The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-06-11


like Maggin, why-why what can one
do, Ell? what can one dor
Deveriii,s anger burst all bounds. He
laughed shortly.
why, one can take money from the
young mans relations In return for giving
him the cold shoulder!'' said he between
his set teeth.
It was SURPRISINGLY rude, surprising
ly dangerous to make such speech.
But that he had hit the right nall on
the head he could not doubt when no saw
the major start violently, attempt to
make clustering denial and then fall
into shutfling, muttering silence as he
shut the door.
Deyerill raised his hand to put on his
hat md was surprised to find 1t was
shaking 30 much TINT he could scarcely
perform that simple operation.
But though his nerves might be shak-
en-, his mind was made up. If he had
not seen Maggie at the station on the
previous night he might perhaps have
been ready to believe this story about
her fixed determination to have nothing
to do with him. But remembering, rs
her lips but encouraged him with her
eyes, he knew very we'll that sho had
not been consulted, and that his reccr-
ton at Mrs. Browns hands had been
all a matter OF arrangement between her
and his uncle.
His anger against Sir wilfrsd knew
no bounds; and, II he had only been
sure Of Maggie herself, the hotheaded
young man would have braved every
risk, snapped his fingers at his threat
ened prospects and married the girl
straightway.
but there was the worst Of the
trouble; his love, his devotion, his
readiness 40 6hcrifice 1everytfng, all
seemed to bc in vain, She left him to
fight his battle for himself, and even
Joined in tho ranks against him by re-
fusjng to let him know where to find
her.
Determined not to be baffled by this
difficulty, Deverill went, on the follow
Ing day. to Croydon, where he had little
doubt that he should succeed in finding
they really lived there, or the fact that
they had deceived him and that they
had never stayed in that town.
This last doubt, however, was soon
set at rest. It occurred to him to
make Inquiries Mt the station, and, the
appearance OF the three sisters being
sufficiently striking for ready identlfi-
cation, he learnt that three ladies an
sWering his description We're constantly
seen there, especially at the book stall.
Croydon Is q large place, and this In
formation did not take him very far.
isappointed In his hopes OF meeting
one or other OF the sisters in his walks
about town, peyerill had to go back to
London very little wiser than he came;
and It was not until he had been to
Croydon on three successive days, and
had consumed unlimited milk and soda
at the different confectioners shops,
where he made Inquiries about the girls,
that he at last came upon something
definite in the way Of information, and
obtained the address Of the Miss Browns.
It proved to be q lodging house OF q
very modest sort, and the tnformat ton
he obtainedN there was q blow. Miss
Brown and her sisters had given up
their rooms and gone back to London tlt
but what their new address was the
| people OF the house either would not or
could not tell him.
What was he to do? He was too angry
to go and see his uncle: to return to
the Browns flat after his insulting ro-
| ception * there. was OUT of the ques-
| ton. Prudence told him to look upon
all these circumstances as fortunate
and to give up MI Thought Of Maggie.
But even IL the attraction of the girl
4 had not been& SO ylyid. and his passion
| for her so strong. tho my stery which
1 surrounded not only her family but the
1 girl herself, could not but be a powerful
stimulant to the imagination Of q young
| man.
When he was with her he succumbed
at once to her charm, and every doubt
| fled away But now that he was left
| to himself, he could not but feel uneasily
that he should have liked to know who
Kentucky Jim was, and what part that
singularly named person had played In
| the history of her young life.
But she recolected herself in mo-
ment !; put on little air Of frightened
coquetry, held out her hand shyly with
out looking up, and fled away back to
Claudia and the carriage before ne could
begin another passionate plea.
He wondered whether she knew he
would allow her. But she gave no sign.
Half an hour later he had seen her
stop at little old-fashioned house In
the Chasea district,\ where she and her
sister got out and were met at the door
by the third sister, Aline, who looked
! as we'll dressed as they.
He waited until the afternoon, and
then, when the lamps were just lighted
| in the streets, he found his way to the
little house, and asked for the Misses
| Brown.
THE neat maid SloWtu nm ti'ito q
small front sitting room, which was
| shut in from the back only by old fash
| Toned folding doors. E
He looked round him. There were
| dollhouse flowers and fruit on the table
in one OF those supremely unreal lools-
Ing baskets from we'll known shop IN
Regent Street. IL
There was beautiful fan upon the
table half-n. half-out of Its box and
brand new,
ono of the best makers; there was
great cut-glass scent bottle filled with
perfume and mounted in silver,
Deverill grew sick and faint, Ike
delicate girl. But he set his teeth hard
!, and would not look at these things,
And then upon his ears there struck
a sound which filled his heart with the
madness OF jealousy, and made MIN
It was the sound Of a man's laugh IN
the next room
(ro be continued,)