Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-10-03

know nothing about the matter"
 "How stupid e you!" said Mrs.
 Ward, beginning to think that her con descension in asking Leonard to din-
 ner was wasted "But you men are
 always so blind, poor dears! Did Mrs.
 Jersey and MT. Brendon get on well
 together? suppose Mrs. Jersey liked
 him P
 q think she did" replied Leonard,
 on whose weak head the claret was
 beginning to take effect, ''but she was
 rather startled when she saw him
 first It wasn't at him exactly, but
 at piece of yellow holly he wore in
 his coat.'
 Yellow holly,' repeated Mrs. Ward,
 with feigned surprise. Why, of course , MT. Brendon wore a sprig. My daugh-
 ter gave it to him."
 ssSo he told me, Mrs. Ward
 And I gave it to Dorothy contin-
 ued Mrs. Ward, who for some reason wished to make an explicit statement.
 ''It is very rare, you know, and a man
 who lives in Devonshire sent me &
 bunch. Dorothy mentioned that MT.
 Brendon had begged for piece. Yes,
 he would naturally wear it on that
 night, as he had just left my house.
 But why was this unfortunate woman
 surprised?"
 T can't say, but she was," answered
 Train. s.She turned white, and we all
 thought she was about to faint"
 'sDid she give any explanation?'
 tsNo. Tn few moments she recov-
 cred, and nothing more was said.'
 "Ohr' Mrs. Ward seemed disap- pointed. .'Was that all?"
 "Why'-Leonard turned his dull
 eyes on her flushed face-'twhat else
 did you expect to hear, Mrs. WardY Y' Nothing! Nothing she said hur-
 riedly, for she did not wish to make him suspicious; but it seems so odd. Dorothy giving the holly, you know, and that Mrs. Jersey should be upset. | We must continue this conversation, Mr. Train. It is really most interest ing. But you literary men are quite fascinating. After dinner in the draw ing room, MT. Train Dorothyv' She signaled with her fan, and her daugh- ter arose Don't be too long over your wine," said Mrs. Ward as she left the room. we can't spare you, MT. Train"
 Leonard believed that all this atten- tion was due to his own Vaccinations. His head was still heated with the wine he had drunk, yet he began to re-
 gret that he had said anything about
 the yellow holly. Certainly he had not promised George to be silent on this especial point, but he nevertheless thought it wiser to hold his tongue about all that had taken place in Amelia square on the night of the mur- sder. Warned in this way by his moth
 CT sense, Train took no more wine, but after a rather dull conversation with iVane he went into the drawing room. Dorothy was at the piano, and thither repaired vane But Mrs. Ward, seated
 near the fire, called Leonard to her side. T must introduce you. Lord Darlington MT. Train"
 The grandfather of George was a huge man, burly, red faced, white
 haired and with rather trucuient ex- pression. He was over seventy, yet carried bis years like a boy. Under his !bushy white eyebrows he shot ia quick glance at Leonard from 8, pair of keen gray eyes and summed him up at once as fool. But Lord Der rington had been diplomatist many ! years before and knew that even fools are sometimes useful. Moreover, he had learned from Mrs. Wards aimless chatter that Train was great friend of Brendon's, and he knew more about |. George than George thought. How ever, Darlington, after that one glance
 of contempt, was very civil to Leon. ard.
 lasIi am glad to meet you," he said with a nod "You go in for books, I 1 understand from Mrs. Ward.s
 He had deep, raucous voice like that of an early starling, and spoke in
 an abrupt staccato kind Of way. Train, who stood before him like rabbit be- fore snake, compared him in hE own mind with Becky Sharp's friend, the Marquis of Steyne. Darlington was l quite as wicked and savage and un- | scrupulous as that celebrated noble man.
 Darlington seemed to Leonard to
 have the instincts of despot, and Leonard could imagine him staying and burning and doing all manner of 1 evil things. He wondered how Bren- don ever came to have such a villain ous grandfather. It was on the tip of his tongue to say something about Brendon, just to observe the effect on Darlington. At that moment fate in | tervened. The drawing room door opened, and servant announced, "Mr. Brendon!''
 The next moment George came face to face with his grandfather. (To Be Continued.l