The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-08-28

| not bargained and OF which l did not
approve, for L still disliked her as
much as ever. Mrs. Gordon, OF course.
was TO have gone with US. but she had
such bad headache that she was
obliged TO Keep her bed that day: SO
| there was nothing for IL but for me 10
take charge OF Miss Douglass unti !
| could denver her over 10 Howard s
care. / did not enjoy the journey.
Miss Douglass was anything bun an
agreeable companion, and responded
| to my well-meant efforts at conversa-
| tion in short. abrupt way that dis
gusted me. After time. ! gave up
trying to talk, and amused myself for
for the rest of the Journey with my
own thoughts. while my morose com
panion buried herself i'm pile OF
| books and papers.
Howard was on the lookout for US
and ne at onde took Miss Douglass and
her belongings under his special care.
She was more pleasant 10 him than she
had been to me. but still | could see
that ne was not at all prepossessed. and
| when she had gone off 10 look at her
| cabin he turned to me with a queer
| smile.
well. I can't say admire your
taste. Maitland" he said, "if that's
| specimen"
"But II isn't" I answered in some con-
fusion. She isnit-I mean TO say
that Is. wish you could see her sister.
| old chap"
"oh,v' said Howard. Her sister.
| see.''
Just then a slim. insignificant looking
| little man, who had been talking TO
| Howard when we first went on board,
| came up to him and said something in
low tone.I could not help hearing
4 Hoyards reply.
| Miss Jessie Douglass. friend OF Col
| onel Maitlands, who is an old friend OF
] mine. She's all right. You may bet
| your bottom dollar on that"
| The little man nodded and hurried
| away TO mix unobtrusively with the
crowd again. ] turned to Howard in
astonishment.
"Who is that" / asked, "and what
| the deuce does he want to know about
Miss Douglass"
Howard laughed.
''He hasn't fallen i'm love with her"
| he said. You needn't be jealous. He's
a detective from Scotland yard and
he's after that convict chap Milner, the
forger, who escaped little time ago,
You know. The police think he's lying
low somewhere in England al present.
and. so far. they don't seem TO have
picked up clue TO his whereabouts
but sooner or later he's sure TO try and
sneak out OF the country. and so
they've kept an eye on every boat that's
sailed since his escape. Now. Maitland.
times up. and you must be off. I'll
look after Miss Douglass all right, and
] hope she'll improve bit on acqualnt-
ance. SO long; old chap: so long
well. Colonel" said Hugh Drum
mond. meeting me almost as soon as I
entered the house on my return. Did
you get Miss Douglass off all right2'
Yes" / answered. 'iand glad enough
was to see the last of her. By-the-by.
how is Mrs. Gordon's headache. Hugh?
Has she been downstairs to-day"
Il haven't spoken TO Mrs. Gordon to-
day" replied Hugh With queer smile:
but | conclude that her headache Is
better because she looked so we'll when
she went away"
/ nearly jumped out of the dogcart.
When she went away" l echoed
when she went away What on earth
are you driving at, Hugh"
About three hours after YOU and
Miss Douglass left" Hugh explained
Mrs. Gordon had a wire asking her TO
go to a cousin who had suddenly been
taken dangerously III. 1t must have
been a very urgent wire. / think. for
Mrs. Gordon went off at once with only
a Gladstone bag by way OF luggage.
She gave the manageress an address in
London. 10 which her boxes were to be
forwarded II she didn't come back i'm a
few days: and should think they
might as well be forwarded there to-
morrow"
You mean that you think she won't
come back. ] gasped, for l was used |
to Hugh's little ways. There's some |
thing behind all this. Hugh. / can tell |
that by your manner, For heavens |
sake don't keep the truth from me-"
Hugh turned and looked at me with !
his quiet smile.
The truth. Colonel?" he said. imper-
AL
you've danced like lamb to the tune |
of the prettiest. and cleverest. and |
pluckiest little woman 1t has ever been |
my fate 10 meet"
II didn't know that lambs danced"
| returned irrHably. 'Confound YOU
Hugh. don't be fool' Speak out,
can't you?"
wen. the case stands like this"
Hugh said. slowly. and in his most ex-
pr sstonless tone. Miss Jessie Douglass
is Jack Miner, the forger: Mrs. Gordon
Is his wife: and you. Colonel. have
aided and abetted a convicted criminal
to defeat the ends of Justice
| recall few occasions in the course
Or my youthful existence when I have
felt fool and / don't mind owning
that this was one of them. But think
any man would have felt the same
under the circumstances
II spotted them from the first"
hugh went on. That is to say /
spotted Mrs. Gordon. for I had seen
her In court at the trial. She had
lark hair then, by-the bye, and a pale
title face. but she was just as pretty.
Well. having spotted Mrs. Gordon. or
rather | should say. Mrs Miner IL
iidn't require absolute genius to guess |
hat her awkward. unattractive invalid
sister was really her husband in dis
suise-and a Hrst-class disguise. too. |
NJ first ! was tempted 10 take hand |
n the game. but Mrs. Gordon played
NJ pluckily and scored her tricks so
leatly that I dec ded to leave her to IT,
like plucky woman when see one
which isn't often. Besides. there was
10 reason why / should interfere IL
'idn't want 10. The case ia in the
lands OF the police, and IL really is no
MAR or mine"
He paused. but I did not speak.
| could not think of anything
o say.--London Truth