Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1902-10-11
pure. there was Just a suspicion OF for
eign intonation In his voice
ssYes" said

Anc Is the captain at homer
mo, sir; he is In China"
The strange eyes peered I'D from un-
der the strange lids, lids OF which the
skin seemed to be drawn up In the cor
ners in some peculiar manner. I no
dced that the man had scarcely any
eyebrows and no eyelashes.
THAT Is very strange" he said. 81
thought he would have been home long
before this"
He seemed to doubt me somewhat.
though he did 1t In quiet way with
which 1 could not quarrel After all,
the man would naturally be a little
disappointed. 1t is poor fun to travel
good 20 miles to see a man and then
not find him at home. And yet where
could he have seen my father and how
did he know he was coming homer
The man, looking at me very hard,
said, Pardon me, but are you Captain
kingston's son2'
"Yes, sir"
"His only sonw
''His only child"
'You are not much Hike your ia
Their"
"Yeu know him well them"
"Very intimately. Indeed, we were
great friends in Australia"
"But you are not an Australian?s /
knew well he wasn't but his nationall-
ty puzzled me, and 1 hoped that he
might vouchsafe the information.
mo, but sometimes have business
there"
he regarded me intently, measuring
me from head to foot, his strange eyes
seeming to take in every particular of
my face and dress. And this he did
without speaking, a proceeding with
which was not at all pleased, which,
moreover, was beginning to render me
extremely uncomfortable.
81 am sorry my father is not here"
said, ''but If you will leave your name
/ will tell my mother to mention you
the next time she writes"
'You have no idea when your father
viii return1"
None" said shortly, little an
noyed at the way he ignored the sug-
gestion that he should tell me his
name.
'Ah, that's a pityl Perhaps your
mother knowsT'
'sThat is scarcely possible"
SIS she IMP"
Ell think SOL
In fact, 1 knew 90, but the mans
questioning was not at all to my Xix
ing, and 1 felt suspicious, 1 hardly
knew why. But he seemed to ignore
my restraint and with n calm survey
of the garden and the house remarked
fhnf ho
he wondered why Captain Kingston
preferred to roam so much abroad.
That, was nearly saying, was my ka-
TIERS business, but at that moment
my mother appeared at the door and
called TO me.
at once advanced toward her. the
stranger following.
This gentleman has Just called TO
see father" 1 explained. pointing TO
the stranger, who raised his hat and
bowed very low.
My mother houored him with an IN
commonly sharp scrutiny, and then I
thought her lips frightened and she
grew a shade paler.
II am sorry to say Captain Kingston
Is still abroad" she answered, and her
voice was cold and distant aud star
tlingly unlike her usual tone
II regret 1t exceedingly" said the
man. Il expected to find him here"
She did not answer, but stared at him
In a way which failed utterly to COM
prehend. So 1 Clipped IN with:
"This gentleman met father In Aus
tralia"
AUSTRALIAN she echoed. her eyes
growing wider.
1 may have been mistaken, but I
thought the echo was more like a gasp.
YES" he said, curiously familiar
smile playing round the corners of his
mouth. I'VE were good friends out
there. He gave me his address when
he knew was coming to England. I
quite understood from what he said
that he would have arrived by this"
BE spoke easily and with the same
meaning smile, but his strange eyes
played all over my mother, and 1 saw
how deeply they affected her.
Il am sorry" she said hastily, giving
me the impression of n woman exceed.
ingly embarrassed, and backing toward
the door at the same time. who shall
say calledY'
"Oh, it is immaterial," he replied. at
am sure to meet him when he returns"
With that he raised his hat once
more, bowed very politely in a dis
tinctly foreign fashion and sauntered
down the pathway.
My mother and 1 Immediately enter
ed the house and shut the door. That
done, she sprang through the hall into
the dining room and across to the win
dow, at her heels. The stranger had
just shut the gate and was taking a
final survey of the house. Seeing us,
he raised his hat once more, smiled and
then disappeared down the road
(To BIZ CoNTINUED)
Hard to Avoid