Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1902-05-15
BY Fred M. &'aite
CHAPTER vII.-tContinued.,

David turned With {, start. He saw
before him slight. graceful figure and
q lovely, refined face in frame of the
most beautiful hair he had ever seen
The gray eyes We're demure. With just
q suggestion of mirth in them; the lips
were made for laughter. 1t was as If
some dainty little actress We're mas
querading in Salvation garb, only the
dress was all priceless lace that touched
David's artistic perception. He could
Imagine the girl as deeply in earnest as
going through fire and water for her
convictions Also. he could imagine
lter as Puck or Ariel-there was rip
ping laughter in every note of that
voice of hers.
'I-I,eh. yes" Steel stammered. "You
see. If I only knew whom I had the
pleasure of addressing?o"
Il am Miss Ruth Gates. at your SER
vice. Still. you asked for me by rame." "
David made no reply for a moment.
He was tripping over surprises again.
What a fool he had been not to look out
the name of the occupant OF 219 in the
directory. 1t was pretty evident that
Gilead Gates had a house in Brighton,
as well as one in town. Not only had
that telephone message emanated from
the millionaire's residence. but it had
brought Steel to the philanthropist's
abode in Brighton. If Mr.. Gates him.
self had STROBE into the room singing a
comic song David would have eX-
pressed no emotion.
Daughter OF the famous Gilead
Eates?" David asked, feebly.
"No: niece and housekeeper. This is
not my uncles own house. He has
merely taken it for a time. But. Mr..
Steel"
"Mr. David Ste,l-is my name fanil-
Tar to you?''
David asked the question somewhat
eagerly. AS yet he was only feeling his
way and keenly on the lookout for any
thing in the way Of clue. He saw the
face Of the girl grow white as the table,
cover. he saw TIE lurking laugter die in
her eyes. and the purple-hlack terror
dilating the pupils.
Il know you quite we'll by reputa-
"1fon,' the girl gaspad. Her little hands
were pressed to her left side AS if to
check some deadly pain there. en-
deed, I may say I have read most Of
your stories. II hope that there is
nothing wrong"
Her self-possession and courage We're
coming back to her now. But the
6pasm of fear that had shaken her to
the soul was not lost upon Steel.
81 trust not he said gravely. s'Did
sou know that I was here two nights
ago."
"Here?" the girl cried. Impossible!
I'm the house? The night before last?
why, we were all in bed long before
midnight!"
ct am not aware that I said anything
about midnight responded David,
eoldly.
An angry flush came sweeping over
2he face of the girl, annoyance at her
own folly. David thought. She added,
quickly, that she and her uncle had
fniy been down in Brighton for three
days.
Nevertheless. was in this room two
nights ago." Davil replied. eff you
know all about it. pray give me certain
Information of vital importance to me:
# not. shall be compelled to keep my
extraordinary story to myself, for. 9TH
-erwise, you " ould never believe it. Do
you or do you not know of my visit
here?''
The girl bent her head till Steel could
zee nothing but the glorious amber of
her hair. He could see, too. that the
fine old lace round her throat was toss
ing like a cork in a stream.
II can tell you nothing" she said.
~*Nothing, nothing. nothing"
1t was the Voice of one who would
have spoken had she dared. With any
body else Steel would have been furi-
ously angry. In the present case he
could only admire the deep. almost pa
thetic, loyalty to somebody who stood
behind.
care you sure you were in this
house?" the girl asked. at length.
"Certain!" David exclaimed ''The
walls, the pictures. the furniture-all
the same. I could swear to the place
anywhere. Miss Gates if I cannot
prove that I was here at the time I
name it is likely to go very hard with
me"
"You mean that a certain incon-
venierce-"
Inconvenience! Do you call charge
of murder, or manslaughter at best, in
convenient? Have you not seen the
local papers? Don't you know that
two nights ago, during my absence
from home, n strange man was prac-
tically done to death in my conserva-
tory? And during the time of the out
rage, as sure as Heaven is above us, I
was in this room!'
II am sorry, but I am sure that you
were not
4tAh. you are going to disappoint rne?
And yet you know something. You
might have been the guiltiest of crea-
lures yourself when I disclosed my
identity. No prisoner detected in some
shameful crime ever looked more guilty
than YOU
The girl stood there, saying nothing.
Had she rang the bell and ordered the
footman to put him out of the house.
Steel would have had no cause of COM
plant. But she did nothing of the
kind. She stood there, torn by con-
hicting emotions.
IT can give you no infor. ation," she
said, presently. But I am as positive
one way as y,,u are another, that you
have never been in this house before.
4 may surmise things, but as hope to
be judged fairly can give you no in
formation [ am only pOO" unhappy