The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-01-30
BETWEEN TWO FIRES
By MRS. N WILLIAMSON
of sIady Mary House" 1.-THE Woman Grey
fortunes Sport" Etc, Etc. Etc
By MRS. c.. N. WILLIAMSON
All Rights Reserved.

that some subtle influence sent me
there at that particular instant. / had
scarcely sent a glance over the quiet
square when I saw a hanson drive
quickly round the corner and draw
up at the pavement in front of our
door.
By this time it was after eight; still,
1t was early for people to be arriving
in hansoms. Vaguely curious, l hid
behind the curtains and waited to see
who would get out. To my intense
surprise, I saw Noel Brent Jump has
| tily down, hand the cabman his fare,
and run up the two or three steps OF
| the porch. He was dressed in grey
! travelling clothes, therefore he must
| be leaving town, tho in our talk last
night he had said nothing about going
| think of it, he had mentioned an en-
gagement to lunch at Prices with an
old Oxford chum.
| / began to feel very much excited.
| So far as 1 could see, the only posi-
BILE explanation Of his early call was
| he had come to let her know that he
was suddenly called out of town.
Still, even so, it was odd that he
should appear at little after eight,
and seemed almost like taking liber-
ty-the last thing that Noel Brent
would ever do.
I only waited long enough at the
1 window to make sure that he didn't
| merely stop at the door for minute
and go off again. AS soon as l was
certain that he had come into the
house hurried to dress as quickly as
could. I twisted up my hair- M
one beauty, anyhow--and got into the
things which were simplest to put on,
a skirt and blouse. 1t did not take me
! ten minutes to do all this.
| My room was next to Margots, and
I had to pass her door on my way to
me that I might as we'll find out
whether she were there, or had gone
down to seek Noel.
l tapped very lightly, but loud
enough for her to hear If she were
awake. There was no answer, and
turned the knob Ct knew that Margot
slept with her door. unlocked) and
peeped in. 49,.
= Now I always have my curtains
closely drawn and my windows half
shut at night; but Margot has a ride
even when she's asleep. Uncle Cor
don used to call her his sunshine
child when she was little thing,
because she basked in it SO; and be-
| sides, in those. days when quantities CT
bright yellow hair used to be cascad-
| lug OPSl. ucI IAIe IlchtlC
seemed rather appropriate in more
ways than one. But her hair is many
shades darker now. Except in the
light it is almost brown, not so very
much prettier than mine, except that
there's more gold in it, and it's nat
urally curly and somewhat heavier.
| This morning the sunshine was
streaming into her room as usual, and
there she lay in bed, fast asleep, with
that long, bright hair of hers hanging
| in thick curly tail over the pillow,
| and her half-bare arms thrown over
her head. Margot sleeps like a child
with her lips just parted, and looks
about II instead Of 20. She has very
long eyelashes, which are darker than
her hair, and her skin keeps the bril-
liant rose-and- white 1t. had when
knew her first as a tiny thing; so that
to any one who loved the girl there
| would be something particularly sweet
about her when she slept. But don't
love her, and hated her so that my
heart began to beat very fast and half
choked me. I closed the door as
quietly as I had opened it, and went
slowly tiptoeing downstairs.
/ was glad that she was asleep in.
stead of talking to Noel, but his early
visit was more puzzling than ever. II
he had sent UP word to Margot she
would have received it before this, fol
he, must now have been in the house
a quarter of an hour. Whatever
meant to do--and I wasn't quite Ger.
tain yet what that would bet must
| be done soon, for almost any minute
now our maid, Potter, might go t.
Margot's room to wake her. Margo
gets up earlier than I do, for she al
ways goes down to breakfast will
| Uncle Gordon at a quarter to 10, while
| /, being delicate, usually take mine il
my room after my bath.
AS I've just said, I hadn't entirel,
made up my mind what to do; bu
somehow I was determined to find on
who Noel Brent was in the house,
secret which would very likely be KEEP
from me OF 1t really were a secret, a.
: I vaguely suspected), unless T wer,
clever enough to discover it for my
self.
I was picking my way downstairs $,
noiselessly I didn't want to be seen O.
heard by any Of the servants if
could help it, or by Uncle Gordon, il
, case he were receiving Noel I didn'
. even know where the visitor Nigh
be; whether in one Of the drawing
rooms, or Margot's boudoir, or INCL
:, Gordon's study, or the library; O
whether he and my uncle were havin,
an early breakfast together in tn
!, dining-room. But just as, I ha,
reached the turn of the stairs and tn
landing where the grandfathers cloc]
stands, the electric door bell rane
!, and one OF the footrnen went quickl,
across the hall. I could see W1tholl
:, being seen if fattened myself agains
! the wall, and ! did SO.
. Ihen came another surprise for me
? Henry let in Lord Reckworth. tn,
. secretary of foreign affairs. He wa
promptly escorted to the door O
: Uncle Gordon's study; and so 7 hat
: received the hint I had been wanting
;. ffor | could not doubt there was SOM
:. connection between the two extraor
: dlnarlly early visits, and that Noe
I was already in the same room, proba
. bly, closeted with my uncle.
What can 1t all nean?'' I said t.
myself, as-when Henry was out o
4 sight went on down the stairs.
/ Noel Brent had nothing whateve
J. to do with politics at present, tho
e knew that he had parliamentary ambi
! tons which would probably be full
4 filled shortly, as he was clever, an
mad some influence, tho not muc]
Y money. Meanwhile, however, he wa
t only a, fine looking young man O
Il twenty-nine or thirty-to me the bes
: looking on earth-of good birth an
n education, who had made a name, an
. become something of a social lion be
4 cause of a remarkable book he ha
a written about an equally remarkabl
+ climbing exploit in the Himalayas
: Why should he be called into privat
= consultation with the home secretar
= and the foreign secretary between
: and In the morning ?-or was tn
meeting between the two elderly me
: and the young one to be friendly an
l unofficial?