The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-02-08


fuse?"
"Mr. vautrey, ] neither refuse nor
decline"
Then"
Il must see the letter"
"You must see before you decide?"
Certainly"
But 1t will be too late then
II can't help that"
Miss Delacour, this is something
very important. indeed
80 II would SEEM"
"And you persist in making a joke
of it?"
II am not joking. Mr.. Vauntrey: far
from 1t, believe me. You come to ME
with q mystery. Well. ! adore mys-
teries. It is about a letter. and going
away. Where are you going|
II hardly know"
"To the Riviera?'
Probably"
well, we all do that every year;
there Is nothing striking in that Then,
there is this letter."
(Which when it comes you will de-
stroy?"
"As 1 said before, ! will consider the
point"
TT is not as If 1t was OF any conse-
| quence. you know"
| mo"
| "Or likely to interest you"
II suppose not: but when did you
post your letter"
Last night"
"In town."
| "Yes."
"Then II should be here by now; 1t
will come by the afternoon post prob
| ably, and--yes, half-past At should be
here Immediately. Then you can tell
| me all about it, or I can read II or de-
| eide whether to burn 1t or not"
| A minute later a servant entered the
| room with a salver on which lay sew
eral letters.
Here they are. Mr.. Vautrey and yes,
here is yours. but-well, it didn't mat
ter about your request
"why? What has happened?'
TT is only the envelope which is
here"
"And the letter.
HAS been lost in the post, evil
IDENTIFY"
"Ah!"
"And now, what was in this letter
which was not stuck down, and which
you were so anxious for me not to see
You owe me an explanation"
1T was a ma tier which had better be
left alone"
II am not of that opinion"
Miss Delacour. assure you TO the
contrary. The incident is over, the let
ter is lost"
But 1t will be found"
mo, 1t knew it's duty. and sensibl,
| aefaoa1 ;tuaIfu
"Still. there was an address on tn
note paper?"
perhaps. ] forget"
"You forget? Impossible!"
mot at ALL"
"Where did you write it?''
AT the club"
"Then the club has stamped not
paper"
"well?"
5 "And the letter will be returned I
, ! you. ! know how it Is done. ] wrot
E to Jessie Cardngton at Cairo. She ha
5 left The letter was opened and re
turned to me. SO 1t will be here. Now
. Mr.. Vautrey, you must tell me all abou
$ the letter, or promise to send II to m
) when you receive it again"
2 "And If can do neither?"
q "Then our friendship, Mr.. Vautrey
= comes to an end"
= THAT is precisely what it has to d
e in any case"
. what do you mean?'
- 1T Is the simple truth, Miss Della
s cour: it is no joke about my gon
{, away"
II Il understand less and less"
: 1T is clear, nevertheless"
n Explain, please"
e '"rhe letter ] wrote was a rogue.
,f which at the time might not hay
n seemed so extraordinarily impert
y nent, BECAUSE
n "Yes?"
lie Because I believed myself wealthy
4. "But the request?"
J. WAS to marry me-"
n Go on
After writing IL learned by a tell
Is gram from Castlehampton that the 81
ID licitors who manage my property hay
De failed absolutely, They have collapse
is not a red cent; 50 that you see was
e. | a double predicament. ! tried, lit
IN knowing the red tape imperturbabili
st OF the department, to recover my letts
l. 1t was useless. but Fate behaved
~ this particular instance like a gentl
man and did the straight thing. Th