The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-10-11
CHAPTER XVII (Continued).


Miss Betty quickly wrote four lines
upon the same sheet: "Yes-yes
must see you, must talk with you be-
fore you go. Come at dusk. The gar
den-near the gap in the hedge. It will
be safe for little while. He will not
be here" She replaced the paper in it's
envelope, drew a line through her own
name on the letter, and wrote Mr.
Vanrevel" underneath.
do you know the gentleman who
sent you?" she asked.
Nom; but he'll be waitin' at his of
flee, Gray & Vanrevel,' on Main street,
for the answer"
Then hurry" said Betty.
He needed no second bidding, but
with wings on his bare heels, made off
through the gap in the hedge. At the
corner of the street he encountered an
adventure, gentlemans legs and a
heavy hand at the same time. The
hand fell on his shoulder, arresting his
scamper with a vicious jerk; and the
boy was too awed to attempt an escape,
for he knew his captor well by sight,
himself so directly in the company of
Rouen's richest citizen. The note drop
ped from the small trembling fingers,
yet those fingers did not shake as did
the mans when, like u flash, Carewe
seized upon the missive with his dis
engaged hand and saw what two
names were on the envelope.
You were stealing, were you?" he
cried, savagely. Il saw you sneak
through my hedge!"
II didn't, either!"
Mr.. Carewe ground his teeth. What
were you doing there?"
Nothing"
Nothing" Knocked Carewe. Moth
ing! You didn't carry this to the young
lady in there and get her answer"
mo, sir!' answered the captive, earn
estly. Gross my heart, l didn't. l
found it!'
Slowly the corruga tons of anger
were levelled from the magnate's face,
the white heat cooled, and the prisoner
marvelled to find himself in the pres
ence of an urbane gentleman whose
placidity made the scene of a moment
ago appear some trick of distorted Wis
ion. And yet, curious to behold, Mr..
Carewe's fingers shook even more VIC
lently than before, as he released the
boys shoulders and gave him q friendly
tap on the head. at the same slime slnil-
ing benevolently.
There, there" he said, beatowing a
Wink upon the ycungSter. tits all
right; /: doesn't matter-only think |
see the chance of a jest in this You
wait, while 1 read this little note, this
message that you found" He ended by
winking again with the eriendlest
drollery.
He turned his back to the boy. and
opened the note; continuing to stand in
messages II struck the messenger
that, after this, there need be no great
shame in his own lack of this much
Wanted art of reading, since il took
so famous man as Mr.. Carewe such
length of time to peruse a little note.
But perhaps the gentleman was i'll, for
ii appeared to the boy that he lurched
several times, once so far that he would
have gone over If he had not saved
himself by a lucky stagger And once,
except for the fact that the face that
mad turned away had worn an express
sion Of such genial humor the boy
would have believed that from 1t issued
sound like the gnashing of teeth.
But when il was turned to him again
il bore the salne anliablc jocosity of
mouth and eye. and nothing seemed to
be the matter, except that those fingers
still shook so wildly, too wildly, indeed,
to restore the note to its envelope.
There" said Mr. CRrewe, put ii
back, ladde. put it back yourself Take
~ to the gentleman who sent you. ]
see he's even disguised his hand a
erihe-ha! ha!-an6 1 suppose he may