Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1902-05-15
The crims0n
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She held out one hand, with an I'M
ploring gesture, and the red lips We're
quivering. and her eyes were full OF
tears. David's warm heart went out
to her; he forgot all his own troubles
and dangers in his sympathy for the
young creature in distress.
pray say no more about it," he
cried. He caught the outstretched hand
in his and pressed it to his lips. Il
don't wish to hurry you; in fact haste
is dangerous. And there S ample time.
Nor am going 10 press you. STILL be-
fore long you may find some way to
give me clue without sacrificing a jot
of your fine loyalty towel. others.
would not distress you for the world,
Miss Gates. Don't you think that tins
has been the most extraordinary inter-
view?''
The tears trembled like diamonds on
the girls long lashes and a smile
flashed over her face. The sudden
transformation wss wonderfully fas-
cinating.
What you might CAL an impossible
| interview" she laughed. and all the
more impossible because it was quite
impossible that you should ever have
been here before"
when was in this room. two niga.s
ago" David protested. 81 saw"
Did You see me- for instance If
not. YOU couldn't have been here.'
| a small. mis-shapen figure, with the
face Of Byron-Apollo on the bust of
| Satyr-came in from behind the fold
ing doors of the back dining room, car
! rying some letters in his hand The
| strangers pleasing eyes were fixed in
quiringly upon Steel.
Bell" the latter cried; "Hatherly
/ Bell! YOU have been listening?'
The little man with the god-like head
admitted the fact, coolly. He had been
! writing letters in the back room, and
! escape had been impossible for him.
Funny enough, I was going to look
/ you up to-day" he said. you did me
a great service once, and am longing
| to repay you. I came down here to
| give my friend, Gates the benefit of
\ my advice and assistance over large
! philanthropic scheme he has just
| evolved. And, writing letters yonder
on that subject heard your extraor
/ binary conversation. Can 1 help you,
/ STEELE"
My dear fellow" David cried 'if
you offered me every intellect in Eu-
! rope I should not choose one of them
| SO gladly as yours!''
! Then let US shake hands on the
bargain. And now I am going to stag
| ger you; I heard you state positively
that two nights ago you were in this
very ROOM"
II am prepared to testify the fact on
! oath, anywhere, my dear Bell
Every we'll; will you be good enough
to state the hour?"
| Certainly. was here from l o'clock
say between 1 and a.
| "And was here, also. From II
| o'clock until was in this very room,
| working out some calculations at this
very table by the aid Of my reading
lamp, no other light being in the room,
| even in the house, SO far as know. 1t
I; is one of my fads-as fools call them
to work in a large, dark room with one
| brilliant light only. Therefore, you
could not possibly have been in the
! house. to say nothing of this room, on
the night in question"
David nodded feebly. There was no
combating Bells statement.
II presume that this is No. 219?" he
asked.
'Certainly it isl Miss Gates replied
! "We are all agreed about that"
Because read the number over the
fanlight," Steel went on. "And I came
here by arrangement. And there was
| everything as I see it now. Bell you
must either cure me of this delusion,
or you must prove, logically, to me
that I have made a mistake. So far as
I am concerned, I am like a child
struggling with the alphabet
We'll start now" said Bell. "Come
along"
Steel rose, none too willingly. He
would fain have fingered with Ruth.
She held out her hand; there was a
warm, glad smile on her face.
May you be successful" she whis-
! pered. Come and see me again, be-
cause I shall be very, very anxious to
know. And I am not without guilt-if
you only knew"
"And I may come again?" David
said, eagerly.
A further smile and a warm pressure
Of the hand were the only reply. Pres
emily Steel was standing outside in the
road with Bell. 1.-THE latter was glanc-
ing at the house on either side Of 213.
The higher house was let; the one
nearest the sea-21S-was empty. A bill
in the window gave the information
that the property was in the hands Of
Messrs. Wallace & Brown, Station
Quadrant. where keys could be OBJ
| tanned.
"Well make start straightaway,"
said Bell. "Come along"
"Where are you going to at that
pace?" Steel asked.
"Going to interview Messrs. Wallace
& Brown. At the present moment am
a gentleman who is in search Of a pla ce
of residence, and 7 have weakness for
Brunswick Square in particular, espe-
cially for No. 21S. Unless I am greatly
mistaken, I am going to Show you
thing that will startle even the most
callous novelist
CHAPTER VIII.
| Hatherly Bell.
The queer, mis- shapen figure, strld-
ing along by Steels side would have