The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-05-19

Alan. After all, I think you are right.
There is no place like London. We will
stay at home few days before We &c
on. What do you thinkf"
"Just as you please. l don't see why
we shouldn't"
"Nor /, said she, for the thought
had come to her that. If Edward Con.
way was hunting her down, there is nc
place in the world where you can keep
yourself hidden so easily as in London.
Nor would 1t be easy to find her, fol-
she had not single friend or acquaint.
ance who had known her at the time
of Captain Conway's supposed death.
At the time Of her second marriage she
would have written to Mr.. Lawson, to
whom she had only a few weeks before
repaid the last installment Of the e100,
at what pinching effort she alone knew,
but he had Just died, and with the 9th
er officials Of the Red River line she
had no acquaintance. So long as che
did not walk abroad there was but very
little chance of her stumbling against
her pursuer. Here, on the contrary, it
was almost impossible to keep out Of
the way Of any one whom You did not
want to see. Presently she would have
to drive three miles to the station, not,
mercifully, along the road to Roathlyn,
but in the opposite direction. Still, it
was possible that he might have
changed his mind. and in any case she
would not feel absolutely secure until
che was out Of the neighborhood, until
she was out of this desolation of woods
and fields and into the safe shelter Of
the great city.
For one wild moment she wished
with all her heart she had told Alan
when the news Of Edward Conways
rescue first reached her. But now that
she had come face to face with the ter
rible and awful tragedy which would
end, God alone knew how, she did not
dare to speak. As she sat there, trying
to force the egg and the delicate strips
Of bacon bit by bit down her throat,
she recalled the very first time that she
had ever seen him-how he had refused
with absolute scorn to inquire into her
character, how he had told her that
honesty was the dominant note Of her
life; that she had many times given
herself away by being too honest, by
not being able to tell, at the right mo-
ment, the harmless, necessary lie.
And if ! tell the truth l must needs
confess that she was at this juncture
afraid to tell him-afraid to own that
she had shared his life and love while
the barrier Of great secret lay be-
tween them. She told herself that it
would have been so easy to carry the
news straight to him then that day
when her Mortified eyes had first fallen
upon that announcement in the papers
which was headed, Survivors of the
Arikhama. 1t was not easy then;
now it was almost impossible She felt
that she could not face the look of sur
prise in his eyes; she felt that if every
thing came out, and he should ask
her to stay with him, he could no
longer ask it as d favor So more and
more she realized the need Of keeping
it all dead secret, of hiding from Ed
ward Conway as long as she could and
of trusting to blind chance and Provi-
dence to free her-to free her this time
beyond all shadow of doubt.
There were still some trivial arrange
ments for Alan to make when they had
finished breakfast, gratuitiss to be CIV
en-, one or two little bills to be paid
and the landlords account to be settled
in full. She could hear him in the little
room across the passage explaining to
mine host that he had no doubt as to
the honesty of the bill-it was no use
his going over the items; that he had
not the least idea how many whistles
and sodas be had bad, and that if he
had no objection he would prefer to set
tie the account without any further ar
Then she heard the landlord
protest that he wanted them to come
back again, and therefore he was par
ticularly anxious that Mr.. Stacey should
go thoroughly into the bill, go that If
there was anything to which he object
ed he might meet him at once
"My friend" said Alan. "you will
never make your fortune. Here you
have entertained us to the best of your
ability. You have satisfied both my
wife and myself, and we are extremely
obliged to you for all the trouble and
pains that you have been at to give us
a good time. am quite satisfied that
the bill is all right and that there is not
a single item in it to which any reason
able man could raise any objection.
Then she heard the chink Of money
and, from the silence that followed,
guessed that the landlord was employed
in the serious business Of receipting the
bill. She wondered how many more no.
tel bills would be made out, paid and
'sceipted for their sojourn together.
She wondered if Edward Conway found
ler, and she decided to stay with Alan
If Alan did not wish her to go away.
sbe wondered what people in London
would say; how they would take it.
She supposed that in that case Edward
Conway would make it the business Of
lis life to follow them round and ex-
,lain to every one the exact position in
which they were placed. Would it be
letter to tell everybody Would the
tory get into the papersf Would it be
4 ,,o,,J f-o,,, opo opd ~ tho world ta