Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-02-25
CHAPTER. .xxxV.

CHAP .xxHV.
OF all the dodgers that ever existed
Mrs. Browne, who had taken the apart
ments above Mordaunt Royce's rooms
in Mount Street, was quietest and gave
the least trouble.
In fact, she was more like a mouse
than a human being, Mrs. Robson, the
landlady, declared, and scarcely vent
ured to ring a bell. If she went out
she always waited at the top of her
landing to sec that there was no one in
the hall below, and always wore a
thick black veil which completely OBJ
scured her features. No letters ever
came for her and no visitors called
upon her.
| Mrs. Robson. who was as curious as
most people of her class. tried to find
out something about her from the
maid, but failed ANONYMOUSLY
| The maid was as quiet and discreet
as her mistress. and presented per
fectly dry well which yielded nfthing
whatever to Mrs. Robson's pumping
Her mistress was a widow and rich
and was fond of travelling. That was
all the maid could or would say. and
the landlady could get nothing more
out of her.
Mrs. Brownies room was exactly
over the sitting-room of Mordaunt
Royce, and she could hear him moving
about beneath, and knew when he
came in and went out
He. too, was very quiet. and Mrs
Browne found that what Mrs. Robson.
the landlady, had said was quite true,
and that he did not in the least disturb
her.
: On the first evening of her tenancy
Mrs. Browne entered her sitting-room,
and, having locked the door, opened a
cupboard in a recess by the Fireplace,
and taking some tools from a bag
neatly removed a couple of feet of the
floor boarding, leaving nothing be-
tween her end the room beneath her
, but the thin substance of ceiling.
Having done that, Mrs. Browne,
otherwise Miss Mazurka, made herself
a cup of tea and quietly sat herself
down to listen.
II thtIS 10 any lulHS d WOlIldH loves
as pastime better than another it is
unearthing a mystery. and Miss Mazur-
ka had resolvedly determined to solve
the mystery which enveloped the girl
who had fie1 from Lord Stuart Viliars,
and who, though he thought her dead,
Miss Mazurka was convinced was the
Ida Trevelyan for whom Mordaunt
Royce had cruelty deserted her.
Her love for Mordaunt Royce had
turned to hate. such hate as only a
woman deserted for rival can feel
for the man who has sighted her.
And she had something more than
her hate to prompt her
| She had learned to love Stuart Will
lars with love which only a woman
can feel.
She knew that her love was hope
less, but its hopelessnesS had not slain
/ but purified it. Stuart Villiars had
trusted her with the story of his Tife's
! sorrow, and she could, from her love
for him, repay him for his confidence
while she revenged herself upon her
former lover, Mordaunt Royce.
Not word had she said of all this
to Stuart Villiars.
!, She had left him at Monte Carlo,
recovering from the illness through
which she had nursed him, stiIl per-
suaded tina; his Joan was dead.
| She had left him there almost with
out word, telling him nothing of her
intentions or her destination, and she
had made vow that she would never
rest until she had baked Mordaunt
Royce and regained Stuart villiars'
sweetheart, if Ida Trevelyan should
indeed prove to be she.
With her cup of tea before her. Miss
Mazurka waited hour after hour
She had given her maid holiday.
and there was no one to disturb her.
! If she learned nothing that night
she would wait for another
: Nothing in the world can match the
patience of woman on such a quest
as hers.
/ About ten O'Clock she heard the door
of Mordaunt Royce's room open, and
she knew by his step that he had come
in.
He rang the bell, and she heard HIM
tell Mrs. Robson that he expected 8
lakasaco