matter to the end without aid by nov
had taken full possession of me. Besides
l mig Int fail after all-if so, why rails,
false hopes? | determined for Il time +,
remain under cloud in Valentines ewes
"Nalentinc,' | said, I'VE have been trI,,
friends. Will you do me fuvorl YOU
are going away for Il couple of months
y
pend your judgment? Will Won think I'll
then that you may have been too hastv
VIE YOU say nothing about this intimac,
which troubles you to Lady Estmere or t,
Clnudinc:'
lie held OFT his hand. ! graspcd i
heartily. Then without another word h,
TUNED and left me.
AS soon as Valentine had ,lpp3rted
l,,I F,,, ~, -,
first steps needed NJ hesitation. Tha
morning | had been 10 my bankers an,
drawn out 200 pounds-a fifty, five 20
pound notes, and the rest IN smalle
paper-one of these 20-pound notes | ha,
given Gresham. l looked at the number
of these in my pocketbook. These note
were brand new, and numbered consecu
lively. | had taken the note from tn
top, so l was able to determine its mum
Der. | had but to give this To a person
whose business it is to make confidential
| inquiries, and sooner or later il would b.
traced back from the Bank Of England t
| the person who received il from Gresham
| lost no time in setting the matte
/ afCOt, but | had to wait Il few days TO
the information. The note had passet
through very few hands. 1t reached til
Bank of England from another Londo
bank-It had been paid into that bank b.
n large firm of wholesale grocers. 1t ha
come to them in two halves from Il retail
grocer and general dealer Mt the lttl
town of Surbury, and be had changed
for Mrs. Merton. whose name was o.
the back of it. AS my agent was instruct
Ell not t. inquire before a certain date
and a the day on which Mr.. Jones. tn
retail .roccr, changed it for Mrs. Merto
was the day after Gresham had posted il
there was no need to alarm her by askin
her from whom it came-that | knew We
enough. Mrs. Merton lived at Acaci
Villa, Surbury. | noted the address, pal
and dismissed my agent, and then starte
for Surbury to finish the inquiry mysel
CHAPTER XIX.
Ii was the first week III September whe
| went down 10 Surhury. | put M, Will
| l WAS inspecting the ground. at one c
the old-fa>hioned inns, the Mitre. il wa