The Florence daily tribune., 1898-05-17
shook his head and called to one


"Out on the Portsmouth road nearly
to Thames Ditton.' was the reply;
that big house with the long brick
wall next to Tiller's.''
81 know now, SIR" said the man,
climbing on to his box.
Very well, then! An extra shilling
II you hurry up, cried, and away he
went.
AT tho end of short drive we pulled
up before pair of massive iron gates.
passerby threw them open for us, and
we drove in, passed round shrubbery
and pulled up at the front door, paid
the cabman off, and then, having watch
ed him drive down and through the
gates again, rang tho bell. Next mo-
ment the door opened and trim maid
servant, without inquiring my name.
invited me to onter. Tho front door
opened on to nicely built and furnish
ed hail. and from it passed into hand.
some drawing room. 1t was empty, but
before l had time to look round the
folding doors ON the other side were
thrown back and Allie entered the room.
must leave you to imagine our greet
ing. / can only say that it sends tre-
NOR through me to this day to remem-
Der it. l know that while held Allie,
who seemed more beautiful than ever,
in my arms she whispered:
You are still of the same mind,
Georgef"
Doesn't this look as If nm, dar-
ling?" l whispered Eyes, love you
more fondly than ever, and have come
tonight to claim the fulfillment of your
promise.
"You have been very patient,
Georgep'
1T was because loved and believed
In you, Alioi" replied. "But come,
darling; want my answer.
"And you shall have 1t, she said
softly. "There it isl'
AS she spoke she raised her beautiful
white hand and pointed to the ring l
had given her, saying as she did so, at
has never left my finger since you
placed it there!'
MY best of girls, " cried. raising the
little hand to my lips and kissing it
fondly, II am the very happiest man in
the world And now must hear all
your doings; tell me how you got
homeln
There is little to tell,' she answer
ed. i followed your route via Thurs
day island, brisbane. Sydney and Mel
bourne. staid in the latter place for
nearly month, and while there adver-
tised for companion. The result was
Mrs. Barker, NICE amiable little per-
son, whom you will shortly SEQ. When
we reached Naples. happened to sec
an advertisement concerning this fur
nished house in an English paper, tele-
graphed about it, received an answer in
Paris, engaged 1t and arrived here this
morning"
"And how did you leave the settle
ment? And, by the way, where is Mr..
'Beelzebub?' "
1.-THE settlement was very we'll when
came away. They were busy building
the new Communal hall used to talk
to you about. And poor old Bel is left
at the bungalow. was afraid he might
excite remark and possibly draw suspi-
cion upon me-"
allie, do you think you are safe in
London?' cried in alarm, all my old
fears rushing back upon me at the men,
ton of that one word suspicion. What
ever should l do if any one suspected
your"
You need have no fear on that score,
dear" my intrepid sweetheart answer
ed. "There is no one in England who
could possibly recognize me. and the
only people in the whole world who
could do SO are yesey of Hongkong. the
sultan Of Surabaya, the rajah of Tavoy,
Barkmansworth andthat lieutenant and
midshipman. The first is dead, the sec
ond never leaves his own territory, the
third is in bad odor with the English
government just Mt present aud little
likely to come home. Barkmansworth
is, presume, still in Hongkong, and
the lieutenant and his junior are with
their ship in the China sea-
"All the same, shall not be satisfied
until we are safely out of Europe again.
Alie."
"You say we. Then you mean to come
away with me. Gecrge:"
''Of course With whom else should /
go? Hank. Somebody is coming"
at is Mrs. Barker, my duenpa. Now
we must DO matter of fact folk once
more. "
AS she spoke Mrs. Barker. dapper
little lady with silver gray hair aud
very pleasant expression, entered the
room.
"Let me introduce DR.. De Norman
Vile to you. said Allie. rising from her
chair and going forward to meet her.
"Dr De Normanville, Mrs. Barker. y
bowed and Mrs. Barker did tho
same. Then we went IN to dinner. What
happened during that very pleasant
meal. how Mrs. Barker found occasion
to require something from her bedroom
afterward and so left us alone in the
drawing room together, need not re-
late Suffice it that when got home
about l2 o'clock was the bappiest and
at the SANG time the most nervous man
In England.
Next morning called for Janet and,